Switching Travel Insurance While You're Abroad
Switching mid-trip is possible, but it isn't a simple swap. The new insurer starts from today, and anything before today is history it won't pay for.
Short answer
You can switch insurers while abroad, as long as the new insurer sells to people who've already left home. Buy the new policy first, make sure its cover actually starts before the old one ends, and remember that anything that started before the new start date is likely to be treated as pre-existing.
Good reasons to switch, and reasons to wait
People switch when a trip outgrows its policy, when they move somewhere the current policy doesn't cover well, or when they need a different type of cover, such as moving from travel insurance to international health insurance.
Think twice if you're in the middle of treatment or a claim. Your current insurer may keep paying for an ongoing problem. A new one almost certainly won't.
How to switch without a gap
- Read your current policy's cancellation and refund terms, and check what happens to ongoing claims after cancellation.
- Choose the new policy and confirm it sells to people already abroad, covers your current country, and suits your plans.
- Work out when the new cover really starts, including any waiting period after purchase. Some insurers start the next day. Others make you wait: World Nomads applies a 72-hour waiting period to policies bought while you're already overseas.
- Overlap rather than gap. Set the new start date so it begins before the old policy ends.
- Cancel the old policy only after the new cover is active, and keep both sets of documents.
What you give up when you switch
- Your history with the old insurer. Conditions that started under it are likely to count as pre-existing for the new one.
- Possibly some money. Not every insurer refunds unused time, especially after a claim.
- Maybe benefits you'd forgotten about. Compare the new policy's limits, excess and exclusions with the old one line by line, not just the price.
The policy wording decides. What a plan actually covers is set by its policy documents, not by this page or by any sales page. Read the wording for anything that matters to you before you buy, and again before you rely on it.
Common questions
Should I cancel my old policy before buying the new one?
No. Buy the new policy first and confirm its start date, including any waiting period. Then cancel or let the old policy lapse. A short overlap costs less than a gap.
Can I get a refund on the policy I'm leaving?
Sometimes. Refund rules depend on the insurer, how far through the policy you are, and whether you've claimed. Ask before you cancel.
Will my new insurer cover treatment I started under the old one?
Generally not. Ongoing treatment for a condition that began before your new cover started is usually pre-existing for the new insurer. Check whether your old policy keeps paying for ongoing treatment after it ends.
Sources
Insurer details on this page are summarised from each insurer’s own published material; general guidance comes from the official sources listed. Terms change, so check these pages and the policy wording before you buy.