- The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office states that failing to declare an existing condition or pending treatment may invalidate your travel insurance.
- Medical claims reached 262 million pounds in 2024 according to the Association of British Insurers, with an average medical claim of 1,528 pounds.
- Specialist providers such as Staysure and Avanti list cover for more than 1,300 medical conditions, subject to screening.
- If cover is hard to find, the Money and Pensions Service runs a free travel insurance directory of specialist providers through its MoneyHelper service.
- A GHIC is not a substitute: the NHS confirms it does not cover repatriation, private treatment, or mountain rescue.
Last reviewed: June 2026
Editor's Verdict
Travelling with a pre-existing medical condition changes how travel insurance works in two concrete ways: the declaration process becomes the single most important step, and the price and availability of cover shift depending on the condition. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) guidance is direct on the first point, advising travellers to declare existing conditions or pending treatment or tests so that they are covered if there are related complications during the trip, and warning that failing to declare something may invalidate travel insurance.
The financial stakes behind that warning are not abstract. The Association of British Insurers (ABI) reported that its members paid out 472 million pounds across more than 500,000 travel claims in 2024, of which medical claims accounted for 262 million pounds. Medical claims made up 34 percent of all claims, up from 29 percent in 2023, and the average medical claim was 1,528 pounds. One ABI member paid out more than 1 million pounds for a customer who needed emergency hospital treatment in the USA followed by repatriation to the UK. For a traveller whose condition is not declared, a claim of that scale can be refused entirely.
The practical question is therefore not which policy is cheapest, but which policy will pay a claim linked to a known condition. That depends on accurate declaration, honest medical screening, and choosing a provider whose underwriting actually accepts the condition rather than excluding it.
Key Figures
| Figure | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Total UK travel claims paid (2024) | 472 million pounds | ABI |
| Medical claims paid (2024) | 262 million pounds | ABI |
| Average medical claim (2024) | 1,528 pounds | ABI |
| Medical share of all claims | 34 percent (up from 29 percent in 2023) | ABI |
| Largest single member claim cited | Over 1 million pounds (USA hospital plus repatriation) | ABI |
| MoneyHelper directory helpline | 0800 138 7777 | MoneyHelper |
Compared: leading UK travel insurance providers
The providers below all publish FCA regulatory detail on their own sites and accept pre-existing conditions subject to medical screening. Figures are taken from each brand's own page on the review date and should be confirmed at the point of quote, because cover limits and accepted conditions vary by tier and by the answers given during screening.
| Provider | Regulatory entity / FRN | Conditions stance | Cover notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Staysure | Trading name of TICORP Limited (Gibraltar), FCA FRN 663617 | States cover for more than 1,300 medical conditions; no upper age limit | Cancellation up to 15,000 pounds; up to unlimited emergency medical on Comprehensive and Signature tiers |
| Avanti | Trading name of TICORP Limited (Gibraltar), FCA FRN 663617 | States cover for over 1,300 medical conditions, subject to screening (Deluxe policies) | Cancellation up to 7,500 pounds per person; unlimited medical expenses on Deluxe policies |
| AllClear | AllClear Insurance Services Limited, FCA FRN 311244 (arranged via IES Limited) | Screens a wide range of conditions including diabetes, cancer, heart and respiratory conditions; lists cover for over-90s | Unlimited medical and repatriation cover available on higher tiers |
The presence of a brand in this table is descriptive, not an endorsement. A provider that accepts one condition may rate or decline another, which is why two travellers with different conditions can receive very different quotes from the same insurer.
The declaration process: why it decides the claim
Declaration is the formal step where a traveller tells the insurer about existing or recent medical history before the policy starts. The FCDO frames this as a condition of being covered: declare existing conditions or pending treatment or tests so that you are covered if there are related complications during your trip, because failing to declare something may invalidate your travel insurance.
A pre-existing condition is generally any diagnosed illness, injury, or ongoing health issue that exists before cover begins, along with conditions awaiting investigation, diagnosis, or treatment. That last category matters. A traveller waiting for test results, a referral, or a consultant appointment may still need to declare that, even without a confirmed diagnosis, because the insurer treats pending investigations as part of the risk.
The consequence of an inaccurate declaration is not usually a smaller payout. If a claim arises from an undeclared condition, the insurer can refuse it in full, leaving the traveller exposed to costs of the scale the ABI describes. Declaration is therefore best treated as a record-keeping exercise: confirm dates, medication names, and any recent changes in advance rather than from memory at the screening stage.
Condition categories and how insurers treat them
Insurers do not treat all conditions the same way. Stable, well-managed conditions are often accepted at standard or modestly increased premiums, while conditions involving recent hospital admission, unstable symptoms, or terminal prognosis are screened more closely and may attract higher premiums or specific exclusions.
Common declared categories include cardiovascular conditions such as previous heart attacks or high blood pressure, diabetes (type 1 and type 2), respiratory conditions, cancer (current, recent, or in remission), mental health conditions, and neurological conditions. Specialist providers state that their underwriting reaches well beyond the obvious cases: Staysure publishes cover for more than 1,300 conditions, and Avanti cites over 1,300 conditions subject to screening on its Deluxe policies. The number itself is less important than whether the specific condition, at its current stage, is accepted.
Where a mainstream policy excludes a condition or declines to quote, that does not mean cover is unavailable. It usually means the risk needs a provider whose pricing model is built around medical underwriting rather than mass-market leisure travel.
Specialist providers versus standard policies
The line between a standard policy and a specialist one is mainly about how medical risk is priced. A standard annual or single-trip policy may cover a limited list of stable conditions automatically and exclude the rest. A specialist provider underwrites the condition directly, asking detailed questions and quoting a price that reflects the answers.
This explains a pattern many travellers notice: a mainstream quote refuses or excludes a condition, while a specialist accepts it at a higher premium. Neither outcome is wrong. The mainstream insurer has chosen not to carry that risk at its price point, and the specialist has chosen to carry it at a different one. For conditions such as recent cancer treatment or unstable heart disease, a specialist route is often the only one that returns an offer at all.
The MoneyHelper guidance reflects this directly, noting that finding cover can be difficult, that premiums can go up, that a condition might be excluded, or that a traveller could be refused, and that even where a condition does not feel serious it is worth comparing a specialist provider against a mainstream company.
Medical screening and how to approach it
Medical screening is the question-and-answer process, usually online or by phone, that determines whether a condition is accepted and at what price. The screening engine asks about diagnosis dates, medication, hospital admissions, surgery, and current symptoms, then returns an accept, exclude, or decline outcome with a premium.
Accuracy at this stage protects the claim later. Answering from documents rather than memory, keeping a note of the answers given, and re-screening if a condition changes between buying the policy and travelling all reduce the chance of a dispute. Many policies require travellers to inform the insurer of any change in health between purchase and departure, so a new diagnosis or a change in medication during that window can need a fresh declaration.
Screening also interacts with the GHIC. The FCDO notes that some insurers may waive the medical excess if a traveller uses an EHIC or GHIC. The NHS is clear, though, that a GHIC is free and lasts up to five years but covers only medically necessary state healthcare in the EEA and some countries, and does not cover repatriation, private treatment, or ski and mountain rescue. It is a complement to insurance, not a replacement, and it does not remove the need to declare conditions.
Costs: what drives the premium
For a traveller with a pre-existing condition, the premium reflects more variables than age and destination alone. The condition itself, its stability, the date of the last treatment or admission, the destination's healthcare costs, trip length, and the cover limits chosen all feed into the price. Destinations with high medical costs, the USA being the clearest example given the ABI's million-pound claim, push premiums up because the insurer is pricing the realistic cost of treatment and repatriation there.
Higher cover limits and unlimited emergency medical options, which several specialist tiers offer, cost more but align with the scale of real medical claims. Cruise travel adds a further layer: the FCDO notes that cruises generally require an additional level of cover because it is more difficult to get to hospital for treatment, so a cruise policy or add-on typically carries a higher premium than a comparable land-based trip.
Because medical screening produces an individualised price, published headline prices are of limited use for someone with a declared condition. The more reliable comparison is between the actual quotes returned after honest screening at the same cover level.
The MaPS signposting service when cover is hard to find
Travellers who are refused cover, quoted very high premiums, or told a condition is excluded have a free, government-backed route to specialist providers. The Money and Pensions Service operates a travel insurance directory through its MoneyHelper service, listing firms that specialise in cover for a range of health conditions and disabilities. The directory provides contacts to approach directly rather than quotes, and MoneyHelper suggests it may help travellers who have been turned down elsewhere. Where the directory does not resolve the problem, MoneyHelper points to the British Insurance Brokers' Association to link with a broker.
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Frequently asked questions
What counts as a pre-existing medical condition?
Broadly, any diagnosed illness, injury, or ongoing health issue that exists before the policy starts, together with any condition awaiting investigation, diagnosis, or treatment. The FCDO advises declaring existing conditions and pending treatment or tests, so conditions still being investigated can need declaring even without a confirmed diagnosis.
What happens if I do not declare a condition?
The FCDO states that failing to declare something may invalidate your travel insurance. In practice that means a claim arising from the undeclared condition can be refused in full, which the ABI's figures show can leave a traveller exposed to costs running into hundreds of thousands or, in the case it cites, over 1 million pounds.
Can I get cover if a mainstream insurer refuses me?
Often yes, through a specialist provider that underwrites the condition directly, or through the MoneyHelper travel insurance directory of specialist firms. MoneyHelper notes the directory may help travellers who have been turned down elsewhere.
Does a GHIC replace travel insurance for medical conditions?
No. The NHS confirms a GHIC covers only medically necessary state healthcare in the EEA and some countries and does not cover repatriation, private treatment, or mountain rescue. The FCDO notes some insurers may waive the medical excess if a GHIC is used, but it is a complement to insurance rather than a substitute.
How many conditions do specialist providers actually cover?
Specialist providers publish high numbers: Staysure states more than 1,300 medical conditions and Avanti cites over 1,300 subject to screening on its Deluxe policies. The decisive factor is whether the specific condition, at its current stage, is accepted during screening, not the headline total.
Why are quotes so different between insurers for the same condition?
Each insurer prices medical risk differently. One may exclude or decline a condition that another accepts at a higher premium. MoneyHelper suggests comparing a specialist provider against a mainstream company even where a condition does not feel serious.
If you find it difficult to get cover because of a pre-existing condition, the Money and Pensions Service operates a travel insurance directory of specialist providers via its MoneyHelper service. Visit the MoneyHelper travel insurance directory or call the Money Helper Customer Contact Centre on 0800 138 7777 (Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm).
