Visas · head to headTrue Traveller vs CoverForYou
True Traveller vs CoverForYou
Compared on eligibility rather than price: who each will actually accept. UK and European residents, real medical screening, and it sells to you mid-trip. One of the few with a dedicated one-way policy. UK residents, starting from the UK.
The rules side by side
| Rule | True TravellerTraveller / Traveller Plus | CoverForYouSingle trip / Backpacker / One-Way |
|---|---|---|
| Who can buy it | Set list of countriesUK plus around 39 European countries: the EEA plus Switzerland, Andorra, Gibraltar, the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man and most of the Western Balkans. | Set list of countriesUnited Kingdom only, and you must be permanently resident and registered with a UK medical practitioner. |
| Buy after you have left home | YesA core feature rather than an afterthought: 48-hour waiting period, except for accidental injury, and nothing may have already happened that could lead to a claim. | No“Cover cannot start after you have left the United Kingdom.” |
| Maximum age | 7575 on single trip, 65 on annual multi-trip, and 65 if you are buying while already travelling. | No capBackpacker is not available to anyone aged 51 or over. Single trip and annual ceilings not verified. |
| One-way or open-ended trips | YesNo return ticket required. | YesA dedicated One-Way policy exists. The trip must still begin in the UK, but no return is required. |
| Longest trip | 18 monthsUp to 548 days, reducing with age: 50 and over is capped lower. | 18 monthsBackpacker up to 18 months worldwide. |
| Pre-existing conditions | YesGenuine screening rather than blanket exclusion, with hard stops for terminal illness, travel against medical advice, travel for treatment, and undiagnosed tests you are still awaiting. | With conditionsMedical screening questions at quote; depth of acceptance not verified. |
| Cover in the USA | YesWorldwide including USA and Canada is a paid area option; £10m medical on all tiers. | YesWorldwide policies include the USA. Note a quirk: policies bought while located in the USA are only valid for UK residents registered with a UK GP. |
| Schengen visa certificate | With conditionsMedical limits far exceed the €30k requirement, but no visa-letter service was found. | With conditionsA Schengen visa product is marketed; certificate detail not verified. |
| Winter sports | With conditionsWinter sports via the activity packs. | With conditionsWithin the 100+ standard activities or the optional packs. |
| Scuba diving | YesWithin the 92 standard activities; deeper diving needs a higher pack. | With conditionsWithin the standard list or an extreme pack. |
| High-altitude trekking | With conditionsStandard pack covers a lot; altitude needs the Adventure or Extreme pack. | With conditionsWithin the standard list or an extreme pack. |
| Scooters and motorbikes | YesOn-road up to 125cc is standard, above that needs the Adventure pack, off-road trail under 250cc needs a higher pack. Helmet compulsory and a licence appropriate to the machine. | YesMotorcycling covered, excluding quad bikes, if you are licensed to ride it in the UK and wearing a helmet. No races or rallies. No engine-size cap stated. |
| Working abroad | YesNon-manual work, teaching, au pair, childminding, bar and restaurant work covered as standard; permitted manual work such as farm work and fruit picking is also listed. | YesBackpacker covers non-manual working holidays as standard, with manual labour available as an option. |
| Trip cancellation | YesIncluded on all tiers, with limits rising by tier. | YesIncluded and tier-based, starting at booking or premium payment. |
| Families | YesIndividuals, couples, families and groups. | YesSingle, couple, family and group. |
| No fixed country of residence | NoRequires residence in a listed European country. | NoUK residency and a UK GP required. |
Both columns are generated from the same rule database the checker uses. Sources: True Traveller and CoverForYou, checked 2026-08-03.
Who each one suits
- True Traveller makes sense when you have already left home, or you are comfortably under 75.
- CoverForYou makes sense when age is the constraint that usually blocks you.
Both columns come from the same rule database the checker uses. Sources: True Traveller and CoverForYou, checked 2026-08-03.