While it is possible to secure travel insurance right up to the point where you jet off for your holiday, failing to plan in good time could mean you miss out on vital coverage elements, travel insurance experts have warned. 

Travel insurance is vital in providing financial cover for many eventualities and situations that you might encounter when abroad.

This can range from lost or stolen items and trip cancellations to medical expenses and repatriation.

New data from GoCompare has highlighted that despite the risks, almost a third of all UK holidaymakers wait until the day they jet off to pick up a travel insurance policy.

Thankfully, experts at Which? Have highlighted one of the most common mistakes to help tourists avoid pitfalls when it comes to picking the perfect policy.

“If you forget to take out cover before embarking on a holiday, most policies are likely to be void and will leave you unable to claim in the instance of an emergency,” the Which? experts revealed.

According to Navigator Travel Insurance, it is a condition of most travel insurance policies in the UK that the start date of your trip must match your UK departure, meaning you must have purchased a policy before you left home. 

However, there are some limited options which can be explored if you’ve left it too late to secure a deal. 

“GoCompare says that people can buy specialist post-departure insurance which provides the same level of cover as a standard travel insurance policy.”

“This is only available from select smaller companies though, so you’ll end up with less choice and may pay more than you would for a standard policy,” they warned. 

“You may also have to wait 24, 48 or 72 hours before coverage starts too in an anti-fraud measure to stop people taking out policies after a problem has already occurred.”