Touring SA/NV
Touring
Touring is a travel insurance for the Belgium market with online purchase and 24/7 assistance.
Direct payment
For major events such as hospitalization, surgery or medical repatriation abroad, the insured must open a file with Touring's 24/7 assistance centre, which then organizes and generally settles the corresponding costs directly with local providers. Smaller costs (ambulatory treatment, urgent dental care, communication, interpreter fees, etc.) are usually advanced by the insured and reimbursed afterwards by Touring on presentation of original supporting documents and invoices.
Geographic scope
Worldwide except Belgium for personal assistance benefits; the optional vehicle-assistance guarantee is limited to the EU and a list of neighbouring non-EU countries.
Personal-assistance benefits are acquired worldwide, except in Belgium. Vehicle-assistance benefits are valid in EU countries plus Albania, Andorra, Belarus, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Guernsey, the Åland Islands, Isle of Man, Iceland, Jersey, Kosovo, Liechtenstein, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Moldova, Monaco, Norway, the United Kingdom, San Marino, Serbia, Switzerland, Ukraine and the Vatican, excluding Belgium; vehicle benefits do not apply in the Canary Islands, Madeira, the Spanish enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla, Turkey, or French territory outside Metropolitan France. Cancellation, trip-compensation and baggage options apply worldwide (baggage excludes the insured's own home).
Unique selling points
- Medical expenses and repatriation abroad are reimbursed without an overall monetary ceiling in case of hospitalization.
- No deductible applies to the assistance benefits, unlike many competing annual travel policies.
- The 'Fly Zen' guarantee has Touring advance EU Regulation 261/2004 compensation for flight delay, cancellation or denied boarding, up to €600 per person, instead of the insured having to claim directly from the airline.
- A 24/7 medical assistance hotline plus a dedicated Info-Doctor phone line give access to medical advice at any time while travelling.
- Backed by more than 60 years of travel-assistance experience as Belgium's touring club, with the policy now underwritten by AG Insurance.
Coverage limits
Medical expenses abroad
unlimited
Touring intervenes without a monetary ceiling in surgical and hospitalization costs abroad, after the amounts recoverable from Belgian social security for the same risks have been exhausted. If the insured is not up to date with mutual-insurance contributions, this intervention is limited to €1,250 per insured per claim for medical, surgical, pharmaceutical and hospitalization costs.
Emergency medical/surgical treatment abroad
unlimited
Emergency treatment following an accident or serious illness abroad is covered without a stated ceiling (surgical and hospitalization costs), with specific sub-limits: urgent dental care up to €250 per insured (prostheses excluded, no repatriation organized on this ground alone), hotel stay while bedridden up to €85/day capped at €850 per insured per event, and other transport costs (including hospital visits by other insureds) up to €500 per insured per claim.
Hospitalization
unlimited
Hospitalization costs abroad are covered without a monetary ceiling. Follow-up hospitalization in Belgium linked to an unplanned medical operation or accident abroad is separately capped at €6,000 per insured, for hospitalizations occurring within 3 months of discharge from the foreign hospital.
Outpatient / ambulatory treatment
€745
Ambulatory medical costs incurred abroad fall within the general unlimited medical-expense guarantee. Ambulatory follow-up costs incurred in Belgium after a foreign accident or illness are capped at €745 per insured (massage, kinesitherapy and physiotherapy sub-limited to €125), valid for 1 year from the event and conditional on a medical file already having been opened with Touring's assistance centre during the stay abroad.
Emergency dental care
€250
Costs of urgent dental care provided by a qualified dentist following an accident or an acute crisis are covered up to €250 per insured; dental prostheses are not covered, and Touring does not organize repatriation on this ground alone.
Local medical transport costs
€500
Costs of the insured's first/initial transport are borne by Touring without a stated ceiling. Other transport costs (including hospital visits by other insureds) are covered up to €500 per insured per claim.
Medical evacuation / repatriation
unlimited
Touring organizes and pays, without a stated ceiling, the repatriation of an insured hospitalized abroad following an accident or serious illness (by ambulance, train, helicopter, scheduled flight, charter flight or air ambulance, as decided by Touring's doctor), once medically justified. Insureds on an organ-transplant waiting list registered with a Eurotransplant centre also benefit from an organized return to the designated hospital in Belgium.
Repatriation of mortal remains
Covered
Touring organizes and pays for repatriation of the deceased insured's remains from abroad to Belgium and reimburses embalming and foreign administrative formality costs, with coffin costs capped at €785 per insured. If the deceased is instead buried or cremated abroad, Touring's intervention (mise en bière/embalming, coffin or urn, local transport of remains, urn repatriation, a return ticket for one family member, and administrative formalities) is capped at €1,500 in total; burial, cremation and ceremony costs are not covered.
Mountain search and rescue costs
€15,000
Touring covers search and rescue costs billed by official rescue organizations up to €15,000 per claim for all insureds combined, on presentation of the invoice and an attestation from rescue services or local authorities confirming the insureds' identity. Off-piste skiing is covered only if accompanied by a licensed ski instructor; off-trail mountain hiking is covered only if accompanied by a licensed mountain guide.
COVID-19 treatment
No limit stated
The policy does not define a distinct COVID-19 benefit; ordinary illness cover would in principle apply, but any claim arising in a country for which the Belgian Foreign Affairs department (FPS) has issued a negative travel advisory linked to a worldwide health problem (epidemics/pandemics included) is excluded, and quarantine measures are also listed among the force-majeure 'exceptional circumstances' for which Touring is not liable.
Pre-existing medical conditions
Conditional
Relapses or worsening of an illness or pathological condition known before departure are excluded. A pre-existing illness remains covered only if it is 'stable' on the day of departure: no change in (para)medical treatment, no hospitalization or worsening, and no medical contraindication to travel, all confirmed by a medical report from the treating physician at the time of booking the trip and/or subscribing to the contract.
Winter sports (ski) guarantees
Covered
Medical costs abroad due to a ski accident are covered under the general unlimited medical-expense guarantee. Related follow-up costs in Belgium are capped at €6,000 (hospitalization) and €745 (ambulatory, with massage/kinesitherapy/physiotherapy sub-limited to €125). Also included: reimbursement of unused ski pass and lessons of more than 5 consecutive days up to €200 per insured, rental costs up to €100 following breakage of skis/bindings, rental costs up to €100 following theft of skis/poles/boots (with proven forced entry or violence), and a €2,500 lawyer-fee advance for third-party liability claims arising from skiing.
Adventure and extreme sports
Excluded
Aerial sports, motorsports, bobsleigh, mountaineering, rock climbing, off-piste skiing (unless with a licensed instructor), off-trail mountain hiking (unless with a licensed guide), kitesurfing, scuba diving, canyoning, bungee jumping, speleology, combat sports, big-game hunting, speedriding, downhill, car-surfing and any sport practised in competition or a speed event are excluded from cover.
Pregnancy complications
unlimited
Pregnancy itself is not treated as an illness, but serious complications during pregnancy are assimilated to an accident and covered under the unlimited medical-expense guarantee. Pregnancies beyond 28 weeks, childbirth and its consequences (other than serious complications), and voluntary termination of pregnancy are excluded from cover.
Personal (third-party) liability
No limit stated
The Touring Traveller Full/Family Full policy does not include a personal or third-party civil liability guarantee.
Legal assistance / advance of bail and lawyer's fees
€25,000
Cover is narrow, limited to accessory legal costs tied to specific events: following a road-traffic accident abroad, Touring advances the criminal bail up to €25,000 and advances lawyer's fees up to €2,500; a separate €2,500 lawyer-fee advance applies for third-party liability claims arising from skiing. General litigation costs are otherwise excluded, except for these specific cases.
24/7 assistance helpline
Covered
Touring's medical assistance centre is reachable 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at +32 2 233 23 45 (also by e-mail at medical.aid@touring.be) for medical emergencies abroad, and provides an Info-Doctor line; the vehicle-assistance line (if that option is subscribed) is also available 24/7, while the Fly Zen and cancellation/baggage lines operate Monday to Friday, 8:30-17:00.
Key conditions
Assistance call deadline
The insured must notify Touring immediately (if necessary, after receiving urgent first medical care) and follow the instructions given; a claim must be declared in writing as soon as possible and, in any case, within 7 days. For a foreign hospitalization, the assistance centre must be contacted within 24 hours except in cases of force majeure.
Unauthorized treatment
Costs incurred by an insured without Touring's prior agreement are excluded, unless the contract provides otherwise. Failure to comply with claim-related obligations that causes prejudice to the insurer entitles Touring to reduce its intervention accordingly, and a fraudulent breach can lead to outright refusal of cover or recovery of amounts already paid.
Purchase while abroad
This is an annual policy that can only be taken out by a policyholder domiciled in Belgium; it is not designed to be purchased while already travelling abroad. Any event or circumstance already known to the policyholder at subscription and/or at the time of departure abroad is excluded from cover.
Chronic conditions
Serious chronic illnesses are covered only when it concerns a first manifestation of the condition.
Pregnancy
Pregnancy is not treated as an illness. Serious complications during pregnancy are assimilated to an accident and covered, but pregnancies of more than 28 weeks, childbirth and its consequences (other than serious complications), and voluntary termination of pregnancy are excluded.
Pre-existing condition exclusions
A pre-existing illness is only covered if it is 'stable' at the time of departure: no change in (para)medical treatment, no hospitalization or worsening, and no medical contraindication to travel, confirmed by the treating physician; relapses or worsening of a condition known before departure are otherwise excluded.
Coverage duration limit
Cover under the personal-assistance guarantee is limited to the first 3 consecutive months of a stay abroad; any event occurring beyond that period is excluded.
Where to buy
Documents
Touring Traveller Full / Family Full - General Terms and Conditions (French, ed. 01/07/2023)
Terms & conditions
Touring Traveller Full / Family Full - General Terms and Conditions (Dutch, ed. 01/07/2023)
Terms & conditions
AG Touring Traveller Full/Family Full - Insurance Product Information Document
IPID
Touring Family Full Persons & Vehicles - Pre-contractual information/benefits table
Table of benefits
Policy specifics
Medical expenses and repatriation coverage
Coverage for all medical expenses abroad without reimbursement cap, plus repatriation in case of illness or accident
SourceTrip cancellation insurance
Optional coverage for trip cancellation costs up to €2,500 per person and €12,500 per trip, available as add-on
SourceBaggage loss and damage coverage
Optional baggage insurance covering loss, theft or damage up to €1,500 per person
SourceVehicle breakdown and assistance
Optional vehicle assistance including breakdown support in Belgium and Europe, towing and replacement vehicle provision
SourceEarly return to Belgium
Coverage for early return to Belgium in case of death or serious illness of a family member or damage to home
SourceSki accident coverage
Coverage for ski accident expenses including search and rescue costs up to €15,000, plus reimbursement of unused ski lessons and passes
SourceFlight delay and cancellation compensation
Coverage for flight delays, cancellations, denial of boarding and overbooking up to €600 per person
SourceMedical costs in Belgium following foreign illness
Coverage for medical expenses in Belgium incurred after illness or accident occurring abroad, up to €6,000
SourceNo deductible on assistance benefits
The insurer's own distribution material states that no deductible applies to the annual travel assistance cover.
SourceWaiting period for coverage activation
Coverage begins at 0:00 on the day following payment signature or premium payment, minimum 30 days before trip start or same day as booking
SourceAnnual contract term and renewal
Contract lasts one year and auto-renews annually unless cancelled; cancellation must be requested 3 months before anniversary date
SourceFamily composition coverage
Family Full product covers 2-12 persons living at same address: policyholder, spouse/partner, children, students in dorm, children with ex-partner
SourceClaims notice requirements
Insured must notify Touring immediately (after urgent medical care if needed) and take all reasonable measures to limit claim consequences
SourceTerritorial scope of coverage
Medical assistance and person support valid worldwide except Belgium; vehicle assistance valid in EU and Norway; Fly Zen benefits in specified countries
SourcePre-existing illness exclusions
Excludes scheduled hospitalizations and operations planned before departure; treatment not recognized by INAMI (Belgian health insurance) not covered
SourceInsurer legal entity
ATV S.A. (formerly ATV SA) is the licensed insurer; Touring Club Royal de Belgique ASBL acts as insurance agent under Belgian law
SourceWaiting period for newly added insured persons
When the family composition changes during the policy year (divorce, new partner, birth of a child, etc.) and a new insured is added under Family Full, a 30-day waiting period applies before cover starts for that person, running from the day Touring is informed of the change.
Source