Travel insurance for under-18s

Travel insurance that protects your children is a holiday essential, whether you’re travelling as a family or they are going away alone.

Many insurers now offer some level of Covid-19 cover, but this can vary quite a lot between providers. Examples of what may be covered include:

• Emergency medical expenses: Including repatriation (getting you home), and additional expenses (for example, a quarantine hotel stay) if you fall ill with Covid-19.
• Cancellation: If you test positive (or a close relative passes away due to Covid-19) prior to your holiday and are unable to travel.
• Curtailment: If you test positive for Covid-19 pre-departure, upon arrival at your destination, or while on holiday. Additionally, look for a policy that offers curtailment cover in the event a close relative passes away from Covid-19 during your holiday.

Whether your children under 18 are covered by your existing family or annual travel insurance policy will depend on the policy you have and the type of trip they are going on.

If you are going away with your children and you have a family travel insurance policy, this should cover your family group for your holiday. If, however, your child is going away without you on a school trip or with friends, double check whether your current policy will cover them as the majority don’t.

If your current travel insurance doesn’t include cover for under-18s travelling alone, you’ll have to look for a separate policy.

When searching for travel insurance for under-18s, you should broadly keep the same things in mind as you would if you were looking for yourself. A good policy will have adequate cover for essentials such as medical expenses, cancellation, lost baggage, personal liability, theft and missed flights. And don’t forget to look at the excess amount on any policies you are comparing. The excess is the amount you’ll need to pay out if you make a claim, so make sure you’re willing to cover this should you need to.

Make sure you buy the correct policy for your child’s trip, ensuring that the destination they are travelling to is covered by the insurance you buy and that any sporting activities they are taking part in are covered.

Don’t be tempted to scrimp on travel insurance for your under 18 as this will prove to be a false economy should you have to claim.

What should you look out for in the T&Cs?

Making sure the policy you buy covers your under 18 for all of the essentials is important or, when you need to claim, you could have a nasty surprise. So, pay careful attention to the T&Cs of any policy you are considering.

Some common areas that may catch you out include:

• Pre-existing medical conditions – make sure you declare any conditions your child has or the policy may be invalid.
• Activities – think about the type of trip your child is taking, making sure that any sporting activities, such as skiing or bungee jumping, are covered. Add extra cover on if they are excluded from your standard policy.
• Excluded destinations – don’t assume that the same definition of a European or worldwide policy applies to all insurers. Some, for example, don’t include America or the Caribbean in worldwide policies while others do. Always double check before you buy.
• Limitations on the length of the trip – make sure you check how many consecutive days abroad your child will be covered for.
• Drug and alcohol misuse – many policies won’t pay out for accidents that happen while under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Insurance aside, it’s always wise to talk to your children about staying safe when on holiday without you.
• How to make a claim – check what the expected procedure is when making a claim for a theft or a missed flight. If you get it wrong, your claim may be rejected.

Who regulates us?

The TravelSupermarket Limited travel insurance comparison service is operated by Moneysupermarket.com Limited. Registered in England No. 3945937. Registered Office: MONY Group House, St. David's Park, Ewloe, CH5 3UZ.

Moneysupermarket.com Limited is an appointed representative of MONY Group, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA FRN 303190).

TravelSupermarket Limited (FCA FRN 953671) is an appointed representative of MONY Group plc, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA FRN 303190). MONY Group Financial Holdings Limited, registered in England No. 3157344.