Older travellers often find travel insurance more expensive and a little harder to arrange, but it is more important than ever, since the chance of a medical problem rises with age. This guide explains travel insurance for the over-65s and older travellers: why it costs more, how to find cover, and how to keep it affordable.
Why it costs more with age
Travel insurance premiums rise with age because older travellers are statistically more likely to need medical treatment, which is the largest cost in any travel policy. Insurers price this in, so cover for the over-65s, and more so for the over-70s and beyond, generally costs more than for younger travellers. This is not a reason to go without; rather, it makes proper cover all the more valuable, given how high medical costs abroad can be.
Cover is still available
Being older does not shut you out of travel insurance. Many insurers cover older travellers, and there are specialist insurers focusing on the over-65s, over-70s, over-80s and even older, who understand and cater for their needs. So while you may pay more and need to look a little harder, suitable cover is available at most ages. The key is to shop around, including specialist providers, rather than assuming cover is out of reach.
Declaring medical conditions
Medical conditions become more common with age, and declaring them fully is essential, as our guide to declaring pre-existing conditions explains. An undeclared condition can lead to a refused claim, exactly when an older traveller is most likely to need cover. Take time over the medical screening, have details of your conditions and medication to hand, and be thorough, so that your policy would genuinely respond if you needed treatment abroad.
The medical cover limit matters most
For older travellers especially, the medical and repatriation cover limit is the most important feature, since this is the part most likely to be used. Look for a generous limit, often running into millions, rather than focusing only on the cheapest premium. A serious medical emergency and the cost of getting home can be enormous, so a high medical limit is the protection that matters most when choosing cover later in life.
Annual or single trip cover
Older travellers, like anyone, can choose between single trip and annual multi-trip cover, as our guide to single trip versus annual cover explains. If you take several trips a year, annual cover may be cheaper and more convenient, but check the age limits, as some annual policies have an upper age cap. For a one-off holiday, single trip cover lets you match the cover precisely to that journey.
Watch for age limits
Some policies, particularly annual ones, set an upper age limit for new customers, which can make cover harder to find at older ages through mainstream routes. Specialist insurers often have higher or no upper age limits, which is why they are worth seeking out. If you are turned away because of your age alone, do not give up; a specialist provider is likely to offer the cover that a mainstream insurer would not.
If you are refused or quoted high prices
If you are declined or quoted very high prices because of your age combined with a medical condition, the official signposting service can help. Insurers that cannot assist must direct you to a directory of specialist providers who cater for medical conditions and older travellers. This means there is a route to suitable cover rather than going without, so it is well worth following up rather than abandoning the idea of insured travel.
The GHIC for European trips
For trips within Europe, an older traveller should also carry a free Global Health Insurance Card, which gives access to state healthcare at local cost and can reduce medical bills, as our guide to the GHIC and EHIC explains. It does not replace travel insurance, but used alongside it, the card is a useful extra, and some insurers waive the policy excess on a medical claim where the card has been used.
Shop around and use specialists
The single most useful thing an older traveller can do is shop around, including specialist insurers who focus on older customers. Prices and attitudes to age and medical conditions vary a great deal between providers, so the first quote is rarely the best. Comparison sites are a starting point, but specialist providers and brokers, who may not appear on them, are often where older travellers find the most competitive and suitable cover, so it pays to look widely.
Cover for couples
Older couples travelling together can usually be covered on a single policy, which is often cheaper and simpler than two separate ones. Each person's medical conditions are assessed individually, so one partner's health does not necessarily push up the other's cover. When arranging couples cover, make sure both sets of conditions are properly declared, so that each of you would be covered for a medical claim, rather than only the policyholder named first.
Keep an eye on renewal prices
Because premiums rise with age, the price an older traveller pays tends to increase each year, and an annual policy that renews automatically may climb noticeably. It is worth reviewing the cover and re-shopping at renewal rather than simply accepting the new price. Loyalty rarely pays, and a fresh comparison, including specialist insurers, can often find better value, helping keep cover affordable even as the underlying cost of insuring older travellers rises.
Specialist help when it is hard
If your circumstances make cover genuinely hard to arrange, a specialist travel insurance broker can be invaluable. They know which insurers look most favourably on older travellers and particular conditions, and can guide you to suitable cover rather than leaving you to face repeated declines. Combined with the official signposting service, this means very few older travellers truly cannot get cover, even if it takes a little more effort to find.
None of this should put older travellers off. With a little extra effort, comparing widely, using specialists, declaring conditions and prioritising a strong medical limit, the great majority can travel well covered. Age changes the price and the search, but it rarely changes the answer: suitable travel insurance is almost always available to those who take the time to look for it.
In short
Travel insurance for the over-65s costs more because older travellers are more likely to need medical treatment, but cover remains widely available, including from specialist insurers for the over-70s, over-80s and beyond. Declare medical conditions fully, prioritise a high medical and repatriation limit, watch for age limits on annual policies, and use the signposting service if refused. Carry a free GHIC for European trips alongside your insurance.
Where to get help and next steps
Read declaring pre-existing conditions, choose your policy type in single trip versus annual cover, and watch out for common exclusions. This is general information, not financial or medical advice.