Travel Insurance.quest

Medical conditions · FCA signposting

Declare everything. Know your rights.

An undeclared condition can void a claim. And if an insurer refuses you or loads the price heavily, FCA rules make it point you to specialists who will quote. Here's how it works.

Updated 6 October 2026 · Figures sourced and linked
Check my signposting rights →MoneyHelper directory ↗
£200Extra premium that triggers signposting, from 1 January 2026Source: Financial Conduct Authority, updated 3 December 2025
2021Signposting rules in force since 26 AprilSource: Financial Conduct Authority, in force 26 April 2021
21kExtra policies sold because of signposting (FCA estimate)Source: Financial Conduct Authority, updated 3 December 2025
34%Of 2024 travel claims were medicalSource: Association of British Insurers, 21 August 2025

Signposting checker

Must they point you on?

Since 2021, the FCA has required travel insurers to signpost customers with medical conditions to a directory of specialist insurers in five situations: refusing cover, cancelling for that reason, applying an exclusion that can't be removed, charging a medical premium at or over the trigger, or not knowing what the medical premium is (FCA PS20/3).

What did the insurer do?
Did they show the extra cost for your condition?
Must they point you to the specialist directory?Not required

The extra premium is under £200.

Even so, compare quotes: specialists may still be cheaper. The MoneyHelper directory is open to anyone.

Based on the FCA's signposting rules (ICOBS 6A.4). The premium trigger rose from £100 to £200 on 1 January 2026 (FCA).

Declaring

How to declare properly

01

Everything you've been diagnosed with

Physical and mental health, including conditions you manage well. If in doubt, declare it.

02

Anything under investigation

Tests, referrals or symptoms you're waiting to hear about count. GOV.UK specifically mentions them.

03

Changes after you buy

Tell the insurer if your health changes before you travel, or at renewal on an annual policy.

04

Everyone on the policy

Each traveller's conditions, not just yours. Some policies also ask about close relatives whose health could cause a cancellation.

Based on GOV.UK and Age UK guidance.

Specialists

Where to look next

The MoneyHelper travel insurance directory lists firms that will consider serious medical conditions and disabilities. You contact them directly; it isn't a quote service. Several specialist insurers also advertise no upper age limit, which helps older travellers too. Over 70s →

Questions

Straight answers

Do I have to declare pre-existing medical conditions for travel insurance?
Yes. GOV.UK advises cover for "existing physical or mental health conditions (including those currently under investigation)", and warns that "failing to declare something may invalidate your travel insurance" (FCDO). Age UK advises declaring all known conditions.
What happens if an insurer refuses me because of a medical condition?
Under FCA rules, the insurer must point you to a directory of specialist insurers, such as the MoneyHelper travel insurance directory. Use the checker above to see whether your case triggers it.
What changed on 1 January 2026?
The FCA raised the premium trigger from £100 to £200, to be updated with CPI every five years, and limited directory entries to one per firm (FCA review).
Has signposting helped?
Yes, though less than hoped. The FCA estimated about 21,000 extra policies were sold because of the rules, a "positive, albeit lower than we expected" impact (FCA).

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.

  1. Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office. Foreign travel insurance. updated 2 August 2024.
  2. Financial Conduct Authority. PS20/3: Signposting travel insurance consumers with medical conditions. in force 26 April 2021.
  3. Financial Conduct Authority. Travel insurance signposting rules for consumers with medical conditions: review. updated 3 December 2025.
  4. Financial Conduct Authority. FCA Handbook ICOBS 6A.4: signposting. accessed October 2026.
  5. MoneyHelper. Use our travel insurance directory. accessed October 2026.
  6. Age UK Trading. What medical conditions do you have to declare for travel insurance?. reviewed 26 May 2026.
  7. Association of British Insurers. Eight to embark: travel insurance tips (2024 claims data). 21 August 2025.

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.Over 70s and 80s →Age limits, annual cover and specialist insurers.Business travel →When personal cover isn't enough for a work trip.