Travel Insurance with Financial Emergency Cash Covers

An emergency cash advance or a financial emergency cash cover is a feature provided in travelling insurance plans that provide financial assistance to policyholders in times of financial distress or emergencies.

For example, if you are travelling overseas for a business trip and find that your hotel room has been burglarised or your wallet has been stolen. Your insurance provider will provide you with emergency cash so you can continue your trip and still pay for necessary expenses like meals, accommodation, and transport.

This benefit isn’t just restricted to business travellers either. It’s available to all policyholders and is an extremely useful benefit of travel insurance plans for anyone stuck in such situations.

Theft, pickpocketing, and muggings are the most common crimes in almost every country. So if you fall victim to these crimes while travelling, chances are you will need some form of financial assistance to get back on your feet. This is where emergency cash advances come into play.

It can be instrumental in situations where you have lost your personal documents and money, making it hard to convert currency or arrange for more money. In these instances, your insurer will help arrange emergency cash through their travel insurance network.

Like every benefit offered under insurance plans, an emergency cash advance comes with its terms and conditions. These are some rules you must remember regarding financial emergency cash covers:

1. This can’t be availed after your trip is over. Suppose you find that you have lost your travel funds. In that case, it must be reported to your insurer immediately (during your trip) to use this benefit.
2. You must inform the local authorities of the same when you learn that your funds have gone missing or been stolen.
3. A written police report or FIR is required during the claims process.
4. If your traveller’s cheques have been lost or stolen, you must immediately report them missing to the issuing authority.
5. In case of lost baggage or luggage, you can claim partial or total compensation depending on your policy terms.
6. This benefit can’t be availed if you are facing a money shortage due to your own negligence, i.e., funds shortage, currency fluctuations, personal errors, etc.
7. You can only claim emergency cash in travel insurance if you have reported your loss of funds to the local authorities within 24 hours.
8. Keep all reports and receipts safe for future reference during the claims process.

[Note: The specific exclusions may vary from insurer to insurer, so remember to carefully read the exclusions under your travel insurance to avoid any future misunderstandings.]

So, your wallet or your belongings have been stolen. What are you supposed to do now?

1. Report It To The Local Authorities: For stolen items and personal belongings, you must report them to the local authorities within the first 24 hours of them going missing and get a written police report or FIR.
2. Block All Cards And Gadgets: If your phone and credit/debit cards are missing, call your service provider and bank to get them to cancel your cards and block all services. You can also use tracking apps to find your phone’s location.
3. Contact Your Insurer: Contact your insurer if they provide coverage for lost/stolen belongings to file for reimbursement. You will need to produce the necessary documentation to do this, so keep all reports and receipts safe, as you must present them to avoid your claim being rejected.

Here is how you can file a claim under your travel insurance with us at Tata AIG:

1. Call us on our travel claim helplines here to initiate a claims process. You can email us at customersupport@tataaig.com or call us at our toll-free number — 1800-266-7780.
2. You must inform us within 24 hours of your funds or belongings getting stolen or going missing.
3. Make sure to report the case at the local police station and get a written police report.
4. One of our insurance agents will contact you to assist you during the claims process further.
5. After everything has been approved, you will get reimbursed for the stolen/missing amount as per your policy terms.

For further enquiries, you can also contact us through our support page.

You can never be too safe. No matter what country you travel to, there is always a chance of being the victim of theft or pickpockets. While these instances are sometimes unavoidable, here are a few precautions you can take to ensure you reduce the chances of such things happening:

1. Keep your more expensive belongings in a safe place and avoid flashing your stuff as it can attract pickpockets.
2. Avoid putting items in your back pocket, as this makes it easier for pickpockets to get to your belongings.
3. When walking through crowded areas, keep the zips of your handbags or purse to the front, making it harder for anyone trying to steal your belongings.
4. Use tighter pockets if you don’t have a bag or purse to keep your cash or personal items.
5. Hidden pockets are also popular as they can easily be tucked into your pant leg.
6. Keep all your travel documents, like your passport, travel insurance, and ID, in a separate place, or carry soft copies of them on your phone or tablet.
7. Divide your cash and credit/debit cards into different stashes so you don’t have all your money in one place. This way, if you become a victim of theft, you will still have access to some funds.
8. Travel with a cut-proof bag to prevent getting pickpocketed in crowded areas.
9. Instead of big backpacks, consider a money back that secures your waist. If you do carry a bigger bag, secure it with a lock.
10. Avoid leaving your phone or wallet outside unattended. Smartphones are the most common targets for pickpockets, so avoid leaving your phone on the table when you go out to eat.

Remember, if you find that your belongings or funds have been stolen, report the incident to the local authorities and your insurance provider immediately if you want to avail your financial emergency cash cover.

There is always a chance for your business trip or vacation to fall apart if you ever get mugged or robbed in a foreign country. Having a backup plan like an emergency cash advance for these situations can come in handy, especially if you do not have access to your funds.

Similar to this benefit, travel insurance policies from Tata AIG also provide flight cancellation insurance to cover the cost of a cancelled trip.