Travel insurance claim letter and document checklist for illness

The insurer reads your evidence against the policy wording. That wording sets what is covered, the limits, the excess and any time limit for claiming. Two policies with the same name on the front can work very differently inside.

Ireland's Competition and Consumer Protection Commission advises keeping all documents and receipts that support your claim. It also says you must meet the policy conditions before you can claim. So the work splits in two: gather the paperwork, then match it to your policy.

The strongest evidence usually comes from a doctor who saw you at the time. That might be your own doctor, an urgent care clinic, a hospital, or the doctor who treated you abroad. Their notes record the date, what they found and any advice not to travel.

Some insurers send their own medical form for your doctor to complete. Others accept a letter or certificate. Check your claim form or ask the claims team which they want before you pay for anything.

This matters for insurance. Insurers may want evidence dated at the time you were ill, because it links the illness to the cancellation or early return. If you only see a doctor afterwards, say so honestly in your claim. Ask the doctor to write when they first saw you, what they found and what you reported.

Never change a date on a document or ask anyone to. False information can cost you the claim and the policy.

• If you are abroad and need treatment, call your insurer's emergency assistance line as soon as you can. Ireland's consumer protection body notes that some policies ask you to contact the medical or emergency helpline as soon as possible after an incident.
• See a doctor while you are ill, so the record shows the date and their findings.
• If you have not left yet, contact the airline, hotel or tour operator. Ask what they will refund and get the answer in writing.
• Keep every receipt, booking email and message.
• Read the cancellation or medical section of your policy before you spend money on new flights.

The same body warns that if you travel against a doctor's advice, you may not be covered. If a doctor tells you not to travel, follow that advice and ask them to put it in writing.

The Ombudsman suggests asking the airline or travel provider for a refund or compensation first. If they refuse, ask them to confirm in writing why they will not pay. That letter often becomes part of your claim pack.

For flights, check what kind of refund applies:

• Under EU air passenger rules, when the airline cancels your flight, it must offer a choice between a refund and rerouting.
• When you cancel or miss a flight yourself because you are ill, those cancellation rights do not apply in the same way. Your fare rules decide what you get back.
• The EU's official guidance also lists not taking the outbound flight of a return booking as a case where the airline may refuse you on the return. If you miss your outbound flight, call the airline before you rebook.

For package holidays, the EU's official guidance says you can end the contract before the trip starts, but the organiser may deduct a reasonable fee from your refund. Your insurer will usually want the organiser's statement showing what you lost.

Both cards have clear gaps. Official EU guidance says the EHIC does not cover private healthcare, planned treatment, or rescue and repatriation. The NHS says the UK GHIC is not a replacement for travel insurance and does not cover being flown home, private treatment or ski and mountain rescue. It also will not cover costs that a local resident would have to pay.

If you paid for public care abroad, EU guidance says you can ask the national institution in that country for a refund while you are there, or your own health insurer when you get home. Refunds follow the rules and rates of the country where you were treated. Your travel insurer may ask whether you used your card or claimed this refund, so keep the paperwork.

Ireland's consumer protection body says many policies do not cover existing conditions that flare up abroad unless you told the insurer in advance and they accepted the risk. It warns that if you do not disclose a condition, a claim may be invalid. It also says an insurer cannot refuse to pay because of a genuine mistake when you applied.

The UK Financial Ombudsman Service explains that some policies ask you to tell the insurer about a change in your health after you buy the policy, sometimes even while you wait for a diagnosis. If you paid for the trip after such a change and did not report it, the insurer may only cover payments made before the change.

Answer every health question on the claim form honestly. If you are unsure whether something counts, ask the insurer.

A clear letter usually includes:

• Your name, address, policy number and any claim reference.
• The trip: dates, destination, booking reference and who travelled.
• What happened, in date order: when you fell ill, when you saw a doctor, and when you cancelled, travelled home or were treated.
• What you are claiming, with amounts, and any refunds you already received.
• A list of the documents you have attached.
• A line saying you are happy to provide more information.

Keep the medical detail short. Your doctor's evidence carries the diagnosis. Stick to facts and dates, and do not guess at what your policy covers.

The tool shows EUR 766.00 as the amount she may claim before any excess. It flags the museum tickets, because she has not yet asked for a refund. Many policies do not pay for losses you can get back elsewhere, so she asks the museum first.

Her doctor saw her on the day she cancelled. The tool adds "medical evidence of when the illness started" and "medical evidence that you were unfit to travel" to her checklist. The insurer then takes off the excess shown in her policy.

If you still disagree, make a formal complaint to the insurer. In the UK, the Financial Ombudsman Service says you can bring the complaint to it if the company does not send a final response within eight weeks. Its service is free, and it may ask for your policy certificate or terms.

In Ireland, the Financial Services and Pensions Ombudsman says you need to complain to your provider first. Its service is also free. Other countries have their own financial ombudsman or complaints body; your policy documents usually name it.

Ireland's consumer protection body also notes that an insurer cannot automatically refuse a claim just because you told them late, if the delay did not harm the insurer.

When a certificate is issued, you receive a signed PDF, usually within about 30 minutes of the doctor's approval. It carries a reference code anyone can check, including an insurer. Certificates are issued in English, and we cover 42 countries in Europe.

Be aware that a certificate cannot be backdated, and some insurers want evidence dated at the time you were ill. Check your policy first. An unfit to travel certificate is planned.