Annual travel insurance

You take out travel insurance to insure yourself of personal assistance abroad, coverage of extraordinary costs or damage to your luggage that can occur when you are travelling. Annual travel insurance can be cheaper than a short term period travel insurance, especially if you go on holiday often and for a longer period of time. Below you will find more information about the coverage of the annual travel insurance and its benefits.

What is annual travel insurance?

An annual travel insurance is valid throughout the entire year. This means that you take out this insurance once for one year. You do not have to take out a new short term period travel insurance with every trip you make in the same year.

When do you choose annual travel insurance?

An annual travel insurance is interesting if you go on holiday more often per year. If you already know at the start of the year that you will be travelling for more than 20 days a year, it is often cheaper to take out annual travel insurance. Besides this, annual travel insurance frees you from having to think about travel insurance every time you go on holiday. Insurers see the following events as holidays:

• Day trips
• Backpacking (keep the maximum travel time in mind!
• Weekend trips and city breaks (even in the Netherlands)
• Multiple holidays per year (such as winter sports and summer holidays)

We have compared annual travel insurance policies for students and have drawn up a top 5 annual travel insurance to help you with choosing the best annual travel insurance policy for you.

Benefits of annual travel insurance in a row

• You can go on holiday as often as you want.
• You don’t have to take out travel insurance for every holiday or weekend.
• You are often cheaper with an annual travel insurance.
• You only pay 1 closing fee.
• You can adapt an annual travel insurance to your personal wishes.
• Your annual travel insurance will continue automatically.
• You are covered for trips in the Netherlands as well

Basic coverage of an annual travel insurance

The following is generally covered under the basic cover of an annual travel insurance:

• 1. Extraordinary costs abroad
  Extraordinary costs are costs that unexpected events may bring along. This coverage often reimburses you for the costs you made for an extra stay abroad or special transport back to the Netherlands. Investigation or rescue actions and the transfer of your partner or another family member to hospital admission, for example, are generally eligible for reimbursement.
• 2. Damage to accommodation
  If you accidentally cause damage to your holiday accommodation, such as a holiday home or hotel room, you are insured for the costs of the damage.
• 3. Telephone costs
  If you made high telephone costs because you have called Dutch helplines because of an emergency, then it is possible to get these costs back. Telephone costs from abroad can be high, so it’s nice to know that these costs are covered.
• 4. Loss or theft of luggage
  Coverage and loss of your luggage generally fall within this cover. This is usually reimbursed up to a certain amount by your insurance company.
• 5. Personal assistance
  During your stay abroad you turn to the alarm centre of your insurer. You can call this centre in case of illness, an accident or if you want to return home unexpectedly due to family circumstances.

European coverage or World coverage?

In most cases, you can make a choice between European coverage or World coverage with an annual travel insurance policy.

• 1. European coverage
  With this cover you will only receive compensation in case of damage if you stay in Europe. If you stay within Europe, this coverage is sufficient.
• 2. World coverage
  If you go outside of Europe, even if it is only a few days a year, it is wise to conclude World Cover. If you only have a European coverage and you still travel outside Europe, you are not insured.

Supplementary coverage of annual travel insurance

Outside the basic cover you can choose to supplement the travel insurance to your own wishes.

• 1. Supplementary luggage cover
  You can, for example, add a top cover of luggage to cover valuable luggage at higher amounts.
• 2. Winter sports coverage
  Winter sports vacations are usually not covered in many basic insurance policies. If you go on winter sports every year, it is advisable to insure this additionally.
• 3. Dangerous sports
  Are you going to practice a sport that carries a higher risk of accidents? Then your travel insurance often does not offer standard coverage. This concerns sports such as kite surfing, diving, hiking or bungee jumping.
• 4. Additional medical costs
  At the moment that something happens to you abroad and you need emergency medical assistance, you will be reimbursed for medical treatment up to the Dutch rate from the health insurance. In foreign countries, however, treatment costs may be considerably higher. In these cases, the supplementary medical costs cover offers a solution: this cover reimburses the costs that exceed the Dutch rate.
• 5. Car breakdown cover
  Are you going on holiday by car or another motor vehicle? Then supplementary roadside assistance can offer a solution if you are out of luck or are unable to continue with your vehicle (while being abroad). In such a case, a replacement vehicle is usually arranged.

Cancelling

You can also cancel the insurance in the event of some changes in the policy or premium increases. It is also possible to cancel your annual travel insurance on a monthly basis if the travel insurance has been automatically extended once by 1 year.

The exact information on this topic can be found on the website of your insurer in the general contract conditions.