International travel insurance: What it is and how it works

International travel insurance provides financial protection for travelers by covering expenses such as emergency medical treatment, medical evacuation, and eligible trip cancellation or interruption costs. It can be especially valuable because many domestic health plans offer limited coverage overseas.

Learn more about international travel insurance and the potential benefits it can offer.

What you’ll learn:

• International travel insurance can offer peace of mind and financial assistance should the unexpected disrupt your trip.

• Some of the most common types of international travel insurance are comprehensive, multitrip, cancellation, and health or medical insurance.

• The right insurance for you depends on many factors, including where you’re going, your health, your existing coverage and the level of risk you’re comfortable with.

International travel insurance is designed to provide financial protection against unexpected travel disruptions, helping cover eligible expenses when abroad.

You can buy travel insurance through insurance companies and brokers, travel agents, travel reservation sites, airlines or cruise lines. Some travel credit cards come with certain travel insurance protections, so it’s a good idea to check what yours covers.

Travel insurance protects your trip by covering unexpected emergencies while you’re traveling. Comprehensive plans generally include the following:

• Trip cancellation and interruption: Compensation for cutting short or canceling a trip because of illness or injury

• Travel delays: Reimbursement for flight-delay expenses

• Emergency medical assistance: Coverage for medical assistance for sickness or injury

• Emergency legal assistance: Coverage for legal assistance after an accident

When planning your next international trip, consider some of the most common types of international travel insurance, including:

Comprehensive travel insurance is designed to protect travelers against a broad range of risks, including trip cancellations, delays, baggage problems and medical emergencies. Some policies can be enhanced with optional coverage for specialized equipment, increased medical benefits or greater trip flexibility.

Also known as multitrip travel insurance, annual travel insurance provides coverage for multiple trips taken during a 12-month policy period under a single plan.

These policies are often designed for frequent travelers and commonly include emergency medical and evacuation coverage while away from home. Depending on the policy, they may also provide benefits for covered travel delays, baggage issues, trip interruptions and other travel-related disruptions.

By covering multiple trips under one policy, annual travel insurance can be a convenient and potentially cost-effective alternative to purchasing separate coverage for each journey.

This insurance might reimburse some prepaid travel costs if you have to cancel your trip due to physical illness or unforeseen natural disasters. It might also pay for food and lodging during a significant travel delay. Or it might cover expenses for the journey home if you need to end your trip early.

If you’re traveling outside the U.S., health insurance plans and programs like Medicare and Medicaid might not cover medical care. Travel health insurance plans are designed to bridge the gap and could reimburse you for medical expenses, emergency medical evacuation and even repatriation of remains.

Rental car insurance can help protect you from paying for things like collision damage, towing, repairs, theft or other problems. And lost luggage insurance can reimburse you if your luggage is lost, stolen or damaged.

Before you buy either separately, you can see whether you’re covered internationally for lost luggage reimbursement or rental car insurance through your credit card. You might also be reimbursed for lost or stolen personal belongings through your homeowners or renters policy.

It’s also possible to tie many different types of international travel insurance into a comprehensive package. These plans might include protections for things like trip interruptions or cancellations, lost luggage and even some medical expenses.

Here are some frequently asked questions about international travel insurance.

International travel insurance can help cover expenses and provide peace of mind should things go wrong while traveling abroad. And a Capital One travel credit card could help you feel even more prepared for your journey. Several Capital One credit cards include travel-related insurance benefits. You can refer to your guide to benefits for terms, conditions and exclusions. Plus, Capital One doesn’t charge foreign transaction fees on any credit cards that it issues within the U.S. View important rates and disclosures.