Planning to travel abroad is an exciting time with plenty to organise for your trip to be a memorable one.
We usually consider a travel insurance policy to protect us against the loss or theft of personal items, or as a backstop if flights are delayed or, worse, cancelled.
Unfortunately, on occasion, UK citizens do pass away abroad, leaving loved ones asking: ‘Does travel insurance cover repatriation of a body?’
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Understanding travel insurance and repatriation
Repatriation of a body means to return a person’s mortal remains to the UK for burial or cremation.
Depending on the location and circumstances of their death, this can be a complex and expensive process made easier when someone has appropriate travel insurance cover.
While repatriation is included as a standard provision by most travel insurance providers, it’s important to understand the different terms they use to ensure you, or your loved ones, are protected if the worst were to happen.
They include:
- ‘Medical evacuation’: This is where an illness or accident requires you to be evacuated (often to the closest suitable medical facility) for treatment
- ‘Repatriation’: When it’s considered important for you to receive medical care in your home country, repatriation allows for you to be transferred back to the UK
- ‘Repatriation of mortal remains’: The return of a body to the UK for burial or cremation
All these scenarios require negotiations around medical needs, travel requirements, legal approval, and documentation (including translations where required).
Insurance companies employ their own teams of professionals, and provide dedicated emergency helplines to assist in crisis situations.
This kind of logistical and financial support makes a significant difference when someone we love is in another country, whether they’re returning home for treatment or to be laid to rest.
Which types of insurance policy includes repatriation?
You might ask ‘Does all travel insurance cover repatriation?’, and the answer is ‘Typically, yes’.
Usually, travel insurance policies cover:
- A single trip
- All trips abroad taken during a 12-month period (sold as ‘Annual multi-trip’)
- Private insurance for expats
Go Compare says that travel insurance typically includes ‘repatriation’ as standard cover.
However, as mentioned above, it’s important to distinguish if an individual policy is referring to repatriation of a living person or repatriation of someone who has died overseas.
In short, our recommendation is to always check before travelling.
Does travel insurance cover repatriation of body for UK expats?
To be clear, travel insurance is not intended for people living permanently abroad.
Instead, the UK Government advises that UK citizens living abroad permanently may need private medical insurance for any expenses relating to their health (or death) overseas.
What does repatriation insurance cover usually include?
Repatriation of a body involves more than simply bringing our loved one’s remains home.
Thankfully, most travel insurance providers recognise this, and provide cover that helps to remove the financial burden out of repatriation.
Repatriation cover usually includes:
- The cost of funeral expenses abroad, and the cost of bringing your loved one’s ashes home
- Costs of coordinating travel arrangements for the return of mortal remains
- Costs of paperwork and processes required to comply with all local regulations around the death, such as death certificates, registering the death, embalming the body, certificates related to infectious diseases, and clearance for customs and possibly quarantine
- Translation and interpreting assistance for the repatriation
- 24/7 assistance in emergencies
- A lead-lined coffin to transport the body home
For some insurance providers, these may be included as standard cover. For others, they are classified as supplemental cover.
Again, we strongly advise you check before buying a policy.
Important limitations or exclusions for repatriation costs
There may be financial caps on the amount of money that can be paid out in the event of a claim.
Not only that, the costs associated with repatriation can vary between countries. If the cap is reached, not all repatriation costs will be covered.
Similarly, there may be limitations based on:
- Pre-existing medical conditions
- The remoteness of the area where a person died
- Adventure sports or extreme activities, and
- Whether excess alcohol, drugs, and/or illegal or violent circumstances led to a death
If a death occurs in a country, or region, where the UK government has issued travel warnings, this could also void or affect the answer to the question ‘does travel insurance cover repatriation of body?’.
It’s important to check the wording on your travel insurance policy and understand which repatriation benefits are included before leaving.
If you’re facing the repatriation of a loved one, the team at Middleton’s Funeral Services can provide expert care and guidance through what we understand is a challenging time.