Travel Insurance 101 | Allianz Global Assistance

Savvy travellers know they need travel insurance. But what is travel insurance exactly, and how does it work? To help you make an informed decision on your travel insurance purchase, we’ve provided transparent, straightforward overviews about what travel insurance is, why you need it, and how it works to protect you before, during, and after your trip.

Feel confident knowing that Allianz Global Assistance is here to assist you in choosing travel insurance that meets your travel needs and budget.

Understanding travel insurance
Choosing travel insurance
Before your trip
On your trip

Fulfilling adventures and new travel experiences. That’s the aspiration with the start of every trek. Whether travelling for pleasure or business, we’re bound to learn more about exciting new places, people, cultures and regional cuisine. But when the “bucket list” trip gets cancelled and doesn’t happen, or rather, if it turns into a trip to the emergency room in a foreign hospital, that’s when the promise of travel insurance can help offset significant financial losses.

What is travel insurance?

An unexpected medical emergency, a cancelled flight or a hurricane can bring the vacation you’ve been dreaming about to a halt. Travel insurance can help turn things around by covering costs incurred due to emergency medical care, the cancellation or interruption of your trip, and more.

Do I need travel insurance?

You’ve booked your vacation, you’re all set to go, but have you considered travel insurance and why you even need it?

What's covered, what's not covered?

Understanding the benefits, exclusions and limitations of travel insurance coverage can seem a bit overwhelming. To help make sense of it all, use these guidelines to understand what is and isn’t covered by travel insurance.

Travelling within Canada

When travelling outside of your home province, your provincial health insurance plan won’t necessarily travel with you. Travel insurance is not only essential when travelling abroad, it is also important when travelling to other provinces and territories within Canada.

Finding the right travel insurance for your trip is easier than you might think. in this section, we'll guide you through the options available based on the type of traveller you are and the main risks you will want to consider protecting yourself against.

I’m a Canadian resident planning for an upcoming trip

Review options for Canadian residents who are looking to be covered for an upcoming trip, along with tips to help you choose between the Medical Plan, Cancellation Plan, or Medical + Cancellation Plan.

I’m a Canadian resident taking two or more trips in the next year

If you are a Canadian resident and plan on taking two or more trips within a 365-day period, an Annual Plan is a convenient and cost-effective way to get coverage for unlimited trips.

I’m an international visitor to Canada

Are you from another country and plan to explore Canada? Do you have friends or family visiting Canada from abroad this year? Are you applying for a super visa? If you answered yes to any of these questions, the emergency medical coverage included in our Visitor to Canada Plan make it a must have.

I’m a Super Visa applicant

Are you or is one of your relatives visiting Canada as a Super Visa applicant? Our Visitors to Canada Plan meets the application requirements set out by the government of Canada for your stay.

Every trip begins with some planning, so before booking your adventure, or pulling out the luggage to pack, make sure that you are fully prepared for your trip. Check out our simple guide to understanding your travel insurance policy wording, a handy pre-trip checklist and an overview of our value-added, free travel assistance mobile app, TripWise.

Understanding your travel insurance policy

Before you travel, it’s important to read your travel insurance policy in detail so that you fully understand what is and isn’t covered. To help you navigate your policy wording, this section provides a simplified breakdown of the contents for travel insurance policies available through this site.

The essential travel checklist

Our essential checklist will help you get organized for your trip so you can enjoy it to the fullest.

TripWise app

The TripWise app from Allianz Global Assistance is a handy mobile travel companion full of useful, practical features, including an international hospital search tool, flight status tracker, emergency services (911) contact information by country and more. Get TripWise today!

Cancelling your trip

A last minute emergency forces you to cancel your trip. What happens next? To ensure that you know how to handle these types of situations, this section addresses how trip cancellation insurance works and what steps you’ll need to take in the event of an unexpected cancellation.

You’ve landed safely, but your bags haven’t. You’ve made it to your destination, and you slip and fall stepping off the bus. These are the kinds of sudden and unforeseen events that can change your travel plans and result in a claim for trip cancellation, trip interruption or medical emergency benefits. Find out what to do and how we can best assist you in these unexpected situations.

Seeking medical care

Whether it’s a visit to a clinic for a sprained ankle or a trip to the ER for an emergency surgery, we are here to assist you in your moment of need, helping you to locate medical care and monitoring your treatment at every step.

Medical transportation

When it comes to travel insurance, medical transportation can be as simple as a ground ambulance, or as complex as an air ambulance to get you to the nearest available medical facility or even back to Canada. Learn more about what medical transportation involves and how we coordinate it when required.

Unexpected trip delays

Your flight has been delayed by eight hours...What happens next?

Lost, stolen or delayed baggage

You’ve missed your connection and the airport has lost your luggage. Benefits for lost, stolen and delayed baggage in the Cancellation and Medical + Cancellation Plans offered by Allianz Global Assistance can help ease the burden.