Travelling with diabetes? Whether you’re flying long-haul or staying close to home, our diabetic travel insurance will protect your trip. We cover all destinations and over 100 different activities. You can take us with you, whatever you’ve got planned.
Can you get travel insurance if you have diabetes?
The right travel insurance lets you enjoy your trip, knowing you’re protected if something goes wrong. It is important that your diabetes is covered on your policy if you’re one of the estimated five million people in the UK living with diabetes.
Diabetes won’t get in the way of a great holiday with InsureandGo. We’ll cover all types of diabetes, including prediabetes, type 1, type 2 or gestational diabetes.
Our travel insurance for people with diabetes will cover you for all medical emergencies. It also covers repatriation back to the UK, if you need it.
Here’s why finding the best travel insurance for diabetics is a must:
- Covers emergency medical expenses: Travel can make diabetes harder to manage. Eating different foods, becoming more or less active and a change of climate can all affect blood sugar levels. Research shows that two-thirds of diabetics lack good diabetic control while travelling. Our diabetes travel insurance means you’re covered for emergency medical treatment related to your condition.
- Covers repatriation: If you need to be flown home due to a medical emergency, repatriation costs can be high, even in Europe. The cost for one UK traveller in Spain was £124,000. Our diabetic travel insurance covers the costs associated with medical repatriation.
- Covers cancellation: According to the latest Diabetes UK survey, 47% of people with diabetes had difficulties managing their condition the previous year. If your travel plans change due to health reasons, diabetes travel insurance will cover any unexpected costs.
- Protects your belongings: A lost or stolen bag can put a dampener on any holiday. But what if the bag contains your medication? The cost of a single vial of insulin is around $100 (£80) in the US. Diabetes travel insurance makes sure you’re not left counting the cost.
- Help when you need it: Travelling with diabetes can mean some extra planning and possible risks. We also offer a 24/7 emergency medical helpline if you need it.
Make sure the policy you’ve chosen covers you for all the activities you have planned. Our policy wording provides full terms and conditions of what is and isn’t included.
You’ll also need to tell us all your pre-existing medical conditions. If your medical history isn’t accurate, you may have to pay for unexpected medical costs.
What types of diabetes does InsureandGo’s travel insurance cover?
Each type of diabetes can affect your travel plans in different ways. Our travel insurance for people with diabetes covers all forms of the condition:
- Type 1 diabetes: Around 8% of diabetics have type 1, where the body can’t produce any insulin. Type 1 diabetics are more likely to need insulin pumps and continuous glucose monitors. These can be damaged by the x-rays and body scanners used by airport security. Travel insurance for type 1 diabetes covers lost, stolen or damaged personal belongings, including items related to your diabetes.
- Type 2 diabetes: Around 90% of diabetics have type 2, where you don’t make enough insulin, or you’re resistant to it. Some people can manage their type 2 diabetes through healthy eating and being more active. But with holidays comes a change in routine, which can impact on the control of your diabetes so it is important to make sure you have cover for these eventualities.
- Gestational diabetes: Gestational diabetes affects 1 in 20 pregnancies. It happens when pregnancy hormones make it hard for your body to use insulin. If you’re travelling with gestational diabetes, hot weather can affect blood glucose levels. You’re also at increased risk of heat exhaustion.
- Prediabetes: Around one in nine adults are thought to be living with prediabetes. In prediabetes, your blood sugar levels are higher than normal. If you have prediabetes, you’ll be advised to keep active, which may not be possible while travelling. Travel insurance for diabetes will cover your trip if it’s disrupted due to a prediabetic episode.
What does InsureandGo’s diabetes travel insurance cover?
What’s covered?
Our travel insurance for diabetes includes:
- Medical emergency expenses.
- Cover for cancellation of your trip.
- Our 24-hour emergency assistance team, available to call, day or night, wherever you are
- Over 100 sports and activities covered (see your policy wording for a full list of activities)
- Personal belongings and baggage cover.
- Personal money, passports and travel documents cover.
- Accommodation cover.
- Legal expenses cover.
What’s not covered?
There are some situations travel insurance will not cover. For example:
- You cannot cover events or reasons to claim which took place before you booked the trip or purchased insurance. Insurance exists to cover unexpected events outside of the insured’s control
- Claims which are less than the excess for that section of cover. For example, you cannot claim a £40 lost item if your baggage excess is £60
- All of our travel insurance policies include cover for cancellation of your trip. But there may be some exclusions. For example, you won’t be covered to cancel if you simply decide not to go
Find out about our optional add-ons for activities like extreme sports, cruises and golf.
We will consider all pre-existing medical conditions. Find out more about medical travel insurance.
The excess and amount of cover available varies depending on the level of travel insurance you buy. Check the policy wording to see the full terms and conditions.
The best travel insurance for your holiday
Flexible add-ons from InsureandGo let you tailor your diabetes travel insurance policy to your plans. So what sort of holiday will you be having?
- Sailing the world? Cruise insurance can protect you against cruise-specific mishaps. It covers missed departures, cabin confinement and more.
- Taking the kids? No one wants to think about cutting short the family holiday due to illness. With family travel insurance you’ll be covered if your trip is interrupted.
- Teeing off in the sun? We’ll cover you and your clubs with our golf insurance.
- Enjoying a hobby? Bring your surfboard, camera or bike. Adding gadgets cover will protect your belongings, up to £1,000 per single item.
- Feeling adventurous? We cover over 100 sports and activities in our standard policies. But if you want to try something different, like hot air ballooning or jet skiing, we can cover that too.
Choose a cover level to suit your travel needs
| Black | Gold | Silver | |
| Medical expenses and repatriation | Unlimited | £15 million | £10 Million |
| Cancellation and curtailment | £10,000 | £7,500 | £5,000 |
| Travel delay | Up to £650 | Up to £540 | Up to £450 |
| Personal belongings | £5,000 | £2,500 | £2,000 |
| Legal Expenses | £60,000 | £50,000 | £15,000 |
| Standard Excess | Nil | £50 | £60 |
Diabetes travel insurance with other pre-existing medical conditions
Having more than one medical condition (or co-morbidity) is extremely common with diabetes. 30% of people we surveyed have more than one pre-existing health condition2.
We can cover your trip for multiple pre-existing health conditions, as well as your diabetes. Just tell us all your conditions. We’ll create a quote that works for you.
To ensure you get the cover you need, we will ask you a few questions about your condition/s during the medical screening. Things we may ask include:
- When were you first diagnosed?
- Are you currently taking medication for your condition?
- Have you been admitted to hospital for this condition?
Examples of the types of health conditions we can cover include:
You must declare all your pre-existing medical conditions when buying your diabetes travel insurance. Otherwise, you won’t be covered if you have an emergency related to your conditions while away.
To learn more, please read our page about travel insurance for medical conditions. Or take a look at our policy wording documents.
How to buy diabetes travel insurance
Ensuring you have enough insulin. Packing plenty of snacks. Travelling with diabetes can involve a lot of planning! At least getting a travel insurance policy is easy.
1. Let us know about your trip
Tell us where you’re going, who you want to cover and when you want the policy to start. We’ll ask you about your diabetes, and any other pre-existing medical conditions.
It’s quick and easy to give us this information, online or by phone.
2. Get your quote
Once we have all the details we need, we will send you your quote. At this stage, you can go ahead and buy your policy, or save the quote for the future.
Letita Smith – Travel insurance expert
“Morocco is a popular tourist destination for us Brits. More than half a million of us are travelling there each year. But the heat and unfamiliar environments can be a source of trouble. It’s important to make sure that you’re covered for all eventualities. Whether that’s heatstroke landing you in hospital or losing your phone in the souks.”
Our reviews speak for themselves
Happy days
“Both my wife and I have medical issues, diabetes and rheumatoid arthritis. Having declared our conditions, we were pleased to get our travel insurance at a very reasonable price. Online service was very good and quick to use.”
– Mark Smith
– Date of experience: 07 April 2024
There’s a reason 99.7% of our customers would consider buying from InsureandGo again4. Here’s what they have to say about us.
Frequently asked questions on diabetes travel insurance
Do you have to declare diabetes or prediabetes on travel insurance?
Yes, you do. Both diabetes and prediabetes are considered pre-existing conditions for travel insurance, even if you don’t take medication for them. You need to declare them even if they are well-controlled and your blood sugar levels are normal.
If you don’t declare your diabetes, you risk invalidating any claim you make. You’ll still need to get your prediabetes covered as it could lead to you needing medical attention abroad.
When you get a quote with us, we’ll ask which type of diabetes you have and if you have any other conditions. We may also ask whether you take insulin, have high blood pressure or cholesterol, or if you are taking any other types of medication.
Does type 2 diabetes increase the cost of travel insurance?
The cost of travel insurance is based on a wide range of factors. Your medical condition and the questions you answer in the medical screening is one factor.
- Your age
- The destination you’re travelling to
- How long you’ll be going for
- Any policy add-ons you require
When getting your quote you will complete a brief medical screening. If your diabetes needs medication adjustments, frequent monitoring, or carries a higher risk of complications, this will impact the cost.
How much is travel insurance for diabetes?
The cost of travel insurance for diabetes in the UK depends on several different factors:
- The type and severity of your diabetes: Whether you take medication for your diabetes, for example.
- Other pre-existing medical conditions: If you’ve got any other health conditions, this will impact your premium.
- Your age: Travel insurance is generally more expensive as you get older.
- Trip duration: The longer you’re away, the greater the odds of a claim.
- Chosen destination: Some places have a higher risk than others. Others, like the USA, have more expensive healthcare.
- Additional cover: You may want to include extra cover for valuables, or for activities such as a cruise or golfing holiday.
Does the GHIC cover diabetes?
Travelling to Europe? You should take your GHIC with you. You can use your card to get state healthcare that cannot reasonably wait until you come back to the UK. It’s valid in countries in the European Union, and other countries such as Australia.
But the GHIC isn’t the same as having proper travel insurance for diabetes. While it can provide basic cover in emergencies, it won’t cover the costs if you need to be flown back to the UK in a medical emergency, or for private healthcare.
The best travel insurance for diabetes does more than a GHIC, because it also covers:
- lost or stolen property such as passports, baggage or precious items
- losses from trip cancellation, curtailment and interruption
- extra travel and accommodation costs due to illness
- any medical treatment needed outside of the EU
Do I need to see a doctor before I travel with diabetes?
It’s a good idea to book an appointment with a GP to let them know your travel plans. They can advise you about altering the timing of your medication if you cross time zones on your trip. They can also provide you with a letter that includes details of any medication you take in your hand luggage.
Request any extra medication or glucose monitoring supplies well in advance. It’s a good idea to take two to three times the amount you need, in case there are delays or anything gets lost or damaged.
Who can buy an InsureandGo diabetic travel insurance policy?
All our diabetes travel insurance policies are available to UK residents. This means:
- Someone who has been living in the UK or the Channel Islands for at least six of the last 12 months
- They must be in the UK at the time of purchase
- All trips must start and end in the UK
Unfortunately, we can’t provide cover to anyone who doesn’t fit this description.
Get a quote online or browse our policy documents for more information.
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Frequently asked questions
If you’ve got more questions about how our travel insurance for people with diabetes works, or more general travel insurance queries, have a read through our FAQs.
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