5 International Travel Insurance Myths Busted

International travel has always been a complicated affair and there are just so many things to be considered. Not everyone may have the most detailed and accurate information, and this is why there are a number of myths that float around various aspects of travelling out of the country. While one can easily buy an international travel insurance online, before making the purchase it is necessary to be well aware of the what’s and how’s of international travel insurance. Here are five common myths related to international travel insurance that everyone must be aware of, so that they buy their travel insurance in India without any hassles, before starting their international trip.

  1. You think you are healthy and do not need travel insurance!

This is the most common and most often cited myth about travel insurance! When you are out of the country, you can very much end up with a medical crisis. In fact, there may be many diseases that are endemic in countries which your body may not have any protection or immunity against! If you catch any of those diseases or if you have any other kind of medical emergency, not only will your entire trip be ruined, you will actually be left with an exceptionally expensive medical bill. When you are out of the country, you have limited access to your funds! If you do not have travel insurance, you will be in really big financial trouble as well if something goes wrong. Thus, it is well recommended that before heading out of the country get your international travel insurance in India.

 2. You can get a visa without travel insurance! Why spend on something you are not legally required to!

While most countries do not enforce any kind of compulsory requirement for travel insurance, many do! For example, the countries in Europe which allow you to travel on a Schengen visa make it compulsory for visitors to have valid travel insurance, On the other hand, if you are travelling to the United States on a B1 or a B2 visa, you have to have travel insurance from India to be allowed entry in the USA! Also, healthcare in the USA is extremely expensive so you do not want to go there without adequate cover if something untoward happens. You can easily get an international travel insurance online which will ensure that you have access to good healthcare if, and when, needed, without any financial burden on you when you are out of the country.

 3. You are only travelling for a very short period, so you do not need travel Insurance!

This is another common myth where people think that since they are traveling for a very short duration of time, they will soon be back home and have access to the Indian healthcare system! Well, if the recent Covid-19 pandemic is something to go by, this thinking will not work anymore. Health issues, and accidents cannot be predicted. You may end up in a medical emergency even on a three-day international trip. Even if you are traveling out of the country for just two or three days, buying adequate international travel insurance online is the best thing to do because this is one thing where it is always better to have it but not need it than to need it and not have it!

4. Travel insurance is useless if you die abroad, so why bother!

This is another case where people fall for a myth and ignore buying international travel insurance online! Understandably if you die when abroad, there is not much anyone can do about it. However, your travel insurance company still has a lot of work to do. When one buys travel insurance in India before heading out of the country, there is a clause that the insurance company will pay for the cost of the repatriation of the mortal remains of the policyholder back to the home country. This can be very complicated and expensive when your family members have to do it on their own. Consider that they are dealing with their own shock and grief as well as the fact that you never had the opportunity to say a final goodbye! Being loaded with the expense of international repatriation, which may require someone to actually travel to the host country and get through the complicated paperwork which would have been made much easier if the travel insurance was taken in the first place.

 5. If you miss your flight, you have missed your flight! Travel insurance cannot bring it back, so why bother!

Many people think travel insurance is just an international version of health insurance but this is a very limited understanding. When you buy international travel insurance in India to cover your foreign trip, you cover a wide range of possible emergencies and unprecedented losses. For example, if you miss a connecting flight, or lose one of your luggage your travel insurance will compensate you so you can pay for your extended stay as well as arrange for the flight tickets.

Now that you are aware of these five common travel insurance myths, do always keep them in mind and make sure that you communicate these to your friends and family who may be planning international travel. Given that you can easily buy your international travel insurance online, don’t keep this necessary element for the last moment. Rather the moment you have finalized your trip, buy travel insurance in India immediately and enjoy your trip in peace.

Disclaimer – The above information is for illustrative purposes only. For more details, please refer to policy wordings and prospectus before concluding the sales