Long-stay travel insurance

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Cover for long-term holidays

Long-stay travel insurance covers you for trips lasting longer than a month - usually up to 18 months.

It's perfect for backpacking, extended stays with friends or family, or if you just need to get away from the British winter.

What does long-stay travel insurance cover?

Long-stay travel insurance should include cover for:

  • Emergency medical treatment
  • Repatriation
  • Cancellation and curtailment
  • Baggage claims
  • Cash
  • Legal protection

You might be able to add on cover for adventurous activities, watersports, a cruise or a business trip.

There’ll be exclusions on your policy. For example, you might not be able to get cover for destinations The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has advised against and claims might be rejected if your claim’s the result of taking illegal drugs or being drunk.

Boy hiding his head in his winter coat while pulling a face

Age limits and long-stay travel insurance

Some policies have upper age limits.

The length of time you’ll be covered for will probably reduce as you get older, but there are some providers who specialise in covering older travellers and don’t have an upper age limit.

It's not uncommon for long-stay travel insurance to have a minimum age too. It's usually 18, but some are available for 17 year olds.

Annual versus long-stay insurance

Annual travel insurance might seem like an alternative to long-stay insurance, they actually cover very different things

Annual trip

Annual or multi-trip insurance will cover you for two or more trips within a 365-day period.

Each individual trip can’t be longer than 31 days.

Your policy start date must be within 30 days of the day you compared travel insurance - but your trip can start later.

This cover is only for multiple, short trips. It isn’t suitable for extended holidays.

Long-stay cover

Long-stay cover - sometimes called extended or backpackers insurance - will cover you for a single trip that lasts at least a month or more.

This type of policy doesn’t cover multiple trips, it just covers one long getaway.

Long-stay insurance with pre-existing medical conditions

If you’re planning an extended trip, but you’re worried about how your medical conditions could affect your travel insurance, here’s what you need to know:

Declare all medical conditions

List all of your pre-existing medical conditions on your policy. Any medical treatment you need abroad won’t be covered if it’s related to an undisclosed condition.

Get enough medical cover

According to consumer group Which? you should look for policies with at least £2m medical cover for holidays in Europe and £5m for worldwide travel per person.

Take your EHIC to Europe

Make sure you take your European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) for travel in Europe. Some insurers won’t cover anything you could use your EHIC for instead.

Do some research

Check what the medical care in your destination is like and it could be handy to find out emergency contact numbers, nearest hospitals and what the transport links are like.

Our destination guides might be able to help, or the FCDO has travel advice on over 220 countries.

Remember your home insurance

Most home insurance policies have a clause stating you can’t leave your property unoccupied for more than a month or so.

Read your home insurance policy to find out the specifics and give your insurer a call to let them know about your trip.

You might need dedicated unoccupied property insurance if you plan to be away for a long time.

Frequently asked questions

Yes, so long as your insurance covers all your intended destinations under its worldwide or European policy.

Yes, some providers will adjust your cover for free, others will charge. Not all will let you extend your stay though.

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Page last reviewed: 13 April 2023

Page reviewed by Jasmine Hembury

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