Travel Insurance for the UK

United Kingdom is in the Europe region.

Depending on the policy chosen, travel insurance for the UK can help to better prepare you to deal with unexpected and unforeseen circumstances such as injury or sickness as well as trip cancellation and disruption expenses. One way to prepare for this is by making international travel insurance for the UK a priority.  

Without travel insurance, you may have limited recourse and may be left with large out of pocket expenses. When travelling through a land as vast as the UK, robust travel insurance policies can be incredibly helpful in helping you prepare to deal with the unexpected.  

Eligibility criteria, policy terms, conditions, exclusions and limits apply. Consider the PDS prior to deciding on which policy is right for you and your needs.

Australian citizens travelling to the UK for less than six months as a tourist usually won’t need a visa. Australian tourists now require an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) to visit Britain (England, Scotland, and Wales) and Northern Ireland, for visits up to six months. Generally, you can visit the UK as a Standard Visitor for tourism, business, study (courses up to 6 months) and other permitted activities for a period of up to 6 months. 

You may need a visa to enter the UK to visit, study or work, depending on the nature and duration of your trip. As visa and entry requirements for the UK may change over time, it is your responsibility to verify visa requirements from a UK embassy or consulate or the UK government website. To check if you need a UK visa, visit the UK Government website.  

For more information about Australian’s visa requirements for European travel, including the UK, read our guide on Europe visa requirements. 

The cost of travel insurance for the UK will vary depending on a person-to-person basis. This is because of various factors, including but not limited to the type of policy you choose for your trip to the UK, specific destinations you are travelling, the length of your trip, the time between purchase and departure, personal characteristics such as pre-existing medical conditions and age, as well as any add-ons that you choose such as the Adventure Pack or Cruise cover.  

To determine the cost of travel insurance for your upcoming trip to the UK, request a quote today.  

Eligibility criteria, policy terms, conditions, exclusions and limits apply. Consider the PDS prior to deciding on which policy is right for you and your needs.

Australia has a Reciprocal Health Care Agreement (RHCA) with the UK, meaning you may have some cover for medical costs in the UK public health system, the National Health Service (NHS) through the agreement. Fast Cover’s travel insurance policy will not pay for the cost of medical care that is covered by the RHCA between Australia and the UK. However, the RHCA does not cover every type of medical expenses, so taking out a Fast Cover travel insurance policy for the UK with medical cover for unexpected overseas emergency medical and hospital expenses, overseas emergency dental, and overseas emergency medical evacuation and repatriation may provide you with cover if you unexpectedly fall sick or become injured while travelling in the UK, where cover is not available under the RHCA. Having cover for these unexpected medical situations during your travels can potentially save you thousands of dollars. 

The benefit of overseas emergency medical and hospital expenses provides certain protection against the financial burden of unexpected medical emergencies that can happen on your trip to the UK, from food poisoning, treatment for a broken bone or emergency surgery for appendicitis, particularly if this occurs after 6 months of your arrival to the UK. You should be aware that cover isn’t available for all medical expenses, and some of these may include (but are not limited to):   

• medical emergencies related to your pre-existing medical conditions which aren’t listed as covered on your certificate of insurance, 
• planned medical procedures or other non-emergency medical treatments, 
• routine medical or dental check-ups,  
• injuries sustained from your participation in sport or leisure activities covered under the Adventure Pack or snow sports unless you’ve added them to your policy and paid an additional premium to include cover for them, and 
• your medical expenses once you’ve returned to Australia, 

so it’s important to review your policy to understand what is and isn't covered while you're in the UK and the terms and conditions that apply. 

You can apply for cover for your pre-existing medical conditions and any changes in health and/or new medical conditions you may develop before you leave for the UK  through a medical screening. Find out more about what we consider to be a medical condition and how you can apply for cover in our Travel Insurance for Pre-existing Medical Conditions page. ^ 

As each individual’s circumstances are different, we will assess each claim on a case by case basis and in accordance with your specific circumstances, policy terms and Certificate of Insurance. 

Any advice is general advice only and does not take into account your individual objectives, financial situation or needs. Consider the PDS as eligibility criteria, policy terms, conditions, exclusions and limits apply. 

Australia’s Reciprocal Health Care Agreement (RHCA) with the UK provides cover for certain medical costs. 

In order for the RHCA to cover your medical costs in the UK, medical care must be: 

• Medically necessary care that can’t wait until you get home to Australia, 
• In the National Health Service (NHS) system 
• Within 6 months after you arrive to the UK. 

The RHCA covers the following types of medical costs: 

• Care from an NHS doctor or nurse at a GP surgery (you need to register there as an NHS patient) 
• Care in a public ward of an NHS hospital 
• Out-patient care at an NHS hospital 
• Ambulance travel to an NHS hospital or other NHS facilities 
• Prescription medicine if the doctor treats you as an NHS patient (there is a small fee for this) 

The RCHA does not cover the following types of medical costs: 

• Non-subsidised medicine from pharmacies 
• Prescription medicines if you’re not an NHS patient 
• Any dental services 

To learn more about what is and isn’t covered by the Reciprocal Health Care Agreement with the UK, visit the Service Australia website. 

If you are only in transit through the UK, you automatically have cover for up to 48 hours. Cover is only available for the countries or region you have selected at the time of purchase and listed on your Certificate of Insurance. If you change your travel plans and decide to legally enter the UK, you may not be covered under your policy if the UK was not selected at the time of purchase and listed on your Certificate of Insurance. You can apply to Fast Cover to add the UK to your policy to include cover and pay an additional premium.  

Eligibility criteria, policy terms, conditions, exclusions and limits apply. Consider the PDS prior to deciding on which policy is right for you and your needs.

The UK is known for being cold and wet somewhat daily, however you should be prepared for when the UK’s weather starts to border on extreme. As such, weather events can range from droughts and flooding to storms and extreme cold or heat. So, if you’re planning a trip to the UK, consider taking out a travel insurance policy as soon as you pay for your flights or accommodation in case you are forced to cancel your trip due to a natural disaster. Keep an eye on our Travel Alerts for the UK, travel advisories from Smarttraveller and travel warnings from the Australia government. 

If you take out a travel insurance policy after the event has occurred, it is unlikely that there will be cover under the policy as the natural disaster will be a known event. The event must have begun after we issued the Certificate of insurance.   

Our trip cancellation expenses benefit can provide certain cover for cancellation, delays or rescheduling by a bus line, airline, shipping line or rail authority due to natural disaster.  

Our trip disruption expenses benefit can also provide certain cover for reimbursement of your additional travel, accommodation and meal expenses when your scheduled or connecting transport is cancelled, delayed, shortened or diverted because of a natural disaster.  

As each individual’s circumstances are different, we will assess each claim on a case by case basis and in accordance with your specific circumstances, policy terms and Certificate of Insurance. 

Eligibility criteria, policy terms, conditions, exclusions and limits apply. Consider the PDS prior to deciding on which policy is right for you and your needs.

To find the best travel insurance for your trip to the UK, you should look for a policy that suits the type of holiday that you're taking and consider the types of activities you will be doing in the UK and who you will be travelling with. You may need to add on coverage for certain activities such as cruising and motorcycle riding for an additional premium.

Before you decide on your UK travel insurance, you should read the PDS to check what the policy will and won’t cover you for, any conditions and exclusions that might apply to you and whether the policy provides the cover that you’re looking for. 

Consider purchasing travel insurance for the United Kingdom when you book or pay for your flights, accommodation and tours. Fast Cover’s cancellation cover allows you to make a claim for trip cancellation expenses for non-refundable bookings you’ve already paid, like flights, accommodation, cruises and tours, if you’re not able to travel to the UK due to an unexpected emergency that is covered under your policy. 

Eligibility criteria, policy terms, conditions, exclusions and limits apply. Consider the PDS prior to deciding on which policy is right for you and your needs. 

UK river cruises along the Thames and Avon rivers among others are automatically included under your UK travel insurance policy so you won’t need to choose Cruise cover, for this type of cruise. Similarly, short day cruises along UK lakes like the Loch Ness and Derwentwater are also automatically included under your Fast Cover travel insurance policy.  

Eligibility criteria, policy terms, conditions, exclusions and limits apply. Consider the PDS prior to deciding on which policy is right for you and your needs.