Legally, you don’t need travel insurance to go to Barbados. Neither the U.S. nor Barbados requires it. U.S. travelers need only a valid passport and an outbound ticket to get into Barbados and stay for up to six months.
But travel experts recommend insurance for any expensive vacation. Travel plans change, and sometimes unforeseen circumstances affect your trip in a big way through missed connections, canceled flights, an illness or death in your family or some other major event. A good travel insurance plan protects your financial investment in instances where your flights don’t cooperate, you lose your personal belongings, or you need medical assistance while abroad.
A trip to Barbados is likely to include hiking, swimming, snorkeling with turtles and other fun (and sometimes costly) adventures. For these reasons, we recommend securing a high limit for medical coverage as part of your travel insurance policy.
You may also want to consider having cancellation insurance, which will reimburse your trip costs if a natural disaster occurs and interrupts most of all of your itinerary.
The following sections will highlight some of the different types of insurance coverage you may want to consider for your travel insurance plan.
Cancel for Any Reason Coverage
If you want the flexibility to cancel your trip without any exclusions, you should consider purchasing cancel for any reason coverage. This is an optional insurance rider that insurance companies provide. It lets travelers cancel trips for reasons beyond what a standard cancellation policy permits.
While CFAR coverage has obvious benefits, it also has certain limitations that might make it unsuitable for everyone who travels to Barbados. Limitations can include:
- Lower reimbursement rates, 50% to 75% rather than 100% of insured trip costs
- The fact your state or country of residence makes you ineligible for a CFAR rider
- That you must buy coverage within two to three weeks of originating departure
Gear Theft Protection
Gear Theft Protection is a specific type of insurance that allows travelers to claim back the cost of valuables that get stolen or damaged while on vacation. Travelers have found this protection useful for expensive items: cameras, phones, sporting equipment and other gadgets.
You typically need to declare the items you want covered and their estimated cost before your trip starts. Your coverage may not be sufficient to cover the cost of multiple items. In this case, you may want to insure your valuables individually through your bank or through your homeowners insurance.
Medical Emergency Insurance and Emergency Medical Evacuation
Medical emergency insurance, or travel medical insurance, is a part of travel insurance that covers costs associated with any medical care you receive while away. Healthcare in Barbados can get expensive, making insurance for medical care important to your pocketbook. This protection is subject to certain exclusions, and not all medical expenses will be covered.
Most medical emergency policies include coverage for:
- Emergency medical transportation
- Hospitalization
- Prescriptions
- Surgeries and other medical treatment
Emergency Medical Evacuation is another aspect of travel health insurance that covers the cost of returning you to your home country for necessary treatment. This coverage is often referred to as medical repatriation, and it’s separate from standard travel medical insurance. This insurance will cover all costs incurred from emergency evacuation such as accommodations, flights and other transportation needs.
People with pre-existing conditions must declare the health issues to the insurance provider before buying it. Even then some insurers may not cover the costs of treating a pre-existing medical condition as part of their standard medical coverage. Providers may offer coverage that includes your pre-existing conditions at a higher rate, and some companies specialize in travel health insurance that’s specifically inclusive of medical conditions.
Rental Car Protection
If you plan to rent a vehicle for your vacation, consider adding rental car protection to your travel insurance policy. Getting insurance this way can give you more coverage and be more cost-effective than getting it through a rental car company.
Your travel insurance company will likely offer rental car protection as an add-on and also may include:
- A collision damage waiver
- Personal effects coverage
- Accident or injury coverage
Trip Cancellation Insurance
Cancellation insurance lets travelers claim back any non-refundable deposits made before their departure date should they need to cancel their vacation plans. Cancellation across all insurance providers is subject to certain terms and conditions. You should always check the fine print of your policy to see what constitutes a valid cancellation reason.
Reasons for cancellation can include:
- Unforeseen natural disasters and storms that are yet to be named
- Death of a family member or travel companion
- Military service
- Injury or illness that will prevent you from traveling