A travel insurance policy that expires the day before your trip is worth nothing. Most insurers send one notice. It gets filtered, skimmed, or ignored. Set your own reminder 30 days out and renew while you still have options.
Done in seconds. No sign-up required.
You usually only discover the gap when you need the cover.
typical cost of a medical evacuation from abroad — the exact scenario travel insurance is meant to cover
U.S. Department of State travel guidance
standard window insurers use to send a single renewal notice, often by email that gets filtered away
Staysure, QBE, Columbus Direct policy terms
of grace you get once the policy expires — no backdating, no extending, no claims for anything that happens next
VisitorsCoverage policy documentation
Travel insurance renews once a year at most, and usually only if you have an annual multi-trip policy. That's infrequent enough that the date never sits in front of you. The insurer sends a renewal email three to six weeks before expiry. It gets caught in promotions, buried under flight confirmations, or marked as "deal with later." Later is often the day the policy ends.
Auto-renewal hides the problem in a different way. If your plan rolls over automatically, you never review the new premium, the new exclusions, or the new medical disclosure questions. A condition diagnosed during the past year may not be covered under the new term unless you tell the insurer. You only find out on a claim, which is the worst possible time to find out.
Single-trip travelers miss it for a different reason again. They don't think of travel insurance as something to renew at all. They just buy another policy next trip. Then a trip gets booked past the expiry of the old annual plan, and nobody spots the gap until it matters. A reminder set 30 days before the expiry date closes all three gaps at once.
Enter your policy expiry date and your email. You'll get a heads-up a week out, three days out, and the day before, plus another on the day itself. Follow-ups keep going until you mark it done. No account, no app, no hidden charge.
It's on your policy schedule or certificate — usually page one. If you can't find it, your insurer's portal shows it under "policy details."
Emails 7 days, 3 days, and 1 day before, plus one on the date. Enough time to compare quotes, disclose new medical info, and buy the new policy without rushing.
Miss the first email, miss the second, the reminders keep coming. It doesn't quietly disappear after one notification and leave you exposed.
The cost of a lapse shows up where you can least afford it.
A hospital admission abroad or a repatriation flight can run into six figures. Without an active policy, that bill lands on you, your family, or your credit card.
What actually happens if it expires →Trips booked after your expiry date aren't covered by the old policy, and new policies often don't cover events you could have foreseen. The 30-day renewal window prevents that trap.
When to actually renew →Auto-renewal pricing is almost never the best rate. If you don't review before it rolls over, you're likely paying more than you need to and taking whatever coverage changes came with it.
How auto-renewal actually works →The details that matter before your policy runs out.
Most insurers send a renewal notice 21–45 days before your policy expires, usually by email. It's easy to miss — especially if it gets filtered, buried, or arrives while you're traveling. Some US annual plans don't auto-renew at all, so no notice ever arrives. A separate reminder you control means the date doesn't depend on your inbox.
Renew 21–45 days before the expiry date on your current policy. That window gives you time to disclose any new medical conditions, compare plans, and keep coverage continuous — especially important if you already have trips booked after the expiry date. Waiting until the day before is the most common way to end up with a gap.
It depends on the insurer and country. Many UK multi-trip policies auto-renew unless you opt out, while most US annual plans do not. Auto-renewal can quietly raise your premium or change your coverage, so even when it's on, a reminder 30 days out gives you time to review the new terms before your card is charged.
Coverage ends the moment the policy expires. You lose protection for medical emergencies, trip cancellation, baggage, and evacuation. Most insurers will not extend an expired policy — you have to buy a new one, and any condition that developed during the lapse counts as pre-existing and may be excluded or priced higher.
Usually not with the same insurer once the policy has expired. Some providers allow an extension request if you apply before the expiry date and you're still abroad. After expiry you're looking at a new single-trip policy from whichever insurers will cover an in-country applicant, and options shrink fast.
You'll get emails 7 days, 3 days, and 1 day before your renewal date, plus one on the day itself. If you haven't marked it done, follow-ups keep going for a day or two afterward. That's typically enough lead time to get quotes, disclose any new medical info, and buy the new policy before the old one lapses.
Free. No account. Enter your policy expiry date and get an email with enough lead time to renew, re-quote, or switch insurers before your coverage lapses.
Create Renewal ReminderLast modified: