Baby and kids travel insurance for peace of mind

We're sure you're itching to get away sometime soon, and whether you're travelling with your newborn baby, tyrannous tot, or kids who are excited to explore the big wide world, you're going to want to get them covered with travel insurance.

Not only will it give you all the peace of mind, but it will also protect your child should anything unfortunate occur such as falling ill or getting injured, or if they happen to misplace their passport.

But do babies even need travel insurance? What are the options for kids, how has Covid-19 affected insurance policies, and what should you consider in your travel insurance policy?

We've done the research and found out everything you need to know to make sure your little one is covered, safe, and sound.

Do babies need travel insurance?

According to MoneySuperMarket, everyone in your family should have travel insurance, including toddlers and newborn babies.

It's also worth making sure that any larger baby accessories, such as travel cots and buggies, are insured too if they're being kept in the hold and are securely packed to avoid damage.

If you are planning to travel by air, you should check with your paediatrician first and foremost for their recommendation as to whether your baby can fly. You should also check the airline's policy for travelling with infants - while many budget airline will let children fly from as young as a few weeks old, some may have different requirements.

What free insurance is available for my child?

Before you travel, you should make sure to get your child a free health insurance card that gives them the right to state-provided healthcare during your stay in the country you're visiting.

However, your card is not a substitute for travel insurance so you should make sure to arrange this as well.

EHIC

If you and your baby or child are travelling to a country that is part of the European Economic Area, and if you have rights under the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement, you'll need to arrange for a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) to give them access to free or discounted medical treatment in the EU.

GHIC

For most people post-Brexit, the UK Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC) replaces the EHIC card if you're a UK citizen.

To apply for this free healthcare cover abroad, visit the NHS website where you can enter your own details and arrange cover for yourself or any additional family members.

What are the options for kids' travel insurance?

There are a number of travel insurance options available for children, dependent on who they are travelling with:

Standard travel insurance policy: This will apply if your child is travelling alone and is standard for all travellers regardless of age. However, the majority of travel insurance policies won't allow a baby to have their own - they'll most likely need a policy with an adult.

Family travel insurance policy: This will apply if your child is travelling with you as a family. Family travel insurance covers one or two adults and anywhere between one to eight children, all of whom have to be under 18 and live in your home. If you only have one child, you could look into getting a couple's travel insurance policy and buying separate standard travel insurance for your child. This may work out cheaper than the family cover so is worth investigating.

Group travel insurance policy: This will apply if your child is travelling with non-family members. If you are not the organiser of the trip, check if group travel insurance has been arranged. If not, you may want to buy standard travel insurance for your child to be sure.

What should I consider when buying children's travel insurance?

When buying your child's travel insurance you should make sure it covers any pre-existing medical conditions they have so they can get access to the medication they need or if their medication is lost.

Whether you're taking a single-trip or multi-trips could affect the cost of your insurance, with multi-trip coverage being a better option if you plan to travel from country to country, or to various countries from the UK in a short span of time.

You should consider what extra cover you or your child may need, depending on what your holiday entails and what you plan to bring. Additional cover options could include expensive items, sports insurance, and loss of luggage. With this, you should also keep an eye out for any exclusions so you have all the basics to keep your little one covered.

What should the insurance cover?

As a basis, your travel insurance should cover the following:

If your child is likely to be partaking in activities or sport that have their risks, you should check that this is covered too.

How has Covid-19 affected travel insurance?

You can now get travel insurance that offers Covid-19 cover, covering travel cancellations after a positive test result, medical costs, and additional transport and accommodation should you fall ill with Covid-19 while away.

However, not all policies across providers for Covid-19 are the same so you'll need to check if this is in place if you want the added security.

Currently, with the travel traffic-light system in place in the UK, it's advised that you should only visit countries on the green list. If your destination moves from a green list country to amber or red, you should be aware that you may incur additional costs and/or face travel restrictions that will not be covered by your insurance.

The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) advises against travel to red-listed countries on the traffic light system and so if you decide to travel anyway against the outlined rules, you won't be covered by your travel insurance policy.

To find out more about how the pandemic may affect your policy, visit Compare The Market for helpful answers to more FAQs on the subject.

Where can you find travel insurance for babies and children?

As well as searching comparison websites such as Compare The Market, GoCompare, and MoneySuperMarket to find the best deals available, we've listed providers many of whom provide enhanced Covid-19 cover too.

Travel tips for travelling with a baby or child

Babies and young children are susceptible to heatstroke, so you should try to avoid hotter countries in the summer months, and make sure you provide plenty of sun protection for their skin.

Make sure to check the safety advice for countries before you visit, to avoid the risk of taking your little one to a potentially unsafe environment. The latest information can be found on the Government’s foreign travel advice

If your child needs liquid medicine or a specific dietary drink, and you need to carry more than 100ml of this in hand luggage, get a doctor’s letter or a prescription to verify this. You’ll also need a doctor’s note for children’s medicine only available on prescription, and for EpiPens.

If you're travelling with your baby, pack a survival bag and you’ll be just fine, whatever happens. Make sure it includes: a collapsible potty; change mat and nappies; hand sanitiser; wet wipes; nappy sacks, to seal away anything smelly; a full set of spare baby clothes; and an avocado or banana, with a fork or masher if your baby is weaning on purées.

See if you can reduce what you need to take with you by renting baby equipment, from pushchairs to toys, at your destination. In the UK, thebabyloft.co.uk hires baby equipment, while kidelio.com covers France. Whatever your destination, Google ‘baby equipment rental’ to find out more.

Work out whether you’ll need to use tap water or bottled water to make up feeds or to drink. In France, Italy, Germany and most of Spain, tap water is safe to drink – you’ll still need to boil it before preparing a bottle though. Bottled water can contain high amounts of sodium and sulphate, so look for those with no more than 200mg of sodium (it might show on the label as Na) and no more than 250mg of sulphate (SO4) per litre. Again, you’ll still need to boil it, as it’s not sterile.

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