Every year thousands of people think about taking an extended holiday.
School leavers and recent graduates make up the majority of people taking extended holidays, but many professionals also consider taking a career break to explore the world.
Only the most seasoned travellers realise the many potential problems they may encounter on such an adventure and take out a suitable travel insurance policy. Recent research has shown that as many as 25% of gap year travellers jet off without adequate insurance protection!
Many younger, less experienced travellers are likely to embark on an expedition without realising the potential problems that may occur or without taking suitable precautions to protect themselves against them.
Specific policies available
If you’re taking a gap year, it’s important to remember you’ll be on holiday for a long period of time – much longer than the average holidaymaker. Having a suitable insurance policy will protect and reduce what could be an otherwise distressing and costly experience if things do go wrong.
Annual, multi-trip policy limit the number of consecutive days you can remain abroad, usually 35 to 41 days, so they’re generally not suitable for gap year travellers.
There are specific gap year insurance policies available. These policies are also known as a backpacker insurance, for travellers aged up to 36, or long stay insurance, if you are older than 36.
What they cover
A good gap year or long stay travel insurance policy will insure you have:

Suitable financial protection if something goes wrong while you’re abroad. For example, if you are involved in a crash or injure somebody, you may have a liability to that person. Travel insurance will cover this liability.

• Medical assistance. In the UK, citizens have access to the NHS, a luxury not available in any other country. Medical assistance is particularly important if you intend to travel to the United States, where medical treatment is very expensive. For example, an air ambulance can cost more than £15,000 and intensive car beds can cost up to £2,000 per day in America.

Cover for cancellation of the holiday due to illness or family bereavement.

Cover for your baggage and other personal items should they be lost or stolen.



Travel insurance will provide you with financial protection should any of the above occur while you’re travelling.
Remember that travel insurance polices differ between insurers, so it’s vital that you search the market to find the most suitable insurer for your requirements. Make sure you read the policy documents to make sure that you understand what is included and excluded from your backpacker’s policy.
Tips for taking out gap year travel insurance

Purchase your travel insurance before you leave the UK. Compare prices and policies online. If you are unsure of what the policy covers, call the insurance company.

Ensure that you are covered for the full period of time that you are overseas, including a couple of days before you leave the UK. If you are intending to work while you are abroad, make sure that the policy will cover this.

If you are planning on visiting home during your trip, make sure your policy allows it. You should be able to get a home visit endorsement if you notify your insurer in advance. If you don’t, your policy may no longer be valid for travel once you have returned to the UK. In order to continue your holiday you would have to purchase another insurance policy.

If you intend to engage in any hazardous activities make sure that you are fully covered. Activities such as skydiving, canyoning, horse jumping, gliding and diving below a certain depth are unlikely to be covered by a standard policy.



Ensure you have all the necessary visas for the countries that you are visiting prior to travelling.
If you are travelling to Europe, carry an E111 form. This should not be used as a substitute for travel insurance but should be obtained form the post office in addition to your insurance.
Helpful travel hints

Keep a copy of your travel insurance policy details in your internet email inbox so that you can recall them in the event of an emergency while you are abroad. Make sure you know what to do if you need to contact your insurer from abroad.

Keep your luggage and belongings within your sight at all times. Failure to do so could result in the insurer refusing to payout on a claim.

Insurers tend not to cover you for travel to countries that have been declared unsafe to travel to by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO).