Pet travel insurance might seem a strange concept, but your pets are just as likely to have trouble abroad as you are. And while there doesn’t seem to be many, if any, provision for pets with travel insurance providers your pet insurance might be able to provide cover abroad.
With EmeraldPet we can extend your cover for trips in Europe through the UK Pet Travel Scheme. The most important aspect of this overseas travel optional add-on is that your standard pet cover still applies in Europe for trips of up to 60 days that start and end in the UK. That means if your vet needs medical treatment then your vet fees cover still applies as it would at home.
This applies to dog and cat insurance, although generally most of our pet travellers are dogs. Thanks to the Pet Travel Scheme and our helpful pet insurance extension, taking dogs overseas travelling is easier than ever. Even so, make sure to research taking your pet abroad so you know exactly what the requirements are.
With the UK leaving the EU in January 2021, the rules around taking pets abroad may change and our coverage may also change in line with those new rules. Make sure to check the Government website and our policy wording before you purchase to find out the latest requirements.
Our pet insurance also provides cover for travel expenses if your pet is hospitalised and needs urgent treatment before you were about to travel then you can claim up to £5000 in holiday cancellation.
As a resident of the United Kingdom, you are able under the United Kingdom Government Pet Travel Scheme, known as PETS to take your pet temporarily to certain countries and return home without putting your pet into quarantine. The scheme is administered by DEFRA (the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) and you need to comply with the criteria set out by them.
Some of the criteria for travelling with your pet include your pet:
- Being microchipped
- Being vaccinated against rabies
- Having a blood test to confirm the rabies vaccination was successful
- Having treatment for tapeworms and ticks (and have an official certificate to show for it)
While this allows a lot of freedom there is also plenty that can go wrong. For instance, should a microchip fail EmeraldPet provides cover for kenelling costs while you await a pet passport.
If you lose your pet passport during a journey then we can also cover the cost of a replacement.
If your return to the UK is delayed and you need a repeat worming treatment for your dog to comply with the Pet Travel Scheme then this may also be covered.
What We Cover
EmeraldPet offers four levels of flexible pet insurance cover from £1500 to £7500 in vet fees per year. This is a lifetime policy which means as long as you renew each year any medical conditions your pet develops are covered.
You can extend EmeraldPet to cover travel in Europe with our overseas travel addon which will extend your policy for trips of up to 60 days in Europe.
Keep in mind that while our overseas travel addon for EmeraldPet does extend the benefits of our pet insurance, plenty of key exclusions still apply.
For instance, we cannot insure any dogs registered under the Dangerous Dog Act 1991. We also cannot provide cover for any pre existing conditions that showed symptoms before you bought the policy or within 14 days of your policy start date.
While we hope our pet travel insurance policy makes travelling with your pet easier and less financially risky, make sure you are fully informed in order to take your pet abroad and enjoy the experience. Try to understand how different countries may affect the Pet Travel Scheme and check with your accommodation that cats and dogs are welcome.
While nothing to do with your pet, you should also consider travel insurance for your trip to protect yourself while you are on holiday.
