- Crohn's disease and other inflammatory bowel conditions are pre-existing conditions you must declare. FCDO guidance states that failing to declare something may invalidate your travel insurance.
- Specialist medical screening providers ask about treatment, hospital admissions and current medication. AllClear lists Crohn's disease under its digestive and gastrointestinal conditions.
- Staysure states it can cover over 1,300 medical conditions with no upper age limit, with cancellation cover up to 15,000 pounds. Avanti cites over 1,300 conditions subject to screening.
- If a pre-existing condition makes cover difficult to obtain, the Money and Pensions Service runs a travel insurance directory of specialist providers.
How Crohn's and inflammatory bowel cover differs
Travel insurance for a traveller with Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis or another form of inflammatory bowel disease differs from a standard policy in one decisive way: the condition is a pre-existing medical condition that must be declared. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) advises travellers to declare existing conditions or pending treatment or tests so that they are covered if there are related complications, and warns that failing to declare something may invalidate your travel insurance.
That matters because inflammatory bowel conditions are relapsing and remitting. A flare abroad can mean hospital admission, intravenous treatment, dehydration management or, in serious cases, surgery and repatriation. The ABI reported that members paid 472 million pounds across more than 500,000 travel claims in 2024, with medical claims totalling 262 million pounds and the average medical claim reaching 1,528 pounds. A declared and accurately screened condition is what allows a related claim to be assessed rather than rejected.
What to look for
Medical screening is the mechanism that brings a condition like Crohn's inside a policy. Specialist providers run a short set of questions covering treatment, hospital history and medication. AllClear's screening for Crohn's disease asks whether you are currently undergoing treatment or have any planned, whether you have been admitted to hospital recently, and whether you take any medication for your condition. Answering these accurately is what produces a quote that covers complications arising from the condition.
Several points are worth checking against your own circumstances:
- Stability and recent treatment. Screening commonly looks at the past two years. AllClear defines a pre-existing condition to include having been to a hospital, clinic or GP surgery for medical treatment within the last two years, or having been placed on a waiting list. Staysure similarly asks applicants to declare health issues from the past two years including appointments, symptoms, tests, treatments, hospitalisations and medications.
- Medication and biologics. Crohn's treatment can include immunosuppressants and biologic infusions. Screening questions ask about current medication, so changes to your regimen close to travel are relevant to disclose.
- Pending tests or procedures. A colonoscopy, scan or specialist appointment that is booked but not yet completed is the kind of pending treatment the FCDO specifically references.
- Practical cover features. The AllClear product information for Crohn's references cover for stoma supply replacement costs and for medication and medical equipment abroad, which can be relevant for travellers with a stoma or who carry essential supplies.
Cover limits and exclusions
Emergency medical and cancellation are the two limits that matter most for a relapsing condition. Among the specialist providers verified for this guide, cover is tiered:
- AllClear: its tiers run from Gold (emergency medical up to 10 million pounds, cancellation up to 2,000 pounds), through Gold Plus (emergency medical up to 15 million pounds, cancellation up to 15,000 pounds), to Platinum (unlimited emergency medical, cancellation up to 25,000 pounds).
- Staysure: states unlimited medical cover and emergency expenses on its Comprehensive and Signature policies, with cancellation cover up to 15,000 pounds and no upper age limit.
- Avanti: cites up to 7,500 pounds cancellation cover per person per trip, and unlimited medical expenses on its Deluxe policies.
The central exclusion is the undeclared or unscreened condition. Avanti's terms exclude health conditions that you have not told them about or have chosen not to cover. In practice that means a Crohn's-related claim can be declined if the condition was not declared and screened, even where the policy otherwise pays out. Standard exclusions also apply: travelling against medical advice, and claims connected to treatment you knew was needed before you booked. The FCDO notes that some insurers may waive any excess on medical treatment if you use a GHIC or EHIC, though the GHIC is not a substitute for insurance because it does not cover repatriation or private treatment.
Providers offering cover in this segment
The providers below were checked against their own product pages and regulatory disclosures for this guide. Each runs medical screening that accepts declarable conditions including Crohn's disease. None of this is a recommendation; the figures are presented so you can compare against your own diagnosis, stability and trip.
- Staysure is a trading name of TICORP Limited, registered in Gibraltar (company number 111526), authorised and regulated by the Gibraltar Financial Services Commission and trading into the UK under FCA FRN 663617. It states it can cover over 1,300 medical conditions with no upper age limit.
- Avanti Travel Insurance is a trading name of TICORP Limited (FRN 663617) and is administered by Howserv Limited, which is authorised and regulated by the FCA under FRN 599282. Avanti states it can cover over 1,300 medical conditions subject to screening.
- AllClear arranges cover through IES Limited, registered in Gibraltar (company number 117274), with AllClear Insurance Services Limited administering under FCA firm reference number 311244. AllClear lists Crohn's disease specifically among its digestive and gastrointestinal conditions.
Naming a provider here is not an endorsement. The right policy depends on your condition's stability, your medication, your destination and the cover limits you need, all of which the screening process is designed to capture.
Common pitfalls
A handful of mistakes recur with declarable conditions:
- Treating it as optional. Crohn's is not a condition you can leave off to keep the price down. An undeclared condition is the most common reason a related claim fails.
- Declaring on the policy but not screening the condition. Some providers ask you to add and screen each condition individually. A condition that is not run through screening may sit outside cover even on a medically aware policy.
- Letting cover lapse during a flare. A change in symptoms, a new medication or a fresh hospital admission between buying the policy and travelling can be material. Check whether your insurer requires you to notify changes.
- Relying on the GHIC alone. The GHIC covers medically necessary state healthcare in the EEA and some countries but does not cover repatriation, private treatment, or mountain rescue, and is not a replacement for travel insurance.
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).
