If you've ever been diagnosed with cancer, travel insurance can sometimes be difficult to find. It’s also worth noting that all providers listed here provide holiday cover, not private health insurance. So, if you’re planning on travelling abroad to receive treatment for your cancer, these options are not suitable for you.
Whether you're looking for single-trip, multi-trip, or specialist cover, or need assurance about pre-existing medical conditions, our panel of travel insurance providers has you covered. Click on your chosen provider below to get started.
Let’s look at six insurers with different cover options available:
- Avanti.
- AllClear.
- Staysure.
- Insurancewith.
- Medical Travel Compared.
- InsureCancer.
Avanti’s travel insurance for cancer patients
Avanti can provide travel cover whether you are currently living with cancer or are in remission, as long as your doctor has declared you fit to travel and you’re not awaiting surgery, chemotherapy or radiotherapy.
Avanti provides travel cover many types of cancer, including but not limited to:
- Lung cancer.
- Leukaemia.
- Breast cancer.
- Prostate cancer.
- Bowel cancer.
- Skin cancer.
They provide three levels of coverage: Essentials, Classic, and Deluxe, which are offered for both single trips and annual policies. Coverage begins on the purchase date and ends on your return for single-trip policies. It's important to be aware that Avanti won't cover treatments that can wait until you return home.
Essentials
The essentials policy covers medical emergencies and repatriation of up to £5 million and cancellation for up to £1,000, including those relating to cancer. This level of cover also includes money and passport cover up to £300 and personal baggage cover up to £1000 as standard.
You should know that Avanti’s Essentials cover has excesses, starting at £150.
Classic
Avanti’s Classic package includes medical emergency and repatriation coverage of up to £10 million, with cancellation costs covered of up to £5,000. This level of cover also includes money and passport cover up to £500, missed departure cover up to £1000 and personal baggage cover up to £2000 as standard.
The excess is also slightly lower for the Classic policy, starting at £75.
Deluxe
You’ll get the most coverage with Deluxe. No excess payments exist, and medical emergency and repatriation costs are unlimited. Your personal baggage cover goes up to £3,000, and cancellation costs to £7,500.
You also get other types of coverage included as standard with Avanti's Deluxe policy, such as legal costs and expenses up to £25,000, travel delay up to £500, and winter sports cover up to £1,000 (annual multi-trip only).
AllClear’s travel insurance for cancer patients
AllClear offers specialist medical insurance covering cancers, including but not limited to:
- Breast cancer.
- Prostate cancer.
- Lymphoma.
- Lung cancer.
- Bowel cancer.
Their insurance is available if you’re living with cancer or are cancer-free and looking to travel. They don’t provide cover if your condition is undiagnosed.
AllClear offers holiday insurance policies in Gold, Gold Plus and Platinum that all include:
- Personal liability up to £2 million.
- Up to £2,000 of the expenses if your family member or friend has to fly to take care of you.
- 30 days free extended cover.
We have outlined the other features of AllClear’s cancer travel cover in the table below.
| Gold | Gold Plus | Platinum | |
| Emergency medical expenses and Repatriation costs | Up to £10 million | Up to £15 million | Up to £15 million |
| Cancellation and Curtailment | Up to £2,000 | Up to £15,000 | Up to £25,000 |
| Travel delay | Up to £100 | Up to £350 | Up to £500 |
| Personal belongings | Up to £2,000 | Up to £2,500 | Up to £3,000 |
| Legal protection cover | Up to £50,000 | Up to £50,000 | Up to £100,000 |
Quotes are available online. AllClear requires you to go through a medical screening process where you will need to answer some questions, including if your cancer is terminal. They could still cover you but want to discuss your specific needs over the phone.
Staysure’s travel insurance for cancer patients
Staysure provides tailored travel insurance plans for cancer patients. Their website states that they only provide cover if you have bowel cancer and breast cancer; however, they also state that the list isn’t definitive, so if you’ve been unwell with, or had treatment for, any other illness, it’s important you let them know.
StaySure requires a note from your GP to declare you fit to travel in all cases. You can't get travel insurance if you have a terminal prognosis and have less than six months to live from the return date of your trip.
If you've had cancer-related treatment, medication, consultations, or check-ups for cancer in the last two years, or if you have other medical conditions, you need to inform StaySure. This includes cases where you are currently in remission or cancer-free. Otherwise, you may not be covered if you need to make a claim.
StaySure offers travel insurance in three levels: basic, comprehensive and signature, as outlined in the table below.
| Basic | Comprehensive | Signature | |
| Medical emergencies and repatriation | Up to £5 million | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Cancellation | Up to £500 | Up to £5,000 | Up to £10,000 |
| Cutting your holiday short | Up to £500 | Up to £5,000 | Up to £10,000 |
| Baggage | Up to £300 | Up to £2,500 | Up to £5,000 |
| Travel delay | Up to £300 | Up to £1,500 | Up to £1,500 |
| Money and passport | Up to £300 | Up to £500 | Up to £500 |
| Excess | £129 | £99 | £0 |
You can also pick optional extras to add to all three policies, including:
- Cruise plus cover.
- Winter sports.
- 100-day extension (available for Comprehensive and Signature policies, and you must be under 70).
- Golf cover.
Insurancewith’s travel insurance for cancer patients
Insurancewith's policies are available if you have a more common form like prostate cancer or breast cancer. But you can also get cancer coverage if you have a rarer cancer, including but not limited to bladder cancer, non-Hodgkin lymphoma or pancreatic cancer.
Your personalised policy covers emergency medical expenses and repatriation up to £10 million, with cancellation and curtailment covering up to £1,000. Your policy will automatically extend if you cannot return home or you’re admitted to a hospital. The extension lasts as long as you’re deemed fit to travel back by a medical professional.
Other key features of Insurancewith’s travel insurance for cancer patients include:
- Emergency helpline 24 hours a day, every day of the year.
- Personal belongings coverage up to £5,000 for mobility equipment and £1,000 for personal baggage.
- Discounts for couples, families and single-parent families.
- 300+ sports and activities can be covered, many at standard terms.
- Excesses between £0 and £75.
You can get a quote by filling out their online form, including a brief medical screening. Insurancewith also offers personalised medical screening for more complicated or serious cases.
Medical Travel Compared’s travel insurance for cancer patients
While Medical Travel Compared is not an insurance provider, they have a vast collection of over 30 reputable travel insurance providers from which you can compare and select specialist cancer travel insurance.
Medical Travel Compared can help you find travel insurance coverage for a variety of cancers, including but not limited to:
- Breast cancer.
- Prostate cancer.
- Skin cancer.
To get quotes, you will need to fill in some personal details and go through a short medical screening process. You must disclose if you’ve ever had a cancerous condition, including if you have recently been diagnosed with a cancerous condition, your cancer is in remission, or you’ve been given the all-clear following treatment.
Insurance policies typically cover trip cancellations, medical expenses, lost belongings, and accidents. The specifics depend on the insurance company and the type of policy you choose. Your health condition, based on the medical screening, also plays a role, as well as any optional add-ons you select, such as gadget, cruise, or winter sports coverage.
You can get a travel insurance quote for cancer patients through Medical Travel Compared here.
InsureCancer’s travel insurance for cancer patients
InsureCancer specialises in advanced cancer travel insurance. You can opt for their insurance whether your cancer is active, metastatic, relapsed or terminal. They also cover you if you’re participating in cancer drug trials or are undergoing treatment or waiting for treatment.
InsureCancer is a specialist cancer insurance provider whose policies are tailor-made and built around your needs. For this reason, they don’t offer any information or quotes online, so you will need to contact them directly on 01252 780 190. You’ll need to answer a few questions about your conditions and undergo their medical screening.
Cancer doesn’t have to stop you from travelling
Travel insurance gives you extra peace of mind when you travel abroad. If you have cancer or your cancer is in remission, having this support for additional medical needs can be extra valuable.
Finding the right travel insurance provider with a pre-existing medical condition is possible with the above insurers. Get quotes from a few insurers and be as detailed about your condition as possible in their medical screening. Then, you can find the right level cover for your specific medical conditions. You can also read our guide on finding insurance as you get older.
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