For many UK travellers the hardest part of booking a holiday is not choosing a destination but answering the medical questions on a travel insurance quote. Leave something out and a claim could be refused; declare it and you may worry the price will jump or cover will be declined altogether.
This guide walks through the declaration process step by step, using Avanti Travel Insurance as a worked example. Avanti is a UK provider that says it covers pre-existing medical conditions at any age. Everything below is taken from its website as checked on 4 November 2026; policy limits and wording can change, so always read the current policy documents before you buy.
Contents
- What Counts as a Pre-Existing Medical Condition?
- Which Conditions Can Be Covered?
- Step by Step: How the Screening Works
- Avanti Cover Levels Compared
- What Is Usually Not Covered
- If Your Health Changes Before You Travel
- Cruises and Other Trip Types
- What If You Are Turned Down?
- Checklist Before You Get a Quote
- About Avanti
- Final Thoughts
What Counts as a Pre-Existing Medical Condition?
Insurers define this more widely than most people expect. Avanti says it asks about conditions from the last two years, even if they have been treated or feel under control now. According to its pre-existing conditions page, that includes anything you have:
- had symptoms of
- spoken to a doctor about
- received medication, treatment or surgery for, including anything planned but not yet started
- had medical tests, investigations or consultations for
- needed follow-up appointments or non-routine check-ups for
Avanti also says it will ask whether you have ever had a condition affecting your heart or circulation, such as high blood pressure, a stroke or heart disease, even if it is well managed now. In other words, the two-year window does not apply to heart and circulatory conditions.
Which Conditions Can Be Covered?
Avanti lists a wide range of conditions it is able to cover, including heart conditions, cancer, digestive conditions, breathing conditions, neurodegenerative diseases, eye and neurological conditions, mental health conditions, autoimmune disorders, kidney conditions, back pain, chronic pain and allergies. It also has separate pages for several of these, such as heart conditions, cancer and breathing conditions. Whether your own condition is covered, and at what price, is only confirmed when you complete a quote.
Step by Step: How the Screening Works
Avanti describes a three-step process, which is similar to how most specialist medical travel insurers work:
1. Tell them about the trip. You will be asked where you are going, when you are travelling, and whether you need cover for a single trip or several trips a year (an annual multi-trip policy).
2. Complete the medical screening. You declare any conditions with symptoms, treatment or tests in the last two years, plus any heart or circulatory condition, past or present. Avanti says this can be done online or by phone, and that it does not need access to your medical records.
3. Review the quote. If the conditions can be covered, Avanti says they are included in the quote, so you know where you stand before you travel. You then choose a cover level and any extras such as cruise or winter sports cover.
Avanti Cover Levels Compared
Avanti offers three levels of cover. These are the headline limits shown on its pre-existing conditions page on 4 November 2026:
| Benefit | Essentials | Classic | Deluxe |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cancellation and cutting trip short | £1,000 | £5,000 | £7,500 |
| Medical emergency and repatriation | £5 million | £10 million | Unlimited |
| Personal baggage | £1,000 | £2,000 | £3,000 |
| Missed departure | Not shown | £1,000 | £1,500 |
| Money and passport | £300 | £500 | £600 |
| Personal liability | £2 million | £2 million | £2 million |
| Excess | £150 | £75 | Nil |
The biggest differences are the cancellation limit and the excess. If you are booking an expensive trip months ahead, and your health could change before departure, the cancellation limit matters as much as the medical cover. Check the policy wording, Key Facts and IPID documents, which Avanti links from the same page, for the exact terms.
What Is Usually Not Covered
Declaring a condition does not mean everything is covered. Avanti highlights several common exclusions:
- Travelling against medical advice: if your doctor says you should not go, cover will not apply.
- Not declaring a condition, even one that seems minor.
- Trips planned around getting medical treatment abroad.
- Accidents involving alcohol or drugs.
- Routine care, check-ups or treatment you could have had at home.
If Your Health Changes Before You Travel
This is the step people most often forget. If you are diagnosed with something new, change medication or are waiting for test results after buying a policy, Avanti asks you to call. It says it will ask the same kind of questions as in the original quote and then tell you whether it can continue cover and on what terms. Avanti also notes a £15 fee for policy changes made by phone, while changes made online are free.
Cruises and Other Trip Types
Cruise cover is offered as an add-on, which is worth considering because medical evacuation from a ship can be complex and costly. Avanti sells single-trip and annual multi-trip policies, and lists winter sports as another optional extra. If you travel two or three times a year, comparing an annual quote with separate single trips is sensible, since your medical answers apply to the whole policy.
What If You Are Turned Down?
No insurer can cover every condition. Avanti points customers to the British Insurance Brokers’ Association (BIBA) medical directory, which lists specialist providers, including Avanti. BIBA can be reached on 0370 950 1790 or through its online directory, and may help you find another insurer if one cannot offer cover.
Checklist Before You Get a Quote
- List every condition with symptoms, tests, treatment or appointments in the last two years.
- Add any heart or circulation condition ever diagnosed, including well-controlled high blood pressure.
- Have your current medication names and doses to hand.
- Note any planned surgery or pending test results.
- Ask your GP if you are unsure, and check you are fit to travel.
- Read the policy wording before paying, not after.
About Avanti
According to its website, Avanti Travel Insurance is a trading name of TICORP Limited, which is registered in Gibraltar and authorised by the Gibraltar Financial Services Commission (FCA FRN 663617), and policies are administered by Howserv Limited in Northampton (FCA FRN 599282). Avanti also advertises a 24/7 emergency helpline and help getting home if you fall seriously ill abroad.
Final Thoughts
Honest, complete answers are the key to medical travel insurance. Take ten minutes to list your conditions before you start, use the cover table above to decide how much cancellation and medical cover you need, and call your insurer if anything changes before you fly. You can start a medical screening on the Avanti website.
To compare levels for your own trip, run a quote with Avanti Travel Insurance and read the documents before you buy.
Disclaimer: This article contains affiliate links. If you buy through them we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. This is general information, not financial or medical advice. Details were checked on 4 November 2026 and may change.
