When you think travel insurance, you definitely don’t think of Etiqa. For the uninitiated, Etiqa is Malaysian bank Maybank’s insurance arm, and it’s a relatively new player in this field. Which explains why Etiqa travel insurance is one of the cheapest travel insurance options in Singapore. It’s cheap because it’s unknown.
But as much as everyone loves cheap travel insurance, nobody wants to end up with a lao hong plan that doesn’t cover anything, right? So let’s find out if Etiqa travel insurance is any good.
Etiqa travel insurance at a glance
Etiqa travel insurance is sold under the Etiqa eProtect Travel brand and comes in 2 varieties: regular (normal) and Pre-Ex plans (covers pre-existing medical conditions). Each type is sub-divided into 3 plans which provide different amounts of coverage. Before we delve into the Pre-Ex plans, here’s a quick comparison of the regular price and coverage:
| Travel insurance plan | Entry | Savvy | Luxury |
| Price for 1 week (ASEAN) | $39 | $54 | $72 |
| Price for 1 week (Asia) | $43 | $67 | $85 |
| Price for 1 week (worldwide) | $65 | $85 | $106 |
| Promotion | Currently 30% off single-trip plans | ||
| Medical expenses (overseas) | $200,000 | $500,000 | $1,000,000 |
| Emergency medical evacuation | $1,000,000 | $1,500,000 | $1,800,000 |
| Personal accident (death & TPD) | $150,000 | $300,000 | $500,000 |
| Travel delay ($50 every 3 hours) | $300 | $300 | $500 |
| Trip cancellation | $5,000 | $5,000 | $10,000 |
| Baggage delay ($100 every 6 hours) | $200 | $200 | $200 |
| Baggage loss/damage | $2,000 | $2,000 | $3,000 |
| Adventure activities covered? | Yes | Yes | Yes |
And here are the Etiqa Pre-Ex insurance plans, which cover pre-existing medical conditions:
| Travel insurance plan | Entry | Savvy | Luxury |
| Price for 1 week (ASEAN) | $93 | $123 | $147 |
| Price for 1 week (Asia) | $115 | $155 | $186 |
| Price for 1 week (worldwide) | $158 | $211 | $254 |
| Promotion | Currently 30% off single-trip plans | ||
| Medical expenses due to pre-existing conditions | $75,000 | $125,000 | $150,000 |
| All other medical expenses (overseas) | $200,000 | $500,000 | $1,000,000 |
| Emergency medical evacuation due to pre-existing conditions | $150,000 | $200,000 | $250,000 |
| Emergency medical evacuation | $1,000,000 | $1,500,000 | $1,800,000 |
| Personal accident (death & TPD) | $150,000 | $300,000 | $500,000 |
| Travel delay ($50 every 3 hours) | $300 | $300 | $500 |
| Trip cancellation | $5,000 | $5,000 | $10,000 |
| Baggage delay ($100 every 6 hours) | $200 | $200 | $200 |
| Baggage loss/damage | $2,000 | $2,000 | $3,000 |
| Adventure activities covered? | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Etiqa COVID-19 travel insurance add-on
Here’s a summary of the COVID-19 add-on that is available for single trip and annual plans. Disclaimer: Pre-Ex plans will not be eligible.
| Travel insurance plan | Entry | Savvy | Luxury |
| Price for 1 week (ASEAN) | $18 | $27 | $40 |
| Price for 1 week (Asia) | $23 | $36 | $53 |
| Price for 1 week (worldwide) | $33 | $45 | $63 |
| Trip cancellation | $3,000 | $4,000 | $5,000 |
| Trip postponement | $500 | $1,000 | $1,500 |
| Overseas medical expenses | $100,000 | $200,000 | $300,000 |
| Overseas quarantine diagnosis (100 per day) | $500 | $1,000 | $1,500 |
| Travel disruption | $3,000 | $4,000 | $5,000 |
| Emergency medical evacuation | $200,000 | $300,000 | $500,000 |
Etiqa travel insurance promotion
Etiqa has two ongoing promotions which result in dirt cheap prices:
The 30% off single trip insurance puts the total damage for a week’s worth of coverage in ASEAN at just $45.30 with COVID-19 add-on.
Etiqa travel insurance promotions are updated on the main eProtect Travel page.
Of course, Etiqa loses that competitive pricing edge once you take away the generous promotions… so let’s hope the promos are here to stay.
What does Etiqa travel insurance cover?
I can’t help but have low expectations of cheap products like Etiqa travel insurance, but surprisingly, even their cheapest plan checks out.
The medical and emergency coverage look pretty good. Personally I feel that the basic plan is already quite sufficient as $200,000 and $1mil are comfortable limits for medical expenses and evacuation respectively.
Etiqa travel insurance is a good one for outdoorsy types and adventure junkies as quite a range of leisure outdoor activities are covered. (There’s nothing I hate more than seeing a long list of activity exclusions hidden in size 6 font in the policy wording.)
| Outdoor activity | Covered by Etiqa? |
| Hot air balloon | Yes |
| Scuba diving | Yes |
| Skiing and other ice/snow sports | Yes |
| Hiking or trekking | Yes (up to 3,000m) |
| Mountaineering or outdoor rock climbing | No |
| Marathons or other competitions | Yes (but not ultramarathons, biathlons, triathlons) |
| Jet skiing | Not stated |
| White water rafting | Not stated |
| Skydiving | Yes |
| Paragliding, hang gliding or parachuting | Yes |
| Bungee jumping | Yes |
Likewise, Etiqa’s COVID-19 add-ons also provide substantial coverage of $100,000 for even the lowest tier entry plan.
However, where Etiqa travel insurance falls short is the payouts for travel delays and inconveniences. It pays out $100 for every 6 hours of baggage delay whereas other brands pay out $200, and the coverage limits are also lower than others. This also applies to travel inconveniences due to COVID-19.
Maybe it’s their way of keeping prices down by trying to prevent Singaporeans from gaming the system.
Etiqa travel insurance claim procedure
Emergency hotline: Call the Allianz Global Assistance emergency assistance hotline at +65 6327 2215 (Allianz is Etiqa’s emergency support provider)
Online claims: Fill in and submit documents through the Etiqa travel claim form here.
Hard copy claims: You can download a claim form from the offline forms download centre and mail with supporting documents to Etiqa Insurance Pte Ltd, One Raffles Quay, #22-01 North Tower, Singapore 048583.
Things to note: You can opt to open a TiqConnect e-wallet for faster claims turnaround. Etiqa claims that their travel claims can be processed and paid as quickly as one day through this instant payment service, as opposed to a cheque which takes 2 to 4 weeks.
Conclusion: should you buy Etiqa travel insurance?
If you’re like me – a budget traveller who love the outdoors – Etiqa travel insurance is a great fit. It’s cheap, covers pretty much every adventure activity, and the emergency assistance and medical coverage benefits are solid.
As a bonus, the purchasing and claims experiences are fast and easy. The super-fast claims settlement via e-wallet is also an awesome innovation that I wish more insurance companies would take up. You can also get in touch with the customer service via Whatsapp at +65 6887 8777.
By the way, big families travelling together will appreciate the fact that Etiqa’s family plans cover up to 8(!) children. “Children” even encompasses young adults up to 25 years old as long as they are full-time tertiary students in Singapore.
However, Etiqa travel insurance is NOT for you if you’re more of a princess who just. cannot. deal. with flight delays and disappearing luggage. The benefits in this aspect are very poor. Maybe try fly carry-on only with this one.
Looking to buy Etiqa travel insurance? Compare all Singapore travel insurance policies by price and coverage first.
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