Useful insurance tips for travelling abroad

Preparing well for a trip means more than booking flights, packing a suitcase and reserving a hotel. It is also important to understand how your insurance works: where your policy is stored, whom to call, what needs approval and which records to obtain at the clinic. A few simple steps before departure can make an unexpected need for medical care abroad easier to manage.

This checklist concerns voluntary insurance for overseas trips. It does not replace your policy terms: check the risks, restrictions and reporting deadlines in your own programme. The practical advice below can be used before buying, before departure and during your travels.

1. Describe your trip before choosing insurance

Start by noting the countries, dates, travellers’ ages and main activities. Include excursions as well as the holiday’s main purpose: a mountain itinerary or scuba diving, for example. This makes it easier to ask the insurer specific questions and check whether a programme is suitable.

A practical approach: instead of asking “Is this good insurance?”, send a description: “Two of us are travelling to two countries and planning this activity. Please confirm whether the programme is suitable and identify the restrictions.” Ask for an explanation based on the contract, rather than just a general recommendation.

2. Match the entire trip to the territory and dates

Consider more than your hotel booking dates. Compare the start and end of cover with your actual itinerary, overnight flights and connections. If you leave the airport during transit, clarify cover in that country separately.

Consider allowing 2–3 additional days of actual protection after your planned return, if the programme permits. This may help if your return date changes. Such a buffer does not replace a longer period required by a consulate, extend your visa or automatically pay for flight delays or accommodation.

3. Separate medical cover from other risks

Medical insurance should not be treated as protection against every travel problem. Treatment, baggage, trip cancellation and liability to others are different risks. Cover for one does not establish cover for the others.

Make a short list of what you want to protect and locate each item in the programme. For example, if visa refusal is a concern, ask about separate trip cancellation cover, payment conditions and exclusions. An ordinary medical policy alone does not promise to refund flight costs if a visa is refused.

4. Check more than the sum insured

When comparing offers, locate the overall limit, individual service limits and deductible. Ask how the deductible applies: per event, per consultation or on another basis. These terms affect your potential expenses as much as the policy price does.

A useful question: “If I need a follow-up appointment and tests after the first consultation, what needs approval and what will I pay myself?” The answer should be clear before purchase. For more detail, see “Travel insurance: 7 questions to ask before buying a policy”.

5. Discuss health circumstances and activities in advance

If you have a chronic condition, are pregnant or have other relevant circumstances, clarify programme requirements before paying. Ask about the specific condition and type of care. Saying “medical care is included” does not explain which restrictions apply to you.

Provide accurate information when applying. For children and older relatives, check eligible ages and each person’s details. For sports, name the exact activity: your everyday idea of an “ordinary walk” may differ from the programme’s classification.

6. Make your policy available offline

Download the document to your phone rather than leaving it only in your email. Check that it actually opens without a connection. Take a printed copy if needed. Give a copy and assistance contact details to someone who could help you make a call.

Create a separate note with your policy number, insurer’s name, assistance contact and coverage dates. Distinguish the policy seller’s number from the medical assistance channel: check where to report an event. Plan access to roaming, a local SIM card or another suitable way to communicate abroad.

7. Prepare a short message for assistance

In a stressful situation, a ready-made template can help. Keep it beside your policy and complete it with the actual details when you need help:

You do not need to diagnose yourself. Describe the circumstances and answer the operator’s questions. Ask them to register the case and give you its reference number. If the traveller cannot contact assistance personally, a companion or someone close to them can do so.

8. Agree on the clinic and additional expenses

If your condition allows, contact assistance before visiting and paying independently. Confirm the medical facility’s name, address, admission process and payment arrangements. If directed to a particular clinic, keep the message with the instructions.

If the doctor prescribes further tests, a follow-up visit or hospital admission, clarify the approval process. The doctor determines medical necessity; insurance coverage depends on the programme. Do not assume that the initial approval automatically applies to every subsequent expense.

9. Clarify payment before settling the clinic’s bill

Ask whether direct settlement with the medical facility has been agreed or whether you need to pay yourself. If the clinic requests a deposit, inform assistance. Confirm exactly which services are approved and whether a deductible or other personal expenses remain.

If paying yourself, request the reimbursement document list in advance where possible. An expense and a receipt do not guarantee a payout: the insurer checks whether the event and services meet the contract terms.

10. Do not leave the clinic without medical records

Request a medical report or discharge summary showing the patient’s details, dates, diagnosis and treatment. Keep test results and prescriptions. When buying prescribed medicines, retain documents linking the purchase to treatment as well as proof of payment.

Check whether the invoice identifies the services provided and their cost. If it only shows a total without details, request an itemised document. Photograph the paperwork immediately, but keep originals if the programme rules may require them.

11. Keep a simple case folder

Create folders on your phone labelled “Policy”, “Messages”, “Medical” and “Payments”. Save assistance instructions, the case number, medical records and receipts in date order. This helps build a clear history without searching your entire photo gallery for individual images.

If circumstances change — for example, treatment continues near the policy’s expiry date or the doctor advises against flying — notify assistance and clarify the next steps. Do not rely on automatic extension. Rules for continuing care and amending insurance can differ.

12. After returning, check deadlines and completeness

If reimbursement is needed, submit your claim within the contractual deadline and retain proof of submission. Clarify requirements for originals, translations, bank details and additional documents. Do not apply deadlines from another insurer’s guidance or a different insurance product to your policy.

If additional information is requested, establish exactly what is needed and how to submit it. If your claim is refused, request a written decision explaining the reasons and compare these with the contract. Clarify further review or appeal procedures for your particular circumstances.

Common mistakes and useful alternatives

Have your trip details ready and calculate the cost of insurance on Polis24.kz. For a detailed procedure following illness or injury, read “How medical insurance works”.