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Annual Travel Insurance - a guide for tourists from the Philippines

Annual travel insurance are designed for frequent travelers, whether for business trips or holiday tours

Annual Travel Insurance text over a view from a flying airplane

Discussed in this article are annual travel insurance plans underwritten by insurance companies based in the Philippines. This covers things you must know about annual travel insurance, discussing various plans and its key advantages.

If you're a frequent traveler or simply someone planning multiple trips in the next 12 months, this article is curated to help you make informed decisions to find the best annual travel insurance plan for you.

 

Annual Travel Insurance Definition

What is annual travel insurance?

In general, travel insurance is a product that protects a covered person against various risks during the course of his or her trip. For deep dive understanding on what travel insurance is, read our article about What is travel insurance?

Compared to the more common short-term (or sometimes referred to as single-trip) travel insurance policy, an Annual travel insurance policy has a contract period of 1 year. Like most non-life insurance policies, it is renewable yearly.

 

woman holding an annual travel insurance policy while booking a flight online

 

Most annual policies are multi-trip policies. These are designed for frequent travelers, which are further discussed below:

 

Annual multi-trip travel insurance

Annual travel insurance is generally known as multi-trip travel insurance. This is a type of travel insurance policy that provides coverage for unlimited number of trips within a policy contract.  Usually, it is a one-year policy, hence the word “annual”. 

This is the opposite to “single-trip” travel insurance policies, where the policy contract can be a few days to months only. Single-trip travel insurance policies are commonly purchased here in the Philippines.

 

 

solo traveler in the woods

 

Things you need to know about annual travel insurance plans

Most annual policies cannot cover extra long trips

There is a misconcepcion that an annual policy can cover long-term travels (e.g. a trip to Europe for a long term stay).  There are available single-trip travel insurance plans that can cover 365 straight days, but generally these types of plans are much more expensive. 

For example, if you are staying in Europe for 4 months, and your annual travel insurance policy can cover up to 90 days only, you will no longer have coverage for the 91st day onwards, unless you return to the Philippines, that will give you a fresh, 90-day coverage again.

 

Check if there are limitations in the destinations

Most tourist destinations can be covered by annual travel insurance policies, except certain restricted countries like Afghanistan, North Korea, Iraq, Russia, Syria and other high-risk countries. 

Also, some insurers charge higher if your travels include US, Canada or even Hong Kong. 

If you're planning to travel to Europe, note that not all annual travel insurance plans are valid for Schengen visa requirements.

 

Why get an Annual (multi-trip) Travel Insurance Policy

map with a magnifying glass, eiffel tower ornament and other travel related items

One travel insurance policy for all your trips

Having an annual travel insurance policy means you no longer need to apply for a travel insurance plan each time you have an upcoming trip, making it more convenient for you

 

blocks signifying increase, growth

Increased Benefit Limits

In comparison to short term or single-trip travel insurance policies, maximum benefit limits are higher for most annual policies.

 

Eliminates the risk of forgetting to buy insurance

Having an annual travel insurance policy ensures all your trips are covered during the policy period.

 

Cost-effective for frequent travelers

Especially those who have more than 4 international trips in a span of 1 year, having an annual policy can be more affordable in the long run

 

 

Choosing the Right Annual Travel Insurance Plan

Be aware of the maximum days it can cover per trip

Having an "annual" travel insurance policy does not automatically mean it can cover your 1 year travel abroad. Check how long it can cover (typically 90 days or 60 days per trip) and choose the best option based on the duration of your trips.

 

Golden hour at Hamburg, Germany

Consider your possible destinations

Annual travel insurance policies have different variations. 

If you are a Philippine passport holder and you plan to travel to Europe, make sure that your policy has medical expense coverage of at least EUR 30,000 or the PHP equivalent. Normally, peso policies that are Schengen-ready have coverage of Php 2,500,000 for medical expenses.

 

Annual Travel Insurance Cost Comparison

Below are our most recommended annual travel insurance plans, compared side by side. All of these have COVID-19 medical coverage:

Insurer
Product Name
Number of trips covered
Maximum duration of coverage per trip
Policy Period
Age eligiblity
1 year Premium
Annual Multi-trip policy starts at:
TraveLead - Annual Unlimited Up to 90 days 1 year, renewable up to 70 years old Php 8,379
Assist Card Multi-trip 30 Unlimited Up to 30 days 1 year, renewable up to 80 years old US$ 164
Assist Card Multi-trip 60 Unlimited Up to 60 days 1 year, renewable up to 80 years old US$ 246
Pacific Cross Insurance logo Pacific Cross Travel Safe  Worldwide Elite Dollar Unlimited Up to 90 days 1 year, renewable up to 70 years old US$ 296.00
Pioneer Insurance logo Pioneer Safe Trip Annual Unlimited Up to 90 days 1 year, renewable up to 75 years old Php 11,999

 

 

Request for an annual travel insurance quote.

Interested to receive our recommended annual multi-trip travel insurance plans for you?

Click the link below to inquire and get a quote:

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See our recommended travel insurance options by requesting a quote.