What Does Primary Residence Mean?

For travel insurance purposes, your Primary Residence is the location where you live most of the time and where you will be departing from to start your trip. The location of your primary residence has a big impact on how your coverage is applied, priced, and triggered.

Why Do Providers Need My State of Residence When Getting Travel Insurance Quotes?

Because travel insurance is regulated at the state level, the location of your primary residence helps providers determine plan eligibility, coverage requirements, and pricing. For that reason, providers will require your State of Residence before showing you available policies and pricing information.

Your State of Residence has a direct impact on the following:

• Coverage Eligibility: Some plans are only available to residents of specific countries or states. Entering your primary residence ensures you’re shown policies you’re actually eligible to purchase.
• Policy Terms: Travel insurance benefits and coverage limits can vary depending on the state where your primary residence is located.
• Premiums: If you live in a state with higher regulatory costs or specific coverage requirements, you may experience higher travel insurance premiums.

Coverage if Your Primary Residence Becomes Uninhabitable

One often-overlooked benefit tied to your primary residence is Trip Cancellation coverage. Many travel insurance plans will reimburse prepaid, non-refundable trip costs if you have to cancel because your home becomes uninhabitable due to a covered event, such as:

• Fire or smoke damage
• Flooding or water damage
• Natural disasters (e.g., hurricanes, tornadoes)

In these scenarios, your insurer recognizes that protecting your home takes priority over traveling, allowing you to recover financial losses from your planned trip. It’s important to note, however, that travel insurance will not cover the cost to repair your home if damage occurs during a covered trip.

How Your Primary Residence Impacts Repatriation Services

If you get seriously injured or ill while away from home, your treating physician may recommend medical repatriation so you can receive more adequate treatment closer to home. When coordinating such services, your provider will use the primary residence listed on your policy to determine where you will be transported to.

While few providers let you choose the hospital you are transported to, most insurers will try to arrange medical repatriations back to your home country to a facility that’s near your primary residence.

Updating the Primary Residence List on Your Travel Insurance Policy

The details you provide to your travel insurance company must be accurate and up-to-date at the time you depart for your trip. If you made an error when inputting your state or residence or moved homes leading up to your trip, it’s important to notify your insurer immediately.

The sooner you request modifications to your policy, the more likely it is that your provider will be able to help. In most cases, will not be able to make changes to your plan once you have departed for your trip or started filing a claim.