Visas · head to headGlobelink International vs Staysure
Globelink International vs Staysure
Compared on eligibility rather than price: who each will actually accept. The one that still says yes when you left months ago and you are 72. The seniors and medical-conditions specialist. Buy before you go, or not at all.
The rules side by side
| Rule | Globelink InternationalAlready Travelling / Single trip / Annual | StaysureSingle trip / Annual / Long Stay |
|---|---|---|
| Who can buy it | Set list of countriesUK, all EU countries and the EEA (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway). Also covers Australian, New Zealand and South African passport holders temporarily resident in the EU. Switzerland is not EEA, so check with them. | Set list of countriesUK, Channel Islands or Isle of Man only, and you must have lived there for six of the last twelve months, with a local doctor and an NI number if you are 16 or over. |
| Buy after you have left home | YesDedicated Already Travelling policy, buyable from anywhere in the world. Two-day claim waiting period (waived for a serious medical emergency or witnessed accident), no-claims declaration required, and you must have been abroad no more than 18 months (under 65) or 6 months (66 to 74). | NoThe insured trip must always start from the UK. You cannot buy once you have left. |
| Maximum age | 8989 on single trip, around 84 on annual, but 74 on the Already Travelling policy and under 70 for winter sports. | No capNo upper age limit on single trip or annual. Long Stay is capped at 75. |
| One-way or open-ended trips | YesNo return-ticket requirement; cover ends 72 hours after you leave immigration control at your final destination. | No“We don’t cover one-way trips.” |
| Longest trip | 15 months, renewableBackpacker single trip runs to 15 months and can be extended while abroad to 18 months total; annual plans offer 17 to 120 days per trip. | 18 monthsSingle trip 104 days; Long Stay up to 550 days under 65, dropping sharply with age (76+ is single trip only). |
| Pre-existing conditions | With conditionsNo screening and no surcharge: a fixed No Screen Conditions list is covered as standard, and anything outside it is excluded. Check the list rather than assuming. | YesThe core strength: full medical screening covering 1,300+ conditions, with a two-year declaration window. Most applicants get cover. |
| Cover in the USA | YesWorldwide options include the USA, but winter sports are not covered there. | YesWorldwide region options, within age-based duration caps. |
| Schengen visa certificate | Not verifiedNo visa-letter or certificate service found on their site. | Not verifiedNot marketed as a Schengen visa product. |
| Winter sports | With conditionsAvailable under 70 only, and excluded in the USA. | With conditionsIncluded on Comprehensive and Signature annual policies. |
| Scuba diving | With conditionsPart of the 60-plus activities included at no extra cost; check depth limits on their activity list. | Not verifiedActivity pack detail not verified. |
| High-altitude trekking | With conditionsWithin the included activity list; unlisted activities are assessed by email. | Not verifiedActivity pack detail not verified. |
| Scooters and motorbikes | With conditionsUp to 250cc, with a full licence from your home country, a helmet, and recognised roads only. No off-road or racing. Over 250cc by email assessment. | Not verifiedMotorcycle rules not verified. |
| Working abroad | With conditionsAdministrative and clerical work including voluntary work is covered; manual work only at ground level with hand tools. | Not verifiedNot verified. |
| Trip cancellation | YesSingle trip: cancellation cover from the day you book. Annual: from the policy start date. | YesUp to £15,000 on the Signature tier. |
| Families | With conditionsIndividual policies; family and group options marketed but not verified. | YesSingle, couple, family and group options. |
| No fixed country of residence | NoRequires UK, EU or EEA residence. | NoStrict UK residency test. |
Both columns are generated from the same rule database the checker uses. Sources: Globelink International and Staysure, checked 2026-08-03.
Who each one suits
- Globelink International makes sense when you have already left home, or you are comfortably under 89.
- Staysure makes sense when age is the constraint that usually blocks you.
Both columns come from the same rule database the checker uses. Sources: Globelink International and Staysure, checked 2026-08-03.