Can I Buy Travel Insurance if I’m Already Traveling?
While it’s always best to purchase travel insurance as soon as possible, it’s fairly common for travelers to wait until the last minute to protect their trips. In general, most travel insurance policies are available for purchase up until the day before a traveler’s departure date.
But what about travelers that decide that want to purchase travel insurance after they’ve already departed for their trip? Squaremouth breaks down what options may still be available to those that wish to protect their trips while they’re traveling.
Buying Travel Insurance While Traveling: Is It Possible?
Yes, it is possible to purchase travel insurance after you’ve departed for your trip. With that said, the process of buying a policy can be complex, and the options available may be limited.
Many travel insurance marketplaces, such as Squaremouth, will not allow travelers to purchase insurance if they have already left for their trip. However, travelers may be able to find policies directly from travel insurance providers.
To get coverage, we recommend reaching out to a travel insurance provider to discuss what options are available. The policies will likely include travel medical coverage for the remainder of your trip. Policies also likely won’t go into effect until the following day.
Are There Advantages to Buying a Policy Early?
Travel insurance is designed to cover unforeseen events. The main advantage of buying early is an extended period of coverage between your purchase date and your trip. This is because once you buy a policy, you can be covered for any covered unexpected events that occur after the date of purchase. However, if you wait and something occurs that impacts your trip, it is too late to buy coverage for that event.
For example, if you have already purchased a policy with Trip Cancellation coverage for inclement weather, and a storm develops a week before your trip that forces you to cancel, you can be reimbursed for 100% of your prepaid and non-refundable trip costs. However, if the storm is named and then you try to buy a policy, you will not be covered for the storm.