Visas · head to headTrue Traveller vs Staysure
True Traveller vs Staysure
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 seniors and medical-conditions specialist. Buy before you go, or not at all.
The rules side by side
| Rule | True TravellerTraveller / Traveller Plus | StaysureSingle trip / Annual / Long Stay |
|---|---|---|
| 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, 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 | 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. | NoThe insured trip must always start from the UK. You cannot buy once you have left. |
| Maximum age | 7575 on single trip, 65 on annual multi-trip, and 65 if you are buying while already travelling. | 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 required. | No“We don’t cover one-way trips.” |
| Longest trip | 18 monthsUp to 548 days, reducing with age: 50 and over is capped lower. | 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 | 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. | 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 including USA and Canada is a paid area option; £10m medical on all tiers. | YesWorldwide region options, within age-based duration caps. |
| Schengen visa certificate | With conditionsMedical limits far exceed the €30k requirement, but no visa-letter service was found. | Not verifiedNot marketed as a Schengen visa product. |
| Winter sports | With conditionsWinter sports via the activity packs. | With conditionsIncluded on Comprehensive and Signature annual policies. |
| Scuba diving | YesWithin the 92 standard activities; deeper diving needs a higher pack. | Not verifiedActivity pack detail not verified. |
| High-altitude trekking | With conditionsStandard pack covers a lot; altitude needs the Adventure or Extreme pack. | Not verifiedActivity pack detail not verified. |
| 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. | Not verifiedMotorcycle rules not verified. |
| 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. | Not verifiedNot verified. |
| Trip cancellation | YesIncluded on all tiers, with limits rising by tier. | YesUp to £15,000 on the Signature tier. |
| Families | YesIndividuals, couples, families and groups. | YesSingle, couple, family and group options. |
| No fixed country of residence | NoRequires residence in a listed European country. | NoStrict UK residency test. |
Both columns are generated from the same rule database the checker uses. Sources: True Traveller and Staysure, checked 2026-08-03.
Who each one suits
- True Traveller makes sense when you have already left home, or you are comfortably under 75.
- Staysure 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 Staysure, checked 2026-08-03.