Business travel insurance could be appropriate for a one-time business trip or as part of your regular routine. Our business travel insurance provides coverage that goes above and beyond standard vacation insurance. Also, post-Brexit, it’s more crucial than ever to ensure that you’re covered if something unexpectedly disrupts your business trip.
What is Business Travel Insurance?
Business travel insurance can ensure that you are protected on your business trip against accidents, illness, flight cancellations, and other unforeseen events. Business travel insurance can also cover your equipment, so if your work laptop is stolen, damaged, or lost, it can assist you.
Do I need Business Travel Insurance?
Consult with your organisation. Some employers include business travel insurance as part of their employee benefits packages, so your business trip may already be protected.
If you’re self-employed, you’ll almost certainly need to arrange your own business travel insurance, unless it’s included as part of a packaged bank account or paid-for credit card.
Make sure you declare any pre-existing medical issues and double-check that the policy covers business travel as well as pleasure travel and that it is adequate for your specific needs.
What kind of Business Travel Insurance am I looking for?
The type of business travel insurance policy you’ll need depends on:
#1. How frequently do you travel?
If your business trip is one-time or occurs infrequently, you will most likely only require a single-trip policy to cover you for each trip separately. However, if you travel frequently for work, a yearly multi-trip travel insurance policy may provide you with year-round coverage.
While the rates are higher since you pay for a year’s worth of coverage in advance, you generally end up saving money by not purchasing individual insurance when you travel frequently.
#2. Where are you going?
When purchasing a single-trip travel policy, you must specify your destination; however, if you choose an annual multi-trip or (if you’re lucky) a backpacker policy, you may be travelling to multiple countries. You will be offered the following alternatives to these policies:
- Europe: This generally refers to the continent of mainland Europe, however, the particular list of countries included varies by insurer. Some may even integrate Moroccan and Egyptian cover under European cover.
- Worldwide (except the United States, Canada, and the Caribbean): Due to the greater medical expenditures connected with these countries, worldwide insurance sometimes omits the United States, Canada, and the Caribbean.
- Worldwide: A genuinely global policy should cover you to travel anywhere on the planet, but you should still check for nations that have been excluded due to war, terrorism, or bad weather conditions.
Does business travel insurance cover me in the same way as a typical policy would?
When you get business travel insurance, you will also receive the following forms of coverage:
- Personal belongings: A business travel insurance policy will cover your non-work-related belongings, such as your own bags, cash, or electronic devices (up to a certain value)
- Medical care: You will be covered for medical treatment if you become ill or are wounded, but only up to a particular sum.
- Legal fees: If you are involved in an incident for which you are not at fault, your insurance policy should cover your legal bills.
What does business travel insurance cover?
Your business travel insurance may provide cover for the following items:
- Money and equipment for the business (sometimes including sports equipment)
Business equipment such as computers, business books and stationery, exhibition displays, and office supplies are insured for damage, loss, or theft. Furthermore, if your business equipment is misdirected or delayed in transportation, several policies may cover the cost of hiring replacement equipment for your meetings or presentations.
- Business money that has been lost or stolen, checks, prepaid electronic money cards, and nonrefundable pre-booked events and entertainment tickets are all protected.
- Products and samples
Product samples and merchandise brought to conferences, seminars, or trade exhibitions might be protected.
- Cancellation cover
- If a business event is cancelled, you will be compensated for your flights and accommodations so that you can pay for a new trip when it is rescheduled.
- If you are unable to continue, bring in a replacement colleague.
- Also, if you have to shorten or cancel your trip, some insurance will cover the cost of sending a colleague to your place to a crucial meeting or conference.
Read Also: LONG STAY TRAVEL INSURANCE: Best Long Stay Travel Insurance for You
You’ll also be insured for the typical things that travel insurance covers, such as:
- Expenses for medical treatment and repatriation
This covers you for hospitalisation if you become ill during your trip. It will pay to get you back home if it is medically necessary.
- Travel documents and money
Coverage for cash loss or theft up to the amount specified in your policy. The cost of replacing lost or stolen travel documents, such as your passport, may also be covered.
- Trip cancellation and postponement
This covers prepaid expenses if you are forced to cancel or shorten your vacation.
- Legal expenses
Your legal fees will be compensated if you are involved in an incident for which you are not to blame.
Sports coverage will vary, but personal accident and liability coverage may be included for activities such as golf and fishing.
If your business trip involves adventurous activities such as yachting or paragliding, you may be able to add these to your travel insurance at a cost if they aren’t already included as standard.
Are there any exclusions in Business Travel Insurance Cover?
As with most types of insurance, you may be unable to make a claim in certain circumstances. Check to see if your company’s travel insurance policy excludes coverage for:
- Valuable items: Your work gadgets may be covered, but don’t assume your personal gadgets and other valuables, such as jewellery or luxury clothes, are. If you wish to insure expensive items, you may need to purchase a more expensive level of protection.
- Risky activities: Unless you have a policy with specialised coverage, your insurer will most likely reject any claims originating from dangerous activities such as adventure sports. If you intend to hit the slopes with your coworkers, you’ll need a winter sports insurance policy.
- Pre-existing medical conditions: If you become ill or injured while travelling, your travel policy should cover at least some of your medical expenses. However, if a pre-existing disease worsens, your insurer will refuse to pay out unless you’ve declared it in advance.
- Claims stemming from intoxication: Even if you have adequate coverage, you will be unable to make a claim for damages or lost or stolen property if you were under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
- Items left unattended: If you leave your possessions unattended, your claim will likely be void if they are lost, damaged, or stolen.
- Reckless behaviour: If you make a claim for something that happened as a result of your own reckless behaviour, you will also be unable to make a claim. Because insurers frequently differ in their definitions of recklessness, it may be worthwhile to obtain clarity from your provider.
- Travel warnings: If an official regulatory body has issued a travel warning for certain regions, your insurer may refuse coverage for these destinations.
What kind of Business Travel Insurance am I looking for?
This is determined by where you’re going and who you’re travelling with.
Depending on your destination, you should choose European or Worldwide coverage.
If you’re travelling with coworkers, you can get a group business travel policy, which may be less expensive than insuring everyone individually.
Do I need business travel insurance for a single trip or for a whole year?
How frequently you intend to travel will determine this.
If you know you will only be taking one business trip in the coming year, a single-trip policy will be less expensive.
However, if you travel frequently, a yearly multi-trip insurance policy will be more cost-effective.
There will usually be time constraints on how long each trip can last – typically 31 days, though some insurance policies cover travels of 60 or 90 days. Others limit their vacations to no more than ten days. So double-check your policy terms and compare quotes.
What is the Cost of Business Travel Insurance?
There are a number of variables that affect the overall cost of business travel insurance, including:
- Age: The younger you are, the less expensive your travel insurance will be.
- Activities: Participating in activities that insurers consider risky or dangerous, such as skiing, water sports, or winter sports, will raise your premiums due to the higher risk of becoming injured or losing your things.
Travelling to certain places, such as Canada or the United States, is more expensive due to increased medical care costs and the distance you must travel.
- Travel length: As you might assume, the longer your trip, the more cover you’ll need, therefore, your premiums will rise for longer excursions.
How can I file a claim under my business travel insurance policy?
If you find yourself in a scenario where you need to file a claim on your business travel insurance while you’re away, here’s what you should do—and keep in mind that having a copy of your policy on hand is a good idea.
- Contact the authorities if necessary: If you believe you have been the victim of a crime, your first step should be to report it to the local police, and you should obtain a copy of the police report. If you do not alert the authorities within 24 hours after the crime, you may be unable to make a claim under your policy.
- Contact your insurance provider: Keep your insurer’s emergency or 24-hour phone number handy at all times, and contact you as quickly as possible if you need to file a claim. You may be given a different number to call for medical emergencies and claims, which you should try to do before seeking treatment at a hospital.
- Collect evidence to back up your claim: As previously said, you should obtain a copy of any police reports, as well as medical notes or papers from the hospital, as well as receipts to verify ownership of lost, stolen, or damaged things.
The process of filing a claim varies according to the insurance, so it’s best to double-check for any special instructions or requirements before you travel.
Business Travel Insurance FAQs
Do employers have to provide travel insurance?
An employer might find it advisable to provide travel insurance for employees who are assigned to travel because the company is ultimately liable if something were to happen to the employee.
What is an example of business travel?
Travelling to a different branch of the same firm, travelling to a different area to meet suppliers or business partners, or travelling for a conference or business event are all examples of common sorts of business travel.
What is not covered in travel insurance?
Baggage delay, damage, and loss insurance does not cover anything in your luggage. Glasses, hearing aids, dental bridges, tickets, passports, keys, cash, and cell phones are all common exclusions from travel insurance.
