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How Far in Advance Can Travel Insurance Policy be Booked

  • Author :
  • TATA AIG Team
  • Last Updated On :
  • 12/09/2023

When planning a vacation, the first reservations that come to mind are a hotel, flight, and possibly renting a car. However, along with these, another travel essential that travellers must prioritise is buying travel insurance. When you invest in a comprehensive travel insurance plan, you are making an inexpensive and smart investment that protects you against a host of contingency situations. Such dire situations include flight cancellations, loss of passport, misplaced luggage, and more.

After the outbreak of the infamous pandemic, travellers experienced uncertainty in their travel plans and understood the many benefits of international travel insurance. However, when it comes to buying travel insurance, several individuals are puzzled about when they should make the purchase.

Should you buy travel insurance more than a year in advance, or can it be a last-minute purchase? Let us understand the time frame of buying a travel insurance plan in some detail.

Best Time to Invest in Travel Insurance

Most people search, “can I buy travel insurance after booking?” The answer to this is that the best time to buy travelling insurance is right after you have made all the reservations. Travel insurance advance booking is always recommended, particularly for non-refundable trips.

This way, you can ensure that you have a financial safety net to rely on if things don’t go by your plan. The simple philosophy surrounding travel insurance advance booking is that the sooner you book, the faster you are protected.

How Far in Advance Can You Book Your Travel Insurance Plan?

For those who don’t travel more than once or twice a year, it is advisable to book single-trip travel insurance. These plans expire on the policyholder’s date of return, as they mention at the time of booking.

Those who like to plan early can buy travel insurance more than a year in advance. This is the best way to secure a vacation you have been planning for a long time.

Travel enthusiasts who make frequent journeys can invest in annual travel insurance plans. These can be purchased up to 30 days before you make your trip. However, because annual plans initiate their cover right when you buy them, it is a good idea to integrate them with your travel plans. Alternatively, you can even invest in this insurance on the day you purchase your flight tickets for pre-departure coverage.

You can book your international travel insurance 60 days in advance for a gap year in travelling and get protection for two consecutive years.

However, before you buy travel insurance, you must be aware of all the inclusions and exclusions in the policy cover. Ask questions such as:

  • Does travel insurance cover covid cancellations?

  • What is the maximum cover provided?

  • Does your policy cover pre-existing illnesses? etc.

Now that you know the answer to, “can I buy travel insurance after booking?” Let us understand the benefits of travel insurance advance booking.

Benefits of Booking Travel Insurance in Advance

When it comes to travel, it is always advised to be prepared in advance. This way, you can plan for contingency situations and have a worry-free trip filled with enjoyable moments. Booking your international travel insurance last minute means you don’t have enough time to make an informed decision. Insurance must always be purchased by carefully analysing your insurance needs and choosing a suitable cover.

Here are some unmissable benefits of buying your travel insurance plan in advance:

Cover Against Cancellations

The most common reasons individuals raise travel insurance claims are cancellations and trip curtailments. These unforeseeable situations can come with a lot of financial distress as the money that is spent on reservations is lost even before leaving. However, if one has been prompt with their planning and has purchased their travel insurance plan in advance, they can avail of the cancellation benefits under their policy coverage. It is important to note that policyholders will not be covered for imminent reasons. Before investing in the cover, one must carefully read all the situations that the insurance will cover you for and the instances wherein you will not be covered. Carefully read all the policy inclusions and exclusions and the fine print not to be unpleasantly surprised.

Coverage Against Unforeseeable and Unpleasant Scenarios

Several things can go wrong when you travel. However, with comprehensive travel insurance, an individual is covered against a host of these unpleasant situations. Whether it is loss of passport, misplaced baggage, missed or cancelled flights, curtailed trip, and much more. There are certain things that your travel insurance plan will not cover, and for those, you can purchase an add-on for enhanced protection.

Medical Coverage

Travelling is an exciting prospect, but it is easy to neglect your health amidst all the fun. Although we try to keep our health in its optimal phase when travelling, changes in diet, time zones, motion sickness, etc., can lead to illnesses. To protect travellers against the infamous COVID-19 pandemic, insurance providers have started to secure journeys with a COVID-19 cover. In addition to this, your international travel insurance also takes care of hospitalisation, medical evacuation, accidental death, and more.

Customised Travel Insurance Covers

As mentioned earlier, insurance must always be purchased after carefully thinking about your insurance needs. To illustrate with an example, if you are planning an adventurous trip, you must know that most travel insurance plans don’t secure travellers against adventure sports. And so, you may have to purchase this as an add-on to your basic policy. However, if you are booking your travel insurance plan last minute, it is difficult to consider all the facets of your journey and, subsequently, your insurance requirements. Making reservations in advance enables policyholders to personalise their covers based on their travel itinerary.

Wrapping Up

Travel insurance is an essential travel document that secures your trip and ensures you have a reliable financial backup if things go south. While no one likes to think of unpleasant scenarios while planning a trip, it is important to be prepared for it. Buying a comprehensive travel insurance plan after analysing your trip itinerary is the best way to protect yourself and your finances when you travel. The travel insurance by Tata AIG secures the traveller against a range of unpleasant scenarios, so the policyholder has a vacation free from all worries.

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Disclaimer / TnC

Your policy is subjected to terms and conditions & inclusions and exclusions mentioned in your policy wording. Please go through the documents carefully.

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