Kids’ travel insurance

Why kids’ travel insurance matters

When children or young people travel, they can face unexpected problems. A lost passport. A sudden illness. Perhaps a cancelled flight. These things can be stressful at any age, but especially for your kids if they’re travelling without you. 

Travel insurance may help pay towards the costs if something goes wrong and be there for them if they face difficulty. Depending on the policy type and cover level, it may help with emergency medical care, replace lost belongings or cover trip cancellation, curtailment or delays that would otherwise be expensive. Having a policy in place means help is only a phone call away, day or night. 

If your child is under 18, they can’t usually buy insurance themselves. But you can arrange it for them, so they’re properly covered and supported wherever they go. 

What travel insurance usually covers for children

Travel insurance can vary depending on who you buy it from and the options or add-ons you choose. But most policies for children and young people include things like: 

• Emergency medical care and getting home: Pays for treatment if your child gets sick or hurt abroad and helps bring them home safely 

• Lost or stolen items: Helps replace things like passports, phones or luggage 

• Trip cancellation or coming home early: Covers costs if your child can’t travel or must return early for a reason listed in the policy 

• Delays: Helps pay for food, a place to stay or transport if their flight or train is delayed 

• Accidental damage or injury: Covers legal or compensation costs if your child accidentally hurts someone or damages something 

Check the limits for each part of the cover before you buy, so you know what’s included. 

If you already have family travel insurance that covers multiple trips in a year, check if your children are named on it. If they’re going on a trip without you, like with school or friends, they might need their own single-trip policy. 

 What travel insurance doesn’t usually cover

Most travel insurance won’t pay out for: 

• Risky behaviour: If your child gets hurt after drinking alcohol, taking drugs or doing something dangerous like climbing balconies 

• Ignoring medical advice: If a doctor says not to travel and they go anyway 

• Going to places the government says to avoid: If the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) warns against travel to a country and your child goes anyway

• Not telling the insurer about health problems: If you don’t mention a pre-existing medical condition when buying the policy, claims related to it might not be paid 

Always read the policy carefully before buying. If anything’s unclear, ask the insurer before your child travels. 

Preparing your child for safe travels 

When your child travels without you, it helps if they’re confident about what to do in an emergency. Here’s a quick checklist to go through together. 

• Save emergency contacts: Make sure they have the insurer’s 24-hour assistance number saved and written down 

• Keep copies of documents: Take photos or photocopies of their passport, insurance policy and Ghic card if travelling in Europe 

• Share your details: Give them your phone number and email in case their phone goes missing 

• Talk about safety: Remind them to stay aware of their surroundings and keep valuables out of sight 

• Make sure they’re scam smart: Share our guides on common travel scams to watch out for and how to avoid falling foul of scams abroad 

• Encourage communication: Tell them to call you or the insurance helpline straight away if they need help 

Simple preparation helps them feel ready for anything and helps you feel reassured while they’re away. 

Cover abroad: Europe and beyond

Where your child travels may affect the kind of protection they need. 

If they’re heading to Europe 

Make sure they have a UK Global Health Insurance Card (Ghic). This lets them access state healthcare in most European countries, usually for free or at a lower cost. It’s free to apply online before the trip. However, Ghic doesn’t cover: 

• Private medical treatment 

• Repatriation to the UK 

• Lost belongings or cancelled trips 

That’s why travel insurance is still essential. Depending on the policy, it may cover things the Ghic can’t, such as emergency travel home, cancelling or cutting short trips for reasons set out in the policy, or lost, stolen or damaged belongings.  

If they’re travelling further away 

Trips to places like to the USA, Canada, Australia or Asia can be much more expensive if things go wrong. A short hospital stay in the USA can cost thousands of pounds. Travel insurance may help cover those costs and also arrange transport home if they’re seriously ill or injured. 

It may even help if a parent needs to travel out to be with them, such as after an accident or medical emergency. 

For school or college trips 

If your children are going abroad with their school or college, check whether the school’s insurance covers everything. Personal belongings, gadgets and sports may be excluded, so you might want to add extra cover for peace of mind. 

Protecting your children: we can help with that 

At Post Office, we can help arrange cover for your child’s trip, whether it’s a family holiday, school exchange, city break or backpacking adventure. Our travel insurance includes: 

• Emergency medical cover for illness or injury abroad 

• Cover for cancellation, curtailment and, with some cover levels, delays 

• Lost, damaged or stolen luggage protection 

• 24-hour emergency helpline support 

• Single-trip, annual multi-trip and backpacker cover options 

• Optional extras such as gadget cover and trip disruption cover 

Check the cover limits for our different levels of cover to find the protection you want for your family. 

Holiday essentials in one place 

We also offer other handy travel services to make preparing for trips simple and stress-free. 

• Travel money: Order foreign currency online or in certain branches. Pick up from any branch or get delivery to your home 

• Travel Money Card: A prepaid Mastercard® that stores up to 22 currencies. Manage it with ease, along with your travel insurance, using our free travel app 

• Passport Check & Send: Get help completing passport applications accurately 

• Mobile eSIM: Save money on your roaming charges when you travel 

• Travel extras: Book airport parking, lounges, transfers, fast passes and more with Holiday Extras 

Other things to check before your child travels 

• Buy your insurance early: Buying early means some cancellation reasons are covered too. Single-trip cover starts when you buy it. Multi-trip cover starts from the date you choose. 

• Follow official travel advice: The FCDO travel advice helps you check where is safe or unsafe to visit. If it advises against travel to a country, most insurers won’t cover it unless it’s essential or agreed in advance 

• Tell the insurer about health problems: Be upfront if anyone who’ll be on the policy has a medical condition before buying it. If you don’t, claims linked to it might be refused later 

• Check if activities are covered: Some, like winter sports, may need additional  cover you pay extra to add. Others might not be covered at all. Always check before you buy 

• Check dates and destinations: Make sure the policy matches your travel dates and the places you’re going 

• Read the policy again before the trip: That way, you’ll know what’s included if you need to make a claim 

• Tell the insurer if plans change: If any trip details change, let them know quickly to keep the cover valid 

Getting these things right helps avoid problems and keeps your child protected while they’re away.