When to Buy Travel Insurance: The 14-to-21-Day Rule That Changes What You Get
Buying within a window of your first trip payment unlocks the pre-existing condition waiver and CFAR. Here are the windows for every insurer we ranked.
Two of the most valuable features of travel insurance are time-limited: the pre-existing condition waiver and cancel-for-any-reason cover. Both must be bought within a set number of days of your first trip deposit.
The windows in our ranking
- WorldTrips Atlas Journey: 21 days
- Seven Corners Choice: 20 days
- Travelex Select: 15 days
- Travel Guard Preferred: 15 days
- Faye: 14 days
- Allianz OneTrip Prime: 14 days
- Tin Leg Gold: 14 days
What else has to be true
You must insure the full non-refundable trip cost, and you must be medically able to travel on the day you buy. Add later payments to the policy as you make them.
If you missed the window
You can still buy medical and evacuation cover; the pre-existing exclusion will apply to conditions treated in the look-back period (60–180 days depending on insurer). Standard cancellation benefits still work for new illnesses and covered events.
» See the full rankings: Best Travel Insurance for Pre-Existing Conditions, Best Cancel-for-Any-Reason Travel Insurance .