As the end of the year draws near, and you get ready to jet off, don't forget to purchase perhaps the next most important thing besides your flight ticket. We're talking about travel insurance!
Remember the good old days when lost luggage was your biggest worry? These days, the most likely mishaps to happen are related to Covid-19, whether be it an infection or a trip cancellation.
Most insurance providers have added Covid-19 coverage to their travel insurance plans but to varying extents, some offering far better coverage than others. Find out how to choose, what to look out for, and the cheapest travel insurance with a comparison of the best plans in Singapore with COVID-19 coverage.
Best Travel Insurance | Premiums | Covid-19 Coverage | Easy to Claim? |
---|---|---|---|
FWD Travel Insurance | $25 - $73/week (add $15.45 - $28.93 for Covid) | Add $15.45 - $28.93 | Good reputation |
MSIG Travel Insurance | $61 - $201/week | Yes | Mixed reviews |
Singlife with Aviva Travel Insurance | $39.77 - $156.51/week | Yes | Reportedly slow claims |
DBS Chubb Travel Insurance | $75 - $280/week | Yes | Good worldwide reputation |
Sompo Travel Insurance | $64 - $165/week | Yes | Smooth, easy |
Travel Insurance | Premiums | Covid-19 Coverage | Emergency Medical Cover | Trip Cancellation | Easy to Claim? |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
FWD Travel Insurance | $25 - $73/week | Add $15.45 - $28.93 | $200,000 - Unlimited | $7,500 - $15,000 | Good reputation |
NTUC Travel Insurance | $61 - $195/week | Yes | $250,000 - $350,000 | $5,000 - $15,000 | Bad reputation online |
AIG Travel Insurance | $27 - $185/week | Yes | $50,000 - $200,000 | $2,500 - $5,000 | Bad reputation online |
AXA Travel Insurance | $100.18 - $159.91/week | Yes | $30,000 - Unlimited | $1,000 - $6,000 | Fast, straightforward |
MSIG Travel Insurance | $61 - $201/week | Yes | $250,000 - $1,000,000 | $5,000 - $15,000 | Mixed reviews |
Singlife with Aviva Travel Insurance | $39.77 - $156.51/week | Yes | $250,000 - Unlimited | $5,000 - $20,000 | Reportedly slow claims |
DBS Chubb Travel Insurance | $75 - $280/week | Yes | $300,000 - $1,000,000 | $5,000 - $15,000 | Good worldwide reputation |
Great Eastern Travel Insurance | $26 - $118/week | Classic, Elite only | $100,000 - $1,000,000 | $2,000 - $15,000 | Mixed reviews, depends on agent |
Sompo Travel Insurance | $64 - $165/week | Yes | $200,000 - $800,000 | $5,000 - $10,000 | Smooth, easy |
AIA Travel Insurance | $37.30 - $123/week | Yes | $200,000 - Unlimited | $5,000 - $15,000 | Mixed review, depends on agent |
Etiqa Travel Insurance | $39 - $106/week | Add $18 - $63 | $200,000 - $1,800,000 | $5,000 - $10,000 | Unknown |
Citibank Travel Insurance | $50 - $105/week | No | $500,000 - $1,500,000 | $15,000 | Good |
Tokio Marine Travel Insurance | $78 - $144/week | Yes | $300,000 - $1,000,000 | $10,000 - $20,000 | Unknown |
$40 - $152/week | Yes | $500,000 - Unlimited | $5,000 - $20,000 | Stringent | |
$46 - $123/week | Yes | $200,000 - Unlimited | $3,000 - $7,500 | Troublesome | |
OCBC Travel Insurance | $54 - $138/week | Yes | $300,000 - $1,000,000 | $5,000 - $15,000 | Claim through Great Eastern |
FWD travel insurance offers some of the cheapest travel insurance plans in Singapore, so this is a budget-friendly option which still offers you great value for every dollar.
Here’s a quick run-through of the price and benefits offered by FWD travel insurance plan (with Covid-19 rider):
FWD Travel Insurance | Premium | Business | First |
Price (ASEAN) | $40.45/week | $49.45/week | $59.45/week |
Price (Asia) | $45.81/week | $60.81/week | $71.81/week |
Price (Worldwide) | $70.83/week | $82.93/week | $101.93/week |
Medical expenses (overseas) | $200,000 | $500,000 | $1,000,000 |
Emergency medical evacuation | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited |
Travel delay ($100/6 hours) | $300 | $500 | $1,000 |
Trip cancellation | $7,500 | $10,000 | $15,000 |
Covid-19 medical expenses (overseas) | $200,000 | $200,000 | $200,000 |
Covid-19 overseas hospital cash ($100/day) | $1,400 | $1,400 | $1,400 |
Covid-19 overseas quarantine allowance ($50/day) | $700 | $700 | $700 |
Covid-19 trip cancellation | $5,000 | $5,000 | $5,000 |
The plan reimburses your travel-related expenses if you are diagnosed with Covid-19 no more than 30 days before your scheduled departure date, or if you have to change your itinerary because of a Covid-19 diagnosis while overseas. You also get to claim medical expenses and a hospital cash benefit if you get hospitalised overseas or for up to 14 days in Singapore upon your return.
On top of that, there's also an automatic policy extension of up to 21 days should you be prevented from travel by government officials due to Covid-19 or if you or your travel companion has to be self-isolated as per foreign government regulations due to you or your travel companion being in close contact with someone diagnosed with Covid-19.
MSIG Travel Insurance | Standard | Elite | Premier |
Price (Area A) | $61/week | $81/week | $114/week |
Price (Area B) | $74/week | $101/week | $143/week |
Price (Area C) | $117/week | $146/week | $201/week |
Medical expenses (overseas) | $250,000 | $500,000 | $1,000,000 |
Emergency medical evacuation | $1,000,000 | $1,000,000 | $1,000,000 |
Travel delay ($100/6 hours) | $500 | $1,000 | $1,500 |
Trip cancellation | $5,000 | $10,000 | $15,000 |
Covid-19 medical expenses (overseas) | $75,000 | $150,000 | $250,000 |
Covid-19 overseas hospital cash | – | – | – |
Covid-19 overseas quarantine allowance | $700 ($50/day) | $1,400 ($100/day) | $1,400 ($100/day) |
Covid-19 trip cancellation | $3,000 | $4,000 | $5,000 |
Singlife with Aviva Travel Insurance | Lite | Plus | Prestige |
Price (APAC) | $39.77/week | $56.43/week | $78.68/week |
Price (Worldwide excluding USA/Canada) | $49.36/week | $71.26/week | $99.32/week |
Price (Worldwide) | $73.38/week | $106.95/week | $156.51/week |
Emergency Medical Expenses + Evacuation | $250,000 | $2,000,000 | Unlimited |
Travel delay | $500 ($100/6 hours) | $1,000 ($100/6 hours) | $2,000 ($100/6 hours) |
Trip cancellation | $5,000 | $15,000 | $20,000 |
Covid-19 medical expenses (overseas) | $50,000 | $100,000 | $200,000 |
Covid-19 overseas hospital cash | – | – | – |
Covid-19 overseas quarantine allowance | – | $1,000 ($50/24 hours) | $2,000 ($100/24 hours) |
Covid-19 trip cancellation | $500 | $1,500 | $2,000 |
DBS travel insurance is one of the most widely searched travel insurance plans in Singapore. It’s underwritten by Chubb, which has great worldwide reputation and recognition.
Do not mistake this for the free complimentary travel insurance that you get from your DBS Treasures credit cards. (Read here for reviews of DBS credit cards free travel insurance plans.)
Here’s what you get with the three-tiered DBS Chubb Travel Insurance:
DBS Travel Insurance | Classic | Premier | Platinum |
Price (Region 1) | $75/week | $89/week | $122/week |
Price (Region 2) | $100/week | $118/week | $152/week |
Price (Region 4) | $171/week | $201/week | $280/week |
Overseas Medical Expenses | $250,000 | $500,000 | $1,000,000 |
Emergency Medical Evacuation | $1,000,000 | $1,000,000 | $1,000,000 |
Travel delay | $1,200 ($100/6 hours) | $1,600 ($100/6 hours) | $2,000 ($100/6 hours) |
Trip cancellation | $5,000 | $10,000 | $15,000 |
Covid-19 medical expenses (overseas) | $50,000 | $100,000 | $200,000 |
Covid-19 overseas hospital cash | $700 ($100/day) | $1,400 ($100/day) | $1,400 ($100/day) |
Covid-19 overseas quarantine allowance | $700 ($100/day) | $1,400 ($100/day) | $1,400 ($100/day) |
Covid-19 trip cancellation | $2,500 | $5,000 | $7,500 |
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If you're unacquainted with Sompo travel insurance, you might have once known it for its Japan-focused travel insurance plan, GO! Japan. However, much has changed with Sompo's travel insurance plans. Let's get up to speed.
Sompo's travel insurance plan with Coivd-19 coverage only comes in two tiers: Essential and Superior.
The key benefits are as follows:
Sompo Travel Insurance | Essential Plan | Superior Plan |
Price (Area A, Southeast Asia) | $64 /week | $83 /week |
Price (Area B, Asia) | $90 /week | $114 /week |
Price (Area C, Worldwide) | $129 /week | $165 /week |
Overseas medical expenses | $200,000 | $400,000 |
Emergency medical evacuation | $500,000 | $800,000 |
Travel delay ($100/6 hours) | $800 | $1,200 |
Trip cancellation, postponement, curtailment | $5,000 | $10,000 |
Covid-19 medical expenses (overseas) | $100,000 | $200,000 |
Covid-19 overseas hospital cash | $700 | $1,400 |
Covid-19 overseas quarantine allowance | $700 | $1,400 |
Covid-19 trip cancellation | $2,000 | $4,000 |
Overall, this plan is generous when it comes to changes to your travel plans, but not so much when it comes to medical treatment. It’s probably best if you are young, have no existing health issues and have already been vaccinated.
Travel Insurance | Premiums (ASEAN) |
---|---|
FWD Travel Insurance | $25 - $44/week |
Great Eastern Travel Insurance | $26 - $75/week |
AXA Travel Insurance | $100.17 - $142.57/week |
AIA Travel Insurance | $37.30 - $76.65/week |
Singlife with Aviva Travel Insurance | $39.77 - $78.68/week |
Etiqa Travel Insurance | $39 - $72/week |
$40 - $63/week | |
AIG Travel Insurance | $27 - $83/week |
Citibank Travel Insurance | $50 - $60/week |
Sompo Travel Insurance | $64 - $83/week |
Tokio Marine Travel Insurance | $78 - $101/week |
NTUC Travel Insurance | $61 - $98/week |
MSIG Travel Insurance | $61 - $114/week |
DBS Chubb Travel Insurance | $75 - $122/week |
When the Covid-19 pandemic started, most insurers did not extend their coverage to Covid-19-related mishaps. (Read more here.) The pandemic was quickly considered a “known event”, which insurers usually do not offer compensation for. So, if your flight got cancelled because of Covid-19, you’d be out of luck.
Now, as travel restrictions get lifted, insurance companies are rushing for a slice of the pie. Since the virus looks like it’s here to stay, insurers are starting to offer coverage specifically for Covid-19.
Covid-19 coverage can vary quite a bit from insurer to insurer. When you're shopping for the best insurance policy, there are three things you want to look out for when it comes to choosing the best travel insurance with COVID-19 coverage:
Do note that the plans still exclude travelling against a travel advisory put in place by the Singapore government or by the local authority at your trip destination. So be sure to check announcements on both ends before you depart.
Another common exclusion is failing to take precautions against Covid-19. This is broadly worded in the insurance policy but could include not following any Covid-19 regulations at your destination or on the plane. So make sure you wear your mask whenever it’s required and don’t go and attend any illegal raves.
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2021-10-20T03:15:13Z dg43tfdfdgfd