Bon voyage. But check your insurance policy before you travel abroad

Planning a road trip, holiday or business trip that takes you out of South Africa? Make sure your insurance policies will cover you when you are away.

Step across your country’s border and a whole new set of rules and regulations apply. That may mean your South African short-term and long-term insurance policies won’t cover you. Here’s what you need to know.

Short term insurance

Vehicle insurance

Are you covered outside South Africa?

We contacted four big insurers, and all advised you are covered for travel into South Africa’s neighbouring countries only, as well as South Africa. However, it’s a good idea to double check with your insurer before you leave the country.

Are there any specific conditions?

There might be, so check with your insurer.

You will need a driver’s licence (South African) or International Driving Permit if you cross the border, and a cross-border letter from your insurer and one from the car finance company if you are paying off your car. A cross-border letter confirms ownership and is used to check your vehicle is not stolen.

If you are in a rental car and plan to cross the border, ask your car rental company what you are covered for and what documents you need to be allowed to cross the border in your rental car.

There may be specific conditions your insurer or car rental company needs you to fulfil, such as you need to travel on main roads or keep the car safe at night in a secure parking area. You may also need to be contactable on your cellphone 24 hours a day while you are away.

Read: 5 reasons to read the small print on travel insurance

Portable possessions insurance

These are cellphones, tablets, laptops, luggage, handbags, clothes – anything you travel with.

Are you covered outside South Africa?

Not unless your short-term insurance policy specifically includes cover outside South Africa, or you have worldwide coverage in policies for individual items such as cell phones. Some policies state that portable possessions must be in South Africa to be covered.

You might be able to upgrade your policy so that you are covered outside the country. Alternatively, you can take out a travel insurance policy. Travel insurance is available from insurance companies, your credit card company and specialised travel insurers.

Long term insurance

Life cover, disability, dread disease and income protection cover

Are you covered if something happens when you are outside South Africa?

It depends. Most insurers will cover you if you take a short holiday, usually two weeks or less, to African and overseas countries. However, if you are travelling to take part in a dangerous event or activity such as climbing Mount Kilimanjaro, you need to find out if you would be covered should anything happen.

If you are travelling to a war-torn country, you might not be covered because the risk of death or injury would be much higher than it is in South Africa. You need to tell your insurer if you are travelling to a dangerous country or region, even for a short time, so they can assess the risk.

It is advisable to check the terms and conditions of your policy contract to see whether you need to notify your insurer of any travel outside of the borders for South Africa. Make sure that you will be covered for your coming trip. If you are uncertain, contact your insurer before you leave.

Funeral cover

Transporting someone who has died in another country back to South Africa can be expensive. Although the department of international relations and cooperation says it doesn’t offer financial assistance, it does help with arrangements such as finding providers who will repatriate the body and getting quotes for the service. Travel insurance may also offer benefits.

Some policies include a repatriation benefit, so check with your insurer what is covered. 1Life Funeral Cover includes a repatriation benefit that will pay for transportation within South Africa’s borders.

Medical cover

Perhaps one of the most common travelling incidents is a medical emergency. Most of these are not too serious but will require some medical attention. So, it is a good idea to check what kind of medical cover you have.

Travel insurance will offer some cover such as emergency medical care. Your medical aid may also cover medical care in other countries, but you need to check as the amount and type of cover differs depending on your medical aid plan.

Take care of the admin before you travel

Don’t let your holiday or trip be ruined if you lose your possessions or are a victim of theft or have an accident. Check what you need to insure beforehand, and how you can insure it. Plan a few weeks in advance, if you can, so you know exactly how much cover you have beforehand, and you can enjoy your trip.

• Katharine Liese is a marketing lead at 1Life

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City Press is an agenda-setting South African news brand that publishes across platforms. Its flagship print edition is distributed on a Sunday.