Travel Insurance for ADHD

What is ADHD?

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD, affects how a person focuses, controls impulses and manages energy levels. It’s a neurodevelopmental condition, and on our site you’ll find it with other neurological conditions. Symptoms usually show in childhood, but plenty of people are only diagnosed as adults.

Some people mainly struggle with concentration and organisation. Others are more restless and impulsive, and many have a mix of both. Treatment can include medication, talking therapies and practical strategies, and it’s common for ADHD to sit alongside anxiety, depression or autism. The NHS page on ADHD explains diagnosis and treatment for children and adults.

Why do I need to declare ADHD for travel insurance?

ADHD is a pre-existing medical condition once it’s been diagnosed, and it should be declared even if day to day life feels well managed. We ask about it because ADHD often sits alongside anxiety or depression, and running out of medication or a change in routine abroad can sometimes lead to a difficult spell that needs medical help. It can also be linked to a higher chance of accidents. If ADHD isn’t declared and you make a related claim, it could be refused or reduced.

You won’t need to declare every medical condition you’ve ever had or been diagnosed with, only those that fall into the initial set of medical questions.

Can I get travel insurance with ADHD?

Yes, most people with ADHD can get cover. What affects whether it’s offered tends to be the overall picture rather than ADHD on its own. A settled routine on the same treatment usually looks quite different from a recent change in medication or a period of being unwell, and any related mental health conditions or past crisis care will be taken into account.

What we’ll ask about your ADHD

The medical screening is online and simple to complete. For your ADHD, it asks about the medication you take and whether you’re under a mental health service. When you’ve finished with this condition, carry on declaring any other relevant pre-existing medical conditions.

With the medical declaration complete, you’ll go through to the quote page. A list of quotes is shown if your ADHD and any other conditions are coverable, and the premium quoted includes the cost of covering your medical. If we can’t offer cover, you’ll find that out before going any further.

If your health changes before travelling

Treatment for ADHD can be adjusted over time. If you start or switch medication, you have a hospital admission, you’re referred to a mental health service, or you receive a new diagnosis before you travel, you must let us know. We may have to review your cover and refer your medical details to the underwriters, and sometimes we may not be able to proceed with cover. If changes in your medical go unreported, a future claim can be affected or denied.

What can ADHD travel insurance cover?

With ADHD accepted, you can be covered for emergency medical treatment abroad that’s connected to it. One example: if you lose your medication on a trip to Florida and become unwell, needing urgent medical help, the emergency costs can be covered. Repatriation can be covered too if you need to come home with medical support. Cover is subject to the policy terms, exclusions, limits and excess.

If you become unwell just before the holiday and your doctor advises you not to travel, cancellation cover may help with costs you can’t get back.

Routine prescriptions, planned appointments abroad and anything linked to an undeclared condition aren’t covered.

Will ADHD affect the cost of travel insurance?

ADHD can have an effect on cost, but the size of any change depends on your screening outcome. Our online medical screening may ask how your ADHD is treated and how well controlled it has been recently. Like any quote, yours also takes in your age, trip length and destination. The price appears on screen before you buy.

Single trip or annual cover with ADHD

For one getaway, look at single trip insurance. Frequent travellers might prefer annual insurance, which covers multiple trips over a year. Annual cover depends on your screening result.

Travelling with ADHD: practical tips

The following is general advice and doesn’t form part of your cover.

Medication is the thing to sort out first. Many ADHD medicines, including methylphenidate and lisdexamfetamine, are controlled drugs in the UK, and some countries restrict stimulant medicines heavily or ban certain ones altogether. Japan and the United Arab Emirates are two well known examples with strict rules. Check the entry requirements on GOV.UK foreign travel advice and with the embassy well before you book, and read our guide to travelling abroad with medication.

Carry a letter from your prescriber that lists your medicines and doses, and keep everything in its original packaging in your hand luggage. Bring enough to cover the whole trip plus a few extra days.

Airports can be a stressful mix of queues, noise and waiting around. Hidden disability lanyards, often the sunflower design, are recognised at most UK airports and some abroad, and staff may offer extra time or a quieter route through security.

Lists and reminders help a lot. Keep passports, tickets and chargers in one zipped pouch, set phone alarms for check out times and medication, and take photos of important documents in case something goes missing. Time zone changes can throw routines out, so ask your pharmacist how to adjust medication timings.

If anxiety or low mood also affects you, our pages on anxiety and depression may be useful too.

How to get a quote

Fill in your trip details, answer the questions about ADHD and any other conditions, and choose your level of cover. You’ll see the full price first.

Get a Quote

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Don't worry if your condition is not listed above - we cover plenty more medical conditions.
* Please note that cover will vary depending on individual medical screenings.