Travel Insurance for Stolen or Damaged Baggage
If your gear has been stolen or damaged, here's how we can help.
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When you’re travelling, you don’t always have control over what happens to your gear: it can get stolen, damaged, be sent to the wrong airport or get lost permanently in transit. That’s where baggage and personal belongings cover can help.
Baggage and Personal Belongings Travel Insurance: What's covered?
All World Nomads plans for UK residents include coverage for your luggage and personal items you take with you. Cover includes:
- Necessities (e.g underwear and toiletries) if your baggage is delayed for at least 24 hours.
- Specific high value items you have paid an additional insurance premium for and which are shown on your Certificate of Insurance.
- The additional cost of obtaining a replacement passport or visa including accommodation, travel and fees that you would otherwise not have paid.
- If you buy the Explorer Plan, the policy also covers accidental loss or theft of your own money while you were carrying it or if you left it in a locked safety deposit box.
What’s not covered?
There are a number of items our policy for UK residents doesn’t cover and if you don’t look after your belongings properly, you may not be covered either.
- If you don't keep your gear safe and secure.
- If you don't report the loss to the police and appropriate carrier or authority within 24 hours of the loss being discovered. Get a written report!
- Any item that is covered under another insurance policy or where it is recoverable from another source.
- Baggage delay on your return journey to the UK
- Sporting equipment while in use.
This is not a full list of what's covered and not covered. There are item limits and conditions that apply, so for more information check out our article on baggage cover and personal effects and read your policy carefully before you buy.
Travel Insurance baggage tips:
- Find and scan your receipts before your leave home.
- If an airline loses your gear, tell them straight away and get it in writing.
- Theft? Report it to the police as soon as possible.
- If your smartphone or tablet can be blocked, block it.
- You can claim at home or while overseas.
Beware of the Singing Girl.
My wife and I were travelling through South America. We had just arrived in the main bus station in Arequipa, Peru at approximately 7pm, after travelling overnight from the north of Chile. We sat down on the public seating at the bus station whilst waiting for a friend to book an onward ticket. I was sat on the end of the isle of seats with my day bag by the side of my feet. A child of about the age of 9 years came up to us from the opposite direction and spoke to us in Spanish. We both looked at her whilst trying to understand what she said. After decyphering that she wanted to sing us a song and subsequently declining her offer, she wandered off. At this point I looked down at my bags to discover that my day bag had gone. We obviously immediately looked around, could not see the bag anywhere. We asked the other people sat around if they had seen anything, but no one had. The little girl was nowhere to be seen. As we had been on the go for over 24 hours and were extremely tired and now extremely upset, we left and checked into a hostel. The next morning we lodged a report with the tourist police who informed us that there had been a police counter at the station. At the time though it had not even occurred to me that we could make a report at the station itself. After 3 months of travelling through South America with not a single problem and with only 5 days left until flying home this has not been the most pleasant way to finish our holiday!
British Nomad in Peru.
Travel Insurance Benefits: how we can take care of you
Trip Cancellation
Protect your trip from unexpected cancellation.
- Explorer Plan: £5,000
- Standard Plan: £3,000
Trip Protection
- Come to a sticky end?
- Called to jury duty?
- Been made redundant?
We’ve got your back.
Emergency Abroad Medical Expenses
Take the pain out of medical costs while traveling abroad.
- Explorer Plan: £10 million
- Standard Plan: £5 million
Emergency Medical Insurance
- Need drugs?
- Accidentally injured?
- Suddenly sick?
We’ve got your back.
Emergency Medical Transport
Expenses included in Emergency Medical limits.
Evacuation and Repatriation
- Banged up abroad?
- Need a hospital urgently?
- You or a family member dead?
Help starts here.
Protect your gear
Cover your lost, stolen or damaged gear and tech.
- Explorer Plan: £3,000
- Standard Plan: £1,500
Protect your gear
- Luggage lost?
- Passport pilfered?
- Tech trashed?
Help starts here.
- Emergency Medical Expenses
- Baggage & Personal Belongings
- Cancellation
- Trip Curtailment
- Personal Accident
- Loss of Passport or travel documents
- Personal Liability
- Legal Expenses (Personal Liability)
You are not eligible to buy a policy if you travel against medical advice, travel with the intention of receiving medical treatment, or have a terminal illness. World Nomads policies cannot cover claims due to Pre-Existing Medical Conditions (PEMC), regardless of whether the condition is serious or not. You can still purchase a World Nomads policy, but the PEMC exclusion cannot be removed, and you will be responsible for any related costs.
For information on travel insurance providers that offer cover on PEMC, visit Money Helper or call 0800 138 7777.
24/7 Emergency Medical Assistance
If you need medical assistance or emergency medical evacuation our team is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year before and during your trip.
Wherever you are, we’re here 24/7 to help you in any emergency.
Are you in need of Emergency Medical Assistance right now?
For policies purchased on or after 27 June 2024
+44 (0) 144 444 2021 (Call via an operator reverse charges. Not toll free.)
For policies purchased before 27 June 2024:
Phone: +44 (0) 203 093 1750 (Call via an operator reverse charges. Not toll free.)
FAQ
Here are our most frequently asked questions about buying travel insurance for baggage. You can also find the answers to other questions in our Helpdesk or you can ask our customer service team.
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I'm on a gap year, can I claim for my baggage while I'm away?
You can claim whenever you like, while traveling or when you return home.
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What if I don’t have receipts?
You can still lodge a claim. However, the team might depreciate or be unable to process your claim.
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If the airlines loses my gear, what do I need?
You’ll need a Property Irregularity Report (‘PIR’) from the carrier confirming the delay and any compensation they provided to you or offered to you, your receipts and a copy of your itinerary.
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Do my items get depreciated?
Yes they do. However, you can pay an additional premium per item so insure them for the value you bought them (if it's under the limits).