Tommy Lloyd
Author: Tommy Lloyd, Managing Director

Tommy has over 15 years experience within the insurance industry, and his primary focus is helping travellers find the right cover for their medical conditions.

Originally posted: 1st Sep 2022

Travel insurance after skin cancer

When travelling to hot and sunny destinations, understandably you will want to take measures so not to aggravate active cancer or increase the chances of a previous skin cancer returning. But regardless of how vigilant you plan on being, having a skin cancer specialist travel insurance policy that will protect you in the event of a flair up or medically related complication abroad is essential. This isn’t only essential for peace of mind but to fully cover the costs if you need to receive treatment or medical assistance.

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Does skin cancer affect travel insurance?

It really depends on the type of skin cancer and your current health situation at the time of applying for cover. You will need to declare the names of your diagnosed medical conditions and answer some multiple-choice questions, allowing insurers to complete a fair assessment.

You can do this right here online using our built-in medical screening facility. Simply hit the ‘Compare Quotes Now’ tab at the top of this page and we will guide you step by step helping you to compare cancer travel insurance to meet your criteria.

Telling insurers about a past condition doesn’t mean they will load the premium. The majority of insurers will ask if you have EVER had a diagnosis of cancer, so even if your lesions have been completely removed or destroyed, and you have been cancer-free for a number of years, you must comply with insurers’ terms and conditions, notifying them of your medical history in order to obtain a valid policy.

Insurers also base their quotes on age, destination and duration of your trip, paying particular attention to countries that operate high levels of privatised health care. The cost to receive medical treatment in areas such as the USA, Canada, the Caribbean, Spain, Canaries, Balearics, Cyprus and Malta for example, are likely to be higher, which tends to put premiums up and, in some cases, results in cover being declined.

Dr Sarah Jarvis, MBE

Top tips for travelling with skin cancer

Dr Sarah Jarvis is the Clinical Director of the Patient Platform, an active medical writer, broadcaster, and the resident doctor for BBC Radio 2.

We've all become much more aware of the dangers of sunburn in recent years, but we need to make sure we're putting this knowledge into practice. The risk of skin cancer increases with age, with half of all skin cancers found in those over 75 - but the damage that leads to them starts much earlier.

In my guide, I take a look at the different types of skin cancer and how to ensure you stay protected.

Find out more
Motor boat on Canal

Types of skin cancer

Before applying for skin cancer travel insurance, you will need to know the specific type you have been diagnosed with. This will be noted on your medical records, so a quick call to your doctor to find this out in advance will save you some time.

There are three major skin cancer types. This includes basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma and melanoma. Basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma are both grouped together as non-melanoma types of skin cancer.

These types of skin cancer are all considered in the medical screening process before accessing the quote comparison engine.

Provided the cancer hasn’t spread, you will be asked whether you were initially diagnosed with these three skin cancer types or even whether you were first diagnosed with mycosis fungoides – which can be tumorous if it progresses beyond a certain point.

Based on this information we will seek to provide you with quotes for the most relevant and useful skin cancer travel insurance policies. 

Basal Cell Carcinoma

The most common form of skin cancer, according to the British Skin Foundation, is basal cell carcinoma, and is often diagnosed in middle and old aged people. Due to exposure of sunlight, basal cell mainly affects areas of the face, nose and neck.

It is very important to take out a travel insurance policy if you have this type of skin cancer. By using our quote comparison engine, you can shop around and get an idea of what sort of cover you can get as well as value for money. However, the most important thing is that you get the most competitive level of cover over the most competitive price.

Once you declare basal cell carcinoma, you will be able to compare skin cancer travel insurance policies from a range of carefully selected insurers.

Once you purchase your bespoke basal cell carcinoma travel insurance policy, you can enjoy your holiday without fear of your condition costing you more than it should, if anything unplanned or unexpected happens while on holiday.

Melanoma Skin Cancer

Malignant melanoma is the type of cancer that often develops from moles caused by exposure to ultraviolet light.

Given the nature of melanoma cancer and its relation to the sunlight, purchasing the right travel insurance is of the utmost importance – especially if you plan on travelling to a country where you’re likely to be exposed to high UV levels throughout the day.  

With Medical Travel Compared, you can compare a variety of quotes from a range of different insurers for malignant melanoma travel insurance. Therefore, it’s very important to declare melanoma cancer as a condition at the start of our medical screening process.

We can then pull through a list of quotes tailored to provide you with the best levels of cover based on your personal situation.

Squamous Cell Carcinoma (SCC) Skin Cancer

Squamous cell carcinoma is the second most common type of skin cancer after basal cell carcinoma. Like the other two types of skin cancer, squamous cell carcinoma often develops through exposure to ultraviolet light.

It can form as scaly sores, warts and red patches on any part of the body – particularly in any areas that may have been sunburnt in the past.

Again, it’s important to declare SCC skin cancer at the start of our medical screening process. It’s also important to bear in mind that squamous cell carcinoma travel insurance may be affected if you are travelling to a country where UV levels are high.

However, the cover is always more important than the cost – and after you’ve entered the details we need from you, you can shop around and explore different quotes from up to 30 different leading insurance providers.

You can then decide on the best policy to suit you.

Finding affordable skin cancer travel insurance

Receiving a diagnosis of cancer doesn’t mean you should give up on finding competitively priced travel insurance with skin cancer cover. Yes, a recent diagnosis and ongoing treatment may make cover more difficult and expensive to find, but shop around, don’t accept the first quote you’re given. To save you time and money, you can compare over 30 specialist insurers all in one place here.

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Frequently Asked Questions

It's easy! Enter your details just once and you'll be able to compare quotes from over 30 specialist providers. We'll even e-mail your top quotes to you so you can access them at any time. Once you've found the policy that is right for you, pay securely online and your documents will be sent to you directly from your insurance provider.

Yes, we'll need to know if you or any traveller on your policy has ever suffered from a cancerous condition. So, this could be a condition that is present now or a condition that you've had in the past and have made a full recovery from. But don't worry, we'll ask you a set of questions relating to your condition to take your individual circumstances into account.

It is simple and quick to do! After you've told us about your trip details and answered some medical history questions you can add your pre-existing conditions, one by one, for each traveller. You'll only need to enter your details once, it's all online and there's no need to call, or provide details of your conditions in writing.

Once you've declared all of your relevant pre-existing medical conditions, we'll only show you quotes based on the conditions you have told us about.

If you don't travel much then a single trip cover is perfect as you can cover specific dates suited to your trip. If you have cancellation cover, you'll also benefit from this as soon as you buy your policy. If you travel 2 or more times a year, it may be cheaper for you to go for an annual trip cover. It's best to start your annual trip cover as soon as possible, as if you have cancellation cover, you'll only benefit from this from your policy start date.

* Price is based on 1 traveller aged 61, who has declared Skin Cancer and is travelling to France for 7 nights. The price is correct as of October 2023. Prices may vary according to your individual requirements.


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If we're unable to help you find cover for a pre-existing medical condition, the Money Helper Directory has listings of companies that may be able to assist you. Further details can be found on their website.

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