Best Family Travel Insurance Plans in Singapore 2024

Whether you’re thinking of taking a family trip in Asia or heading to a destination nearby to save more money on your trip, it’s best to purchase a family travel insurance plan to safeguard you and your loved ones. Because your regular insurance only covers you while you’re in Singapore, when injuries, accidents or illnesses happen when you’re on holiday overseas, you’ll have to pay for medical treatment out of your own pocket.

This can turn out to cost more than you’d expect – as a foreigner, you’ll need to pay full price instead of the subsidised rate, which is for citizens only. And if more than one member of your family needs treatment, your expenses will be multiplied.

In addition, injuries such as fractures and sprains may require follow-up treatment or consultation when you return, which means having to dig into your MediSave or even further into your dwindling bank account.

Thankfully, the financial repercussions of getting injured or falling ill during an overseas holiday can be deflected with a family travel insurance plan.

So before you fly off on your year-end vacation with your spouse and kids, be sure to get a travel insurance plan that will adequately cover the whole family. If you have the next kid in tow, do check out these travel insurance plans with pregnancy-related coverage, too! To help you in your search, we’ve picked out the following best family travel insurance plans.

Disclaimer: The information contained in this article is solely for information purposes only. Be sure to check the policy wording before purchasing your travel insurance plan for the family.

Usually, a family travel insurance policy can cover up to two adults and a maximum of eight children under the age of 18. However, some insurance plans can include children of insurers up to the age of 24 who are enrolled in full-time education. Typically, the number of children and age limit may depend on the policy. In some cases, it is not a requirement for children to reside at the same address as the adults to be included in the coverage.

Additionally, immediate family members, such as grandparents, cousins, stepchildren, foster children, or adopted children, are typically covered by most policies. Whether you are a single parent, a family of four, or have a larger blended family, you can obtain travel coverage for both you and your children through a single policy.

Family travel insurance is available for either a single trip or as an annual travel insurance policy to encompass all the planned holidays throughout the year. It is advisable to compare the cost of annual travel insurance vs a single trip to identify the best and most economical option for you and your family.

Also, it is possible to get travel insurance that covers pre-existing conditions for family members with medical conditions, but you should inform your insurer about these conditions.

Travelling with family is one of life's greatest joys, offering opportunities to explore, learn, and create unforgettable memories together. However, unexpected events can occur, making family travel insurance not just a wise choice but a necessary aspect of travel planning. Here are some of the advantages that come with securing family travel insurance:

Cost Savings

One of the most appealing advantages of family travel insurance is the potential for significant cost savings. By opting for a single comprehensive plan that covers all family members, you can avoid the higher costs associated with purchasing individual policies for each person. Many insurance providers offer family plans that are designed to be more economical, recognising the value of protecting the whole family under one policy. Some insurance providers may even have travel insurance discounts for better savings. Furthermore, these plans often come with special provisions, such as waiving premiums for children under a certain age, which can further reduce the overall cost of insurance for the family. This consolidation simplifies the insurance process and ensures that everyone is equally protected, making it a cost-effective solution for family travel.

Individual Travel Flexibility

A notable feature of some family travel insurance plans is the flexibility they offer for solo travel. This means that even when family members travel separately, they can still be covered under the family plan. This flexibility is particularly beneficial for families where parents may need to travel for work or children might go on school trips without their parents. Instead of purchasing separate policies for each instance, a family plan that includes coverage for solo travel ensures continuous protection, regardless of whether the travel is undertaken together or individually. This aspect of family travel insurance eliminates the need for multiple policies and simplifies the management of your travel insurance needs, providing a streamlined solution that covers all bases.

Enhanced Security and Peace of Mind

The paramount benefit of family travel insurance lies in the security and peace of mind it offers. When travelling with loved ones, their safety and well-being are the top priorities. A comprehensive travel insurance plan for families provides protection against a wide range of unforeseen circumstances, including medical emergencies, trip cancellations, lost luggage, and flight delays. Knowing that these potential challenges are covered allows families to fully immerse themselves in the joy and adventure of their travels overseas.

Some policies may even offer the same level of coverage for both children and adults, without limiting the coverage based on how young the traveller is. Do be sure to check the benefits table to find out how much coverage you and your family members are entitled to.

Most family travel insurance plans offer the following coverage:

• Emergency Medical Expenses: Your travel insurance offers coverage for unforeseen medical costs during your family trip.
• Trip Interruption or Cancellation: Have protection for cancelling or cutting your vacation short due to reasons specified in your policy.
• Flight or Transport Delays: Some policies provide reimbursements for delays or disturbances in flights or transportation, particularly when unable to recover expenses from the airline.
• Baggage and Belongings Protection: Safeguard your belongings, including coverage for loss, theft, or damage up to a predetermined limit.
• Personal Liability and Legal Expenses: Get coverage for personal liability and legal costs in case of accidental injury to someone or damage to their property during your trip.

The following are typically not covered by your family travel insurance:

• Undisclosed Pre-existing Medical Conditions: When you fail to declare a pre-existing medical condition, it may not be covered by your travel insurance.
• Travelling to Regions Advised Against by FCDO: Destinations that are discouraged by the Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office (FCDO) are not covered by your family travel insurance.
• Injuries from Uncovered Hazardous Activities: Accidents or injuries resulting from perilous activities, such as extreme sports, not covered by your insurance policy.
• Injuries Under the Influence of Substances: Accidents or injuries occurring while under the influence of alcohol or drugs are typically not covered by insurance policies.
• Natural Disasters: Insurance policies usually do not cover damages or injuries arising from natural disasters like earthquakes and tsunamis.

When planning a vacation that includes adventure sports or specialised activities that require equipment, it's crucial to understand the coverage limits of your family travel insurance plan. 

Standard policies typically exclude high-risk activities such as skydiving, bungee jumping, or engaging in sports that require specialised equipment like golfing, scuba diving, and skiing. Moreover, if your travel itinerary includes such thrilling experiences, you may find that the protection offered by a standard policy falls short in the event of equipment loss.

To ensure that you and your family are fully protected while participating in these adventurous activities, consider opting for an extreme sports travel insurance plan. These specialised policies are designed to provide comprehensive coverage for a wide array of high-risk activities that standard plans typically exclude. They either offer sports coverage in the base plan or offer extra coverage as an optional add-on.

The cost of family travel insurance can vary on a case-to-case basis. The factors that influence the cost of your travel insurance include the following:

• The duration of your holiday trip directly influences the cost of your insurance, with longer planning periods leading to higher prices.
• Opting for a more extensive insurance plan comes with an increased premium, reflecting the level of coverage you desire.
• Travelling to multiple countries, including the US, raises the cost of insurance to accommodate the broader geographical coverage.
• The inclusion of more individuals in your family travel plan contributes to an increase in the overall insurance price. Some plans offer free coverage for up to a specified number of children you are bringing along on your trip.

Singlife Travel Insurance offers up to unlimited cover for overseas medical expenses, up to S$500,000 in personal accident cover, and up to S$50,000 daily hospital cash for overseas admission.

COVID-19 is also covered. You’ll receive up to S$200,000 overseas medical cover and up to S$2,000 in quarantine allowance.

Of course, being a family travel insurance plan, there are also a slew of traveller benefits to protect your travel arrangements as well as the belongings you bring with you.

Some highlights include up to S$40,000 for trip cancellation (up to S$10,000 if cancelling for non-insured reasons), up to S$30,000 if your family has to return early, and up to S$4,000 for travel delay. Note that these are family limits.

In the event of trip cancellation, interruption or postponement due to COVID-19, this plan offers benefits of up to S$2,000.

Why is this the Best Travel Insurance Plan for a Family

Singlife Travel Insurance offers several family-oriented benefits. It can cover up to S$8,000 in family assistance benefits, up to S$25,000 in child education benefits, up to S$25,000 in compassionate visits and childminder benefits of up to S$25,000.

There is also a home contents benefit of up to S$15,000, as well as domestic pet care coverage of up to S$1,000. That way, families can go on their vacations with greater peace of mind.

One thing to note though: Many of these benefits are included only in the highest-tier plan, so be sure to weigh carefully if they are worth paying a higher premium for.

Banks commonly offer free travel insurance with their credit card when you use the qualifying card to book a plane ticket or overseas hotel for your family trip.

The majority of these travel insurance only cover accidental death or serious injury, as well as travel inconveniences such as luggage delays and trip cancellations.

However, Citi Credit Card Complimentary Travel Insurance includes overseas medical coverage for both accidental injuries as well as sickness. Both the principal cardholder and the spouse are covered for up to S$40,000 for overseas medical benefits, while dependent children are covered for up to S$20,000.

Additionally, this policy also covers you if you choose to wait till you come back to Singapore before seeking treatment (such as if you fall sick while on the plane back) – within one week of your return. Follow-up treatments are also covered at up to 5% of the benefit limit.

Why is this the Best Travel Insurance Plan for a Family

This travel insurance plan is offered on a complimentary basis when you charge the cost of the trip to a qualifying Citi credit card. Besides the cardholder, the spouse and dependent children are covered under the policy by default.

While the plan does well in personal accidents and overseas medical cover, it doesn't score quite so highly when it comes to travel inconveniences. Benefits for baggage loss or delay and trip cancellation are rather low.

One more thing to note: This plan does not have COVID-19 cover, so if you are concerned about that, you may want to purchase a separate COVID-19 plan.

But remember, you’re getting all this coverage at no added cost. This plan could be a viable alternative for those who are going on a short family trip that does not require bringing too many belongings.

Or, if you forgot to get a travel plan beforehand, this could also act as a backup in a pinch.