Travel Insurance with Epilepsy UK: Cover and Specialist Options

Key Facts

How UK Travel Insurers Assess Epilepsy

Epilepsy is a neurological condition characterised by recurrent unprovoked seizures, and its presentation varies widely, from brief absence seizures to tonic-clonic events requiring emergency intervention. For travel insurance underwriting, the key variables are the type and frequency of seizures, the length of the current seizure-free period, the stability of anti-epileptic drug (AED) therapy, and whether the treating neurologist considers the condition controlled or uncontrolled. A person who has been seizure-free for two or more years on a stable AED regimen is assessed very differently from someone who experienced a seizure within the last few months or whose medication has recently changed. The Association of British Insurers confirms that neurological conditions including epilepsy are pre-existing conditions that must be disclosed at the point of application. Insurers will also typically ask whether a seizure has ever required emergency hospitalisation, and any underlying cause of the epilepsy, such as a previous brain injury, tumour or stroke, is assessed as a separate factor that also needs to be declared.

Declaration in this context is not simply a legal formality. The Consumer Insurance (Disclosure and Representations) Act 2012 requires consumers to answer an insurer's medical screening questions with reasonable care and accuracy, and this duty covers epilepsy and all anti-epileptic medication. Even a well-intentioned omission or an imprecise answer, such as describing epilepsy generally as "well controlled" rather than answering the specific questions asked, can give an insurer grounds to reduce or reject a claim later. Separately, and not itself part of the insurance declaration, UK law requires the DVLA to be notified if a person has had a seizure. This driving-related duty is set out at gov.uk/epilepsy-and-driving and is a distinct legal obligation, though an insurer may still ask whether a driver has met their DVLA notification duty as a general compliance indicator.

What You Must Declare

When completing a travel insurance medical screening questionnaire, a consumer with epilepsy will typically be asked for the date of diagnosis and the date of the most recent seizure. The type or types of seizure experienced need to be described, since generalised tonic-clonic seizures carry a different underwriting profile from focal seizures. Insurers will ask about current anti-epileptic medication, including names, doses, and whether the regimen has changed recently. A recent medication change is treated as a material factor, since it can indicate the previous treatment was not adequately controlling seizures, which represents a higher underwriting risk. Any pending neurology appointments or investigations should also be disclosed, as these can signal unresolved questions about the condition's management. Having a summary from the treating neurologist or GP available when completing screening helps ensure the answers given are clinically accurate.

Cover Outcomes: Full Cover, Exclusions and Declines

After declaring epilepsy, the underwriting outcome typically falls into one of three categories. Where epilepsy has been fully controlled for a substantial period, commonly two or more years, on a stable AED regimen, some mainstream UK travel insurers will offer cover that includes seizure-related emergencies, possibly with a modest premium loading. A specific exclusion applied to epilepsy-related claims is also a common outcome: the policyholder remains covered for unrelated medical emergencies but would bear the cost of any treatment arising from a seizure abroad. Where seizures have occurred recently, or the diagnosis is new and medication has not yet stabilised, mainstream insurers are more likely to decline the application, or to apply a significant loading or broad exclusion. The exact wording of any exclusion matters: a clause referring to "epilepsy and related neurological conditions" may be considerably broader than one referring only to epilepsy itself, so checking the full policy wording rather than relying on a summary document is worthwhile.

If You Are Declined: The FCA-Accredited Specialist Directories

Where a mainstream insurer cannot accommodate an application, FCA rules introduced under Policy Statement PS20/3 require it to signpost the consumer to an accredited directory of specialist providers, and all firms selling retail travel insurance must include details of at least one on their own website. There are two accredited directories. MoneyHelper, run by the government-backed Money and Pensions Service, operates a specialist travel insurance directory listing FCA-regulated providers experienced in covering neurological conditions including epilepsy; it can be reached on 0800 138 7777, Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm. The British Insurance Brokers' Association (BIBA) operates a separate Travel Medical Directory, reachable on 0370 950 1790, Monday to Friday, 9am to 5.30pm. Alongside the signposting duty, the FCA also requires insurers to explain whether and how a pre-existing condition exclusion can be removed, and to price any additional medical premium using reliable, relevant risk information rather than an arbitrary loading.

Named Specialist Providers: What They Publicly State

Several UK providers publicly state that they screen and cover epilepsy as a standard part of their pre-existing condition process, rather than treating it as an unusual or excluded case. The figures below are taken from each provider's own published information and should be confirmed directly at the point of quote, since terms and tiers change.

ABI Travel Insurance Claims Data, 2024

Seizure Safety and Practical Preparation When Travelling

Practical preparation is as important as securing the right cover. Certain travel-related factors can lower the seizure threshold in people with epilepsy, including disrupted sleep from long-haul flights and time zone changes, alcohol consumption, dehydration, fever, and missed medication doses caused by changing time zones. Discussing with a neurologist or epilepsy nurse how to manage AED timing across time zones before departure is worthwhile, and carrying sufficient medication for the full trip plus contingency days is essential. Medication should be kept in hand luggage, accompanied by a GP or specialist letter confirming the diagnosis and prescription, since some AEDs are controlled or restricted substances in certain countries and can require an import licence or customs documentation. The FCDO's country-specific travel advice provides information on local healthcare standards and, in some cases, entry restrictions connected to medical conditions, and it is worth informing travel companions of the appropriate first aid response in the event of a seizure. Destination-specific risks, such as swimming, heights or operating machinery, are worth discussing with a clinician given the injury risk a seizure can carry in those settings.

Common Pitfalls

The recurring mistakes with epilepsy travel cover tend to be procedural rather than about price. Assuming epilepsy is automatically covered under a standard policy is the most common: it is a declarable condition, and a standard policy bought without declaration may exclude any connected claim entirely. Under-declaring is the second: omitting a recent seizure, a medication change, or a pending review can give the insurer grounds to decline a claim later, since the screening detail is what makes the resulting cover valid. Treating a GHIC or EHIC as sufficient on its own is a third common error: it covers medically necessary state treatment in eligible countries but not repatriation, private care or rescue costs. Overlooking trip length and planned activities is a fourth, since cover must span the whole trip and some activities need a specific add-on. Finally, not re-screening after a change in the condition, such as a new seizure or a medication switch after the policy was bought, can leave a gap between what was declared and what is actually true at the time of a claim.

Related Guides

Do you have to declare epilepsy if you have been seizure-free for several years?

Yes. Epilepsy must be declared regardless of how long ago it was diagnosed or how well controlled it currently is. The Consumer Insurance (Disclosure and Representations) Act 2012 requires accurate, reasonably careful answers to an insurer's questions, and non-disclosure can invalidate a claim even where the condition appears well controlled.

What happens if your usual travel insurer won't cover your epilepsy?

Since April 2021, FCA rules require insurers who cannot offer cover for a serious pre-existing condition to signpost you to an accredited specialist directory, either MoneyHelper (0800 138 7777) or the BIBA Travel Medical Directory (0370 950 1790).

If epilepsy medication changed recently, how does this affect an application?

A recent medication change is a material fact that must be disclosed. It can indicate the previous regimen was not adequately controlling seizures, which represents a higher underwriting risk, and some insurers may apply a broader exclusion or refer the application to a specialist provider until the new medication has proven stable.

Do specialist insurers commonly cover epilepsy?

Yes. Staysure, Avanti and AllClear each publicly state they can screen and cover more than 1,300 pre-existing medical conditions, with epilepsy screening covering seizure type, frequency, duration and medication rather than being treated as an unusual or excluded case.

Are there countries requiring extra caution when travelling with epilepsy?

Some countries have limited neurological specialist care or restricted availability of specific anti-epileptic drugs, and some AEDs are controlled substances requiring an import licence or customs documentation. The FCDO's country-specific travel advice provides information on local healthcare standards, and a GP or specialist letter confirming diagnosis and prescription is advisable for all international travel.

Will travel insurance cover a seizure that happens abroad?

This depends on the policy terms. If epilepsy has been declared and accepted without a specific exclusion, emergency treatment following a seizure abroad would typically be covered under the medical emergency section. If an epilepsy exclusion has been applied, seizure-related treatment would not be covered, so checking the exact exclusion wording before purchasing is essential.

Is the GHIC or EHIC card enough instead of travel insurance for epilepsy?

No. The GHIC and EHIC can reduce the cost of state healthcare in some countries but do not cover repatriation, private treatment or cancellation, so they are not a substitute for travel insurance.

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