Holidaymakers warned over 10 medical conditions that must be declared before travelling

Securing travel insurance is an essential step in holiday planning, especially if you require medical assistance while overseas. Experts have cautioned that failing to declare a range of medical conditions when purchasing insurance could result in substantial expenses.

With medical repatriation fees potentially exceeding £100,000, Admiral Travel Insurance emphasises the importance of informing your insurer about any medical diagnoses. Even though many UK residents might possess a GHIC or EHIC card, these offer limited protection and are not substitutes for full travel insurance coverage. Cosmin Sarbu, the Head of Travel Insurance at Admiral, advised: "For peace of mind and to ensure you are covered, it's always best to declare all medical conditions when taking out a travel insurance policy, before you travel."

He further warned: "Although the chances of having to make a medical claim are slim, illness or injuries can be both very distressing and expensive to resolve."

Failing to disclose all medical conditions jeopardises insurance coverage for all costs, which means individuals could face paying tens of thousands for treatment and safe repatriation if they need to claim, reports Daily Record.

It's important to note that neither a GHIC nor an EHIC card covers the expense of medical repatriation.

Cosmin said: "Generally, we need to know about all medical conditions someone currently has. With some conditions, such as heart problems, we need to know if someone has ever been diagnosed with them, even if they've now recovered and are no longer being treated for these.

"At Admiral, we ask about these when someone gets a travel insurance quote. It's always best to include all medical conditions you've had or check with your insurer before you take out cover, if you're not sure.

"We prompt customers when they go through a quote with us to remind them what medical conditions they need to tell us about.

"Travellers need to tell us about what even might seem like a minor visit to a doctor or GP for advice, treatment or prescriptions, any ongoing investigation into their health or if they're waiting for a diagnosis.

"They also need to declare if they're on a waiting list for inpatient treatment. If you're not sure what condition you were seen for, check with your doctor to ensure you include an accurate description when you buy your policy."

Admiral's analysis uncovered that the top ten most frequently declared ailments on travel insurance policies from May 2024 to March 2025 were:

1. High Blood Pressure

2. High Cholesterol

3. Anxiety and/or Depression

4. Asthma

5. Diabetes

6. Osteoarthritis

7. Underactive Thyroid

8. Coronary Angioplasty

9. Hypertension

10. Heart Attack

Cosmin explained: "Although insurance costs vary depending on the type of condition, how much a medical condition affects your premium also depends on other factors, like the number of people travelling on a policy, how long you're going for and the travel destination.

"While it's not possible to say specifically how particular medical conditions can impact on premiums, Admiral has provided some examples to indicate how much a premium could increase by when adding some common conditions."

Admiral currently offers cover for more than 3,100 different medical conditions. While there are certain conditions that cannot be covered, Admiral suggests it's always best to discuss these with your insurer first, as coverage can differ on a case-by-case basis.

If Admiral is unable to provide cover for a specific medical condition, they will direct customers to specialist travel insurance options available through the MoneyHelper directory.

Cosmin added: "We ask our travel insurance customers to declare all medical conditions, including any ongoing treatment, when taking out a policy.

"This is to ensure we can provide cover at an appropriate price for the customer based on their medical needs. Not doing so could leave someone underinsured if they make a claim or could invalidate their insurance entirely.

"If a customer requires medical treatment while abroad which is related to medical conditions that haven't been declared to us, we may decline their claim.

"Or if someone has failed to declare medical conditions which would have resulted in a higher premium, we may pay the claim on a proportional basis.

"This means we will only cover the claim up to the percentage of the premium they have paid, and the customer will be responsible for any costs over and above the proportional settlement.

"We never take the decision to refuse or proportionally settle a claim lightly and we will always work with the customer to ensure they receive adequate support in these cases.

"However, they could end up having to pay medical treatment fees themselves and these can run into hundreds or even thousands of pounds."

Cosmin continued: "We completely understand that some travellers might be worried about declaring medical conditions because they think it will increase the cost of their insurance. Declaring a medical condition doesn't always result in a higher premium and even if it does, the additional cost will ensure they are protected should the worst happen while they are away.

"Some travellers might not be aware of what they need to declare. So, the best advice is to check with your travel insurer and to let them know about any medical conditions you have."

The spokesperson added: "We always want to look out for our customers and encourage you to reach out if there's anything you're unsure of in the process of buying travel insurance."

Furthermore, there is one health consideration that does not need to be disclosed. Cosmin explained: "We don't consider menopause, whether requiring HRT or not, to be a medical condition and don't require customers to declare it."