Travel insurance for medical emergencies abroad

What happens if I need a hospital abroad?

If you are taken ill or hurt abroad, the South African government will help with contact and logistics but will not pay the bill. Money for treatment and for getting you home comes from you or from your insurance. The Insurance Act's travel class covers a death, disability or health event abroad, subject to each policy's terms.

Olvian is not an insurer, broker or financial services provider. It passes a person's request to licensed providers, who pay Olvian a fee and contact the person. This guide sets out what the published sources say. It does not say what cover a person should buy.

What does the law say a travel policy is for?

The Insurance Act 18 of 2017 sorts insurance into classes. Table 2 of Schedule 2 describes class 15, travel, for individual personal lines as covering damage or loss resulting from:

• cancellation, interruption, loss of property (including baggage), or other unforeseen events before, while and after travelling; and
• "a death, disability or health event while travelling in a country in which the insured person is not ordinarily resident".

That is the legal description of the class. What a particular policy pays is set by its own benefits, limits, excesses and exclusions. Two policies in the same class can differ widely, which is why the wording matters more than the name.

What will the South African government do?

The Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) publishes Guidelines on the provision of Consular Services (Version 01 of 2023). They say that services and assistance are "of a non-financial nature" and that "all costs involved will be for the account of the client (e.g. hospital bills, flight tickets, accommodation, repatriation, legal fees etc.)". DIRCO takes no responsibility for costs incurred by clients.

What it does offer includes:

• logistical support and non-financial assistance to South African nationals who are in hospital abroad or who may need to be repatriated to South Africa for urgent medical or professional attention (paragraph 4.1.3); and
• communication with next of kin in the event of a reported death or life-threatening illness or injury (paragraph 4.1.4).

Under the heading "DIRCO does not provide the following services", paragraph 4.6.1 lists paying "any expenses on behalf of nationals from State funds, i.e. medical bills, hotel or legal fees, air tickets, transport, food, funerals, cremation or return of mortal remains".

Paragraph 4.4.5 deals with a death abroad. It says that where the deceased had travel insurance, it is recommended that the next of kin contact the insurer first to establish whether the deceased is covered.

What should I read in the medical section of a policy?

The medical section is where the details are. These are the questions to put to the licensed provider and to look for in the wording.

1. The medical limit. How much does the policy pay for medical costs, and in what currency? Rule 11.1 treats "any limit on the amount or amounts of cover" as a significant limitation. If a visa requirement applies, our guide on the Schengen visa requirement shows the legal minimum.
2. What counts as an emergency. Does the policy define it, and does it separate emergency treatment from treatment that can wait?
3. Repatriation. Does the policy pay to bring you home for medical reasons, and who decides when that is necessary?
4. Existing conditions. Rule 11.1 lists "any exclusion relating to certain diseases or medical conditions" as a significant exclusion. How does the policy define an existing condition, and how far back does it look?
5. Age, destination and activity limits. Rule 11.1 lists "any restrictions on eligibility to claim such as age, residence or employment". Look for age bands, regions that are excluded or treated differently, and activities that are excluded.
6. The excess. Rule 11.4.2 requires the insurer to disclose "any excesses that may become payable by the policyholder, the circumstances under which it will be payable and the consequences of not paying".
7. The emergency number and the claim process. Rule 11.5.1(g) requires the insurer to give you in writing "the contact details for notifying the insurer of a claim", and Rule 17.8.3 requires it to tell a claimant what information it needs, where and how to send it, any time limits and any excess. Keep the number on your phone and in your luggage before you leave.
8. Who pays the hospital. Does the insurer guarantee payment to the hospital, or do you pay and claim back? Rule 11.5.1(b) requires the insurer to tell you in writing "the timing and manner in which the policy benefits will or may be made available".

What do I have to tell the insurer about my health?

Be honest and complete. Rule 11.4.2(k) requires the insurer to tell you of "any obligation to disclose material facts, including information to ensure that a policyholder knows what must be disclosed as well as the consequences of non-compliance".

After the policy starts, Rule 11.5.1(i) requires the insurer to give you in writing the representations you made which it regarded as material to its assessment of the risk. Read that list as soon as you get it. If it describes your health or your trip wrongly, correct it in writing before you travel.

If you are unsure whether something is relevant, such as a check-up, a new prescription or a recent test, mention it and let the insurer say whether it matters.

Can my medical aid or credit card do this job?

Olvian has not verified what any medical scheme pays outside South Africa or what any card includes, and so it does not say. The scheme's rules and benefit schedule, or the card's terms, answer that question. Ask for the answer in writing, and set it beside the limit and the eligibility conditions on the travel policy you are looking at.

What should I keep when I claim?

The insurer will tell you what it needs, but a sensible set of papers is the following:

• the hospital's reports and invoices, and proof of payment;
• prescriptions and receipts;
• the date and time you first contacted the insurer's emergency line, and the name of the person you spoke to;
• any reference number the insurer gave you; and
• your travel documents, to show where you were and when.

If the insurer turns a claim down, Rule 17.6.3 requires a notice with reasons, your right to make representations within not less than 90 days, its internal review process and your right to complain to an ombud. Rule 17.6.5 requires a written decision within 45 days of receiving your representations. If you are still not satisfied, the National Financial Ombud Scheme says its service is free and that it can look at a complaint after you have lodged it with the insurer. Our guide on cancelling, claims and complaints has more detail.

Sources

Checked on 31 October 2026. Olvian is not a financial services provider and this guide is information, not advice.

• Insurance Act 18 of 2017, Schedule 2, Table 2: classes of non-life insurance business
• Department of International Relations and Cooperation: Guidelines on the provision of Consular Services, Version 01 of 2023
• Policyholder Protection Rules (Short-term Insurance), 2017, Rule 11: disclosure, Government Notice 1433, Government Gazette 41329, 15 December 2017, as amended by Notice 996, Government Gazette 41928, 28 September 2018.
• Rule 17: claims management
• National Financial Ombud Scheme