Travel insurance for Scotland
Expert tips for choosing travel insurance for Scotland
Our Executive General Manger of General Insurance, Adrian Taylor, has some tips for Australians looking to travel to Scotland.
Adrian Taylor
Executive General Manager – General Insurance
A higher excess could mean lower premiums
Opting to contribute a higher excess should you need to make a travel insurance claim could lower the cost of your cover. That being said, make sure you pick an excess amount you know you’ll be able to afford!
Know the level of cover you want
Do you want medical-only or comprehensive cover? Are you looking for an annual multi-trip policy, or do you only need travel insurance for a single trip? Are there any add-ons or optional covers you think you’d like on your policy? You may want to think about the answers to these questions (among others) before you start shopping around.
Comparison is key!
If you’re taking out comprehensive travel insurance for your Scottish holiday, be sure to compare your options first! Our online travel insurance comparison service lets you do a side-by-side comparison of travel insurance policies that might be suitable for you – and if you like one, we can help you apply for it too!
Do I need travel insurance for Scotland?
Don’t overlook the peace of mind you’d likely get from having a suitable international travel insurance policy in place for your trip to Scotland. Knowing you’re covered in case something happens to you or your belongings overseas is invaluable!
Even if a comprehensive travel insurance policy could end up being a bit expensive for some travellers (like students and backpackers), they still may want to consider taking out basic travel insurance cover (also known as medical-only travel insurance) if they’re travelling overseas.
That being said, Australia has a Reciprocal Health Care Agreement (RHCA) with the United Kingdom. This means that whether you’re in England, Northern Ireland, Wales or Scotland, you may be eligible to have some of your medical costs paid for within the British National Health Service (NHS) system.
However, travel insurance can do more than cover medical treatment and medical expenses – read on to learn more.
What should travel insurance for Scotland cover?
The level of cover you end up taking out will typically depend on the insurer and policy in question, but that being said, if you’re travelling to Scotland, you may want to look for some or all of the following inclusions in a travel insurance policy.
Medical cover
Even if you take out the most basic of travel insurance policies, you’ll typically have cover for the cost of medical care required while you’re overseas. This will generally include emergency assistance during a medical emergency, as well as medical evacuation and repatriation.
On higher levels of cover, you may be able to get cover for a pre-existing medical condition, if you flag it upfront with your insurer. Note that you may pay an additional premium to be covered for a pre-existing condition, or for any other optional cover you want added to your policy.
Theft/loss of belongings
Travel insurance can provide financial compensation in the event that your belongings are lost, stolen or damaged. This can include your luggage as well as travel documents, credit cards, passports and valuables. Note that basic travel insurance policies typically won’t come with this cover by default.
Different policies and insurers will have different item limits and sub-limits for lost or stolen belongings, so be sure to check how much you’d be covered for under any given policy before taking it out.
Trip cancellations, delays and disruptions
If you have trip cancellation cover and your trip is delayed or cancelled, your travel insurance policy could potentially help to cover any deposits or cancellation fees. Cancellation cover will only extend to cancellations that are due to unforeseen circumstances – see your Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) for a list of covered scenarios.
Rental vehicle excess
If you’re planning on hiring a car to get around in while you’re visiting Scotland, you may want to take out a travel insurance policy that includes rental vehicle excess cover.
If you crash your rental vehicle, rental vehicle excess cover can save you from having to pay an insurance excess in order to have the vehicle repaired.
Personal liability
Having personal liability cover in your travel insurance can cover your liability for costs if your actions bring harm to someone else. If someone requires medical assistance or care, personal liability cover could pay some or all of their medical costs on your behalf.
What’s excluded under travel insurance for Scotland?
Some common exclusions found on international travel insurance policies that you’ll need to be mindful of during your time in Scotland include:
- Your belongings being stolen or lost due to your own negligence (i.e. you left them unattended in public)
- Injury or harm while under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol
- Loss or harm resulting from unlawful behaviour on your part
- The claim stems from an undeclared pre-existing condition
- Damage or loss caused by partaking in adventure or winter sports (like base jumping, mountain biking, snowboarding and rock climbing) if you didn’t add these as optional cover.
Check the PDS and Target Market Determination (TMD) of any travel insurance policy you’re looking at. This will show you that policy’s full list of inclusions and exclusions, as well as giving you a better idea of whether the policy might be suitable for you or not.
Do I need a visa to travel to Scotland?
If you’re travelling to the UK as an Australian tourist, you won’t need a visa as long as you’re there for six months or less. If you’re visiting the UK for longer than six months, or for non-tourism reasons, you may need to apply for a visa to travel to Scotland.
Meet our travel insurance expert, Adrian Taylor
As the Executive General Manager of General Insurance, Adrian Taylor believes in educating customers about the importance of travel insurance so that anyone can kick back and make the most of their time away from home. While no one wants a disrupted holiday, a suitable travel insurance policy can provide a financial safety net for yourself, your belongings and your trip in case things go wrong.