By LUCY EVANS

Published: 00:01 BST, 22 May 2025 | Updated: 00:01 BST, 22 May 2025

Holidaymakers could find their travel insurance premiums soar by more than 1,000 per cent if they declare a certain two conditions, research from consumer website Which? reveals.

Telling an insurer about a pre-existing health condition typically more than doubles the price of an annual travel insurance policy, hiking the cost from £40 to £90, according to comparison website Go.Compare.

But individuals with bipolar and personality disorder could be forced to pay as much as £446 more when declaring their conditions – a 1,159 per cent hike on their original quote.

Which? compared quotes before and after declaring pre-existing medical conditions for three real people.

The quotes were compared across 12 well-known insurance providers, seven of which were standard insurers while five were companies that specialise in cover for pre-existing conditions.

The prices were compared for individuals with bipolar and personality disorder, epilepsy and diabetes – and the cheapest European annual policy was selected for all quotes.

The average premium soared from £58 to £426 for the traveller with bi-polar and personality disorder – a 715 per cent surge – with the most expensive policy coming in at £715 and the cheapest costing £184.

In the most extreme case the cost surged from £38.48 to £484.52.

However, premiums climbed an average of just 23 per cent when the holidaygoer with epilepsy declared their condition. Providers added an average of just £10 to the cost, with premiums rising from £67 to £77.

But it’s worth shopping around as the cheapest quote was just £52 while the most expensive was more than double this at £110.

The traveller with diabetes saw the smallest increase in price as quotes rose just 6 per cent on average – from £129 to £136 – when they declared their condition.

The cheapest came in at £76 while the most expensive cost £169.

Insurance specialists at medical screening firms Protecif and Verisk said the stability of a condition is often key to insurers, including when it was diagnosed, ongoing treatment and the side effects.

Sam Richardson, deputy editor of Which? Money, said: ‘Though it may be tempting to omit a condition in order to get the price down, it’s never worth the risk. Failing to declare something in advance could see your policy invalidated.

‘While comparison sites are a great starting point, these won’t always include specialist providers – so it’s essential to obtain these quotes separately before making a purchase.’

L.evans@dailymail.co.uk

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The two health conditions which could see your travel insurance premium soar by more than 1,000 per cent

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