Travel Insurance Death Coverage: What Is and Isn't Covered

If a traveler dies abroad, the travel insurance benefit that matters most is usually repatriation of remains, which pays to return the body or ashes home. It is separate from emergency medical cover and from any accidental death lump sum. Call the insurer's assistance line before you commit to a funeral provider, because policies have approval rules, limits and exclusions.

Travel policies differ a lot, so this guide explains what to look for rather than what any one company covers.

Which parts of a travel policy apply after a death?

Policies use different names, so read the benefits table. The NAIC describes the main categories as trip cancellation and interruption, baggage, travel medical, medical evacuation and cancel-for-any-reason cover. Death benefits sit across several of them:

• Repatriation of remains. Pays to prepare and return the body or ashes to your home country. Some policies also allow local burial or cremation instead. Look for the maximum payable.
• Emergency medical and evacuation. These cover treatment and emergency transport of a living patient to a medical facility. Do not assume they also pay to return a body, and check the policy wording.
• Accidental death and dismemberment (AD&D). Where a policy includes it, this pays a set lump sum to a named beneficiary if the death is a covered accident. It does not pay the funeral provider.
• Trip cancellation or interruption. Reimburses pre-paid, non-refundable costs when a covered event, such as a family member's death, stops you traveling. Check who counts as "family" in the definitions.

The UK government says travel insurance should include repatriation costs if you or a family member die abroad. That is advice on what to look for, not a guarantee that every policy has it.

What should you do first?

1. Call the insurer's emergency assistance number. The UK FCDO's first step is contacting travel insurance immediately, and Canada says to notify the insurer promptly and follow its instructions to avoid unnecessary delays.
2. Ask whether it has a preferred provider. Canada notes the insurer may pay the provider directly, or you may pay and be reimbursed later. Ask which applies before you sign with a local funeral home.
3. Contact the embassy or consulate for help with local authorities and the death certificate. See our guide to embassy assistance after a death abroad.
4. Keep every receipt and document. Insurers usually ask for the policy, the death certificate, itemized invoices and proof of payment.

Do not rely on the embassy to cover costs. Under US rules the legal representative or next of kin bears disposition costs, and the UK and Canada say the same about repatriation. Our guide to repatriation costs explains the charges involved.

What does travel insurance not cover?

Exclusions differ, but these appear often, and the official sources flag them:

• Pre-existing conditions. The NAIC lists them as a common exclusion. The UK government says failing to declare an existing condition may invalidate your cover, and that conditions under investigation should be declared.
• High-risk activities. The NAIC gives bungee jumping and backcountry skiing as examples. The UK government adds winter sports, skydiving and jet skiing, and says quad bikes and mopeds are not usually covered.
• Alcohol and drugs. The UK government says most travel insurance does not cover events that happen after excessive alcohol.
• Destinations with official warnings. The UK government lists high-risk destinations under FCDO advice as a common exclusion, and the NAIC lists civil and political unrest.
• Pandemics, pregnancy and childbirth. The NAIC lists these as common exclusions.

An exclusion can leave the family paying out of pocket. If you are dealing with a denied claim, ask the insurer for the exact policy wording it relied on in writing.

What about pre-existing condition waivers?

Some policies offer a waiver for pre-existing conditions if you meet conditions, most often that you buy the policy within a set number of days after your first trip payment. Each insurer sets its own window and rules, so this is one to check in the policy rather than assume. The NAIC page does not list a standard deadline.

What else might pay?

Travel insurance may not be the only source.

• Health insurance. The NAIC says standard US health plans typically exclude international coverage, and US health insurers typically won't cover repatriation or transport to appropriate overseas facilities. The UK's GHIC and EHIC do not cover repatriation, according to the UK government.
• Credit card or employer cover. Some cards and business travel policies include benefits. Read the limits, who is covered and whether you needed to pay with that card.
• An employer abroad. In some countries, the employer is responsible for repatriating a worker's body. Our guide to repatriation from the UAE gives one example.
• Life insurance. This is separate and is claimed in the usual way. See our guide to claiming life insurance.

How to choose cover before you travel

• Check the repatriation of remains limit and whether local burial or cremation is allowed instead.
• Check who counts as family and whether domestic partners are included.
• Check for exclusions that match your plans, such as adventure activities, and whether you can add cover.
• Buy early if you want a pre-existing condition waiver, and declare every condition.
• Expect to pay roughly 5% to 10% of the trip price, according to the NAIC. The UK government's examples show how much treatment can cost without cover: £25,000 or more for a broken leg in Spain, and £150,000 or more for a stomach infection in the US.

Keep a copy of the policy number and the insurer's 24-hour assistance number somewhere your family can find it, such as with your travel documents or in a shared note.

What to do next

1. If you are the traveler, check your policy's repatriation benefit and exclusions before your next trip.
2. If a death has happened, call the insurer's assistance line, then the embassy, before you sign any funeral paperwork.
3. Read our guides on what to do after a death overseas.