UOB Travel Insurance—MoneySmart Review 2024

Typically, when we talk about travel insurance, names like NTUC, MSIG, and FWD dominate the conversation. But here’s another one that you might not expect: UOB travel insurance.

Admittedly, I’ve never been particularly enthusiastic about UOB, especially regarding their insurance products, because local banks often don't prioritise this area. But UOB has genuinely impressed me with its comprehensive travel coverage options.

Read further and explore the details of UOB travel insurance. Let’s find out if it matches the travel protection you expect on your next trip.

Learn more about our rating system for travel insurance.

UOB Travel Insurance Review (2024)

1. What is UOB travel insurance?
2. UOB travel insurance—What plan tiers do they offer?
3. Is the coverage worth the price you pay?
4. COVID-19 coverage
5. Extreme sports and outdoor adventure coverage
6. What to look out for in their terms and conditions 
7. Claims process
8. UOB vs FWD vs Tiq by Etiqa travel insurance
9. UOB travel insurance promotion
10. UOB travel insurance review—Final thoughts

1. What is UOB travel insurance?

UOB travel insurance is marketed under the brand UOB InsureTravel and provided by United Overseas Insurance (UOI), UOB's insurance subsidiary. You shouldn’t confuse this with the complimentary travel insurance offered to UOB’s commercial cardholders. That’s a different offer.

UOB’s InsureTravel works like any other travel insurance provider, offering insurance travel plans that you can purchase anytime. Plus, you don't need to be an existing UOB customer to buy UOB’s InsureTravel plans—they are available to everyone.

Although its coverage isn't the most extensive across the board, it does include COVID-19 protection as a standard feature—something many others only offer as an add-on. This thoughtful inclusion makes it a great choice if you happen to travel to regions with the highest cases.

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2. UOB travel insurance—What plan tiers do they offer?

UOB InsureTravel is available in 3 tiers:

• Basic Plan (cheapest, lowest coverage)
• Essential Plan
• Preferred Plan (most expensive, highest coverage)

The plans are categorised into 3 areas for its single-trip plans as summarised in this table.

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3. UOB travel insurance—Is the coverage worth the price you pay?

UOB InsureTravel’s coverage, claim limits, and key benefits are as follows. Let’s see if they are worth the price you pay on your next trip. 

What caught my eyeballs was the special clause for “Cancel for any reason.” If your trip gets cancelled for any reason not covered under Trip Cancellation, you can be reimbursed for 50% of all accommodation and transportation costs. However, this is only claimable if you buy the travel insurance plan within 7 days of making your initial trip payment or deposit. 

This offer is definitely your extra safety net. We all know that uncertainties are present when making travel arrangements, but knowing that you can still recover half of your accommodation and transportation costs provides you peace of mind. 

In terms of coverage, UOB travel insurance seems pretty legit. Medical coverage is excellent for its price, travel inconvenience benefits are pretty decent, and additional benefits like pet hotel cover and ‘Cancel for any reason’ were implemented in July 2024. Even with a Basic plan, the claim limits are pretty high. 

UOB complimentary travel insurance—what’s included

Starting from 1 January 2024, UOB offers free travel insurance for the cardholder's spouse and children. Of course, terms and conditions apply. This free travel insurance will also cover COVID-19.

The complimentary insurance offers limited coverage, including: 

• Personal accident coverage up to S$500,000. 
• Emergency medical assistance, evacuation, and repatriation coverage up to S$50,000, including COVID-19-related incidents

How do you get this complimentary travel insurance?

• Pay for your whole trip with one of these UOB cards:
  • UOB One Credit Card
  • UOB EVOL Card
  • UOB Absolute Cashback American Express Card
  • UOB Visa Signature
  • UOB PRVI Miles American Express
  • UOB PRVI Miles World Mastercard
  • UOB PRVI Miles Visa
  • KrisFlyer UOB Credit Card
  • KrisFlyer UOB Debit Card

You must complete and submit the form to get the free insurance. This involves additional steps, which can be cumbersome for some, as other banks actually provide automatic coverage when you use your credit card to buy airline tickets. 

UOB's free travel insurance doesn't cover much. Even if you're a UOB cardholder, you'll still need to buy your own travel insurance for better protection. Plus, you must go through the hassle of signing up online for free coverage.

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4. UOB travel insurance—COVID-19 coverage

Given that what you pay for UOB InsureTravel’s travel insurance plans and includes COVID-19 coverage, that’s a value for your money. 

When it comes to COVID-19 coverage, UOB InsureTravel truly shines. Even with the basic plan, you get a substantial overseas medical expenses coverage limit of S$200,000. Compare this to FWD, where you'd have to shell out an extra fee just to get $200,000 as an add-on coverage.

Given how affordable UOB InsureTravel plans are, it's still a smart move to upgrade to the Preferred plan. It's cost-competitive with other providers, that charge extra for COVID-19 coverage.

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5. UOB travel insurance—Extreme sports and outdoor adventure coverage

UOB travel insurance offers coverage for extreme sports, but you need to avail the optional Adventure Sports cover. This additional coverage is designed for high-risk activities like skiing, scuba diving, and trekking up to 4,000 meters in altitude, among others. 

Regular sports like tennis, basketball, and swimming are covered under the basic plan without needing this extra cover. After all, UOB is still running a business, not a charity, so it isn’t the most lenient insurer for extreme thrill-seekers who really want to test fate.

Here’s a list of covered outdoor activities taken from the straightforward and specified UOI policy wording document.

UOB's travel insurance offers a compelling option if you want to explore life’s adventurous side. But make sure you understand the nuances of their Adventure Sports cover. 

The optional nature of this coverage means that you must actively choose to add it when you buy a plan. Plus, UOB's requirement for licensed operators and guides means they also want you to be responsible for participating in adventure sports and still have fun.

If you need additional benefits when travelling with sports equipment and are into adventure sports, here are the options.

You can extend your coverage to include high-risk activities by opting for our Adventure Sports cover.

One of the things that also made me look into the UOB further is that aside from the practical value of cancelling plans and keeping your furry friends safe and taken care of, the optional benefits for sports and adventure activities are definitely attracting eyeballs like me, who love sports and adventure.  

As a golf hobbyist and enthusiast, if I avail myself of the optional benefit under the Essential Plan, I can receive a claim for up to S$2,000 provided that I have all the documents required for filing, like the original receipt of the equipment I own. 

Plus, this accidental loss, theft, or damage is subject to allowance for wear and tear and the age of the items. For example, if, based on the assessment, my lost golf items are less than 2 years old, then the value of the item reduction is 25%.

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6. UOB travel insurance—What to look out for in their terms and conditions

When reviewing the terms and conditions of the UOB travel insurance, here's what you need to know:

• Reimbursements and compensation. If you need to cancel your trip due to unexpected events within 30 days of departure, UOB offers this coverage. This includes the reimbursement for non-refundable prepaid transport and accommodation costs plus the compensation for lost Frequent Flyer Points or similar travel points that can't be recovered.
• Medical expenses. If you need medical care in Singapore due to an accident or illness during your insured trip, UOB will reimburse necessary expenses. Seek treatment within 3 days of returning to be covered for follow-ups, which you can continue for up to 31 days from the from time you return to Singapore.
• Emergency evacuation and repatriation. If you need to be moved for medical treatment or to return to Singapore, UOB travel insurance covers the costs up to the maximum limit. They will also  decide the best evacuation location and handle all the arrangements. 
• Excess and policy schedules. Applicable excess amounts are shown on your certificate of insurance and policy schedules. This is the amount you will need to pay out-of-pocket before the insurance coverage kicks in.
• Emergency assistance. The policy includes a Travel Emergency Assistance Service, which is arranged through an appointed service provider. You must identify yourself with your full name and policy number during emergencies.
• Pre-existing conditions. Pre-existing medical conditions are not covered under the policy, so it's important to be aware of this limitation.
• Accidental death and permanent total disablement. The insurer won’t pay you out if your death or injury comes from a pre-existing condition, sickness, disease, infection, or any physical defect.  

These points should help you understand further the coverage and what’s included or not.

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7. UOB travel insurance—Claims process

The claims process for UOB travel insurance is quite straightforward for InsureTravel but antiquated for credit cardholders claiming the complimentary one.

Here’s what you need to do via UOB InsureTravel coverage.

• Download the claim form from the UOB travel insurance page.
• Email the completed form along with supporting documents and receipts.
• Successful claims will be credited to your account or sent to you via cheque.

For travel claims via complimentary travel insurance, you need to sign up and fill out the form to opt in for the coverage.

Despite the inconvenience of the claims process, UOB offers a 24-hour emergency hotline for any queries. Emergency assistance hotline: +65 6222 7737.

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8. UOB vs FWD vs Tiq by Etiqa travel insurance

Here’s a comparison of UOB travel insurance prices vs other travel insurance providers to help you have a better scope of which one you should get prior to your trip. 

Looking at the table above, UOB InsureTravel might not seem like the best in class travel insurance product. But the thing to note is of the two insurance providers listed, only UOB InsureTravel’s policies include COVID-19 coverage. 

COVID-19 coverage has to be purchased as an add-on for FWD and Tiq by Etiqa travel insurance policies. For example, you’d have to shell out an extra S$10 on FWD as an optional add-on, while Tiq by Etiqa will charge you S$18 extra if you choose the Entry plan. This is based on 1-week trip in an ASEAN country, which may still vary depending on the number of days or weeks of your trip

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9. UOB travel insurance promotion

When comparing UOB InsureTravel’s plans with others, the prices seem pretty steep compared to FWD and Tiq by Etiq if you pay in full. Of course, we all want more savings and discounts, and fortunately, UOB offers them.

When promotions are on, UOB travel insurance becomes incredibly budget-friendly, offering some of the best prices in Singapore. Right now, there's a fantastic promotion where you can get 50% off single-trip plans.

Still, if we compare UOB travel insurance plans with FWD and Tiq by Etiqa—when slashed at 50% off—they certainly give you the best value for money, especially considering that they also include COVID-19 coverage. 

You can keep tabs on the latest promotions on the UOB travel insurance page.

10. UOB travel insurance review—Final thoughts

UOB InsureTravel’s travel insurance offers great value, especially the mid-tier Essential plan, which has excellent coverage. However, it’s usually not worth overpaying for travel insurance unless you plan a high-stakes trip, such as a thrill-seeking adventure. 

If your itinerary includes extreme sports or adventurous outdoor activities, you’ll need a more specialised add-on, as UOB InsureTravel’s coverage for such activities is limited. The Essential Plan is a practical and cost-effective choice for most other trips.

Overall, UOB travel insurance provides solid benefits, covering medical needs and travel inconveniences, including those related to COVID-19. Unlike many other insurers, UOB's policies include COVID-19 coverage, which is a significant plus.

UOB InsureTravel stands out with unique benefits, such as coverage for compassionate visits by a friend or family member—so it’s a comprehensive option worth considering.

About our scale and rating system

• We compiled the prices and coverage limits for over 50 travel insurance plans from 18 different providers in Singapore in a massive spreadsheet.
• For each price/coverage category (e.g. trip cancellation, travel delay, etc.), we determined the minimum, median, and maximum values across all travel insurance plans. These values then form scales showing the lowest, highest, and average price/coverage amounts for different travel insurance plans in Singapore.
• Finally, we plotted where each travel insurance plan stands on those scales and assigned a star rating for the provider based on the results.

NOTE: These are flipped for the Price component—for this, the lower the better.

Looking to buy UOB travel insurance? Compare all Singapore travel insurance policies by price and coverage first.