Which medical documents does your insurer expect?
Most travel cancellation policies ask for objective medical proof of the event that prevents you from travelling. The item most frequently requested is a medical certificate issued by a doctor registered with the medical board, stating that you are unable to take the planned trip and specifying the period concerned. Depending on the policy, other documents may complete the file.
Requirements differ from one insurer to another, so it is essential to read your contract or general terms before assembling the file. As a guide, the documents often requested include the following:
- A dated medical certificate stating that your health condition is incompatible with travel, and the expected duration of that incompatibility
- Proof of booking (ticket, invoice, hotel or stay confirmation) and its amount
- Proof of payment and, where applicable, a breakdown of the non-refundable costs
- Depending on the case, additional items such as a prescription or a medical report, if your contract provides for it
Within what deadlines must you file the claim?
Meeting the filing deadlines is one of the most sensitive points. Most contracts require you to report the event to your insurer very quickly after it occurs, often within a number of days set out in the general terms. Failing to respect this deadline may, depending on the policy, reduce or even jeopardise compensation.
As a precaution, the safest approach is to notify your insurer as soon as you know you will not be able to travel, without waiting until you have gathered every document. You can open the file first and complete the supporting documents afterwards, within the stated deadline.
The medical certificate is best issued as early as possible, ideally when the health problem arises. A certificate dated within the relevant period is generally given more weight than a document drafted long after the events. The Certi-Fly service lets you obtain a travel cancellation medical certificate signed by a doctor registered with the medical board, after a medical assessment carried out by phone or WhatsApp, which helps you stay within these time windows.
Consistency of dates and information: often the deciding factor
Insurers check the consistency between the various dates in your file. An apparent inconsistency can lead to requests for additional documents, or even a refusal. It is therefore worth making sure that the whole file tells a clear and logical timeline.
The points to check relate in particular to the sequence of dates:
- The date of the planned trip should be later than the date the insurance was taken out
- The date the health problem arose should fall before departure and explain the cancellation
- The date of the medical certificate should be consistent with the stated period of incapacity
- The date you notify the insurer should respect the deadline set out in the contract
Keep your evidence and build a complete file
A claim is sometimes refused simply because a document is missing or has not been kept. Get into the habit of keeping a copy of every document you send, as well as a record of your exchanges with the insurer.
A few good practices help you present an orderly and defensible file:
- Keep the original and a digital copy of the medical certificate
- Archive booking confirmations, invoices and proof of payment
- Keep a record of the date and method of sending your declaration (acknowledgement of receipt, time-stamped email)
- Note the file reference given by the insurer and keep the correspondence exchanged
Reducing the risk of refusal: useful reflexes
No service can guarantee that a claim will be accepted, because the decision belongs to the insurer and depends on your contract. However, a precise, dated and consistent file clearly reduces the grounds for dispute. The aim is to present the insurer with a clear, complete and verifiable request from the very first submission.
Read your policy's guarantees and exclusions carefully: some situations may not be covered, and it is better to know this before assembling the file. If you have any doubt about a clause, do not hesitate to ask your insurer directly. For the medical part, a clear certificate issued by a doctor registered with the medical board, such as the one offered by Certi-Fly, helps make the file easier to read.