Frequently asked questions

This depends on what you want to be covered for. It's worth thinking about how much your holiday has cost, and whether you or anyone travelling with you has a pre-existing medical condition that needs declaring. We offer a range of cover levels and add-ons to help you pick the right one for your plans and needs.

If you purchase your policy through the Select & Protect website:

• Our single trip policy covers ages up to 100, wherever you're travelling.
• For annual multi-trip cover, if your destination is within Europe or Worldwide excluding the USA, Canada and the Caribbean Islands, you must be 80 or under at the start of the policy. For Worldwide policies, you must be 75 or under.

If you purchase your policy through a comparison site such as Moneysupermarket.com:

• For our single trip if your destination is within Europe or Worldwide excluding the USA, Canada and the Caribbean Islands, you must be 85 or under at the start of the policy. For Worldwide policies, you must be 75 or under.
• For annual multi-trip cover, if your destination is within Europe or Worldwide excluding the USA, Canada and the Caribbean Islands, you must be 75 or under at the start of the policy. For Worldwide policies, you must be 70 or under.

Children under 18 must be accompanied by an adult aged 18 or over who is named on the policy for the whole trip.

If you purchase your policy through the Select & Protect website:

• Single trip policies: up to 100 days if you're 65 or under, 62 days if you're between 66 and 75, and 31 days if you're between 76 and 100.
• Annual multi-trip policies: a maximum of 31 days per trip, with unlimited trips across the year.

If you purchase your policy through a comparison site such as Moneysupermarket.com:

• Single trip policies: up to 31 days if you're aged 75 or under, and up to 21 days if you're aged between 76 and 85.
• Annual multi-trip policies: a maximum of 31 days per trip, with unlimited trips across the year.

No, only UK, Channel Islands or Isle of Man residents registered with a GP can buy from us, and you need to purchase before leaving. If you buy after your trip has started, there's no cover and the policy may be void.

Yes. Benefits, limits and excesses are per person, per incident, per trip, limited to two excess amounts if more than one insured person claims. On a Family or Group policy, limits and excesses apply to each person individually.

If you're only travelling once this year, single trip is likely to suit you better. If you're planning more than one trip, an annual multi-trip policy can work out more cost effective than buying a new policy each time. Either way, check that every trip you're planning fits within the policy you choose.

Yes, both single trip and annual multi-trip policies cover UK holidays, up to the maximum trip length on your schedule. For annual multi-trip, you'll need at least two nights of pre-booked accommodation, or pre-booked transport at least 50 miles from home.

As long as your trip has not already started, your policy provides cover as soon as your purchase is confirmed.

Yes. Add every country you're visiting when you get your quote, and these will be noted on your policy schedule.

You can choose from three areas of travel when you get a quote: Europe, which includes the UK; Worldwide excluding the USA, Canada and the Caribbean Islands; and Worldwide including those destinations. Add every country you plan to visit when you get your quote, and the area you're covered for will be shown on your policy schedule. The countries included within each area, and any age limits that apply, are confirmed during the quote and set out in your policy wording.

Yes. As long as you haven't yet travelled, you can change your area or region of travel. On a single trip policy, tell us every country you're visiting; on an annual multi-trip policy, make sure you've selected the region that covers all your destinations. To make the change, please call us on 0345 307 3971. Changing your area of travel may affect your premium and what your policy covers.

Up to 12 months ahead for single trip, and 30 days ahead for annual multi-trip. It's worth buying as soon as you've booked, so you're covered for cancellation from that point.

Always check the FCDO's entry requirements for your destination before you buy. If advice changes due to a pandemic, cancellation isn't covered, speak to your travel agent or tour operator about rearranging or a refund instead. If advice changes for a different reason, you may be covered to cancel if your costs can't be recovered elsewhere.

No, policyholders must be at least 18. Anyone 17 or under is only covered when travelling with an adult named on the same policy.

The core elements of your policy are underwritten by Inter Partner Assistance S.A. UK branch, part of the AXA Group. The gadget element of your cover is underwritten by AmTrust Specialty Limited. Further details sit in the Essential Information & Demands and Needs Document and the Policy Wording.

Yes. Personal liability cover is included on every level of our cover, Bronze, Silver and Gold, up to the limit shown in the policy wording, if you're found liable for damage to someone else's property, or for causing illness, injury or death to another person.

As often as you like within the 12 month period, as long as no single trip goes over 31 days.

Not on an annual multi-trip policy. On a single trip policy, you need to tell us every country you're visiting, and on annual multi-trip you need to make sure you've chosen the right region to cover all your destinations.

In most cases travel insurance is considered an extra rather than a legal requirement, though some destinations do require it as a condition of entry regardless of visa status. It can also cover things a visa never would, including medical expenses and medical repatriation, both of which can be very expensive abroad. Please check the entry requirements for your destination before travelling.

We are unable to offer cover under a couple policy for individuals who live at separate addresses. A couple policy is designed to cover two people in a relationship living at the same address.

The amount you pay when you make a claim, set out in the table of benefits. Only one excess applies per trip, per insured person, for the same incident, up to a maximum of two people. If you use a reciprocal health arrangement, another country's scheme or private medical insurance to reduce your medical expenses, no excess applies.

Declare anything in the last 5 years where you or anyone covered has had any medical advice, treatment for, including surgery, tests or investigations, or prescribed drugs or medication for:

• Any cancer condition, including leukaemia, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and any skin cancer
• Any heart related or blood circulatory condition, including high blood pressure and high cholesterol
• Any diabetic condition
• Any neurological condition, including stroke, brain haemorrhage, multiple sclerosis, epilepsy and dementia
• Any breathing condition, including asthma, bronchitis and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
• Any renal, kidney or liver condition
• Any psychiatric or psychological condition, including anxiety, stress and depression
• Any chronic condition that can be controlled but not cured, including back pain, Crohn's, diverticular and coeliac disease and ulcerative colitis

And, separately, any other medical condition that in the last 12 months for which you've been prescribed medication or received, or are waiting to receive, treatment including surgery, tests or investigations.

See our Pre-existing medical conditions page for more information.

It can relate to physical or mental health. In travel insurance terms, it's a disease, injury, illness, or medical investigation or test that happened in the past, or that you were experiencing when you bought your policy.

If you contact us during the policy term to inform us of a change in health of anyone on the policy, we will not update your medical declaration, but at the point of renewal you need to ensure that your medical declarations are up to date.

If your health changes before the start of your trip, you should check with your medical practitioner that you are fit to travel. You may be able to claim under "Section 1 – Cancelling or cutting short your trip" if your medical practitioner confirms you are not fit to travel.

The UK GHIC gives you access to medically necessary state healthcare in the EU and Switzerland at reduced cost. Your UK GHIC card doesn't cover repatriation back to the UK. Travel insurance covers other things a health card doesn't, so we'd still recommend having cover in place. See gov.uk or the NHS for more information.

You're covered for bodily injury and illness while travelling during pregnancy, though check your transport provider's own guidelines first. There's no cover for costs linked to normal pregnancy or childbirth, since the policy covers unforeseen events rather than expected ones, and costs are excluded if your due date falls within 12 weeks of the end of your trip, 16 weeks for a multiple birth.

Message us on live chat, email travelservice@select-protect.co.uk, or reach us through our contact page and we'll talk it through.

This isn't a private medical insurance policy. It's designed to pay for emergency medical, surgical or dental treatment, not for treatment that could reasonably wait until you're home, and our decisions on what we'll pay for, including repatriation, are based on that.

Doctor Please! is a service included with every policy, giving you a remote consultation with an English speaking doctor from your phone, day or night, without needing to leave your hotel room.

Cruises are covered as standard for things like cancellation and medical costs. You can add Cruise cover at quote stage, which will incur an additional premium, for cruise specific extras such as missed port cover and cabin confinement.

Yes, with our Winter Sports cover option, which isn't included as standard and will incur an additional premium if selected. It covers medical treatment linked to winter sports, loss or damage to skis and ski equipment, and piste closure. Terms, conditions, exclusions and limitations apply. Check the policy wording for more.

Yes, 64. It's an optional add-on, which will incur an additional premium, rather than a standard inclusion, and on an annual multi-trip policy it's limited to 17 days of winter sports activity during the insurance period.

Golf cover is covered as standard for things like cancellation and medical costs. Golf cover can be added to either a single trip or an annual multi-trip policy at quote stage, which will incur an additional premium, giving you extra protection specific to a golfing trip.

The full list is in the policy wording. If your activity isn't listed, speak to the team on live chat, email travelservice@select-protect.co.uk or use our contact page. You're not covered for winter sports at all unless you've added the cover and paid the additional premium.

Every policy includes gadget cover as standard, with the amount varying by cover level and applied per person, per claim. If you need more, an optional gadget extension is available at quote stage, which will incur an additional premium. The policy wording sets out both your standard limits and what the extension increases them to.

Request them by emailing travelservice@select-protect.co.uk with your policy number and what you need. All your documents are also available any time in the online customer portal.

Your policy schedule is available in digital format any time through the online customer portal, and can be downloaded or printed if you need a paper copy.

Contact Customer Services through our contact page to amend personal details, add someone to the policy, or add cover such as winter sports.

You can cancel the policy at any time. You can call us on 0345 307 3971, email travelservice@select-protect.co.uk or write to us. If you cancel within 14 days of your start date or receiving your documents, whichever is later, a full refund is made available, provided you haven't travelled, intending to make a claim or claimed. After 14 days, refunds may still be available on a pro-rata basis depending on your policy type, provided you're not travelling at the time and haven't claimed or intend to claim.

Full details are in the policy wording. For a medical emergency abroad, contact the Emergency Assistance Team, available 24 hours a day, on 0203 336 7443. For all other claims, head to our make a claim page or start your claim through the online customer portal.

You may be entitled to a refund or compensation directly from the airline in that situation.

You're free to cancel the policy at any time, though we won't cover a claim resulting from not having your visa ready in time.

Cover automatically extends if your return home is unavoidably delayed by something the policy covers, provided you accept any alternative offered and don't delay your return intentionally.

We work hard to treat our customers fairly and make sure our policies are easy to understand. But if we or our insurers make a mistake, we want to hear about it. If you have a complaint, please contact:

If your complaint is about the sale or administration of your policy,
Post: Select & Protect Travel Insurance Complaints Team, Hood Travel Limited, 2nd Floor, Dencora Court, Tylers Avenue, Southend-on-Sea, Essex, SS1 2BB.
Email: travelcomplaints@select-protect.co.uk
Phone: 0345 307 3971, Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm, closed Saturday, Sunday and Bank Holidays.

If your complaint is about a claim on your policy (except Gadget cover section)
Post: Complaints Team, AXA Partners, The Quadrangle, 106-118 Station Road, Redhill RH1 1PR.
Email: claimcomplaints@axa-assistance.co.uk
Phone: 0203 336 7443

If your complaint is about a claim under Gadget cover section
Post: Customer Relations Officer, Taurus Insurance Service Limited, Suite 2209-2217, Eurotowers, Europort Road, Gibraltar.
Email: gadget.complaints@taurus.gi
Phone: 0330 020 0123

If you are not happy with our final response, or if more than eight weeks have passed since we received your original complaint, you can take your complaint to the UK Financial Ombudsman Service for an independent review. This won't stop you from being able to take legal action. You must approach the Financial Ombudsman Service within six months of getting our final response to your complaint. We will remind you of the time limits in the final response.

Post: The Financial Ombudsman Service, Exchange Tower, London E14 9SR
Phone: 0300 123 9 123 or 0800 023 4567
Fax: 020 7964 1001
Email: complaint.info@financial-ombudsman.org.uk
Website: www.financial-ombudsman.org.uk