Visas · head to headTrue Traveller vs Globelink International
True Traveller vs Globelink International
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. The one that still says yes when you left months ago and you are 72.
The rules side by side
| Rule | True TravellerTraveller / Traveller Plus | Globelink InternationalAlready Travelling / Single trip / Annual |
|---|---|---|
| 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 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. |
| 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. | 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). |
| Maximum age | 7575 on single trip, 65 on annual multi-trip, and 65 if you are buying while already travelling. | 8989 on single trip, around 84 on annual, but 74 on the Already Travelling policy and under 70 for winter sports. |
| One-way or open-ended trips | YesNo return ticket required. | YesNo return-ticket requirement; cover ends 72 hours after you leave immigration control at your final destination. |
| Longest trip | 18 monthsUp to 548 days, reducing with age: 50 and over is capped lower. | 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. |
| 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 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. |
| Cover in the USA | YesWorldwide including USA and Canada is a paid area option; £10m medical on all tiers. | YesWorldwide options include the USA, but winter sports are not covered there. |
| Schengen visa certificate | With conditionsMedical limits far exceed the €30k requirement, but no visa-letter service was found. | Not verifiedNo visa-letter or certificate service found on their site. |
| Winter sports | With conditionsWinter sports via the activity packs. | With conditionsAvailable under 70 only, and excluded in the USA. |
| Scuba diving | YesWithin the 92 standard activities; deeper diving needs a higher pack. | With conditionsPart of the 60-plus activities included at no extra cost; check depth limits on their activity list. |
| High-altitude trekking | With conditionsStandard pack covers a lot; altitude needs the Adventure or Extreme pack. | With conditionsWithin the included activity list; unlisted activities are assessed by email. |
| 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. | 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. |
| 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. | With conditionsAdministrative and clerical work including voluntary work is covered; manual work only at ground level with hand tools. |
| Trip cancellation | YesIncluded on all tiers, with limits rising by tier. | YesSingle trip: cancellation cover from the day you book. Annual: from the policy start date. |
| Families | YesIndividuals, couples, families and groups. | With conditionsIndividual policies; family and group options marketed but not verified. |
| No fixed country of residence | NoRequires residence in a listed European country. | NoRequires UK, EU or EEA residence. |
Both columns are generated from the same rule database the checker uses. Sources: True Traveller and Globelink International, checked 2026-08-03.
Who each one suits
- True Traveller makes sense when you have already left home, or you are comfortably under 75.
- Globelink International makes sense when you have already left home, or you are comfortably under 89.
Both columns come from the same rule database the checker uses. Sources: True Traveller and Globelink International, checked 2026-08-03.