Travel Insurance for Bronchitis

What is bronchitis?

Bronchitis is inflammation of the bronchi, the main airways that carry air into your lungs. The main symptom is a cough, often bringing up yellow, grey or green mucus, and it can come with a sore chest, a blocked nose, aches and feeling generally worn out. It’s one of the more common respiratory conditions people ask us about.

Most cases are acute bronchitis. This is usually caused by a virus, often after a cold, and tends to clear up on its own within about three weeks. Chronic bronchitis is a longer lasting problem, with a productive cough most days for months at a time, and it is generally treated as part of COPD. The NHS bronchitis page covers symptoms, treatment and when to get medical help.

Why do I need to declare bronchitis for travel insurance?

Chronic bronchitis is a long-term lung condition and is treated as pre-existing. A recent bout of acute bronchitis may also count if you’re still recovering or being treated. We need to know because chest infections can return or get worse when you’re travelling, and a bad spell might mean seeing a doctor, needing antibiotics or a hospital stay abroad. If bronchitis isn’t declared when it should be, a related claim 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 bronchitis?

Usually, yes. Cover is often available for both chronic bronchitis and a recent acute episode, so read the medical questions carefully and answer them as they are asked. Whether bronchitis can be included tends to depend on how recent it was, how often it comes back and whether you’ve been admitted to hospital with a chest infection. Picking up bronchitis for the first time while you are away is a different matter. That would normally count as a new illness, not a pre-existing one.

What we’ll ask about your bronchitis

Our online screening is easy to follow. It asks a few questions about your bronchitis, including how often you get chest infections and the treatment you’ve needed. When you’ve declared this condition, carry on with any other relevant pre-existing medical conditions.

Finishing the medical declaration takes you through to the quote page. Provided your bronchitis and your other declared conditions can be covered, you’ll be presented with a list of quotes. The premium you see already includes cover for your medical, and if we cannot provide cover, you’ll know before going ahead.

If your health changes before travelling

Chest infections have a habit of coming back in winter. If your medication changes, you go into hospital, you’re referred to a specialist, or you’re diagnosed with something new between now and departure, 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 bronchitis travel insurance cover?

When bronchitis is accepted on your policy, a chest infection that flares up abroad is dealt with like any other medical emergency. Suppose a lingering cough turns into a fever and breathing difficulty on a trip to Portugal and a local doctor sends you to hospital. Emergency treatment there can be covered, and so can repatriation if you need medical help to get home. This is all subject to the policy terms, exclusions, limits and excess.

The policy can also help if you are too ill to go. Where a doctor advises you not to travel because of your chest shortly before departure, you may be able to recover non-refundable costs through cancellation cover.

Treatment you planned to have abroad isn’t included, and neither is anything linked to a condition that wasn’t declared. The policy wording sets out the full terms.

Will bronchitis affect the cost of travel insurance?

Bronchitis may push the premium up, but the screening result decides by how much. During our online medical screening you could be asked how your bronchitis is treated and how well it’s controlled between episodes. General points like your age, where you’re going and how long you’re away matter too. Have a look at the quote before you make up your mind.

Single trip or annual cover with bronchitis

For one holiday, single trip cover keeps things straightforward. If you tend to get away several times a year, annual multi-trip cover may suit you better, depending on your screening result.

Travelling with bronchitis: practical tips

The suggestions below are general advice for travelling with a sensitive chest. They don’t form part of your policy.

If you are getting over acute bronchitis, give yourself some slack. The cough often hangs about for a few weeks after everything else has settled, and that on its own is normal. A high temperature, coughing up blood or breathlessness that keeps getting worse is different, and needs looking at by a GP before you set off.

Cabin air is very dry, which can make a cough feel more irritating. Drink water regularly on the flight and carry lozenges or boiled sweets. If you use an inhaler, it belongs in your hand luggage, never in a checked bag.

Cold air, smoke and dust can all set off a cough. A scarf over your nose and mouth helps on chilly evenings, and a non-smoking room is worth requesting. Smoking is the main cause of chronic bronchitis and slows recovery from the acute kind, so the trip could be a good time to step away from it.

For people with chronic bronchitis, pace matters. Steep old towns, long walks to the gate and high altitude can all be harder work on the lungs. Most UK airports provide free assistance if you book it ahead with your airline.

1. pack all your usual medicines, with a few days extra in case of delays
2. carry a copy of your prescription
3. ask your GP whether your flu or pneumococcal vaccine is due, and check the TravelHealthPro country guides for anything else you need
4. wash your hands often, as a fresh cold can bring the cough straight back

How to get a quote

Enter where and when you are going, work through the medical questions and choose the cover that suits you. The price is on screen before you buy.

Get a Quote

Other Useful Respiratory Pages

• Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome Travel Insurance
• Asthma Travel Insurance
• Bronchiolitis Travel Insurance
• Bronchitis Travel Insurance
• COPD Travel Insurance
• COVID-19 Travel Insurance
• Cystic Fibrosis Travel Insurance
• Laryngitis Travel Insurance
• Pneumonia Travel Insurance
• Respiratory Tract Infections Travel Insurance
• Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Travel Insurance
• Silicosis Travel Insurance
• Sleep Apnoea Travel Insurance

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.