What insurance does a school trip abroad need?
- Last reviewed
- 6 min read
- For schools
The short answer
A school trip abroad should have travel insurance that covers the planned activities, the destination, every pupil and member of staff including volunteers, and any declared pre-existing medical conditions. OEAP guidance calls travel insurance essential for all overseas visits and lists medical costs, repatriation, cancellation, rescue, personal belongings and parents' emergency travel costs among the things to check. A UK Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC) is not a substitute.
Key takeaways
- OEAP National Guidance says travel insurance is essential for all overseas visits, and that it should cover staff and volunteers as well as pupils.
- Check medical costs, repatriation, cancellation, rescue, belongings and the cost of parents travelling out to a child in hospital.
- Declare every relevant medical condition. GOV.UK warns that failing to declare a condition may invalidate travel insurance.
- A GHIC gives access to state healthcare on the same terms as local residents in covered countries. It does not cover private care, repatriation or mountain rescue.
- Standard policies usually exclude winter sports, so a ski trip needs cover that names the activity.
Does a school trip abroad need travel insurance?
OEAP National Guidance (document 7.1r on overseas visits) states that travel insurance is essential for all overseas visits. Document 4.4c adds that establishments organising visits away from their local area should have travel insurance covering the planned activities, and that this is especially important overseas. The DfE's health and safety on educational visits guidance also expects schools to check that outside providers hold appropriate public liability insurance.
Insurance sits alongside, not instead of, the risk assessment. It pays for loss after something has gone wrong, while your controls aim to prevent it. Check the arrangements before you sign contracts, because cover that does not fit the trip is much harder to fix once deposits are paid.
What should a school trip policy cover?
OEAP's overseas visits guidance sets out the items to check. The table adds the reason each one matters.
| Cover | Why check it |
|---|---|
| Medical costs | Needed even where a reciprocal health agreement exists, to pay the expenses that agreement does not. |
| Repatriation | Brings an ill or injured pupil or leader home, or the whole group if the trip is curtailed. |
| Cancellation and curtailment | Covers losses if the trip cannot start or must end early, for named reasons only. |
| Pre-existing medical conditions | Must be declared as the insurer requires, or a claim can fail. |
| Rescue | OEAP notes helicopter rescue or an air ambulance in remote regions can cost tens of thousands of pounds. |
| Parents' costs | Covers parents travelling out to stay with a child in hospital or to accompany them home. |
| Belongings, baggage and money | Covers loss and theft, subject to limits per item. |
| Personal accident and liability | Normally part of a travel policy, but check the limits. |
Check that the policy covers staff and volunteers as well as pupils. OEAP also asks you to test whether cover would be invalidated by circumstances that can arise with young people, such as medical care or repatriation following self-harm, mental illness or undeclared pregnancy.
Where does school trip insurance come from?
OEAP lists four common sources, and recommends comparing them and reading the exclusions and limits of indemnity carefully:
- an insurance package negotiated by your employer, such as an academy trust or local authority
- a package your local authority makes available to other schools in its area
- the government's Risk Protection Arrangement (RPA) for eligible schools, whose membership rules should be checked for travel sections and conditions
- commercial providers
You are not obliged to take insurance offered by a tour operator as part of a package. OEAP says to compare it with other options and, if you do not need it, to ask the provider to remove it from the price. Avoid dual insurance, where two policies cover the same risk, because it can slow claims or invalidate one or both policies.
Does a GHIC replace school trip insurance?
No. GOV.UK foreign travel insurance guidance says the GHIC and EHIC give access to state-provided, medically necessary healthcare in the EU, Switzerland and some other countries on the same terms as local residents, and are not a substitute for travel insurance. They do not cover private healthcare, repatriation or mountain rescue in ski resorts.
- Every pupil and adult who is eligible needs their own card, including children.
- OEAP notes that at the time of writing the GHIC and most EHICs were not valid in Andorra, the Isle of Man, Jersey, Liechtenstein, Norway, San Marino or the Vatican, or in most countries outside Europe.
- Many policies expect a GHIC or EHIC to be used where possible, and some insurers waive the excess if you do.
- Pupils who are not UK residents may not be eligible for a card, so check them separately.
See our guide to whether a GHIC covers group travel in Europe for the practical detail.
What about medical conditions, activities and FCDO advice?
- Pre-existing conditions. GOV.UK says to declare existing conditions, pending treatment or tests, including mental health conditions, because failing to declare something may invalidate your insurance. OEAP suggests asking staff and pupils in confidence and explaining the consequences of non-disclosure.
- Activities. GOV.UK says standard policies usually exclude winter sports and activities such as bungee jumping, jet skiing and skydiving, and usually exclude quad bikes and mopeds. List every activity on the itinerary, including free-time options, and ask the insurer to confirm in writing.
- Travel against FCDO advice. FCDO says travel insurance could be invalidated if you travel against its advice. OEAP adds that insurers often link cancellation cover to the wording of government travel advice.
What should you tell parents about insurance?
OEAP's list of information for parents includes insurance details and cancellation terms. Give families a summary of the cover, the 24-hour assistance number, what is excluded, and what they must declare or arrange themselves. Put the insurer's assistance number on pupil contact cards and in your emergency plan, as our group travel emergency plan guide recommends. If a cancellation would leave costs uninsured, say so before parents commit.
How Roamly can help
Roamly provides the full itinerary, activity list and supplier details that an insurer needs to confirm cover, and our consulting service can help organise the information. We do not provide insurance advice, so take that from your employer's insurance team or a qualified adviser. The free group travel calculator can help you cost a policy per pupil. Contact us to discuss a trip.
Sources
- OEAP National Guidance 4.4c: Insurance
- OEAP National Guidance 7.1r: Overseas Visits
- GOV.UK: Foreign travel insurance
- GOV.UK: The Risk Protection Arrangement (RPA) for schools
- DfE: Health and safety on educational visits
- FCDO: Italy travel advice, safety and security
General guidance only, checked against the sources above on 30 October 2026. Entry rules, airline policies and official advice change, so confirm the current position with the linked source before you travel.