Your policy details

Straight talking travel insurance

We know that no one likes reading dense legal documents, so we've tried to make ours a little easier to digest. However, it's still important to go through your policy as it shows in more detail what your travel insurance covers.

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The Full Policy Wording for World First policies is available here

The Key Facts document for World First policies is available here

Need a little assistance?

If you need help or have any questions about travel insurance, then please don't hesitate to contact our support team by phoning 0845 90 80 161. Or email info@world-first.co.uk.

How do you find the policy that's right for you?

Read our guide on what to look out for when comparing quotes.

Please note that this summary is meant as a guide. Please refer to the Full Policy Wording for full legal details.

Getting to know your travel insurance policy

Make sure you read your travel insurance policy carefully and make sure it's right for you and your travel plans.
If you find that your policy doesn't quite match what you're looking for then you can cancel it within 14 days of purchase and receive a full refund. No quibbles.
Make sure you let us know if there is a change in risk associated with your trip. For example, if you declared a pre-existing medical condition when you took out your insurance, you must let us know if your health declines before you go away. Failure to do so could invalidate your policy.

Definitions

Here are some definitions of the terms that you'll see throughout your policy. Have a read. The definitions are important because they will help you to get to grips with the ins and outs of your policy. And if there's anything you don't understand from the policy wording, remember to check back here first.

We/Us/Our: The insurance company behind the policy. In this case, 'PTI Insurance Company Limited'.

You/Your: Each insured person named on your insurance schedule.

Assistance Service: The 24 Hour Emergency Medical Assistance Service named in this policy and on the insurance schedule.

Complications in Pregnancy: Refers to problems resulting from assisted pregnancy, multiple birth, more than one previous miscarriage, ectopic pregnancy, pre-eclampsia, abnormal foetal development, uterine or placental abnormality, pregnancy related surgical procedure, termination for medical reasons, birth prior to 36th week of pregnancy or any pregnancy induced condition (e.g. diabetes or hypertension).

Country of Residence: The United Kingdom or as stated on your insurance schedule.

Curtail/Curtailment: Returning home early from your travel destination to your country of residence.

Documents: Travel tickets, passports and driving licence held by you for social, domestic and/or pleasure purposes.

Endorsement: Any special terms and conditions added to your policy.

Excess: An amount deducted per insured person, per policy section, for each incident that results in a claim.

Immediate Relative: Mother, father, sister, brother, wife, husband, fiancé(e), common-law partner, civil law partner, co-habiting partner (same or different sex), daughter, son, grandparent, grandchild, parent-in-law, son-in-law, daughter-in-law, sister-in-law, brother-in-law, step-parent, step-child, step-brother, step-sister or legal guardian.

Medical Condition: Any medical condition, which has been suffered or is under investigation or review (routine or otherwise), or for which medication, advice or treatment has been received within the past 12 months (prior to the date your policy is issued or the date the trip is booked – whichever is later). This includes longstanding conditions, surgery (including any elective procedures) and injuries that may be exacerbated by the activity/trip you propose to undertake as well as pregnancy where there have been Complications in Pregnancy with this or a previous pregnancy.

Outward Journey: the departure flight / sea crossing / coach / train departure from your Country of Residence to your final destination, where no overnight stay has taken place, but which may include several connections until reaching your destination before the first night's stay at your accommodation.

Period of Insurance: The period of insurance is specified on your insurance schedule. If your return is unavoidably delayed for an insured reason, your cover will be automatically extended for the period of the delay. If the period of travel exceeds, or was intended to exceed, the trip limit specified on your insurance schedule then no cover will apply in respect of the entire period of travel (including the insured period under the policy).

Personal Baggage: Your suitcases (or similar luggage carriers) and contents usually taken on a trip, together with articles worn or carried by you for your individual use during your trip. Does not include any specialised items, medical or otherwise.

Pre-booked Accommodation: A hotel, hostel, bed and breakfast, rented holiday home, camping or caravan site, for which an invoice, bill, receipt or voucher can be produced.

Public Transport: The following regularly scheduled forms of transport: train, coach, taxi, bus, aircraft or sea vessel, on which you are a fare paying passenger.

Return Journey: the return flight / sea crossing / coach / train departure from your final accommodation to your country of residence, where no further overnight stays will take place, but which may include several connections until reaching the arrival point in your country of residence.

Terrorism: Any act of any person(s) acting on behalf of or in connection with any organisation whose activities are directed towards the overthrowing, influencing or disruption of any government and/or intended to put the public, or any section of the public, in fear de jure or de facto by use of force or violence and/or the threat of such.

Travelling Companion: The person with whom you have booked to travel on the planned trip. In the case of a tour, travelling companion shall mean the person(s) shown on your booking form.

Valuables: Jewellery, watches, cameras, photographic apparatus, binoculars, video equipment, and any audio or audiovisual equipment including (but not limited to): tape recorders, cassettes and players, radios, compact discs and players, minidiscs and players, portable media players, video games and TV sets.

Claims Procedure

Making a claim on your travel insurance

If you need to claim on your World First policy or want advice about making a claim then please contact us on 0845 90 80 161 or email claims@world-first.co.uk. Here are some tips to help you with your claim:

Check the relevant section of your policy to see if you are covered.
Check what documentation is required to make a claim.
Contact the Claims Service team to request a claim form.
Submit your claim within 28 days of returning home. In some cases you may wish to claim whilst you are still travelling - this is possible but you must still adhere to the usual claims requirements.
Keep copies of your completed claim form and all supporting documentation. Originals must be submitted to the Claims Service.
Keep any damaged items that are the subject of a claim. They may be required for salvage or assessment.

Medical Claims

Emergency medical assistance and expenses

All travel insurance offered by World First is backed by leading insurers and comes with the very best cover for emergency medical assistance and expenses. Your policy includes access to our 24-hour multi-lingual emergency assistance service and helpline, available 365 days a year.

The assistance service will confirm whether your treatment or expenses are covered under the terms of your travel insurance policy and can liaise directly with hospitals regarding your medical requirements and the payment of bills. Should you require specialist travel arrangements the assistance service can make appropriate arrangements.

In some cases it may be easier to pay minor expenses yourself. If you are in any doubt as to whether these costs will be covered, contact the assistance service for prior authorisation. Keep all receipts and medical reports and submit your claim when you return home.

How to obtain emergency assistance

Your World First policy comes with a Schedule of Insurance which details the important telephone numbers available exclusively to policyholders. If you are admitted to or need to visit hospital whilst on holiday and are unsure about the proposed treatment then call the relevant 24/7 helpline listed in your insurance schedule.

Claims Conditions

You must exercise reasonable care to prevent illness and accidental injury while travelling. You must also take reasonable care for the safety and supervision of your property, just as if it were uninsured.
Original receipts and/or proof of ownership and value must be supplied in the event of claiming for lost/stolen Personal Baggage or Documents.
You must take all reasonable steps to recover any lost or stolen article.
Items such as medical certificates, receipts and documents to support your claim must normally be obtained by you, at your expense.
If any claim is found to be fraudulent, in amount or any other respect, your insurance will be invalidated and all claims will be forfeited.
In the event of a claim, we may require you to undergo a medical examination. You must agree to this if you wish to proceed with your claim. In the event of death, we are entitled to order a post-mortem examination. We will meet the costs of all medical examinations and post-mortems as required. However, you must not make any payment, admit liability, offer or promise to make any payment on our behalf without written consent from us.
In the event of a legal dispute, we are entitled to take over any rights in the defence or settlement of any claim and to take proceedings in your name for our benefit against any other party.

General Conditions

The general conditions of your travel insurance policy

Independent travel
When you insure with World First you can travel independently of the other people covered by your policy. That means if you have an annual policy for the whole family, your child will be covered for a school trip and you will be covered if you go on holiday without your children.
Territorial definitions
Your insurance will only cover you to travel to the destinations that you have paid to be covered for. See the full policy wording for more.
Policy excess
An excess of £60 will be charged per insured person, per policy section, for each incident that results in a claim.
Sports and activities
Check our policy wording for a full list of the sports and activities we can cover. Or call our helpline on 0845 90 80 161 for an instant answer.
Disclosure of material facts
It is a condition of your insurance that all material facts have been disclosed. Failure to do so may invalidate your insurance. A material fact is any fact, medical or otherwise, which poses an increase in the risk to us of insuring you and would be likely to influence us in the assessment, acceptance or continuance of your insurance.

Exclusions

What's not covered by your travel Insurance?

You won't be covered for any medical condition unless they have been declared to us.
Most policies exclude cover for any claim arising directly or indirectly from depression, stress, anxiety or mental disorder.
Suicide, attempted suicide, self inflicted injury, being under the influence of alcohol or drugs (unless the drugs have been prescribed by a medical practitioner), alcohol or drug abuse, alcoholism, drug addiction, solvent abuse, wilful exposure to exceptional risk (unless you are trying to save someone's life) are not normally covered.
We will not cover you to ride a bike over 125cc. Failure to wear a crash helmet on a bike below 125cc will invalidate your cover.
No cover is provided for Personal Liability whilst working overseas.
Your travel insurance will not cover you to travel to areas that the Foreign and Commonwealth Office advise against visiting unless you have an essential need to be there.
In the event of a terrorist attack we will not cover you for Personal Accident, Emergency Medical Expenses, Repatriation and/or additional hospital benefit if the need for them results solely from nuclear, chemical or biological weapons of mass destruction.

Cancellation Insurance

What's covered?

Our cancellation policy covers all pre-booked accommodation and flights. This includes cover for timeshare management changes and cancellation to all travel booked and paid for using Air Miles and other forms of redeemable vouchers. The cancellation section also insures you against the accidental injury, serious illness, death or quarantine restrictions of any person who has been insured, anyone you are intending to travel or stay with, immediate relatives and close business associates. You'll also be covered for jury service, redundancy and trip abandonment following an unavoidable travel delay.

Curtailment cover

What is curtailment cover?

Curtailment cover means you will be covered if you cut your holiday short. It will cover the costs of any travel and pre-booked accommodation that you do not use but which you have already paid for.

Extra expenses

Your policy includes cover for "reasonable" additional travelling expenses in case you need to return home early due to accidental injury or serious illness, complications in pregnancy, your home being made uninhabitable or a police summons.

Complaints

Making a complaint about your travel insurance

We have a very strict Complaints Handling Procedure and all travel insurance complaints are handled personally by our Managing Partner, Martin Rothwell. We are overseen by the Financial Ombudsman Service, an impartial financial watchdog who ensure all complaints are treated fairly.