FAQ
- What are the age limits on these policies?
- Do Navigator Travel policies cover me for working abroad?
- Am I covered for hazardous pursuits?
- Can I extend the duration of my insurance, after I have commenced travelling?
- Are unused periods of insurance refundable, if I return home early?
- Am I covered for motorcycling?
- Can I drive a car?
- Is dental treatment covered?
- Will my contact lenses be covered?
- I am travelling on a one-way ticket. Does cover cease when I reach my destination?
- Must I be a UK resident?
- Can I pay extra to cover valuables, like a camcorder?
- Is there a 24-hour emergency phone number?
- I've seen policies with unlimited medical cover - the Navigator policy only covers £10,000,000.
- Who are the insurers?
- Does baggage have to be stored in the boot of a car?
- What are the geographical limitations on this cover? I am travelling to Australia, but are my stopovers in the Far East and USA covered?
- Does it cover "new for old" if I have a baggage claim?
- What if I change my mind?
- Does this policy cover ambulance and repatriation costs?
- Do I have to pay the bill if I am taken ill?
- If I lose all my baggage, can I start a claim from overseas?
- Does the policy cover airline tickets?
- I am going away for a year, but will return home briefly in the middle of my trip. Is the cover continuous?
Q - What are the age limits on these policies?
A – On Navigator policies, the age limits are :
Single Trip/Short Stay – 65 years
Annual Multi Trip – 65 years
Long Stay – 55 years
On Voyager policies, the age limits are :
Single Trip/Short Stay – 84 years
Annual Multi Trip – 69 years
Long Stay – 64 years
Q - Do Navigator Travel policies cover me for working abroad?
A - Yes - but not for heavy manual labour or using heavy machinery. Fruit & vegetable picking, office, barwork etc are all covered.
Q - Am I covered for hazardous pursuits?
Please read the following in detail very carefully.
A - Yes, most hazardous pursuits such as tandem skydiving, bungee jumping, scuba diving, white water rafting, horseriding, surfing, windsurfing, trekking etc are covered on the Navigator policy. ***Wintersports are only covered on payment of the applicable Wintersports supplements on Single Trip cover. The following activities are all covered on an incidental basis, subject to certain conditions. Additional premiums are payable for wintersports and Action sports (plus 25%) and Action Plus sports (plus 50%). Action and Action Plus sports cover excludes Personal Liability and Personal Accident compensation and the Medical Excess is increased to £100 for claims arising from participation. Voyager policy covers far less sports/activities, though they can be chaper for Wintersports on Long Stay policies
View our Sports and Adventure policy details here
Q - Can I extend the duration of my insurance, after I have commenced travelling?
A - Yes, by paying an extra months rate. However, you must make any extensions before the original term of your policy has lapsed. Cover must be continuous and we cannot backdate extensions. You must also bear in mind that if you have, for instance, an ONGOING medical claim at the time the renewal becomes due the insurers can refuse to extend or agree to extend only on condition that no further payments will be made relating to that particular claim. This is the main disadvantage of taking a shorter period at the outset and extending later as you run the risk of having continuing medical bills to pay yourself.
Q - Are unused periods of insurance refundable, if I return home early?
A – No - If in doubt, it is better to take a shorter period of cover and extend later, if required.
Q - Am I covered for motorcycling?
A - Yes. On Navigator and Voyager policies, you are covered under all sections except for Personal Liability. Your medical expenses will be covered under the Medical Expenses section.
A - Yes, though you will not be covered under the Personal Liability section for driving. This cover should be provided by the car owner or rental company.
Q - Is dental treatment covered?
A - Yes, but only for emergency treatment to relieve pain, up to a total of £350 on Navigator and Voyager policies. Cosmetic treatment will not be covered.
Q - Will my contact lenses be covered?
A - No, spectacles are covered, but contact lenses are not.
Q - I am travelling on a one-way ticket. Does cover cease when I reach my destination?
A - No, unless you are emigrating. Provided that you intend to return to your start point (anywhere in the EU), cover will continue, as long as you want, subject to the total duration limit of 18 months on Navigator policies.
A - Yes - These policies are only available to UK residents.
Q - Can I pay extra to cover valuables, like a camcorder?
A - No we cannot offer any extra cover on the baggage section. You can try to get named valuables covered on a household or all-risks policy.
Q - Is there a 24-hour emergency phone number?
A - Yes, on the front of your policy document. It must be used at once if you are hospitalized, require expensive treatment or need to return home early.
Q - I've seen policies with unlimited medical cover - the Navigator policy only covers £10,000,000.
A - Unlimited medical cover is a gimmick and £10,000,000 is more than anyone is likely to need. The largest known medical claim is less than £1,000,000.
A - Navigator policies are underwritten by White Horse Insurance Ireland Ltd. Voyager policies are underwritten by Elvia (Netherlands), and administered in UK by Mondial Assistance.
Q - Does baggage have to be stored in the boot of a car?
A - Yes, don't leave it unattended or on view in the interior of a car. As a rule of thumb, you are expected to treat yourself and your belongings as if they were uninsured. In other words, do not take extra risks, just because you have your things insured, it may cause a problem with your claim. Please note that, even if your baggage is out of sight in the boot, there is no cover for valuables or money. In other words, never leave valuables or money unattended in a car, whether visible or not.
Q - What are the geographical limitations on this cover? I am travelling to Australia, but are my stopovers in the Far East and USA covered?
A - Yes, provided that you are visiting Australia or New Zealand, you may use the lower rate and all your stopovers in other countries are covered. If you are not going to Australia/New Zealand, you just need to decide whether you will be visiting USA/Canada on Navigator or USA/Canada/Caribbean on Voyager policies.
Q - Does it cover "new for old" if I have a baggage claim?
A - No, an amount will be deducted in some cases for wear and tear.
A - You have a 14 day cooling off period. If you find that the cover is not sufficient for your needs, you may return the policy within 14 days and obtain a full refund. After this period, premiums are non-refundable.
Q - Does this policy cover ambulance and repatriation costs?
A - Yes, these charges are covered under the Medical Expenses section.
Q - Do I have to pay the bill if I am taken ill?
A - You are expected to settle small bills, like prescription charges and doctors call-out fees and keep receipts for a later claim. If you are hospitalized, give your policy to the hospital and they will normally arrange with the insurers to invoice them direct.
Q - If I lose all my baggage, can I start a claim from overseas?
A - You can, but bear in mind that you will be corresponding with the insurers at long range. Your family back home can deal with the correspondence on your behalf, once they have any relevant original paperwork. These cases of total baggage loss are always traumatic and very inconvenient, however fast the claim can be dealt with, so take extra care if you are carrying all your worldly goods with you.
Q - Does the policy cover airline tickets?
A - The airlines have excellent systems in place for replacing lost tickets, so insurance cover is not required. At worst, you will have to pay the airline a small administration fee for replacing your tickets.
Q - I am going away for a year, but will return home briefly in the middle of my trip. Is the cover continuous?
A - Yes, provided you have not returned early and made a claim on the insurance. Remember that you will not be insured whilst in your home country. However, you have no Cancellation cover on subsequent departures from the UK, only your first departure ex-UK.
Have I forgotten anything?
Always get a police report if you lose anything.
If you have any pre-existing medical condition, let us know and we can advise you what to do. In most cases, the insurers will give full cover at normal rates and then there will be no danger that your claim is refused because you failed to let us know.
Treat yourself and your belongings as if they were uninsured. Negligent treatment of possessions or alcohol and drug abuse, for example, will jeopardize your claim.
If you need to curtail your trip, say, due to your illness or to a family medical emergency back home, get clearance FIRST from the 24 hour phoneline. Do not incur additional expenses without their prior agreement.
Curtailment cover will reimburse additional costs incurred getting home, but NOT for returning abroad to resume the trip where you left off!
If you need to extend your duration of cover, DON'T leave a gap, it is easy to forget to renew, so make a diary note or something!
Always read Foreign Office advice before you leave, on the countries you are visiting. It sometimes seems like obvious commonsense advice, but there can be invaluable tips on which parts of town are the most dangerous etc.
Make sure you read the insurance wording carefully, when you get it. As with all contracts, there are important terms, exclusions and conditions that you should familiarize yourself with. We will be pleased to help with any questions you may have.
Navigator Travel Insurance Services Ltd is authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority (FSA) - registration number 305586