Can You Buy Travel Insurance After Booking Travel and 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 provides the most comprehensive protection and access to enhanced benefits like pre-existing condition waivers and cancel for any reason coverage that aren't available if you wait.

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

• 14-day windows: Allianz requires purchase within 14 days for Cancel Anytime coverage and pre-existing condition waivers. AXA has a 14-day requirement for pre-existing condition coverage on its Gold and Platinum plans.
• 21-day windows: Travelex gives you 21 days from your initial trip deposit to access pre-existing condition waivers on its Ultimate plan. Generali Global Assistance also uses a 21-day window for enhanced benefits.
• Flexible timing: Seven Corners varies by plan, with some benefits requiring a 14-day purchase while others allow more time. IMG's iTravelInsured plans have different windows depending on your specific plan.
• Most restrictive: Nationwide offers the shortest window at 10 days for certain enhanced benefits on its Prime plan. BHTP varies from 14 to 21 days depending on the plan.
• Most flexible: World Nomads allows purchases up to your departure date without losing major benefits. Its 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 its best benefits require purchase within 14 to 21 days. Its 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 its Preferred and Deluxe plans offer much better trip interruption benefits (150% vs. 100% of trip cost) only for early buyers.
• World Nomads is unique in the industry for flat-rate pricing regardless of age, making it 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 its higher-tier plans, which means faster claim payments. The 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. Depending on the plan, pre-existing condition waivers require purchase within 14 to 21 days.

You can buy travel insurance after booking your trip, but timing matters. Purchase within 14 to 21 days of your first trip payment to unlock benefits like pre-existing condition waivers and cancel for any reason coverage. While basic financial protection remains available until departure, waiting longer than three weeks means losing access to enhanced coverage options that provide the most comprehensive protection.

The sweet spot is buying within 24 to 48 hours of booking. This guarantees maximum coverage and gives you peace of mind from the start of your trip planning. Companies like Allianz and Nationwide have strict windows, while World Nomads offers more flexibility for late purchases.

Deciding when to purchase travel insurance raises practical questions about timing, costs and coverage options. Here are answers to common concerns travelers have about buying insurance after booking their trips.