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Visitors visas for the UK - Do you need travel insurance?

The news that South Africans now need a visa to visit the United Kingdom, even for visitors on holiday or conducting business has come as a blow to many. If you are travelling to the United Kingdom for the first time, or if your current passport does not contain evidence of previous travel to the UK, you will need to apply for a visa. To qualify for a UK visitors visa you have to show that your visit to the UK will be no longer than six months;  that you intend to leave the UK at the end of your visit; and you have enough money to support yourself while in the UK, without working or needing access to public funds.

If while travelling you lose or misplace your passport with the UK visit visa/entry stamp in it but have a copy of the old passport you will not be exempt from the new changes.  However your travel insurance will cover the cost associated with losing your passport. It is important to have travel insurance for your luggage, health and any accidents, however travel insurance may not cover you if your UK visa is denied.

 At present there is no mandatory requirement for travel insurance for the UK visa like there is for the Schengian visa. However,  your travel insurance documentation could help with supporting the evidence you need to supply to prove the length of your stay in the UK.  Don’t forget your travel insurance and do not rely on credit cards or your medical aid for travel insurance as these have been rejected as inadequate by some embassies in the past. Always check your policy details to see what you are covered for.  For more information on visas see: http://www.ukvisas.gov.uk/resources/en/docs/1903073/VAF1A for more information on applying for a UK visa