5 essential covers for travelling abroad

Are you planning a holiday beyond the Spanish borders or do you need to leave the country for a few days for other reasons? If so, it is of the utmost importance that you have the most comprehensive travel insurance possible. If you are not familiar with this type of insurance, in this article we will explain which coverages for travelling abroad should not be omitted from an international travel insurance policy.

To give you an idea of how important it is to have travel insurance, Unespa, the insurance company association in Spain, explains the most frequent mishaps that insurers resolve through this type of insurance:

Health problems.
Trip cancellation.
Injuries due to accidents.
Cancellation due to reasons beyond the traveller's control.
Delays.
Others causes.

When we travel, we are certainly not immune to unwanted situations that can ruin our trip, cause us headaches and cost us a lot of money. That’s why it is vital to have an insurance policy that offers us the best protection outside of Spain.

If you need to take out travel insurance, don’t forget to confirm that it includes these 5 coverages for travelling abroad. Take note.

Medical assistance

As you may have noticed, health problems are the number one incident covered by travel insurance. For this reason, coverage for medical assistance is considered the most important in this type of policy. By taking out travel medical insurance, a user will benefit from the following guarantees, among others, during their time abroad:

Medical, prescription or hospitalisation expenses.
Advance payment of hospitalisation fees.
Urgent dental expenses.
Referral to a specialist doctor or medication.
Remote medical consultation or assessment.
Expenses for the travel and stay of a passenger accompanying the insured person who is hospitalised.

It is important to keep in mind that, in the case of needing medical assistance abroad, in some cases it is difficult to access the country’s public health system. And if you are able to do so, it is often very expensive.

If you get a third degree sprain, you break a leg or suffer from any cardiovascular or respiratory problem in another country, you will be grateful to have taken out travel insurance with medical assistance.

Death and repatriation

Continuing with the essential covers in travel insurance for travelling abroad, in extreme situations it is possible that the insured person could suffer a serious illness or even pass away abroad. This guarantee includes the following services:

Medical repatriation of the insured person.
Return of minors and costs of return for accompanying persons.
Repatriation of mortal remains.
Person accompanying the mortal remains.
Subsistence expenses of the person accompanying the mortal remains.
Return of the persons accompanying the deceased.

Now, imagine that you travel to the United States, and while there you fracture your hip and need to be repatriated by plane. Do you know how much this service would cost? More than €50,000 according to the data provided by Unespa. A compelling reason to include this guarantee among the coverages of a travel insurance policy.

Trip cancellation

Likewise, the guarantee for the cancellation of a trip is another cover for travelling abroad that is a must-have in your insurance policy. Whether it is due to the traveller's own wishes, personal reasons or external causes, there are numerous reasons for the cancellation or annulment of a trip. Among them:

An emergency surgical procedure.
The death of a family member.
The announcement of competitive examinations.
A change in job status, either termination or starting in a new position.
The cancellation of a flight, long-distance train service or scheduled boat transport.

Provided that the reason for the annulment or cancellation is included in the general conditions of the policy, this coverage will cover and indemnify us. It is therefore highly recommended that it be included in our travel assistance insurance.

Loss of luggage

Although some people travel light, others travel with many suitcases. Especially on long-distance trips, it is not strange to see travellers with a large suitcase, another smaller one and a backpack. And one of the greatest fears is that the service provider might lose all or some of our luggage.

Thanks to the lost luggage cover, a travel insurance policy is very useful as it includes these guarantees:

Loss of luggage. Compensation in the event of total or partial loss of luggage or personal effects that have been checked in on public transport, provided that said loss is the carrier’s responsibility.
Delayed baggage. Financial assistance to purchase basic necessities in the event of a delay of more than 12 hours in receiving baggage checked in on public transport.

Think about it… You’ve checked your bag onto the plan, you arrive at your destination and your luggage doesn’t appear on the conveyor belt. It has been lost or will arrive on another flight! To be covered against setbacks like this one, don’t forget to check that the loss of luggage is covered by your travel insurance policy for travelling abroad.

H2: Extension of stay, early return or delayed travel

In addition to the aforementioned issues, other problems or setbacks can arise while abroad that may need to be attended to by our travel assistance insurance. For example:

Extension of stay. After having been hospitalised for a risk covered by the policy, the insured person might need to extend their stay abroad and book accommodation in a hotel for a few days.
Early return. Another unforeseen circumstance while abroad could be the obligation to return to the country of origin earlier than expected, as a result of the death of a close family member or the report of serious damage having occurred in the insured person’s home.
Delayed travel. A plane, train or boat service can be delayed for more than 12 hours, with the resulting inconvenience for the passengers.

If you have travel insurance that includes all these coverages while travelling abroad, you will be at ease knowing that your policy covers the most common incidents when visiting another country.

Frequently asked questions