What’s a waiting period?
It’s the amount of time you have to wait before cover is activated and/or before a benefit becomes payable.
But why do I have to wait for cover?
To put it bluntly, it reduces the likelihood of travellers making claims as soon as they purchase insurance. It also helps to keep the price lower for everyone.
When are waiting periods applied?
Some policy benefits have a time excess, namely:
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Baggage Delay – you have to wait 24 hours from the scheduled arrival time before you can claim for essential items.
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Travel Delay – the delay has to be 12 hours or longer before you can claim for this cover.
In addition, if you buy your policy while already travelling, you’ll need to wait 72 hours cover for any new events will be available under any of the policy benefits. The exception is emergency overseas medical expenses and emergency medical transport expenses. These come into effect immediately if you are injured in connection with an accident and it is verified by an independent third party.
Where the insurance is purchased after your trip has commenced, your country of residence will determine the laws, regulations and tax that apply.
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Before your trip, check the latest government advice for any travel alerts for your destination.