Planning your vacations can be a hassle whether you are travelling alone or with your family. You have to take care of hotel bookings, air tickets, itinerary, packing and so on. While all these arrangements are necessary, if you do not have a good vacation travel insurance plan in place before embarking on your journey abroad from Nigeria, you may be making a big mistake.

A good insurance plan reduces the risk of financial loss during your travel. It covers you for accidents, illnesses, missed flights, lost baggage, theft, emergency evacuation and so on. However, choosing the right insurance plan can be a little overwhelming if you don’t have the right information.

Schengen Countries Vacation Travel Insurance

Nigerian citizens are required to have an insurance plan in place before being granted visa.

• Your insurance plan must be issued by an accredited Schengen insurance company.
• It must be valid in all Schengen countries and provide a cover of 30,000 Euros.
• It must cover you for the entire duration of your journey which means you have to buy your vacation travel insurance plan keeping in view the number of days you will be outside Nigeria. The prices for short and long journey vary quite a lot.
• Insurance plan is only requested if your visa is approved. You can get a refund from your company by showing a proof that it was actually refused. Only a small processing fee is taken by most companies.

Worldwide Vacation Travel Insurance

• Nigerian citizens travelling to anywhere except the Schengen areas can get a worldwide insurance plan that will cover them anywhere in the world except Nigeria.
• Make sure it covers you for trip cancellation in case you miss your flight for any unforeseen event such as a family member getting sick, car accident or severe weather.
• It should provide unlimited medical cover and a free choice of doctors and hospitals when need be.
• You should be covered for evacuation in case you need to be transported to a different location during an emergency.
• Baggage insurance can be bought separately but it is sometimes included in some comprehensive packages. Read the terms and conditions to make sure you’re covered.

General Tips and Tricks

• You will be overpaying for your vacation travel insurance almost always if you buy it through a travel agent or an airline. Always look around for alternate options to get the best deal.
• A la carte insurance plan – These days companies are offering separate plans for theft coverage, medical coverage and even varying plans for different ages. Some will even have free plans for kids under a certain age. Keep your options open.
• Check for recommended holiday insurance companies from the embassy of the country you are getting the visa from in Nigeria.
• Single or yearly plan – Most companies will have separate plans for single trips and frequent flyers that make multiple trips outside Nigeria. You can always check beforehand and select the one that suits your travel needs.

These vacation travel insurance tips and tricks will potentially save you a lot of money and give you a peace of mind allowing you to fully enjoy your time away from Nigeria.