Can You Buy Travel Insurance After Booking Travel & Flights?

Yes, you can buy travel insurance after booking your trip. Travel insurance companies let you purchase coverage right up until the day before departure, but timing affects what coverage you'll get. Basic trip cancellation, medical coverage, and evacuation benefits are available regardless of when you buy, but the most valuable protections require early purchase.

The best time to buy travel insurance is within 14 to 21 days of making your first trip payment. This timing gives you the most comprehensive protection and gives you access to enhanced benefits like pre-existing condition waivers and Cancel for Any Reason coverage that aren't available if you wait.

Purchasing travel insurance soon after booking your travel is recommended and gives you maximum protection. Insurance companies give early buyers with enhanced coverage options and better terms.

Each company sets different deadlines for enhanced benefits. Here's what our analysis of 13 major providers purchase deadlines show:

• 14-Day Windows: Allianz requires purchase within 14 days for Cancel Anytime coverage and pre-existing condition waivers. AXA has a similar 14-day requirement for pre-existing condition coverage on their Gold and Platinum plans.
• 21-Day Windows: Travelex gives you 21 days from your initial trip deposit to access pre-existing condition waivers on their Ultimate plan. Generali Global Assistance also uses a 21-day window for enhanced benefits.
• Flexible Timing: Seven Corners varies by plan with some benefits require 14-day purchase while others allow more time. IMG's iTravelInsured plans have different windows depending on which specific plan you choose.
• Most Restrictive: Nationwide offers the shortest window at just 10 days for certain enhanced benefits on their Prime plan. BHTP varies from 14 to 21 days depending on the specific plan.
• Most Flexible: World Nomads stands out for allowing purchases up to your departure date without losing major benefits. Their flat-rate pricing structure doesn't penalize late buyers the way age-based pricing does with other companies.

Beyond the standard timing requirements, each company has unique rules worth knowing:

• BHTP (Berkshire Hathaway) Offers some of the fastest claims processing in the industry, but their best benefits require purchase within 14 to 21 days. Their ExactCare plans include primary medical coverage, meaning they pay first without waiting for your health insurance.
• Travel Guard Provides good basic coverage even for late purchases, but their Preferred and Deluxe plans offer significantly better trip interruption benefits (150% vs 100% of trip cost) only for early buyers.
• World Nomads Unique in the industry for flat-rate pricing regardless of age, making them especially valuable for older travelers. You can buy coverage up to departure without penalty, though some benefits still have timing requirements.
• Tin Leg Offers primary medical coverage on their higher-tier plans, which means faster claim payments. Their timing requirements vary by plan, with Luxury and Platinum plans having stricter purchase windows.
• Travel Insured International Includes children 17 and under for free on select plans when parents buy coverage. They require purchase within 14 to 21 days for pre-existing condition waivers depending on the plan.