Travel insurance & the GHIC

Lesson 5 of 13 in our free Insurance guide: a 5-minute money game with the key points below.

This lesson is in the full version.

Free with a code from your uni, college, council, landlord or employer (worth £600/year). Lesson 1 of Insurance is free for everyone.

Questions you'll answer

You're going on two trips this year. What might be cheaper than two single-trip policies?

Fact: “The GHIC is free to get from the official government site.” — Sites charging a fee to 'process' it are just middlemen. Don't pay.
Myth: “With a GHIC you don't need travel insurance in Europe.” — GHIC doesn't cover flights home, private treatment, cancellations or stolen stuff.
Fact: “Buying travel insurance as soon as you book can cover you if you have to cancel.” — Cancellation cover only helps if you have the policy before the thing goes wrong.
Fact: “You must tell your insurer about existing medical conditions.” — If you don't, they can refuse claims — even unrelated ones in some cases.
State hospital treatment in the EU → GHIC. That's the GHIC's job (at the same cost as a local).
A flight home after a serious injury → Travel insurance. Repatriation is a travel insurance thing — and can cost thousands.
Your bag being stolen on the beach → Travel insurance. Travel insurance (if you weren't careless — check 'unattended' rules).
Missing your flight because you overslept → Neither. That's on you, sleepyhead.