- Post Office Travel Insurance is arranged by Post Office Limited and Post Office Management Services Limited, the latter authorised and regulated by the FCA under FRN 630318.
- Policies are underwritten by Collinson Insurance, a trading name of Astrenska Insurance Limited, FRN 202846, regulated by the FCA and the Prudential Regulation Authority.
- Three cover levels are sold: Core, Extra and Max. Emergency medical and repatriation limits are 5 million pounds, 10 million pounds and 15 million pounds respectively.
- Cancellation cover runs to 1,000 pounds on Core, 3,000 pounds on Extra and 5,000 pounds on Max, each with a per-section excess.
- Single-trip cover is available up to 365 days for travellers aged up to 70, reducing to 31 days for ages 76 to 85; annual multi-trip has a maximum age of 75.
What Post Office travel insurance is
Post Office Travel Insurance is a branded retail product distributed through the Post Office network and website. The arrangement is set out plainly in the policy wording: cover is arranged by Post Office Limited and Post Office Management Services Limited, with Post Office Limited acting as an appointed representative of Post Office Management Services Limited. Post Office Management Services Limited holds FCA authorisation under firm reference number 630318. Both companies are registered in England and Wales, with a registered office at 100 Wood Street, London, EC2V 7ER.
This matters because the Post Office name on the policy is a distributor brand, not the insurer carrying the risk. The financial promise behind a claim sits with the underwriter, covered in the next section.
Who underwrites the cover
The current policy wording states that cover is underwritten by Collinson Insurance, a trading name of Astrenska Insurance Limited, which is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by both the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority. Its Financial Services Register number is 202846.
Older Post Office travel policies were underwritten by Great Lakes Insurance, and some legacy policy-summary documents still reference Great Lakes alongside an administrator. Holders of existing cover should check the certificate and wording attached to their own policy, because the insurer named there governs the claim rather than whatever the latest live wording says. The Gadget Upgrade section is a separate arrangement again, administered by Taurus Insurance Services Limited under FCA registration number 444830.
What policies Post Office offers
The product is sold as single-trip, annual multi-trip and backpacker cover. Single-trip is available for one journey up to 365 days for travellers aged up to and including 70, up to 90 days for ages 71 to 75, and up to 31 days for ages 76 to 85. Annual multi-trip carries a maximum age of 75 and covers any number of trips within the policy year, subject to a total of 183 days of travel across the year. Individual trip length under annual cover depends on the level bought and can be extended for an additional premium. The backpacker option covers travellers aged up to 60 for a single trip of up to 18 months, with limited cover levels.
Optional upgrades sit on top of the base policy for an additional premium, including winter sports, cruise, the trip-disruption extension, gadget cover and an excess waiver. Winter sports cover under an annual policy is capped at 17 days per policy year.
Pricing structure
Post Office prices each quote individually from the traveller's age, destination, trip length, cover level and any declared medical conditions, so a single headline figure does not describe the product. Three things move the premium most. First, the cover level: Core, Extra and Max carry progressively higher limits and lower excesses. Second, optional upgrades, each charged separately. Third, declared pre-existing conditions, which are screened through a dedicated medical line and can attract an additional premium or an endorsement.
The excess structure is built into the cover levels rather than priced as a flat fee. On most claimable sections the excess is 150 pounds on Core, 125 pounds on Extra and 75 pounds on Max, charged per insured person per incident per section. Buyers comparing on price alone should weigh the lower premium of Core against its 150 pounds excess and its narrower limits.
What is covered and excluded
The headline benefit is emergency medical expenses and medical repatriation, set at 5 million pounds on Core, 10 million pounds on Extra and 15 million pounds on Max. Cancelling a trip is covered to 1,000 pounds, 3,000 pounds and 5,000 pounds across the three levels. Personal baggage runs to 1,500 pounds, 2,000 pounds and 3,000 pounds, with single-item and valuables sub-limits that are materially lower, and a mobile phone limit of 100 pounds across all levels. Personal liability is set at 2 million pounds on every level, and legal cover at 25,000 pounds.
Several exclusions are worth reading before buying. Cover is not provided for any claim arising from a pre-existing medical condition unless that condition has been declared to the medical screening service and accepted in writing. There is no cover for trips taken against Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office advice where the claim relates to that advisory, unless the insurer has agreed cover. Some sports and activities are excluded unless added by upgrade, and certain motorcycling, off-road and competitive activities are excluded outright. Baggage claims are settled on the original value of the goods less wear and tear, not on a new-for-old basis.
How Post Office compares
Against the wider market the structure is conventional. The Financial Conduct Authority requires every distributor and underwriter to be named and authorised, which Post Office documentation does clearly. The emergency medical limits of 5 million to 15 million pounds sit within the range seen across mainstream UK travel policies, where many providers quote limits from a few million pounds upward; the Association of British Insurers has noted that one member paid over 1 million pounds for a single United States hospitalisation and repatriation, which is why medical limits in the millions matter rather than being marketing headroom.
The absence of an upper age limit is not a feature here: single-trip cover tapers sharply after 70 and stops at 85, and annual cover stops at 75. Travellers older than those thresholds, or with complex declared conditions, may need to look at insurers that specialise in higher ages.
How to make a claim
The wording directs claimants to telephone the claims helpline on 0333 333 9702 to request a claim form, quoting the policy certificate number and brief details. A separate legal helpline operates on 0333 333 9703, and end-supplier-failure claims use a dedicated number. In a medical emergency abroad, the policy gives an assistance line of +44 (0)208 865 3074, which should be contacted before arranging repatriation or significant additional costs so that the insurer can authorise them. Complaints about a claim are handled by Intana in Haywards Heath, while complaints about the sale or the policy itself go to the Post Office travel insurance team in Glasgow.
Who Post Office might suit
The three-tier Core, Extra and Max structure lets a traveller match cover to risk: Core for short, lower-value trips where a higher excess is acceptable, Max where larger cancellation, baggage and medical limits and a lower excess justify the premium. The product is likely to suit travellers up to age 70 on single trips, and up to 75 on annual cover, who can declare any medical conditions cleanly through the screening line. It is less suited to those above the age ceilings or to travellers needing new-for-old baggage settlement, who would need to verify those points against a specialist alternative.
