Travel insurance

What a travel policy is

A travel policy is short-term insurance that applies during the days of your trip and only to unexpected events. Planned treatment and routine visits are not included.

Behind the policy stand two organisations: the insurer, which pays, and the assistance company, which answers the hotline and chooses the clinic. When something happens, you talk to the second.

When you do not need a new one

If you have an annual policy, bank-card cover or a corporate policy, read its terms before buying another. Often it is enough.

We read these documents and tell you what is missing for a Georgian route - most often sport and the evacuation limit.

The medical part

The medical part covers doctor's visits, tests, hospital stays, surgery and medicines, if they result from an unexpected event.

There are often separate limits for dental care, physiotherapy and emergency transport. These limits are much lower than the headline sum.

When buying a policy we look at every sub-limit, not just the big number on the first page.

The assistance company and hotline

The assistance company answers the hotline: it establishes what is happening, chooses the clinic and sends a guarantee letter so that the clinic bills the insurer.

Some assistance companies have their own partner clinics in Georgia, some do not. That affects how quickly you get help.

We are beside you during the call: we confirm the address, help choose the clinic and translate if the operator does not speak your language.

Direct billing or reimbursement

With direct billing the clinic sends the bill to the insurer, and you pay nothing except the excess. It is the most convenient option.

With reimbursement you pay first yourself, then send the documents and receive the money. That takes weeks.

For a small expense, such as a doctor's visit, reimbursement is normal. For a large one, always call the hotline first - direct billing is far better.

Sports that policies exclude

Some of Georgia's popular activities are not in a standard policy: off-piste skiing, freeride, heli-skiing, paragliding in Gudauri, rafting.

Horse riding in Tusheti and Khevsureti is included in some policies and not in others. That detail is often the most unexpected.

We compare every activity on your route with the policy's list. For anything not included, we look for an add-on or another policy.

Altitude

Many policies cover hiking only up to a certain altitude. The Kazbegi glacier, Svaneti's passes and some Tusheti trails approach or exceed that limit.

Climbing Mount Kazbek or Shkhara is mountaineering and needs a specialised policy. An ordinary travel policy does not apply there.

We work out the route's maximum altitude in advance and compare it with the policy limit. These two numbers often decide everything.

Helicopter evacuation in practice

In a serious incident in the mountains, the assistance company decides on evacuation according to the doctor's report and the weather. It does not happen in minutes.

What matters then is exact coordinates, a description of the injured person's condition and the local guide's phone number. We pass all of it to the hotline.

If the weather does not allow flying, evacuation starts by land - by jeep or stretcher. That is slow, which is why a first-aid kit is essential on a mountain trail.

Water: rafting, lakes, the sea

Rafting on the Aragvi and Rioni is popular, but many policies require a sports add-on for it. Swimming in a lake and boating are usually covered.

On the Black Sea there are strong waves on some days, and there is not a lifeguard everywhere. The policy covers injury, but caution is still up to you.

We arrange rafting only with licensed operators, with helmets and life jackets. We check the operator's own insurance too.

Pregnancy

Travelling while pregnant is often possible, but most policies stop covering childbirth-related costs after a certain week.

Airlines have their own limits too and ask for a doctor's note. Both sets of rules must be checked together.

We plan the route so that a women's clinic is close by, and avoid remote mountain trails.

Stomach trouble

New cooking, lots of cheese, herbs and wine - stomach trouble is the most common reason travellers see a doctor.

Usually a pharmacy sorts it out, but if it does not improve or it concerns a child, a doctor's visit is better. The policy covers it.

We find a clinic or a doctor who comes to the hotel, and translate. Keep the receipt for the claim.

Horses and village situations

A fall from a horse, a dog bite or a broken ankle on a stony path - these are typical incidents on a village trip.

After a bite from a dog or other animal, anti-rabies treatment may be needed. It is urgent and covered by the policy.

We know the distance from each village to the nearest clinic in advance and arrange transport at once when something happens.

An accident as a passenger

If you are in an accident during a transfer or taxi ride, your travel policy covers treatment first. The insurer may then recover the cost from the party at fault.

For that a police report and a medical report are needed. We help you get and translate them.

In an incident on our own transfer, our responsibility is separate - we explain that on the legal help page.

A lost passport

A lost or stolen passport is often covered by a travel policy - the cost of a new document, an extra night and changing your ticket.

First a police report, then the embassy or consulate. We help with both, with translation and transport.

Keep a photocopy of your passport on your phone and on separate paper. It speeds things up considerably at the consulate.

Flight delays and luggage

Some policies cover a long flight delay - hotel and meals - and delayed luggage, with money to buy essentials.

If luggage is lost, file a report at the airport straight away, at the airline's desk. Without it a claim is difficult.

If your luggage does not arrive at Tbilisi airport, our representative helps you file the report and then with delivery of the bags.

Theft of a phone or equipment

A phone, camera or laptop is often included in a policy with a low limit, or not at all. Expensive equipment needs separate insurance.

For theft, a police report is essential for a claim, often within 24 hours. The purchase receipt or a photo may also be needed at home.

Georgia is generally safe when it comes to theft, but caution is still needed in tourist areas and nightlife.

Cutting the trip short

If a family member at home falls seriously ill or another serious reason arises, you may need to end the trip early.

Some policies cover a new ticket and unused prepaid nights. The terms and documents are strict.

At such a time we change the ticket, arrange the transfer and talk to the hosts, so that you can think about your family.

Weather and a closed road

In winter the Jvari Pass sometimes closes, and the Mestia flight is cancelled because of the weather. A travel policy usually does not cover this.

Some extended policies cover an extra night if a natural event stops you travelling. That is rare and comes with conditions.

So we plan a winter route with a spare day. It is cheaper and more reliable than insurance.

Children on the policy

On a family policy children are often included free or at a reduced price, up to an age limit. Above it they need a separate policy.

We check whether paediatric care and a night-time emergency service are included. Tbilisi and Batumi have children's clinics.

If a child travels with only one parent, the other parent's consent is sometimes required at the border. We check this separately.

An annual policy

If you travel several times a year, an annual multi-trip policy is often cheaper than separate policies.

It has a limit on the length of each trip - for example, one trip may not exceed a certain number of days. On a long visit this matters.

If you are staying in Georgia a long time, we check that you will not exceed that limit.

Declaring existing conditions

When buying you are often asked about existing conditions. If you hide something, a refusal may extend to the whole claim.

An honest declaration sometimes makes the policy more expensive, but gives you certainty when something happens.

We help fill in the questionnaire and explain the terms. This information is confidential.

Mental health

Many policies exclude or limit incidents related to mental health. The stress of travel sometimes makes a condition worse.

If this matters to you, we look for a policy that covers it, and we know psychologists who work in English or Russian.

A visit to a psychologist is a separate service in the health section. Here we only talk about the insurance side.

Before buying - what to read

Territory, length, medical limit, evacuation limit, excess, the sports list and the exclusions - these seven points decide everything.

Price comes last. A cheap policy that does not cover the incident turns out the most expensive.

We compare these seven points in a table for several policies, and you make the decision.

An excess per claim

The excess often applies to each claim, not to the whole trip. Three small visits - three excesses.

So for a small expense a claim is sometimes not worth making. We tell you each time.

A zero-excess policy is more expensive, but for a family with children it often pays off.

Claiming step by step

First - call the hotline and get a case number. Second - treatment at the clinic the hotline named or confirmed.

Third - documents: the report, receipts, prescriptions. Fourth - the claim form, often online, with scanned documents.

Fifth - waiting and answering further questions. We help at every stage, and if it drags on, we remind the insurer.

Deadlines

The deadline for notifying the hotline of an incident is often measured in hours or a day or two. The deadline for a claim form - in weeks.

Missing a deadline is the most common formal reason for refusal. So we note the deadlines from the policy as soon as you arrive.

Keep original documents until you get home - some insurers ask for them by post.

What we do when something happens

We find a clinic or doctor, arrange transport, translate with the doctor and the hotline, and rearrange the rest of the trip.

We gather and translate the documents, help fill in the claim and keep track of correspondence with the insurer.

If the trip changes because of a hospital stay, we change the hotels, transfers and tickets. You think about getting better.

Common mistakes

Buying the policy after arrival and being surprised that the first days are not covered. Getting treatment without calling the hotline, then a refusal.

Throwing away receipts because "it was a small amount". An activity that was not in the policy - done without a second thought.

Most of these mistakes are avoided with one conversation before the trip. That is what we are for.

What we need from you

Dates, route, travellers' ages and activities - especially mountains, skiing, horses and water.

Any existing policies - card, annual or corporate. Often there is no need to buy a new one.

Important health details, if they affect cover. This is confidential.

Price

The insurer sets the policy price - by age, length, territory, limit and activities.

Our help with selection and when something happens is a separate service agreed in advance. We add nothing to the policy price.

If your existing policy is enough, we tell you directly. We will not recommend unnecessary insurance.