What is Repatriation Coverage in a Travel Insurance Policy?

Many people are aware of the benefits of travel insurance policies. Standard travel insurance typically covers the loss of one’s luggage, the costs of medical emergencies or the costs of canceled trips (if you cancel for a covered reason) and other unexpected situations that might be encountered by travelers. It helps keeps the traveler secure and not be left in a situation of vulnerability – whether financial or medical – when far from home.

Repatriation of Remains Coverage

The travel insurance coverage that few know about is repatriation coverage. Repatriation coverage is also called repatriation of remains coverage. If a traveler dies in a foreign country, this travel insurance policy rider provides for transport of the traveler’s remains back to their home country. It is key to emphasize that such coverage will not extend to death that would occur while traveling domestically; it is meant to cover you when traveling abroad. It is also important to note that Repatriation of Remains coverage is generally combined with the Emergency Medical Evacuation benefit on comprehensive travel insurance plans and you will not see it broken out separately as a benefit. When quoting on TravelInsurance.com, you can read more about the Repatriation of Remains coverage if you click on the Evacuation benefit to read the coverage details.

What Exactly is Covered?

If a traveler dies in a foreign country with this traveler’s insurance policy, the coverage will allow for all transportation needed to get the body of the traveler to their home and family. Often, accompanying expenses are covered, such as embalming the body. The coverage will not pay for burial or cremation of the remains nor for a coffin.

How Are the Costs of the Repatriation Coverage Determined?

Cost of the coverage, like many different types of insurance, are based upon the person’s age and health with a baseline cost factored in and is “baked” into the policy coverage and not an optional upgrade.

Why Purchase a Plan with Repatriation Coverage?

The typical cost of repatriation insurance will be a small fraction of the cost compared to the family of the deceased being burdened with the overseas costs of transporting the body to an embalmer, transporting the body to the airport where the flight home will take place and flying the remains back to their home or to a funeral home or a crematorium. Also, coordinating a repatriation of remains is a logistical nightmare for a grieving family. This type of travel protection is a means of protecting one’s loved ones in the event of one’s untimely demise overseas.

A Necessity for Most International Students

Often, international students are required by their home universities or schools to have repatriation coverage as well as emergency medical evacuation coverage. Many governments also require foreign visitors to carry repatriation and emergency medical evacuation coverage in order to get a visa. One such example is the J1 visa.

What Are Some Other Considerations?

If you have repatriation trip insurance, you need to let your family know and provide them with the contact information for the provider. If you die in a foreign country and you have the trip insurance coverage, your family or other representative will need to notify the travel insurance provider of your wishes.

What Are Other Travel Insurance Options to Consider?

Medical evacuation coverage is another very helpful trip protection insurance that will help get you evacuated to either a quality hospital in the country you are visiting or back home in the event you have an accident somewhere that emergency care is lacking. Again, the repatriation coverage is generally part of the evacuation benefit in terms of wording, so you can find the details when reading about the evacuation coverage.

For your family’s peace of mind, repatriation of remains coverage is inexpensive travel insurance that can help save money and unnecessary problems in a sensitive time in the event of your death overseas.