At a glance
You’ll need volunteer travel insurance to cover all the activities you’ll be taking part in.
Travel insurance can cover you if you fall ill, your trip is cancelled, or your possessions are stolen.
Specialist volunteer travel insurance policies are available.
You can’t compare standalone volunteer travel insurance with Compare the Market.
Why do you need volunteer travel insurance?
Taking out travel insurance can give you a safety net if you need medical treatment, your trip is cancelled, or your possessions are lost or stolen.
Having travel insurance that covers all the volunteering activities you’re taking part in means you can travel with peace of mind and focus on the great work you’re doing, even in underdeveloped or remote regions.
Like any kind of travel cover, it’s worth taking out volunteer travel insurance, sometimes also known as gap-year insurance or working holiday insurance, as soon as your trip is booked.
If something goes wrong and it never gets off the ground, you may be able to get compensation for any money you’ve paid up front.
Unfortunately, you can't compare standalone volunteer travel insurance with Compare the Market. Check with your travel insurance provider to see if they’ll cover volunteer work. If not, you’ll need to look for a specialist policy.
Can I get travel insurance volunteering with animals?
Yes, you can get travel insurance for volunteer work with animals, but you’ll need to let your provider know this is what you’ll be doing before taking out a policy.
If you’ll be working with domestic animals, or even some larger animals within animal sanctuaries, you may be covered under a standard volunteering policy.
Check your policy carefully to see what you are covered for as even normally docile animals that are ill or injured and in pain can act unpredictably.
If you’ll be working with wild animals, or ‘big game’ species, such as big cats and elephants, you’ll need specialist animal cover in your volunteer travel insurance.
Can I get travel insurance for volunteer work that involves manual labour?
Yes, you can find working travel insurance that will cover you for manual work abroad, including the use of tools and equipment.
Make sure you’re clear about the work you’ll be doing before you take out your policy.
Certain policies may cover the physical work typical of community development projects as standard, but it’s essential to check the policy wording carefully, before you commit, to make sure it’s a good fit.
You may also need to check if the policy will cover you for working at height or with machinery.
How is travel insurance for volunteer work different from standard travel insurance?
As a volunteer, you’ll probably be travelling for far longer and going off the beaten track more than a regular holidaymaker.
Look for specific insurance policies that cover longer trips and offer continuous cover for a year or even 24 months.
You should also think about the different activities you might be taking part in. Some longer policies even offer a trip back home in case you need to return for specific personal reasons.
You could also look into policies that include legal expenses.
What is covered by volunteer travel insurance?
Here’s what’s usually covered by a volunteer travel insurance policy:
Medical expenses – if you require medical treatment while travelling, the right policy could cover the cost
Cancellation cover – if you’re forced to cancel your trip due to illness, injury or a listed emergency
Curtailment – if you’re forced to cut your trip short due to illness, injury or another emergency
Repatriation – if you need to travel back to the United Kingdom (or other home country) for medical treatment
Baggage cover – if your belongings are lost, damaged or stolen while travelling.
What isn’t covered by volunteer travel insurance?
As with other types of travel insurance, there are some common exclusions to be aware of when you’re volunteering or working abroad.
Volunteer travel insurance typically won’t cover:
Cancellation after changing your mind about the trip.
Any pre-existing medical conditions you haven’t disclosed when you applied for the policy.
Items lost or stolen due to negligence.
Work underground, in caves or offshore.
Injuries sustained while taking part in adventure activities like rock climbing or scuba diving. If you’re planning on taking part in extreme sports or water sports, you’ll need to take out extra cover.
Any accidents or injuries that happened when you were under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
Travelling to a location if a warning has been issued by the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) advising against all but essential travel. You may find a few specialist providers that will offer cover for high-risk areas.
Any claims resulting from you breaking local laws. It’s your job to familiarise yourself with laws wherever you are in the world.
Kidnap and ransom – you'll need to take out a separate policy for this.
Cover for natural disasters or acts of terrorism may also be limited. Check your policy to see what’s covered.
What else do I need to consider when taking out volunteer travel insurance?
When looking for travel insurance, think about:
Your destination
If you plan to travel to more than one country, even if it’s just passing through in transit, you should make sure each country is covered by your policy.
Sports activities
Will you be doing any sports or extreme activities while you’re travelling?
Regular sports might be covered by your travel insurance, but you may need to add cover for higher-risk activities such as potholing, bungee jumping or trekking. Check what activities are included and excluded by your policy.
Vaccinations
Speak to your GP before you travel to see if you need any vaccinations for the countries you’re visiting and make sure your immunisations are up to date.
Ask if you’ll need to take other precautionary health measures, such as anti-malarial medicine, for the regions you’re travelling to.
Healthcare professionals advise an appointment around eight weeks before you travel so any newly-created immunity has time to be effective.
Not all travel vaccinations are available for free on the NHS. You can see which vaccines you might have to pay for on the NHS website.
Some countries require proof of vaccination which must be documented on an International Certificate of Vaccination or Prophylaxis (ICVP) before you enter or when you leave.
Your travel insurance won't cover you if you are refused entry for not getting the vaccine or proof.
Medical conditions
You’ll need to tell your insurance provider about any pre-existing medical conditions you have. If you don’t tell them up front and you end up needing medical care while travelling, your insurance provider could decide not to pay out.
Does the sort of volunteering I do change the travel insurance I need?
Yes, you’ll need to be clear about the sort of volunteering activities you’ll be doing to make sure you end up with the right cover.
Different volunteering projects have different risks, whether you’re helping to build a school, teaching children, working on an organic farm or volunteering for a wildlife conservation organisation.
Failing to provide full details is on you and could risk invalidating your insurance.
It’s also worth checking if the organisation you’re volunteering with has any cover already in place.
Customers with pre-existing medical conditions
If you have a serious health condition, your travel insurance is likely to be more expensive. Whatever happens, tell your insurance provider the truth. If you give false information or miss something out, your claim could be rejected.
When you declare any medical conditions on our website, we’ll only show you quotes from insurance providers that will cover them with no exclusions.
If your condition is more serious, MoneyHelper has a directory of insurance providers who may be able to provide quotes over the phone. You can call them on 0800 138 7777.
Looking for a quote?
Compare travel insurance quotes with us in minutes to see if you can save.
FAQs
Is there an age limit for volunteer travel insurance?
There’s no age limit for volunteering or gap-year travel, but some travel insurance policies may have upper age limits. Check the policy details for any eligibility requirements.
Will my volunteer organisation have employers’ liability cover?
Although employers’ liability cover is a legal requirement in the UK for both paid and unpaid positions, that’s not always true elsewhere in the world. Speak to the charity or organisation you’ll be volunteering with and ask what insurance they have in place to protect you while you’re working. Then fill any gaps in cover with your own travel insurance policy.
If I decide to volunteer for longer, can I extend my insurance?
You may be able to extend your travel insurance policy, but it will depend on your provider. Get in touch before your policy runs out and explain your situation. They will be able to advise you on what to do next.
Looking for something else?
With more than eight years’ experience in writing and sub-editing content, Karen started her career in fashion before making the move to insurance. She now specialises in producing clear, engaging content that helps people make better financial decisions.
Karen’s areas of expertise include insurance products, such as car insurance, travel insurance and life insurance, as well as utilities such as energy comparison.
Stephen Maunder is an experienced personal finance editor, having spent more than a decade working for consumer print and online titles. He won several industry awards for his personal finance features at Which?, before becoming Deputy Editor at Compare the Market.
Our content is written by a Compare the Market expert, backed by data and enhanced by technology. Find out how we ensure accuracy and quality in our Editorial Guidelines.
