Since the introduction of pet passports it's become much easier to take your pets on holiday with you. However, that also means that you need to think about whether your pet insurance will cover you you when you travel abroad.
Not all pet insurance companies will pay out if your pet needs veterinary treatment, gets lost or is involved in an accident while overseas; however specialist pet travel insurance will.
For this reason, if you plan to take your pet on holiday with you, it's sensible to choose travel insurance for pet owners so you have the peace of mind that you'll be able to afford to keep your pet safe and well while you're away.
What should I check when I take out pet travel insurance?
When you take out pet travel insurance you'll need to check how much cover is provided for vet fees overseas, whether advertising costs are covered should your pet become lost, and if the insurance will pay out for boarding fees if you or a member of your party are taken into hospital.
You will also need to check whether there are any exclusions placed on the treatment your pet can receive from a vet overseas and if the other policy features and benefits that apply in the UK will still be valid in a different country.
As the travel element of pet travel insurance tends to be an add-on to standard pet insurance, you will also need to carefully check the features and benefits that apply to the best pet travel insurance policies while you're in the UK.
Consider whether you need the reassurance of lifetime pet insurance (these pay out for treatment of long term conditions), how much excess you would be happy to pay when you claim, and if you need additional benefits like cover for alternative treatments and behavioural problems.
It's important you take the time to compare pet insurance so you find the best pet travel insurance policy for your needs and your budget so you can afford the best care for your pets whether you're in the UK or travelling abroad.
How to claim on pet travel insurance
Once you've shopped around and found a cheap pet travel insurance policy you should check how you can make a claim while you're overseas.
Most policies will require you to contact their pet insurance customer services team in order to get your claim approved. This is likely to be the case whether this is for veterinary treatment for your pet, advertising costs if you lose your pet, or boarding fees if you need to go in hospital yourself.
You're likely to have to pay for the claim yourself upfront and then recoup the costs from your insurer when you return from abroad. For this reason it's vital that you keep any paperwork or receipts you're given as your pet insurance company will ask for these before they pay you.
