We’ve put together some commonly asked questions to give you more information about Free Spirit and the cover we offer. Please browse the questions to find any that resonate with you and simply click on it to reveal the answer.
If you have a question regarding your travel insurance or medical conditions, it is likely that someone else has had the same question. The most common questions have been displayed below.
Browse the sections below and click on a question to reveal the answer.
We have also created a series of video guides which can be found here. They demonstrate some FAQ’s like how to get a quote, how to access your account and more. If you have a question that you can’t find the answer to, we have a form on the contact us page where you can pose your query. We aim to respond to you by your preferred method within one working day.
If you are planning to take just one individual trip, our single trip policies are the best option.
Free Spirit covers all types of cruises on both Single Trip and Annual Multi-trip policies, including UK cruises, Caribbean cruises, Mediterranean cruises and short break cruises.
If you are visiting multiple countries on your cruise, please make sure you select the correct geographical area when getting a quote.
If there is a change of destination or additional duration please call us and we can update your policy. This may incur an appropriate additional premium that we will need to collect from you. However, we do not charge administration fees for any changes to a policy.
Extension requests will be considered but cannot be guaranteed:
Trip extensions:
– if you decide you wish to extend your trip whilst overseas
– if you are unable to return home from your trip as planned
– travel disruption caused by a contagious disease
Subject to Underwriters agreement, we can extend a Single Trip policy at your request. This is providing you let us know before the expiration date of the policy and that at the time of the request you do not intend to make a claim.
Please note – this is subject to the total trip duration including the extended period not exceeding 115 days (45 days if aged 76 years or over), which is the maximum trip duration of the Single Trip policy. You will be advised of the additional premium at the time of the request.
Please contact us on 02392 419 080 to discuss your requirements.
No, Free Spirit only covers round trips that start and end in the United Kingdom, Channel Islands or the Isle of Man. Alternatively, the trip may start from a Ministry of defence base or location, so long as it holds a recognised British Forces Post Office address.
However, please contact us on 02392 419 080 as we may be able to offer a different policy.
The geographical areas you can travel to on a single trip policy are as follows:
United Kingdom – England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Isle of Man.
Europe – Albania, Andorra, Austria, the Azores, Belgium, Balearics, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Canary Islands, Corsica, Croatia,
Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark (and the Faroe Islands), Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Gibraltar, Greece, Hungary, Iceland,
Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Madeira, Malta, Monaco, Montenegro, Morocco, Netherlands, Norway, Poland,
Portugal, Republic of Ireland, Romania, Russia (west of the Ural mountains), San Marino, Sicily, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Spain,
Sweden. Switzerland, Tunisia and Turkey.
Australia & New Zealand – Australia, including Territory of Cocos (Keeling Islands, The Territory of Christmas Island, Norfolk Island
and Lord Howe Island) and New Zealand, including the Cook Islands, Niue and Tokelau (including up to 48 hours stopover in a
country within a Worldwide area).
Worldwide – excluding Canada, Caribbean, China, Hong Kong, USA, Afghanistan, Cuba, Iran, Liberia, North Korea and Sudan but
including Egypt and Israel.
Worldwide – including Canada, Caribbean, China, Hong Kong, USA but excluding Afghanistan, Cuba, Iran, Liberia, North Korea
and Sudan.
Do be aware that you will not be covered if you travel outside the area you have chosen, as shown on your policy schedule.
Yes, in fact some features on our policy are specifically for travel within the UK. For example, you will benefit from up to £10,000 for indirect medical costs if you are injured or fall ill while away.
The maximum duration of any single trip is 115 days (although for persons aged 76 years and over the maximum duration is 45 days). If you are travelling for longer than 45 days and you are aged 76 or over, please call us on 02392 419 080.
There is no upper age limit on any Free Spirit policy.
The start date of your policy should be the day that you leave home. Your end date should be the date you return home. Although, this could be a different day to the day you leave your holiday destination so do ensure your policy covers you and your party for the entirety of your scheduled return journey.
Cancellation cover starts on the date you purchase your policy so even if your holiday/trip is some time away, you will be covered for cancellation until the day your trip starts. For this reason, it is beneficial to purchase a travel insurance policy as soon as you have booked your travel.
Under all other areas of cover, it initiates when you leave your home and ends when you return home.
Planning two or more trips in a year? Or annual policies may save you time and money.
Free Spirit covers all types of cruises on both Single Trip and Annual Multi-trip policies, including UK cruises, Caribbean cruises, Mediterranean cruises and short break cruises.
If you are visiting multiple countries on your cruise, please make sure you select the correct geographical area when getting a quote.
Adults may travel independently but children under 18 years of age must be accompanied by an insured adult.
On Annual Multi-trip policies we will contact the lead traveller approximately one month prior to the expiry of the period of insurance as shown on your Policy Schedule. We will give you at least 21 days written notice before the expiry date.
On receipt of the reminder, we will ask you to complete a new application and medical screening. This is important to make sure that your details are based on your health at the time of taking out a new policy for the next 12 months.
Regrettably, we are not able to extend the Annual Multi-trip policy unless there are factors outside of your control that force you to stay. The maximum duration for any one trip is 32 days on Super policies and 45 days on Super Duper policies.
The geographical areas you can travel to on a single trip policy are as follows:
Europe – Albania, Andorra, Austria, the Azores, Belgium, Balearics, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Canary Islands, Corsica, Croatia,
Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark (and the Faroe Islands), Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Gibraltar, Greece, Hungary, Iceland,
Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Madeira, Malta, Monaco, Montenegro, Morocco, Netherlands, Norway, Poland,
Portugal, Republic of Ireland, Romania, Russia (west of the Ural mountains), San Marino, Sicily, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Spain,
Sweden. Switzerland, Tunisia and Turkey.
Worldwide excluding – Canada, Caribbean, China, Hong Kong, USA, Afghanistan, Cuba, Iran, Liberia, North Korea and Sudan but
including Egypt and Israel.
Worldwide including – Canada, Caribbean, China, Hong Kong, USA but excluding Afghanistan, Cuba, Iran, Liberia, North Korea
and Sudan.
Do be aware that you will not be covered if you travel outside the area you have chosen, as shown on your policy schedule.
Yes, your cover applies not only in your chosen geographical area, but also in the UK for trips of 2 or more nights.
In fact, some features on our policy are included with domestic travel in mind. For example, up to £10,000 cover is available for indirect medical costs if you are injured or fall ill while away.
You can travel as often as you like within the 12 month period.
The only restriction to be aware of is that trips are limited to 32 days on Super policies and 45 days on Super Duper policies.
There are no age limits on any Free Spirit policy – we believe everyone should be free to travel, regardless of age!
Cancellation cover begins on the date you choose to start your policy. If you already have a trip booked and you want to be covered immediately, you should select today’s date. You can choose to start your policy later (up to 31 days from today’s date) but there would not be any cancellation cover between now and the start date you choose.
Most Free Spirit customers find us through a need to obtain cover for pre-existing medical conditions. This is a complex area, and you are bound to have questions and concerns.
Our advice is to take your insurance documents with you on your trip. That way you have the policy number and contact details of the emergency assistance company to hand should you need help whilst you are away.
If you do need to make a claim, contact your insurer as soon as you can. Remember too that if you need medical treatment while abroad, you should contact the emergency assistance number shown on your policy.
The insurer may require evidence to support your claim, for example, if you cancel your holiday due to ill health, your GP will have to complete a medical form.
If you are hospitalised abroad, the emergency assistance company will need to make contact with your GP to check your medical history. They will need to check this against what you have declared when you purchased your policy.
It is recommended that all travellers are insured on the same travel insurance policy. This will ensure there are no gaps in cover that could arise if separate policies are purchased. For example, if you had to cancel your holiday due to your medical condition, your travelling companions on the same policy would also be covered for cancellation, which may not be the case if they had taken out cover elsewhere.
Except for a rare group of specialist providers including Free Spirit, Insurers will usually not provide cover until you have had the results of your tests. Our advice is to contact the insurer as soon as these come in.
There are a few specialist providers, such as Free Spirit, that can provide cover for people with terminal or life-limiting conditions. Cover is normally only available by contacting the travel insurance company by telephone as each enquiry is individually assessed. In some cases, you may be asked to obtain a letter from your doctor.
Even if your condition(s) is under control with medication, you still need to declare it.
The insurer may ask you about your medications and whether they have changed recently.
Different insurers will ask a variety of questions although many use the same medical screening system. However, it is a good idea to make sure that you have your full medical history to hand when applying for a quote. For example, you may be asked to declare the following:
Our advice is to make sure that you tell the insurer everything – don’t hold anything back!
The cost is likely to be higher than for someone without medical conditions.
Our advice would be to check the price of travel insurance before booking your trip in case the cost means that you are unable to take the trip you want. It can be less expensive to get travel insurance cover for some countries due to varying healthcare costs. For example, France may be cheaper than Spain and Australia significantly cheaper than the USA or Canada.
For certain medical conditions (such as terminal and life-limiting conditions), insurance providers will ask for a letter from your GP confirming your diagnosis and that you are fit to travel. Our advice is to leave plenty of time to obtain your travel insurance in case a letter is required.
In our experience, many people with medical conditions are able to obtain travel insurance through a specialist provider. You will be assessed on an individual basis, which will take into account a number of things like your health, age, where you are travelling to and how long you are going away for.
If you find it difficult to talk about your condition, you might want to consider asking a friend or relative to be there while you make the call or they could do it for you as long as they have all the relevant information to hand.
It is also useful to know that most travel insurance companies use a medical screening process to determine if they can cover you.
We suggest that all travellers are insured on the same Free Spirit travel insurance policy.
Free Spirit also covers all travellers, with or without existing medical conditions, which means you can insure your travelling companions on the same policy. As well as reduced premiums for those without medical conditions, you will ensure there are no gaps in cover that could arise if separate policies are purchased.
For example, if you had to cancel your holiday due to your medical condition, your travelling companions on the same policy would also be covered for cancellation which may not be the case if they had taken out a policy elsewhere.
We can only medically screen a condition that has been diagnosed by the medical profession and therefore, we cannot provide a quote or offer cover until such time as your medical condition has been diagnosed.
Yes, we need to be aware of all medical conditions including those that are under control by medication. This is important as otherwise a claim may be invalidated if medical conditions are not disclosed.
Yes, if you are waiting for medical tests or treatment of any description you can generate a quote.
Please contact us on 02392 419 080 and we will discuss your requirements. We consider everyone’s circumstances and often we can find a solution to provide cover.
So that you (and anyone to be insured under Free Spirit) can be covered for existing medical condition(s), you must include all relevant medical history as shown below.
a) Any of the following conditions, for which you have received treatment (including prescribed medication) within the 5 years prior to your policy issue date:
b) Any malignant condition e.g. cancer for which you have received any diagnosis or treatment (including prescribed medication)
within the 5 years prior to your policy issue date;
c) Any medical condition for which you have within the 2 years prior to your policy issue date:
d) Any psychiatric or psychological condition for which you have received any diagnosis or treatment (including prescribed
medication).
e) Any re-occurring health condition, or any other medical condition which within the 2 years prior to your policy issue date which:
Medical costs abroad can be very expensive especially if you have to be repatriated home. Without appropriate insurance cover you could be left severely out of pocket.
You must therefore carefully read the ‘Medical Warranty’ that is shown as you progress through a quote and to accurately declare all medical conditions. If you give incorrect answers or forget to tell us about a medical condition, this could lead to a claim not being paid.
If there is a change in health of anyone insured under an existing policy you must contact our Medical Screening Service on 02392 419 080 as soon as possible. We will tell you if your change in health will affect your insurance and if cover can continue.
If your health changes after you purchased your policy but before you commence your trip (or in the case of Annual Multi-trip cover before booking your next trip) or pay the balance or any further instalments for your trip, you must tell us about these changes, if:
• new medication or a change in regular medication has been prescribed;
• there has been a deterioration of a previously stable condition;
• you have been referred to a specialist;
• A medical symptom/condition is being investigated; or
• you are awaiting treatment/consultation
We will then tell you if we can cover your medical condition(s) free of charge or for an additional premium.
If we cannot cover your medical condition(s), or you do not want to pay any additional premium quoted, we will give you the choice of either:
• making a cancellation claim for any pre-booked trips; or
• cancelling your policy and receiving a proportionate/partial refund, provided that you have not made a claim or are about to.
If you are not sure whether something is relevant you must tell us anyway.
If the worst happens will you are overseas, you need to know that there is help on hand.
If you are asked to pay a small bill for medicines and/or outpatient treatment it is often easier to settle your bill direct, keep all receipts and claim for the costs incurred on your return home.
If you are admitted as an inpatient, or you require outpatient treatment which is likely to exceed £500, then you must contact the 24-hour Medical Emergency Assistance on +44 (0) 208 608 4227 prior to receiving treatment.
Yes, the Free Spirit policy has a 24-hour medical emergency and repatriation service provided by:
Healix Medical Assistance Services
You can reach them 24 hours a day throughout the year on +44 (0) 208 608 4227. You can also email on internationalhealthcare@healix.com.
Staff will, where necessary, guarantee medical bills, arrange repatriation and, if required, provide a medical escort.
Some common questions that we are asked regarding the claims process.
Our advice is to take your insurance documents with you on your trip. That way you have the policy number and contact details of the emergency assistance company to hand should you need help whilst you are away.
If you do need to make a claim, contact your insurer as soon as you can. Remember too that if you need medical treatment while abroad, you should contact the emergency assistance number shown on your policy.
The insurer may require evidence to support your claim, for example, if you cancel your holiday due to ill health, your GP will have to complete a medical form.
If you are hospitalised abroad, the emergency assistance company will need to make contact with your GP to check your medical history. They will need to check this against what you have declared when you purchased your policy.
You must report any loss or thefts of passports to the local police as soon as possible. You will need the crime reference details which they will provide you with.
You also need to report the loss or theft to the British embassy, consulate or high commission of the country you are in. They will be able to provide you with an emergency travel document. You can get details of your local British embassy, high commission or consulate by calling +44 (0)20 7008 1500 or by visiting the GOV.UK website. Please contact the British embassy, high commission or consulate before arranging travel to see them as you may need to book an appointment first.
We aim to provide a first class claims service and undertake to respond within 5 working days of receipt of correspondence.
Please refer to the claims section of the website for full instructions on how to make a claim.
If an item you took on holiday, personal money or your travel documents get lost or stolen you must notify the police as soon as possible and obtain a written report and reference number from them. You also need to report the loss/theft to your tour operator’s representative or hotel/accommodation manager and (if possible) get a written report.
You should wait until you return home to make a claim. Please refer to the claims page of the website for full instructions on how to make a claim.
If you are asked to pay a small bill for medicines and/or outpatient treatment it is often easier to settle your bill direct, keep all receipts and claim for the costs incurred on your return home.
If you are admitted as an inpatient, or you require outpatient treatment which is likely to exceed £500, then you must contact the 24-hour Medical Emergency Assistance on +44 (0) 208 608 4227 prior to receiving treatment.
Our online form makes it easy to buy your policy online. If you are unsure, we have answered some of the most common questions below.
Many specialist providers will only quote for certain medical conditions over the telephone as they need to individually assess you.
Each travel insurance provider is different. Just because you haven’t been able to obtain the policy online, it doesn’t necessarily mean you won’t be able to get travel insurance.
Once you have saved your quote, an email will be sent to you with the quote number, and a link and instructions to login and retrieve your quote. Click on the link within this email and you will be taken to your saved quote.
If you have any problems retrieving your quote, please call us on 02392 419 080 and we will assist.
Please ensure you have set up an account. If you have not already done this, you can create an account by clicking this link. You will need to provide your first name and last name, date of birth and email in order to activate your account.
The details you enter will then be matched to those given when obtaining a quote and purchasing your policy online.
Once you have purchased your policy, you will receive an email from Free Spirit with instructions on how to access your policy documents.
If you have not received your email after a few hours, please check your spam email.
You can pay by debit or credit card. We accept Mastercard and Visa.
Yes. The security of your personal information and payment details is of utmost importance to us. We use 128-bit encrypted SSL to help keep all of your data safe.
″I found the operators to be very knowledgeable and sympathetic and I would certainly recommend you to others. It is about more than just insurance to me, and to other cancer patients who want a relaxing holiday to look forward to. I have wanted to on the QEII since I was ten years old and as she is being retired I knew this would be my only chance. I was so pleased that Free Spirit could help me.″
Need to make a claim? We have put all the information you need in an accessible format.
Read our blogs for all the latest travel trends, guides and top tips, plus some inspiration along the way.
Don’t take our word for it - see what our customers think of our service.
We aim to give you the confidence to travel with medical conditions. Learn more about what we can cover here.
