Business & work trips

Travelling for work? Check whose cover you're on.

Q: Does my personal travel insurance cover business trips?

Sometimes. MoneyHelper warns not to assume a personal policy covers business trips. Some personal policies cover non-manual business travel such as meetings, but manual work and business equipment usually need specific cover.

Q: What does business travel insurance cover?

Typically medical expenses, cancellation and curtailment, money and baggage, a 24-hour emergency helpline, plus business extras such as work equipment, business samples and the cost of sending a colleague to replace you if you're taken ill.

Q: Is my employer responsible for me on a work trip abroad?

GOV.UK says employers have a duty of care towards employees they send overseas, including protection, briefings and contingency plans. Many employers arrange group business travel cover; ask for the details.

Employees may be covered by a company policy. The self-employed, contractors and directors usually aren't, and personal holiday policies often exclude manual work and limit what they'll pay for a laptop.

Updated 6 October 2026 · Figures sourced and linked

Check my work trip →

£472mPaid on UK travel insurance claims in 2024Source: Association of British Insurers, 21 August 2025

34%Of claims were medical, the biggest categorySource: Association of British Insurers, 21 August 2025

20%Insurance Premium Tax on travel coverSource: HM Revenue & Customs, accessed October 2026

Work trip checker

Is your trip covered?

Business travel insurance adds what holiday policies leave out: cover for work equipment, business samples, manual work, and the cost of a colleague travelling out to take over if you're hospitalised. Tell us how you travel to see what to check.

You travel as

The work

Carrying a laptop or samples?

Would the trip need someone to replace you?

What to check

You arrange your ownSelf-employed people and company directors don't get an employer's group policy. Don't assume a personal policy covers work trips: check it.

Desk work is often coveredSome personal policies cover non-manual business trips. Check the wording names business travel.

Check the equipment limitBaggage limits apply per item. Business travel policies can cover laptops and devices, but check the limit against what you carry.

From MoneyHelper, the ABI and published policy wordings. A guide, not advice.

Who travels for work

Four kinds of work traveller, four gaps

Fractional and interim executives

Part-time leaders working across several clients, such as a fractional CFO, fractional CMO, fractional CTO or fractional COO, usually travel self-employed. No client's group policy covers them, so they need their own business travel cover.

Companies that rely on one person

If a trip goes wrong for a founder or senior leader the business depends on, travel insurance covers the medical bill, not the lost revenue. That's what key person insurance is for; see this key person insurance comparison.

Bid and sales teams

Teams travelling to pitch, present or attend supplier days carry laptops and samples, so check the per-item limits. If you're bidding for overseas or public sector contracts, RFP software such as RFP Quest tracks the tenders; launching abroad, a go-to-market agency plans the trip list.

Employees on company trips

Your employer has a duty of care overseas and may have a group policy. Ask before you rely on your own.

Fractional Quest, Keyperson Quest, RFP Quest and GTM Quest are run by the same team as this site.

Questions

Straight answers

Does my personal travel insurance cover business trips?

Sometimes. MoneyHelper warns not to assume it does. Some personal policies include desk-based business trips, but manual work and business equipment usually need specific cover.

What does business travel insurance cover?

The usual medical, cancellation, baggage and 24-hour helpline cover, plus business extras such as laptops and devices (AXA), samples, and the cost of flying a colleague out to replace you if you're hospitalised.

Is my employer responsible for me on a work trip abroad?

GOV.UK says employers have a duty of care towards staff they send overseas, including briefings and contingency plans. Ask whether there's a group policy, and get the details in writing.

Sources

Where the numbers come from

We use primary sources only: the ABI, regulators, the NHS and government. Figures were checked on 6 October 2026. Spot something out of date? The source link is the fastest way to check.

MoneyHelper. Business insurance when you're self-employed. accessed October 2026.
Association of British Insurers. Travel insurance features. accessed October 2026.
AXA Travel Insurance. Business travel insurance explained. 21 February 2025.
GOV.UK. Operating in high-risk environments: advice for business. 19 June 2014.
Association of British Insurers. Eight to embark: travel insurance tips (2024 claims data). 21 August 2025.
HM Revenue & Customs. Insurance Premium Tax rates. accessed October 2026.

Keep going

Travel insurance UK →What it covers, whether you need it and how to compare policies properly.Annual vs single trip →Work out how many trips make an annual policy pay.GHIC card →Where the free UK GHIC works, and what it doesn't cover.Pre-existing conditions →Declaring conditions, and where to go if you're refused.Over 70s and 80s →Age limits, annual cover and specialist insurers.