Travel insurance while pregnant

Yes, you can usually travel while pregnant. But there’s a few things to think about before you book your trip. This includes:

It's best to check with your doctor or midwife if you can travel. Especially if:

If you want to fly while pregnant, you should check what the rules are with your airline. If you’re over 28 weeks’ pregnant, some airlines might ask for a doctor’s note to check you’re fit to fly.

If you travel while pregnant, there can be extra medical risks. So it’s best to check if you need any vaccinations or special medication for the place you’re going to.

In some countries, there’s a higher risk of infectious disease, like Zika. So you should avoid them completely if you’re pregnant.

Hotter climates can also increase the chance of heat exhaustion.

It’s important to get travel insurance in place that covers your pregnancy. It’ll help to cover any unexpected medical bills, disruptions or cancellations. And it can also give you peace of mind.

Tesco Travel Insurance covers pregnancy, regardless of the level of cover you go for. But bear in mind, cover is designed for unexpected medical issues or complications - rather than routine pregnancy care or a planned birth abroad.

Limits, exclusions and eligibility criteria apply, so it’s important to check the policy wording before buying.

You can usually get travel insurance while pregnant up to a certain stage of your pregnancy. This can vary, but it’s normally in the range of 28-36 weeks.

The further along you are in your pregnancy, the higher the risk you have. And after 36 weeks, you might not be able to get cover at all. Especially if you’ve been advised not to travel by a medical professional.

Before travelling, you might want to check:

If you travel against the advice of a medical professional, your travel insurance policy might not cover claims relating to that trip.

Tesco Travel Insurance covers pregnancy under our standard travel insurance options:

You can choose from 3 levels of cover - Economy, Standard or Premier. They all provide the same kind of cover, but with different limits.

All levels of cover include:

Monetary limits, excesses and exclusions apply. For full details, please see the policy documents.

You can learn more about the basics of travel insurance in our guide - Do I need travel insurance?

To find out more about the different types of travel insurance, see our guide - What type of travel insurance should I get?

In many cases, you can travel with a standard travel insurance policy while pregnant. You also shouldn’t have to pay more for travel insurance while pregnant.

However, what’s covered might depend on your individual circumstances. For example:

A pre-existing medical condition is an illness or condition that you know about before booking your trip or buy a policy.

With Tesco Travel Insurance, a normal pregnancy isn’t considered a pre-existing medical condition. However, some pregnancy complications might be treated as a medical condition. Check your policy documents for more details or call us on 0345 030 6124 if you’re unsure.

If you don’t tell us about any pregnancy complications that could come up, you might not be covered if you make a claim.

You can learn more about pre-existing conditions in our guide - What medical conditions are covered by travel insurance?

You don’t need to tell us you’re pregnant when you apply for Tesco Travel Insurance. That’s because pregnancy isn’t treated as a pre-existing medical condition.

However, if you have pregnancy-related complications or other medical conditions, you should let us know during the medical screening questions. This is so we can assess whether cover can be offered.

If you’re unsure, it’s a good idea to check before you travel. Please contact Tesco Travel Insurance.

Tesco Travel Insurance doesn’t cover routine pregnancy care or planned antenatal treatment. This includes normal childbirth without any complications.

Travel insurance is designed to provide cover for unforeseen events. Including accidents, illnesses and diseases.

With Tesco Travel Insurance, what you’re covered for depends on your own situation.

Tesco insurance does not cover the cost of a normal birth overseas, even if it is unexpected.

If there’s any complications during the birth, you might be covered if:

If you’ve been advised not to travel while you’re pregnant by a medical professional, and you still do:

This is also the case if:

If you’re unsure whether it’s safe for you to travel, it’s best to speak to your doctor before your trip.

If you decide to cancel your trip because you’re pregnant and have changed your mind, you won’t be covered by Tesco Travel Insurance for this.

However, your policy will cover you after purchasing if:

or

If there are known pregnancy complications at the time of purchasing a policy or any complications develop during your policy, you must inform us as soon as possible.

Depending on your level of cover, Tesco Travel Insurance could cover you for up to £10,000 for:

You can learn more about cover for cancellations in our guide - Will travel insurance cover cancellation and disruptions?

The Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC) and European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) don’t replace travel insurance. So, while these will help you access state-provided healthcare in the EU, treatment won’t always be free.

Travel insurance can help with the cost of unexpected medical bills and pregnancy complications. It might also pay for your next of kin to fly out and stay with you if you're seriously ill or help to get you home.

Learn more about the GHIC and EHIC in our guide - Do I need travel insurance if I have the GHIC or EHIC?

If you feel well enough, it’s your decision whether to fly or not. If you’re not sure, it’s best to check with your doctor and get professional medical advice.

If you have a normal pregnancy without any complications, flying won’t harm your baby*. But you might feel some discomfort in the air, like swelling, congestion and sickness.

Flying while pregnant also carries a small risk of deep vein thrombosis (DVT). Here’s what you need to know about it.

Many women prefer to fly after their first trimester. So, after 12 weeks. That’s because morning sickness and tiredness usually aren’t as bad by then.

If you’re pregnant, the safest time to fly is before 37 weeks if you’re carrying one baby. That’s around 8 months. And before 32 weeks if you’re carrying twins, which is around 7 months*.

If you have any pregnancy complications, or a pre-existing medical condition, you might be advised not to fly before then. Or not at all. You should check with your doctor or midwife to make sure.

You’ll need to take a few documents with you on holiday in case you need medical help while you’re away. This includes:

If you have Tesco Travel Insurance, you can call our helpline 24/7 to get help for a medical emergency while you’re away.

Emergency Medical Expenses are included with all our cover levels.

You can also talk to a doctor while you’re away - whenever you need to - with any of our Travel Insurance policies.

Talk to a doctor on the phone, 24/7. Or by video call, 8am-10pm, 7 days a week (excluding Christmas Day). For advice, reassurance, and, where appropriate, prescriptions or private referrals.

For full details please refer to the HealthHero section of your policy documents.

*According to the Royal College of Obstetricians & Gynaecologists

Tesco Travel Insurance is arranged and administered by Rock Insurance Services Limited and underwritten by AWP P&C S.A. Gadget Cover is underwritten by AmTrust Specialty Limited (AmTrust).

You'll find complete details of the cover, monetary limits, exclusions, excesses and terms in our policy documents.