Direct pojišťovna, a.s.
Direct
Direct is a travel insurance for the Czech Republic market with online purchase and 24/7 assistance.
Direct payment
The policy states costs will be paid 'to you, or on your behalf' (za vás), and all medical-expense costs must be pre-approved by the 24/7 assistance service; this indicates the assistance service can arrange payment directly with the foreign medical provider in approved cases, alongside standard reimbursement to the policyholder.
Geographic scope
Selectable at purchase: Europe (incl. Azores, Morocco, Turkey, Egypt, Israel, Cyprus, Tunisia, Canary Islands, Madeira, excluding Czech Republic), World excluding USA/Canada, World including USA/Canada, or Czech Republic only
Cover applies only within the territorial scope chosen in the policy; it does not apply in the country where the insured has permanent residence (except the Czech-Republic-scope product) or in a country where the insured is a public health insurance participant, and does not apply where cover would breach UN, EU or US sanctions/embargoes.
Unique selling points
- 24/7 access to a Czech-speaking doctor via the included 'Lékař online' telemedicine service.
- A flight delay of just 2 hours or more triggers a flat 500 CZK payout or reimbursed airport lounge access.
- Claims are typically settled within 2 working days, and always within 5 working days of completing the investigation.
- Risky-sports cover extends to competitive and professional-level participation, not just recreational activity.
- The policy automatically and free of charge extends cover during hospitalisation until repatriation to the Czech Republic.
Coverage limits
Medical expenses coverage
Covered
No limit stated
Mandatory core cover for necessary and unavoidable medical treatment abroad (examination, treatment, surgery, medicines, hospital stay) up to the limit chosen by the customer when concluding the policy; the T&Cs do not fix a specific amount.
Emergency medical treatment
Covered
No limit stated
Covers necessary examination, treatment and emergency surgery to stabilise the insured's condition abroad, within the agreed medical expenses limit.
Hospitalization
Covered
No limit stated
Covers hospital stay including meals in a standard multi-bed room with medical care for as long as medically necessary, within the medical expenses limit.
Outpatient treatment
Covered
No limit stated
Necessary outpatient medical examination and treatment abroad is covered within the agreed medical expenses limit.
Emergency dental treatment
Covered
No limit stated
Covers emergency dental treatment for sudden acute pain (extraction, simple fillings, X-ray, pain relief) up to a separate dental sub-limit; dental treatment following a head injury is instead covered under the general medical expenses limit.
Medical transport
Covered
No limit stated
Covers transport to the nearest suitable medical facility by an adequate means of transport, and transport back to the place of stay abroad after treatment.
Medical evacuation/repatriation
Covered
No limit stated
If medical reasons prevent use of the originally planned means of transport, covers transport back to the Czech Republic, including an accompanying person if needed, plus their accommodation and meals until the transport date.
Repatriation of remains
Covered
No limit stated
In case of death, covers transport of the coffin or urn with remains back to the Czech Republic, or a funeral abroad, capped at the expected cost of repatriating the remains.
Search and rescue costs
Covered
No limit stated
Covers the costs of an unforeseeable rescue operation where life is at risk or serious harm to health is threatened, within the medical expenses limit (added in the 06/2024 T&Cs).
COVID-19 treatment
Covered
No limit stated
Since the 06/2024 T&Cs, COVID-19 medical costs and quarantine accommodation abroad are included as part of the base medical expenses/travel insurance cover (previously an optional add-on), up to the agreed COVID-19 sub-limit.
Pre-existing conditions
Excluded
Illnesses or injuries that existed before the policy start date (preexistence), including chronic conditions, are excluded even if never previously diagnosed or treated.
Winter sports cover
Conditional
On-piste skiing and snowboarding on marked trails are covered as standard sports under the base policy; off-piste skiing/snowboarding, freeskiing, ski touring and similar are classified as risky sports and require the optional risky-sports add-on.
Adventure/high-risk sports cover
Optional
Available as an optional add-on covering high-risk sports and activities (e.g. bungee jumping, canyoning, paragliding, ski touring, diving below 10m, zipline, via ferrata) both recreationally and at competitive/professional level; insurable and non-insurable activities are listed in Annex 1 of the T&Cs.
Pregnancy complications
Conditional
Examination and treatment for high-risk pregnancy, artificial termination, complications after the completed 32nd week of pregnancy, routine preventive prenatal check-ups and delivery are excluded; other unforeseen acute conditions during pregnancy may be covered under general medical expenses.
Personal liability
Optional
No limit stated
Optional add-on covering liability for bodily injury or property damage caused unintentionally to third parties while travelling, including liability for a legally kept pet, up to a limit chosen by the customer; the T&Cs give only an illustrative example, not a fixed sum.
Legal assistance
Optional
No limit stated
Optional add-on covering legal costs (lawyer, interpreter, expert, translator, travel/accommodation for court proceedings) for disputes arising from criminal/administrative proceedings after a traffic accident, damages claims, or consumer disputes with a local service provider; disputes worth 3,000 CZK or less are excluded.
24/7 travel assistance
Covered
Included in every policy: a 24/7 assistance phone line (+420 291 291 291) providing tourist and medical information, emergency help, interpreting assistance in six languages, help after loss of documents (up to 4,000 CZK for transport to the embassy), and money-transfer facilitation (up to 100,000 CZK).
Key conditions
Assistance call deadline
Claims must be reported to the 24/7 assistance line without undue delay after they occur; for medical expenses, the assistance service must approve costs in advance for them to be reimbursed.
Unauthorized treatment
Costs for medical treatment, transport or other services that were not approved in advance by the assistance service are not reimbursed; failing to cooperate or providing false information can reduce or eliminate the payout.
Purchase while abroad
The annual (with repeated trips) and fully annual travel policies cannot be concluded from abroad — all insured persons must be present in the Czech Republic when arranging or renewing the policy; this restriction is not stated for the short-term policy.
Chronic conditions
Chronic illnesses diagnosed before the policy start, and related deterioration within the 12 months before the trip, are excluded from medical expenses cover.
Pregnancy
Risky pregnancy treatment, interruption, complications after the completed 32nd week of pregnancy, routine preventive prenatal examinations and delivery are excluded from cover.
Pre-existing condition exclusions
Illnesses or injuries that arose before the policy's start date (preexistence) are excluded, even if never diagnosed or treated before the trip.
Coverage duration limit
Three policy types are offered: short-term (single trip, renewable up to 1 year), annual with repeated trips (365 days validity, each individual trip capped at 90 consecutive days abroad), and a fully annual policy (365 days, unlimited length of stay abroad, not for people permanently resident outside the Czech Republic). Minimum policy duration is 1 day.
Documents
Terms and conditions for travel insurance
Terms & conditions
Insurance product information document - Travel insurance
IPID
Travel insurance - terms and conditions and everything important about the contract (IDC-06/2024)
Terms & conditions
Accident benefits valuation table (Annex 2)
Table of benefits
Policy specifics
Travel assistance
24/7 assistance services for emergency situations, transport arrangements, and document recovery abroad
SourceSource no longer reachableFlight delay compensation
Compensation for flight delays of 2+ hours (500 CZK) or airport lounge access reimbursement
SourceTerritory coverage options
Three types: Europe (incl. Azores, Morocco, Turkey, Egypt, Israel, Cyprus, Tunisia, Canaries, Madeira, excluding CZ); World without USA/Canada; World with USA/Canada
SourceOptional add-on coverages
COVID-19, liability, travel assistance, baggage, legal assistance, trip cancellation, vehicle assistance, rental car excess, sports equipment, high-risk sports, manual work abroad, car travel abroad
SourceCOVID-19 coverage
Optional coverage for COVID-19 treatment and quarantine abroad; since 2024 can be purchased for worldwide scope
SourceSource no longer reachableHigh-risk sports coverage
Optional coverage in the 06/2024 T&Cs expanded to include activities such as zipline, hydrospeed, human catapult, diving, and mountaineering.
SourceUnlimited medical expense limits
All variants of Direct travel insurance include unlimited limits on medical expenses coverage
SourcePurchase timing flexibility
Insurance can be purchased anytime, even on day of departure; not tied to booking date
SourceDomestic travel coverage available
Travel insurance can be applied to trips within Czech Republic, e.g. skiing injuries, liability on slopes
SourceOnline doctor consultation with Czech-speaking physician
24/7 access to Czech-speaking doctors for consultation; may issue medical report and e-prescription in some countries
SourceLegal assistance coverage
Covers criminal/administrative proceedings after traffic accidents, damage claims, consumer disputes with service providers
SourceManual work abroad coverage
Optional add-on for manual labor work abroad; not needed if occupation is administrative or commercial
SourceSpoiled vacation coverage
Optional coverage for situations where vacation is ruined due to serious circumstances
SourcePregnancy-related exclusions and limits
Coverage excludes high-risk pregnancy treatment, abortion, complications after 26th week, preventive prenatal exams, delivery
SourceAlcohol blood limit condition
Standard tolerance of 0.5 per mille alcohol in blood; vehicle-related policies governed by country-specific alcohol limits
SourceSource no longer reachableSources
- https://www.direct.cz/blog/novinky-z-directu-9-2024-nove-cislo-uctu-u-cestovniho-pojisteni/Source no longer reachable
- https://www.direct.cz/blog/pro-maklere/pojisteni-mazlicku-stavebne-montazni-pojisteni-a-cestovko-2025
- https://www.direct.cz/cestovko
- https://www.pojisteni.com/blog/direct-prichazi-s-cestovnim-pojistenim-zabalenym-do-atraktivni-a-srozumitelne-podoby-2666/