🇬🇧 UK

How do I get travel insurance with a pre-existing medical condition?

Looking for US rules? → US money answers

UKUpdated 6 October 2026 · Written by BuyMeWhiskey Editorial Team · How we check facts

Declare every condition the insurer asks about, including anything under investigation. If a mainstream insurer refuses you or adds a medical premium of £200 or more, it must point you to a specialist directory, and a GHIC is not a substitute for insurance.

Shortlist specialist insurers that cover medical conditions using the MoneyHelper travel insurance directory, which GOV.UK recommends, then check each firm on the FCA register.

Open the travel insurance directory

Why declaring everything matters

GOV.UK's travel insurance guidance tells you to buy cover that includes your existing physical and mental health conditions, including anything currently under investigation, and to declare pending treatment or tests. Failing to declare something may invalidate your policy. Treatment abroad isn't cheap: FCDO's own examples are £25,000+ for a broken leg in Spain, £80,000+ for a quad bike accident in Greece and £150,000+ for a hospital stay in the USA, all possibly including medical evacuation.

The law here is the Consumer Insurance (Disclosure and Representations) Act 2012. Your duty is to take reasonable care not to make a misrepresentation when you answer the insurer's questions. You aren't expected to volunteer things they didn't ask, but you do need to answer what they ask carefully and honestly. If you get something wrong, what happens depends on why:

Deliberate or reckless: the insurer can cancel the policy, refuse all claims and keep the premium.
Careless: it depends on what the insurer would have done. If it wouldn't have covered you at all, it can cancel and refuse claims but must refund the premium. If it would have added different terms, the policy is treated as if it had those terms. If it would have charged more, it can reduce your claim in proportion (see the example below).

Your duty doesn't stop when you buy. The Financial Ombudsman Service says that if your health changes after you take out the policy, you'll need to tell your insurer, especially if the policy has a "change in health" term, even while you're waiting for a diagnosis.

If you're refused or quoted a lot

Since 1 January 2026, FCA rules say a travel insurer must point you to a directory of specialist firms that cover medical conditions if it:

declines to quote, or cancels your policy, because of a medical condition
offers a policy with a medical exclusion that can't be removed
adds a medical premium of £200 or more, or can't tell you what the medical premium is

The £200 figure will be updated in line with CPI every 5 years, starting in 2030. GOV.UK also points to the MoneyHelper travel insurance directory and the British Insurance Brokers' Association Travel Medical Directory for people with serious conditions.

GHIC helps, but it isn't insurance

A UK GHIC gives you medically necessary state healthcare in the EEA and some other countries on the same terms as a local resident, which isn't always free. It's free from the NHS website and lasts up to 5 years, so avoid unofficial sites that charge a fee. GOV.UK is clear that GHIC and EHIC are not alternatives to travel insurance, because they don't cover private treatment, repatriation or things like mountain rescue. Some insurers waive the medical excess if you use one.

What to check in any policy

It covers the full trip length and every country you'll visit, including transit stops.
It includes emergency medical treatment, ambulance costs and getting you home on medical grounds.
Your activities are covered (standard policies usually exclude things like winter sports and quad bikes).
You know the age limits on annual policies.
Cover isn't invalidated by travelling against FCDO advice.

GOV.UK advises buying your insurance as soon as possible after booking. Take your policy number and the insurer's 24-hour emergency number with you.

FCDO examples: cost of treatment abroad without insurance

Worked example

Alan has type 2 diabetes that he forgot to mention. He pays a £150 premium for a European trip. He falls ill abroad and claims £4,000. The insurer shows it would have covered him, but for a £300 premium had he declared the condition. Forgetting was careless rather than deliberate.

Under the 2012 Act, the insurer pays X% of the claim, where X = premium charged ÷ higher premium × 100.
X = £150 ÷ £300 × 100 = 50%.
Alan receives 50% × £4,000 = £2,000, so he's left with a £2,000 shortfall.

Had he declared it, he'd have paid an extra £300 − £150 = £150 and been covered for the full £4,000. If the insurer could show it wouldn't have covered him at all, it could refuse the claim (refunding the premium). If he disagrees with how the insurer applied the rules, he can complain to the insurer and then to the Financial Ombudsman Service.

How can anyone answer the medical questions for travel insurance?#

Answer exactly what's asked, carefully, and include conditions under investigation and any pending tests or treatment, as GOV.UK advises. The legal duty is to take reasonable care not to misrepresent, not to guess what the insurer might want to know. If you're unsure what a question covers, ask the insurer before you buy and keep a note of their answer.

Does not declaring a medical condition invalidate my travel insurance?#

It can. If the mistake was deliberate or reckless, the insurer can cancel and refuse all claims. If it was careless, the outcome depends on what the insurer would have done: refuse cover (with your premium refunded), add terms, or pay only a proportion of your claim.

Are specialist pre-existing condition travel insurers legitimate?#

Check that any insurer or broker appears on the FCA's Financial Services Register before you buy. GOV.UK points people with serious conditions to MoneyHelper's travel insurance directory and BIBA's Travel Medical Directory. Since 2026, mainstream insurers that refuse you or add a medical premium of £200 or more must point you to a directory of specialist firms.

Is travel insurance mandatory for Spain?#

FCDO says that at Spanish border control you may need to show proof of your travel insurance, along with a return ticket, proof of accommodation and enough money for your stay. A GHIC covers necessary state healthcare but isn't a substitute for travel insurance. Check the Spain travel advice page before you go, because entry rules can change.

Has travel insurance tripled in price, or am I doing something wrong?#

A quote reflects what you declare, including your medical conditions, destinations, trip length and activities, so a new diagnosis or adding the USA can change it a lot (FCDO's USA treatment example is £150,000+). Compare several firms, including specialists from the directories. A medical premium of £200 or more means the insurer must point you to the specialist directory.

Can I trust travel insurance comparison websites?#

Treat a comparison site as a starting point, not a recommendation. Check the firm you're buying from on the FCA register and read the policy wording on medical conditions yourself. Only get your GHIC from the NHS website, because unofficial sites may charge for something that's free.

Keep reading

Sources

Figures checked against these sources on 6 October 2026. If a rule changes, we update the page and its date.

General information, not personal financial advice. Rules depend on your circumstances; check the official source or speak to a regulated adviser before acting.