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How Far in Advance Can I Book Travel Insurance?

Unsure of when the best time is to book travel insurance? Read our useful guide to find out more.

So, you've got an upcoming trip and have already sorted flights and accommodation. How exciting! However, Travel Insurance is not sorted yet and you're unsure of when this should be booked. How far in advance should travel insurance be booked, and what are the benefits of buying it earlier?


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Key Points

  • Book travel insurance as soon as you've booked your holiday to make sure you're covered for cancellations, illnesses, and unforeseen events.
  • Your single trip cancellation cover starts from the day you purchase your policy for a holiday that can be as far as 18 months away. Your twelve months of annual trip cover can start up to 90 days after you purchase your policy.
  • Tailor your cover by adding extras like cruise or gadget protection.

When is best time to book Travel Insurance?

If you want to know when you should book travel insurance, the most important thing to remember is that travel insurance is a must for any trip. Our simple answer is to get travel insurance as soon as you have booked and paid for your holiday, especially for a non-refundable trip. Although it is tempting to leave booking travel insurance until the last minute, it's more beneficial to get it in advance as the sooner you buy cover, the sooner you are protected.


How far in advance can I book my Travel Insurance?

If you travel once or twice a year, Single Trip Insurance can be booked up to a 18 months in advance and cover starts on the day you buy it. The maximum trip duration is 365 days. Even if your holiday is months away, buying insurance early is still best to protect that time between booking and going away. Single Trip Policies expire on the return date that you give when making your booking.

If you travel more frequently, Annual Trip Insurance can be booked up to 90 days in advance and cover begins on the dates chosen when purchasing the policy. So, make sure that your policy starts on the day you purchase it or on the day you buy your plane tickets to also be guaranteed pre-departure cover. Annual Trip policies last twelve months from the date you select them to start.


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Benefits Of Booking Travel Insurance In Advance

Cancellation Protection

Cancellations are one of the main reasons why people claim. Having to cancel your holiday means you could lose money spent on the holiday before you even get going! But, if you book travel insurance in advance you will be able to take advantage of the policy's cancellation cover. It's good to keep in mind that the insurer will not allow you to claim for an event you knew was imminent - for example, you can't take out insurance after falling ill and then cancel your holiday. The earlier you book, the more secure your holiday - and the money you spent on it - will be.

Illness Protection

Most people buy insurance because it offers them cover if they happen to fall ill or get injured when they are on their holiday. But what happens if you fall ill before you leave and can no longer go on the trip? When you book your travel insurance in advance, you should be covered for any unexpected illness that occurs from the time of booking your insurance. So, if you cannot go on your holiday due to an illness, whether yours or a close family member's, your travel insurance should cover the cost of the holiday up to the amount stated in your policy document. Any pre-existing medical conditions should be declared when booking your policy to determine if they can be covered.

Unforeseen Circumstances Protection

When you book insurance in advance, the risk is carried between you and the insurer. Varying unforeseen circumstances should be covered, depending on your policy and provider. Read your policy wording carefully so that you know what you'll be covered for. For example, if the airline goes into liquidation, if you are made redundant at work or if unforeseen weather conditions disrupt your plans. These and a variety of other unexpected events will enable you to claim back for missing out on your holiday. The one exception is if you decide to travel to a country that the FCO advised against travelling to at the time you purchase your holiday and insurance. This is unfortunately not covered by travel insurance.

Tailor-made Cover

Booking travel insurance early means you can make adjustments to your policy to best suit your holiday needs. You can add golf cover, winter sports, or gadget cover onto the policy and end up with a policy that works perfectly for you.



Book your Travel Insurance Today

Find travel insurance that suits your needs. Choose from our three cover levels – Gold, Silver, and Bronze, each offering their own levels of protection.

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Things to Consider

  • Read your documents: Whichever travel insurance policy you're interested in, make sure you read through it thoroughly and fully understand what you are and aren't covered for before you buy it.
  • Make sure your policy covers you fully: Remember that the cheapest travel insurance is not always the best. Make sure your policy fully covers your trip and suits your needs. If your policy does not fully cover your trip you could end up losing money when the insurance does not pay out.
  • Cancellation cover: When you buy travel insurance in advance make sure that your policy covers you from when you buy your insurance and not just from the start of your trip.

Compare cover levels

Choose from three different levels of cover, each with its own cover limits. Ranging from a simpler 'Bronze' plan to a higher level 'Gold' plan, you can tailor your policy to suit your needs. Take a look at our cover-level table to see what's covered, and read through the Policy Documents for more detail on cover.

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Holiday Extras Travel Insurance is sold and administered by Holiday Extras Cover Limited, registered office address: Ashford Road, Newingreen, Hythe, Kent CT21 4JF.

Holiday Extras Cover Limited is an insurance intermediary authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, registration number 828848. You can check this by visiting the Financial Services Register

Holiday Extras™ is a Trading Name of Holiday Extras Cover Limited. The insurance is underwritten by Great Lakes Insurance UK Limited. Great Lakes Insurance UK Limited is a company incorporated in England and Wales with company number 13436330 and whose registered office address is 10 Fenchurch Avenue, London, United Kingdom, EC3M 5BN.

Great Lakes Insurance UK Limited is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority. Firm Reference Number 955859. You can check this by visiting the Financial Services Register