Insurance restrictions - more than 6 months in UK

LittleGreyCat

I have an interesting Catch22 problem.

I am in the UK (UK citizen) but have been in Australia for the last 2 years. I arrived back in the UK at the end of June on a single ticket.

I now unexpectedly have to travel to Australia for 2 weeks in August.

I am finding that there are 3 conditions in the UK which must be met before you can buy travel insurance.

(1) Currently in the UK; check.

(2) Journey must start and end in the UK; check.

(3) Traveller must have been resident in the UK for more than 6 months in the last year; oh, dear.

So I have two questions; does anyone know of an insurer who doesn't insist on 6 months in the UK before issuing insurance and has anyone tried to arrange insurance with an Australian firm?

As you can no doubt see, if the same rules apply in Australia I would fulfil requirement (3) but fail on (1) and (2).

NiftyDigits

Clause; "I have been resident in Australia for the past 3 months and will be commencing this Trip from, and returning to, Australia" will get you if utilising Australia based insurance such as http://travel.columbusdirect.com.au

So your choices are limited.

Example here: http://www.world-first.co.uk/home/travel-insurance/non-uk-residents.aspx

LittleGreyCat

NiftyDigits wrote: »

Clause; "I have been resident in Australia for the past 3 months and will be commencing this Trip from, and returning to, Australia" will get you if utilising Australia based insurance such as <snip URL>

So your choices are limited.

Example here: <snip URL>

I may be clicking the wrong link once I get to the site, but this seems to be medical insurance from IMG only.

I'm looking for full travel insurance including flight problems etc.

I had to snip the URLs because as a "new user" (since only 2009) it seems I can't post links.

NiftyDigits

Just search for insurance for non UK residents.

Example: https://www.expatriatehealthcare.com/travel-insurance-2/

It's not going to be cheap if you want comparable travel insurance. Most people want to be covered for medical expenses.

Flight problems? What insurance cover you for 'flight problems'?

sheramber

Flight problems are usually down to the airline to remedy. You would need to check with whatever airline you were travelling what they provide when flights are delayed/cancelled.

Voyager2002

Google "True traveller" for a policy suitable for this situation.

NiftyDigits

Voyager2002 wrote: »

Google "True traveller" for a policy suitable for this situation.

It's seems on this occasion you are worthy of your username

https://www.truetraveller.com/

Note for the OP:

Should you require medical treatment in Australia, residents of the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Sweden,
Slovenia, Norway, Finland, Italy, Malta, Belgium and the Republic of Ireland MUST enrol with MEDICARE.

Seeing as they were there for a while, it's possibly a fait accompli.

LittleGreyCat

sheramber wrote: »

Flight problems are usually down to the airline to remedy. You would need to check with whatever airline you were travelling what they provide when flights are delayed/cancelled.

Flight problems were more along the lines of getting stuck in a 5 hour queue on the M25 and missing the flight.

Or train strike or other transport problem (including accident or illness) preventing me catching the flight.

Unlikely, but getting hit by a mobility scooter in the supermarket and ending up in A&E the day before the flight with two broken ankles could ruin the whole trip.

LittleGreyCat

NiftyDigits wrote: »

Just search for insurance for non UK residents.

Example: https://www.expatriatehealthcare.com/travel-insurance-2/

It's not going to be cheap if you want comparable travel insurance. Most people want to be covered for medical expenses.

Flight problems? What insurance cover you for 'flight problems'?

There lies one issue.
The TrueTraveller site linked to above (thanks) is for EU permanent residents.
I am a UK citizen with no permanent residence elsewhere but does living in Australia for the last two years make me an "expat"?

When asked for "country of residence" is this UK or Australia?

I have sent a query to True Traveller but will have to wait until next week for a response.

Expat Travel also wants to know country of residence.
Is this another way of asking which country you lived in for more than 6 months in the last year?
I was a temporary resident in Australia - am I a permanent resident in the UK after being back for 4 weeks? Or at least enough of a resident to pick the UK as my country of residence?

NiftyDigits

LittleGreyCat wrote: »

There lies one issue.
The TrueTraveller site linked to above (thanks) is for EU permanent residents.
I am a UK citizen with no permanent residence elsewhere but does living in Australia for the last two years make me an "expat"?

When asked for "country of residence" is this UK or Australia?

I have sent a query to True Traveller but will have to wait until next week for a response.

Expat Travel also wants to know country of residence.
Is this another way of asking which country you lived in for more than 6 months in the last year?
I was a temporary resident in Australia - am I a permanent resident in the UK after being back for 4 weeks? Or at least enough of a resident to pick the UK as my country of residence?

If they don't ask you the question during the form filling, then it is not relevant. If you are resident in the U.K., put U.K..

Voyager2002

LittleGreyCat wrote: »

When asked for "country of residence" is this UK or Australia?

It means: in the event of medical evacuation, where would they take you? Put another way, it means the country where someone else would be picking up further bills for medical treatment (travel insurance covers you until you get to your home country, where the NHS or your usual health insurance will take over).