Some pet insurance policies will not cover taking a cat or dog abroad
Analysis by Defaqto has found that although 75% of cat and dog insurance policies cover pets for overseas travel as standard, 24% provide no cover at all for this.
In addition, according to data from Defaqto Matrix, where policies do cover taking a pet abroad, either as standard or an optional extra, the type and level of cover offered varies widely between different policies.
People planning to take their cat or dog abroad therefore need to check the terms of their pet's policy to make sure it provides the cover they need.
Defaqto research found that:
The maximum amount of cover for vet fees (sum insured) - 38% of policies cover vets' fees of up to £2,499, with only 27% providing cover for treatment costs of £3,500 or over
Maximum length of trip allowed for a policy to provide cover for vets' fees - 18% of policies that provide cover will do so only where a trip lasts for less than 60 days, while 28% of policies will cover vets' fees for overseas stays of 120 days or more
Cover for the cost of obtaining a duplicate pet passport - 64% of policies do not cover this at all, with 34% providing £250 or more for the cost of obtaining duplicate documentation
Cover for quarantine costs - 62% of pet insurance policies will not pay for the quarantine costs incurred while duplicate documentation is obtained, while 28% will cover costs of less than £2,000 and 9% of policies provide for quarantine costs of £2,000 or more
Mike Powell, Defaqto's Insight Analyst for General Insurance, said: "Many of us take our pets abroad with us, either on regular holidays or for extended stays overseas. While it is important to have appropriate travel insurance in place for you and your possessions when you go abroad, it is also important for people to ensure they have adequate insurance in place to cover their pet if taking them overseas.
"Our research suggests that there is significant variation between cat and dog insurance policies in terms of whether and how far they provide cover for a pet's overseas travel - and given how costly treatment fees are in particular, the financial consequences of having insufficient cover can be severe if someone needs to seek emergency treatment. As ever, the devil is in the detail and pet owners should make sure they check the terms of their pet's policy, and speak to their insurer if necessary, before leaving the UK to make sure they know what type and level of protection is in place."
Defaqto's Star Ratings for pet insurance aim to help people understand the overall level of features and benefits different insurers offer. Taking a wide range of elements into account, Defaqto has given each product on the market a rating from 1 to 5 depending on how comprehensive they are.
Visit defaqto.com/star-ratings/pet-insurance to access Defaqto's Star Ratings for pet insurance.