Travel insurance for India

On our Annual policy, India is covered under our ‘Worldwide excluding USA and Canada’ area of cover. Select India as your destination on our Single Trip or Backpacker policy and you’ll be charged the apporopriate premium. Any of these policies will be invalid if you travel to a region of India that the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has advised against all travel, or against all but essential travel. Currently, the FCDO advises against all travel to some areas of India, including most of Jammu and Kashmir as well as the vicinity of the Pakistani border. For the latest advice from the FCDO, please visit their website. 

From 5th May 2021 we will no longer be offering travel insurance policies to cover people’s pre-existing medical conditions. This is only a temporary measure while we make improvements to our online booking engine. Please keep an eye on the Allianz Assistance website in the future so you are aware when we are able to offer this additional cover again. Policies purchased before 5th May 2021 aren’t affected and your cover won’t change.

If you have a pre-existing medical condition, while we may not be able to cover you at the moment, it’s vital that you declare it to your insurance provider when you take out travel insurance for your India trip. This way, you’ll know whether or not they are able to cover you, should anything happen.

According to the National Travel Health Network and Centre (NaTHNaC), when travelling to India, you should be up to date with routine vaccinations such as measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) and the diphtheria-tetanus-polio vaccine. Most travellers visiting India will require vaccinations for hepatitis A, tetanus and typhoid; some travellers may also need vaccinations for cholera, hepatitis B, Japanese Encephalitis (JE), rabies and tuberculosis (TB).

If you’re travelling from a country that has a risk of yellow fever, then you will also require a yellow fever vaccination certificate.

If you need help or support while you’re in India, we can provide 24-hour emergency medical assistance and also a GP telephone and video consultation service. We also have a legal helpline for our policyholders. For contact information, and to find out if any exclusions apply, please consult your policy documents.  

When you’re travelling around India, you need to be aware of regional variations. Over 20 languages are spoken in India and many of the 29 states and seven union territories have their own laws. Before you visit each state, you should research the local laws and ensure you’re aware of the customs of the region. If you’re visiting religious or sacred sites, then you should also make sure you’re dressed respectfully.

If you’re visiting different states, then India has a great train network where you can take in amazing views as you travel. The train system is reliable and affordable, but you should aim to travel in first or second class. Much like you would if you were travelling in the UK, you should remain vigilant while on board and you should take particular care of your valuables. If you’re covering large distances, then India also has a good network of internal flights.

For travel within cities, local buses are incredibly popular. Although you can hire a car, many traffic rules are not observed by locals, which can make driving difficult. As a result, most tourists use public transport instead. Rickshaws and taxis are both popular, but they are prone to scams, so you should not get into them alone. When travelling by rickshaw, you should be particularly vigilant of people trying to steal your valuables.