Travel Insurance for Broken Bones
Recovering from broken bones? Tell us in our online medical screening and we can consider your cover.
Tell us about your broken bone online in a few clicks
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Cover for a wide range of pre-existing conditions
Get a QuoteWhat are broken bones?
A broken bone, or fracture, is a crack or break in a bone. Falls, sports injuries and road accidents are the usual causes, and fractures are among the most familiar musculoskeletal conditions treated in A&E. A break can be a hairline crack, a clean break or something more complicated where the bone breaks into several pieces or through the skin.
Most fractures are treated with a cast, splint or boot while the bone knits back together, which typically takes several weeks. Some need surgery with plates, screws or pins. People with osteoporosis can break bones more easily, sometimes from a minor fall.
Why do I need to declare a broken bone for travel insurance?
A recent fracture counts as a pre-existing medical condition while it’s still healing or being treated. We ask about it because a bone that hasn’t fully knitted is easier to injure again, and a cast or reduced mobility raises the risk of blood clots on long journeys. Complications such as a slow-healing break or an infection can also need treatment abroad.
Follow-up appointments may clash with travel dates as well. If the break isn’t declared, a claim linked to 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 a broken bone?
Yes, in many cases. Whether a recent fracture can be included is decided by your screening. A healed break from years ago with no ongoing treatment is generally a different matter from a fracture last month, and complications or a planned operation can affect what’s offered. If you break a bone for the first time while you’re away, that’s treated as a new injury rather than a pre-existing condition.
What we’ll ask about your broken bone
The online medical screening is short and easy to get through. It asks a few things about your broken bone, any treatment you’ve had, and if you’re still under medical supervision. When you’re done declaring this condition, carry on declaring any other relevant pre-existing medical conditions.
Once you’ve finished the medical declaration, you’ll go through to the quote page. If your broken bone and other conditions are coverable, you’ll be presented with a list of quotes. The premium you’re given includes the cost of cover for your medical. If we cannot provide cover, you’ll know before proceeding.
If your health changes before travelling
Healing doesn’t always go to plan. If the bone needs resetting, you’re referred for surgery, you’re admitted to hospital, or you’re diagnosed with something new before you travel, you must let us know. Your cover may need reviewing, we may need to refer your medical situation to the underwriters, and in some cases we may not be able to proceed with cover. If you don’t let us know of any changes in your medical, a future claim can be affected or denied.
What can broken bone travel insurance cover?
If your fracture is accepted, emergency treatment abroad connected to it can be covered. For instance, if your cast cracks in Lanzarote and the swelling suggests a problem, getting it checked and treated as an emergency can be included. Repatriation can be covered too if a doctor says you need to come home with medical help. All cover is subject to the policy terms, exclusions, limits and excess.
Breaking a bone shortly before you leave is one of the more common reasons people can’t travel. If that happens and a doctor advises you not to go, cancellation cover may help with non-refundable costs.
Routine follow-up care, such as having a cast removed abroad or physiotherapy you’d planned, isn’t covered. Neither is anything linked to an injury you didn’t declare.
Will a broken bone affect the cost of travel insurance?
Your premium could be affected by a broken bone, and how much rests on the outcome of our online medical screening. It may ask how the fracture is being treated and whether things are under control as it heals. Like everyone, you’ll also find your age, destination and trip length shape the quote. Have a look at the price once the screening is complete, before you choose to buy.
Single trip or annual cover after a broken bone
A single trip policy covers one holiday. If you’re planning several trips this year, annual cover may work out better, depending on your screening result.
Travelling with a broken bone: practical tips
These are general pointers. They’re not part of your insurance.
Check your airline’s rules on casts before you book. Many have policies on how soon you can fly after a cast is fitted, because swelling at altitude can make a tight cast dangerous. Some ask for the cast to be split, and if your leg needs to stay straight you may have to buy an extra seat. Your fracture clinic can advise on timing.
Being in a cast and sitting still for hours raises the risk of a blood clot. Ask your doctor whether you need any extra protection on a long flight, and move whatever you safely can during the journey.
Book special assistance with your airline at least 48 hours ahead. Crutches are tiring over long distances, and a wheelchair through the terminal saves energy. Ask your hotel about lifts, step-free access and whether the bathroom has a walk-in shower.
Keep the cast dry. Waterproof cast covers are cheap and worth packing for showers, but they’re not made for swimming. Sand and seawater under a cast can irritate the skin, so the beach may be one to enjoy from a sunbed this time.
Bring your discharge letter or a summary from the fracture clinic, especially if you have metal plates or screws that might set off security scanners.
How to get a quote
Put in your travel details and declare your fracture in the medical questions if it’s recent or still being treated. Choose your cover, and the price will be shown before you pay.
Other Useful Musculoskeletal Pages
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.
Broken bones travel insurance FAQs
Do I need to declare a broken bone that has fully healed?
Am I covered if I break a bone on holiday?
Can I fly with a cast on?
Can I claim if I break my leg before my holiday?
Will metal plates or pins cause problems at airport security?
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Reviews for Direct Travel:
- "Professional, sensitive on health issue questions, and easy to understand. Quick and easy but handled in a professional manner." 21/07/2026
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