Travelling to Europe, US or Thailand? How to choose travel insurance for UAE residents

Before booking a holiday, many UAE residents spend days comparing airfares, looking for hotel deals and planning every stop on their itinerary. But when it comes to travel insurance, many make the decision in just a few minutes, often choosing the cheapest policy without checking what it actually covers.

Travel experts said that this could prove to be one of the costliest mistakes if something goes wrong overseas.

"The biggest problem isn't that people buy the wrong insurance. It's that they buy the cheapest insurance without reading what it actually covers," said Pavan Poojary from Luxury Travels.

"Many residents spend hours comparing flight prices but only a few minutes comparing travel insurance, even though that's what protects them when something goes wrong."

Poojary said that choosing the right policy starts with a simple question: Where are you travelling?

"A traveller spending a week sightseeing in Europe doesn't face the same risks as someone visiting the United States, while a holiday packed with scuba diving or trekking in Thailand may require protection that a standard policy doesn't include," he said.

For many people travelling to Europe, insurance is simply another document needed for a Schengen visa. While Schengen countries require visitors to have at least €30,000 (Dh125,271) in medical cover, travel agents said that travellers shouldn't stop at the minimum requirement. They recommended choosing policies that also include trip cancellation, baggage loss, emergency evacuation and personal liability.

"Many people just want their visa approved. But if you're hospitalised or your trip is disrupted, you'll be glad you looked beyond the minimum requirement," Poojary said.

The advice changes when travelling to destinations such as the United States and Canada, where medical treatment can be significantly more expensive. Anas Mistareehi, CEO of eSanad Insurance Brokers, said that travellers should pay close attention to the level of medical cover they choose rather than focusing only on the premium.

"I recommend no less than $100,000 in emergency medical cover together with medical evacuation and repatriation," he said. "For destinations such as the United States and Canada, travellers should consider limits between $250,000 and $500,000 because healthcare costs there can be extremely high."

Travellers heading to Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia and Vietnam should think beyond cheap airfares and beach holidays, the experts said. Activities such as scuba diving, trekking, jet skiing and island adventures are often highlights of these holidays, but they may not be covered under a standard travel insurance policy.

"People assume they're covered for everything during their holiday," said Subair Thekepurathvalappil, senior manager at Wisefox Tourism. "In reality, many adventure activities are excluded unless you specifically choose that option before you travel."

Adventure sports aren't the only detail travellers overlook. The experts also warned that people with existing medical conditions shouldn't assume every policy will cover them automatically. Conditions such as diabetes, heart disease and high blood pressure may require additional cover, while compensation for lost baggage is usually subject to limits rather than the full value of everything inside the suitcase.

Mistareehi said that travellers should also choose the type of policy based on how they travel. UAE insurers offer a range of options, including single-trip plans for occasional holidays, annual multi-trip policies for frequent travellers, family plans, student insurance for those studying overseas and business travel insurance for work-related trips. Depending on the destination and plan selected, medical cover available in the UAE typically ranges from $50,000 (Dh183,625) to $500,000 (Dh1,836,250).

Instead of comparing policies by price alone, Poojary said that travellers should spend a few extra minutes checking six key areas — the medical cover limit, emergency evacuation, trip cancellation and interruption, baggage protection, adventure sports cover if required, and access to 24-hour worldwide emergency assistance.