Zurich Travel Insurance—MoneySmart Review (2024)

What if I told you there’s a travel insurance plan that will give you free airport lounge access if your flight gets delayed? What if this travel insurance was also the most affordable in Singapore out of all the plans we surveyed?

Zurich travel insurance starts from just $32 for a week-long ASEAN trip—that’s less than $5 a day. It’s a low cost option with comprehensive coverage—aside from the usual coverage for medical expenses, lost baggage and travel delays, additional coverage for COVID-19 and adventurous activities is also automatically included in all Zurich travel insurance plans.

Is Zurich travel insurance really bang for your buck, or is there a catch? I reviewed its pricing and coverage and—spoiler ahead!—gave it 2 out of 5 stars overall. You might be surprised to know that despite that, I would recommend Zurich travel insurance to certain travellers. Why? And who should get Zurich travel insurance? Read on to find out.

Learn more about our rating system for travel insurance.

 

Zurich Travel Insurance Review (2024)

1. 1. What plan tiers do they offer?
   2. Is the coverage worth the price you pay?
   3. COVID-19 coverage
   4. Extreme sports and outdoor adventure coverage
   5. Free airport lounge access with FlyEasy by Zurich
   6. What to look out for in their terms and conditions
   7. Claims process
   8. Zurich vs FWD travel insurance
   9. Zurich travel insurance promotion
   10. Final thoughts

 

1. Zurich travel insurance—What plan tiers do they offer?

Let’s start by going through your options with Zurich travel insurance (which, by the way, is headquartered in Zürich as one might guess). For single or annual trips, pick from 3 plan tiers, from the most basic to the most comprehensive:

	Zurich Travel Insurance Basic	Zurich Travel Insurance Essential	Zurich Travel Insurance Prestige
Single one way trip	✓	✓	✓
Single round trip	✓	✓	✓
Annual trip	✓	✓	✓

For all the options above, Zurich offers policies for just you,your family, or a group of up to 10 adults/children travelling together. For family travel insurance that covers 1-2 adults and children, Zurich defines children as unmarried persons aged between 1 month to 18 years old, including legally adopted individuals and step-children.

One group that Zurich travel insurance will not cover is those with pre-existing conditions. Pre-existing medical conditions are stated as an exclusion on page 27 of their policy wording, and they also don’t currently have any travel insurance policies specially for this group of people.

 

2. Zurich travel insurance review—Is the coverage worth the price you pay?

How does Zurich price their travel insurance plans?

Aside from the insurance tier you select (Basic, Essential, Prestige) and the number of people covered, your Zurich travel insurance premium will depend on the country you’re travelling to. From the lowest premiums to the highest, there are 3 main zones:

• ASEAN: Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Laos, Myanmar, Philippines, Vietnam
• Asia: Inclusive of Asean, and Australia, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, Hong Kong, Macau, Timor-Leste, Fiji, India, Japan, Maldives, Mongolia, Nepal, New Zealand, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Taiwan
• Worldwide: Rest of the world, inclusive of Asia

Zurich travel insurance—Summary of coverage and benefits

Zurich Travel Insurance	Basic	Essential	Prestige
Price (ASEAN)	$32/week	$35/week	$51/week
Price (Asia)	$41/week	$46/week	$66/week
Price (Worldwide)	$82/week	$91/week	$132/week
Medical expenses (overseas)	$50,000	$125,000	$250,000
Emergency medical evacuation	Unlimited	Unlimited	Unlimited
Personal accident (death & TPD)	$100,000	$250,000	$500,000
Travel delay	$200 ($200 for every 6 hours)	$400 ($200 for every 6 hours)	$800 ($200 for every 6 hours)
Trip cancellation	$2,500	$5,000	$7,500
Baggage delay	$200 ($200 for every 6 hours)	$400 ($200 for every 6 hours)	$800 ($200 for every 6 hours)
Baggage/ belongings loss	$2,000	$3,000	$5,000
COVID-19 cover	Automatically included
Adventure activities	Activities include: Zip-lining, zip-riding, bungee jumping, parasailing, tandem skydiving, tandem paragliding, tandem hang gliding; Sightseeing on hot-air balloon, helicopter, airplane; Canoeing or white-water rafting with a qualified guide and up to Grade 3 (of International Scale of River Difficulty) Jet skiing, helmet diving Scuba diving, up to the maximum depth as specified under the Insured Person’s PADI certification, and at all times accompanied by a qualified instructor or dive master but no deeper than 30 metres Ice skating, tobogganing, sledging; snow tube sliding, dog sledding, snow rafting; skiing or snowboarding, snowmobiling provided these activities are not done in off piste, ungroomed, unpatrolled areas or places not recommended for beginner to intermediate users Hiking, Trekking, or Mountaineering up to 3,000m above sea level Marathon

The biggest draws of Zurich travel insurance are these:

• The plans are affordable but cover all your bases.
• They automatically cover you for COVID-19 and a wide range of adventurous activities at no extra cost.
• On top of that, with the Essential and Prestige plans, you get complimentary airport lounge access if your flight is delayed (more on that later).
• You also get unlimited emergency medical evacuation coverage for all plan tiers, even the most basic one.

That’s more than one would expect from—all things considered—the lowest cost travel insurance option in Singapore.

So where does Zurich travel insurance fall short? Unfortunately, almost everything else. While it does cover your bases in terms of breadth, Zurich’s coverage lacks depth. Its coverage amounts are generally lower than the industry average—so much so, that even the Prestige plan feels basic:

While all the components above fall below the industry average, their coverage for travel delay deserves some extra credit. While we often look at the coverage limits, it’s also important to consider the rate of compensation. With Zurich travel insurance, you get $200 compensation for every 6 consecutive hours that your flight is delayed. The only other provider I know that offers this compensation rate for travel delays is Amex; most other travel insurers will only give you $100 for every 6 hours. Plus, don’t forget that you get free airport lounge access with Zurich’s FlyEasy service while you wait! 

On the other end of the spectrum, Zurich’s coverage for medical expenses is almost shockingly low. Consider this: Zurich Travel Insurance Prestige maxes out at $500,000 worth of overseas medical coverage, while travel insurance plans from Starr TraveLead Comprehensive and Amex start from $500,000 on their lowest tier plan.

All in all, Zurich travel insurance is consistent. Some travel insurers excel in some areas of coverage and are noticeably weaker in other areas. Take DirectAsia travel insurance, for example: they offer higher than average coverage for travel delay and baggage delay, but lower than average coverage for overseas medical expenses and baggage loss.

Zurich travel insurance is not like that. Based on our survey of over 19 travel insurance providers in Singapore, Zurich offers coverage that is consistently below the industry average for trip cancellation, delays, and more.

But that isn’t necessarily a bad thing—don’t forget, Zurich’s premiums are also astonishingly low, especially for travel insurance that automatically includes COVID-19 and adventurous sports coverage. I would say that Zurich offers fairly priced travel insurance. You pay for what you get—below average prices for below average coverage.

 

3. Zurich travel insurance—COVID-19 coverage

As aforementioned, Zurich throws in COVID-19 coverage with all of their plans at no extra cost. Here’s a summary of the benefits:

Zurich travel insurance: COVID-19 coverage
	Basic	Essential	Prestige
Price	No extra cost—automatically included in all plans
Trip cancellation	$2,500	$5,000	$7,500
Trip curtailment	$2,500	$5,000	$7,500
Overseas medical expenses	$50,000	$125,000	$250,000
Emergency medical evacuation/repatriation	Unlimited	Unlimited	Unlimited
Overseas hospitalisation allowance	$50 per day (maximum 7 days)	$100 per day (maximum 14 days)	$150 per day (maximum 14 days)
Overseas quarantine allowance	$50 per day (maximum 7 days)	$100 per day (maximum 14 days)	$150 per day (maximum 14 days)

 

4. Zurich travel insurance—Extreme sports and outdoor adventure coverage

Just like their COVID-19 coverage, adventurous sport coverage is included automatically in all of Zurich’s travel insurance plans. Here are the activities covered:

1. Zip-lining, zip-riding, bungee jumping, parasailing, tandem skydiving, tandem paragliding, tandem hang gliding;
2. Sightseeing on hot-air balloon, helicopter, airplane;
3. Canoeing or white-water rafting with a qualified guide and up to Grade 3 (of International Scale of River Difficulty)
4. Jet skiing, helmet diving
5. Scuba diving, up to the maximum depth as specified under the Insured Person’s PADI certification, and at all times accompanied by a qualified instructor or dive master but no deeper than 30 metres
6. Ice skating, tobogganing, sledging; snow tube sliding, dog sledding, snow rafting; skiing or snowboarding, snowmobiling provided these activities are not done in off piste, ungroomed, unpatrolled areas or places not recommended for beginner to intermediate users
7. Hiking, Trekking, or Mountaineering up to 3,000m above sea level
8. Marathon

There are 2 caveats I’ll point out. Firstly, the activities above are covered assuming you partake in them for leisure or non-competitive purposes.

Secondly, you must ensure you follow all safety protocols and regulations stipulated. So if you’re jet skiing in an official race or choose to go diving without the proper qualification, you can forget about being insured. Zurich isn’t trying to be difficult here—this is standard for all adventurous sports travel insurance coverage.

 

5. Zurich travel insurance—Free airport lounge access with FlyEasy by Zurich

Doesn’t it suck to be stuck at an airport waiting for a delayed flight, lugging around a 20kg luggage bag? Perhaps you’ll end up hobo-ing in a corner because the limited seats are all taken by other travellers. Well you can kiss that scenario goodbye with FlyEasy by Zurich.

FlyEasy by Zurich is one of Zurich travel insurance’s most unique features. Applicable to its Essential and Prestige plans, it offers free airport lounge access if your flight is delayed by more than 2 hours. You don’t need a miles card with lounge access for this one!

Make sure to activate FlyEasy by registering your flight and traveller details at www.flyeasy.zurich.com.sg at least 24 hours before your flight. If you don’t register in time, Zurich will not extend the FlyEasy benefit to you.

You might be wondering: doesn’t Zurich also offer monetary compensation for travel delays? Yes, and it does stack with your lounge access. However, like many other insurers, the travel delay benefit only kicks in after 6 hours since the compensation is based on a per-6-hourly rate*. That means if you’re delayed for more than 2 hours but less than 6, you won’t receive monetary compensation, but you can still relax in an airport lounge.

*To my knowledge, Tiq by Etiqa is the only exception with a per-3-hourly rate instead.

 

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

Zurich travel insurance spells out their coverage benefits and the terms that govern them neatly in 2 documents: their schedule of benefits, and their policy wording. Here are some important points for you to take note of.

• Trip cancellation: Zurich will compensate you if your trip is cancelled for events such as sickness or natural disasters if you bought the policy more than 3 days before the trip and if the event occurs within 60 days before the trip. Looking at all of you who buy travel insurance at the last minute!
• Trip cancellation due to COVID-19: You also need to have bought the policy at least 3 days before your journey in order to be covered for trip cancellation due to being diagnosed with COVID-19. 
• Unauthorised use of credit card: In their schedule of benefits, Zurich doesn’t specify a coverage amount specifically for the fraudulent use of your credit card. Instead, they include this within their “Loss of Money” benefit—you’ll receive up to $150 to $500 for “loss of money through theft, robbery or burglary” or “unauthorised use of credit card following robbery, theft or burglary”.
• Lost baggage or money: Report any missing baggage or money to either the police or the transport carrier within 72 hours of discovering it’s missing. This is essential for obtaining a written report for the claim process.
• Home contents cover: This only applies to the Essential and Prestige plans, and is not covered under the Basic plan.
• Home contents cover sub-limits: Zurich limits the compensation you can get to $2,000 in total for all your jewellery, watches, precious stones, gold and silver items at home, and up to $1,000 for any one item or set of items. So if you have a piece of art that’s worth more than $1,000 alone, or if that shiny engagement ring you left at home is already worth over $2,000, you won’t be fully covered.
• Travelling for medical treatment: Zurich travel insurance will not cover you if “the purpose of the Journey is to obtain medical care or treatment of any kind.”
• Mental disorders: Zurich travel insurance will not cover you for “[m]ental, behavioural or sleep disorders, including any known or suspected psychological or psychiatric disorder, anxiety or depression.”

 

7. Zurich travel insurance—Claims process

Zurich’s claim process is online via their claims portal at: http://web.edge.zurich.com.sg/portfolio  

If an incident happens overseas, you don’t need to rush to make the claim while you’re still on holiday. You can submit it when you return to Singapore. However, you must notify Zurich of a claim within 30 days from the date of the incident. Do also remember to attain a written report from the police or airline if your belongings get lost or stolen.

Touch wood, but in case of emergencies overseas, you can contact Zurich’s 24/7 Assistance Emergency Hotline at +65 6260 0122 from anywhere in the world.

Is your inquiry not that urgent? Contact their customer service instead

• Zurich Customer Service Hotline: +65 6260 0126 (9am to 5.30pm, Monday to Friday, excluding Public Holidays)
• Zurich Customer Service Email: [email protected].

 

8. Zurich vs FWD travel insurance

Zurich travel insurance is very affordable, but so is popular budget travel insurance FWD. Let’s see how they compare.

	Zurich travel insurance	FWD travel insurance
Price (ASEAN)	$32 to $51/week	$33 to $57/week
Price (Asia)	$41 to $66/week	$35 to $68/week
Price (Worldwide)	$82 to $132/week	$55 to $93/week
Medical Expenses (Overseas)	$50,000 – $500,000	$200,000 – $1,000,000
Emergency Medical Evacuation	Unlimited	Unlimited
Travel Delay (Overseas)	$200 – $800 ($200 for every 6 hours)	$300 – $1,000 ($100 for every 6 hours)
Trip cancellation	$2,500 – $7,500	$7,500 – $15,000
Baggage loss	$2,000 – $5,000	$3,000 – $7,500
Adventure activities cover	Yes	Yes
COVID-19 coverage	Automatically included	Add on for $10 – $19

If you add the cost of FWD’s COVID-19 cover, FWD becomes more expensive than Zurich. It’s fair to do so, since Zurich travel insurance already includes COVID-19 coverage.

As far as coverage goes, FWD and Zurich are tied when it comes to coverage for emergency medical evacuation. They both also cover you for adventurous activities.

However, FWD is far ahead of Zurich when it comes to overseas medical expenses with its range of $200,000 to $1,000,000 in coverage compared to Zurich’s $50,000 to $500,000. It also does slightly better for travel cancellation and baggage loss coverage.

I would argue that Zurich outperforms FWD in the area of travel delay due to its higher rate: $200 per 6 hours compared to $100 per 6 hours. Don’t forget that Zurich’s Essential and Prestige plans also come with lounge access if you end up waiting over 2 hours.

All in all, Zurich’s biggest weakness is its coverage for overseas medical expenses. It isn’t too far behind FWD in other areas, and is cheaper if you want to include COVID-19 coverage.

 

9. Zurich travel insurance promotion

An already very affordable travel insurance just got even more affordable. Enjoy up to 10% off your Zurich travel insurance and these gifts when you apply via MoneySmart:

 Over $45 worth of rewards:

• $30 Revolut cash reward
• Eskimo Global 1GB eSIM (worth S$9.50) with every policy purchased.
• $10 via PayNow with eligible premiums spent

On top of the rewards above, you could also score up to $3,200 worth of gifts

• Samsonite Apinex 69/25 Luggage
• $100 Revolut cash reward

Valid till 25 Sep 2024. T&Cs apply.

 

10. Zurich travel insurance review—Final thoughts

Zurich travel insurance comes at a fantastic price point. Surprisingly, its low price also comes with COVID-19 and adventurous activities covers. Its biggest disadvantage is its low coverage for overseas medical expenses. It does fare below the industry average for other coverage areas too such as baggage delays and trip cancellation, but the difference is less stark; other budget travel insurance options aren’t that much further ahead anyway.

If you’re not too concerned about your overseas medical expenses coverage, you can consider Zurich travel insurance as a budget travel insurance plan that gives you basic protection. It asks for a fair price—as I showed at the start of this article, both price and coverage are below the industry average.

I would recommend you get Zurich Travel Insurance Prestige—it’s the highest medical coverage you can get from Zurich, remains affordable, and it comes with Zurich’s FlyEasy service. If you’re delayed for more than 2 hours, don’t sweat it. Take a chill pill in the airport lounge. 

 

About our scale and rating system

• We compiled the prices and coverage limits for over 50 travel insurance plans from 19 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.

Star rating and description	Visual example
★☆☆☆☆ 1 star: All plans under that provider perform average or lower than average, and 1 or more plans is the worst performing. / If there is only 1 plan, it is the worst performing.	1 star:
★★☆☆☆ 2 stars: All plans under that provider perform average or lower than average, but none of their plans is the worst performing. / If there is only one plan, it performs below average. OR see 3 star rating below for penalty star scenario.	2 stars: 2 stars (3 stars – penalty star):
★★★☆☆ 3 stars: All plans under that provider perform between the minimum and maximum. / If there is only one plan, it performs average. – Add a bonus star if one of the plans is the best in Singapore. – Deduct a penalty star if one of the plans is the worst in Singapore.	3 stars:
★★★★☆ 4 stars: All plans under that provider perform average or above average, but none of their plans is the best performing. / If there is only 1 plan, it performs above average. OR see 3 star rating above for bonus star scenario.	4 stars: 4 stars (3 stars + bonus star):
★★★★★ 5 stars: All plans under that provider perform average or above average, and 1 or more of their plans is the best performing. / If there is only 1 plan, it is the best performing.	5 stars:

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