To find the best child insurance, think about:

  • Your child's age

  • What cover you need

  • The purpose of the trip

  • How often your child goes abroad

  • If your child is already covered

How old is your child?

The definition of a child can vary between insurers. Insurers usually define a child as either:

  • A person under the age of 18

  • A person under 16 years old

Check your quotes to make sure that your son or daughter will be classified as a child under the insurer's definition.

What do you need to cover?

Child travel insurance usually covers:

  • Injury or illness, which covers your child's medical bills abroad.

  • Trip cancellation, you can claim if your child is unable to travel due to unexpected circumstances, for example your child needs emergency medical treatment.

  • Possessions that need to be replaced if they are lost or stolen.

Check your policies carefully to ensure the cover you need is provided.

What is the nature of the trip?

Child travel insurance usually covers:

  • Family holidays

  • Visiting overseas relatives

  • School trips

  • Studying abroad

However, cover for some activities may be excluded e.g extreme sports or working abroad.

To find the right policy, check if the purpose of your child's trip is covered in your quotes.

How often does your child travel?

Knowing how often your child will be going abroad can help you find the right level of cover. There are two main types of cover:

  1. 1.

    Single trip cover which will cover your child for one trip that is up to a certain length e.g. a trip of up to 100 days.

  2. 2.

    Annual cover covers several trips that are made over a 12 month period.

Is your child already covered?

If you have family travel insurance, check your policy to figure out if your child is already covered.

This can help you avoid paying for cover you already have.

Have you shopped around?

Compare several quotes and choose the one that best fits your child's circumstances.

Be aware of any exclusions, otherwise your child may not be covered and you could be out of pocket if something goes wrong.

If you have to pay any excess if you decide to make a claim, check if you can afford this, otherwise your insurer may reject your claim.