For many UK residents, volunteer work overseas will be the trip of a lifetime. You may be in the process of simply researching a solo mission, looking to join a current project overseas, providing humanitarian relief or teaching. Insurance plays a crucial part in helping your trip run smoothly and having the appropriate charity worker travel insurance or NGO travel insurance for your activities in today’s climate has never been more important.
Why Standard Travel Insurance may not be enough
A typical standard travel insurance policy is often designed for leisure trips. Most providers do not include cover for if you are going overseas to conduct voluntary, missionary and charity work. Bank account packages which include travel insurance face even stricter criteria and exclusions, specifically when it comes to volunteering.
Whilst an extension or addition to one of these policies may seem like you are adequately covered, in reality, volunteers and charity aid workers overseas have very different insurance requirements.
Specialist insurance brokers, such as Salt, have become experts in arranging overseas volunteer travel insurance specifically for charity and aid workers who are UK residents. From their knowledge of assisting previous volunteers, aid workers and missionaries throughout the years, Salt’s specialist insurance brokers develop policies to meet the exact requirements of these individuals. Even for niche activities or certain medical conditions, a specialist insurance broker can sometimes negotiate cover on your behalf.
What Volunteer Travel Insurance Should Cover
Whilst Volunteer Travel Insurance should not replace a standalone private medical insurance policy, an appropriate volunteer travel insurance policy is still able to support a wide range of unexpected events during your trip. Whilst making sure your insurance is appropriate for your travel plans; it is a good idea to check whether the policy includes the following recommended by Government guidance (1):
- Medical emergencies and repatriation
- Lost or stolen baggage
- Trip cancellations or interruptions
Both of Salt’s Single Trip and Annual-Multi Trip typical travel insurance policies have additional covers including:
- Journey Continuation
- Personal Property
- Business Equipment
- Personal Liability
A full list of additional covers included within your Salt insurance policy are available upon request.
Who needs Volunteer Travel Insurance
One of the reasons volunteers and charity aid workers have such niche insurance requirements is because of the varied activities they do whilst overseas. Specialist cover for volunteer and charity aid workers may be suitable for:
- Charity volunteers
- Aid workers
- Missionaries
- Gap-year volunteers
- Conservation volunteers
- Teachers and educators working abroad
- Medical and healthcare volunteers
- NGO personnel
Salt is open to considering all types of volunteering as we understand no two trips are the same. Let an adviser know if you’re unsure whether you’re covered for your activities.
Common Volunteer Activities Covered
Provided work is not being undertaken for financial reward and is strictly voluntary, Salt is open to insuring all kinds of overseas volunteering and charity aid. Examples of volunteer activities that may be covered include:
- Community development projects
- Teaching and education programmes
- Environmental conservation
- Wildlife conservation
- Orphanage and childcare support
- Healthcare and medical outreach
- Disaster relief and humanitarian assistance
Further sports and recreational activities should be reviewed within your policy documents to check if you are sufficiently covered. For instance, ice skating, Nordic skiing, and tobogganing can be added as an extension to your Salt Insurance policy with an additional premium.
When to arrange your Volunteer Travel Insurance policy
Arranging your travel insurance policy is an essential part of trip preparation and we recommend making a Salt Insurance Adviser aware as soon as reasonably possible or begin reviewing indicative quotations. Giving yourself ample time to review your cover can help with peace of mind and confirm the cover is appropriate for your circumstances.
To obtain a quotation or purchase cover online, visit Salt Insurance’s travel insurance page. If you have specific requirements or need to discuss policy extensions, contact an adviser on 01342 843560 or email info@saltinsurance.com.
*Please note, all material information is considered true at the time of publishing.
References
1) https://travelaware.campaign.gov.uk/travel-insurance/
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