Aviva Insurance Ireland Designated Activity Company
Aviva
Aviva is a travel insurance for the Ireland market with online purchase and limited assistance availability.
Direct payment
If a Person Insured is admitted to hospital abroad, Chubb Assistance will contact the hospital or attending doctor and guarantee payment of their fees up to the policy limit, so the insured does not have to pay from their own funds for in-patient treatment. Smaller expenses may need to be paid upfront by the insured and claimed back afterwards.
Geographic scope
Policyholders choose one of three geographic areas at the time of quote: Europe, Worldwide excluding USA/Canada/Caribbean, or Worldwide including USA/Canada/Caribbean (excluding Cuba).
Europe is defined to include all EU countries plus Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland, the UK, Russia (west of the Urals), Turkey, Morocco and Tunisia; Albania is excluded from the Europe definition and requires Worldwide cover. Cover excludes travel to any destination where the Department of Foreign Affairs allocates a security status of 'Avoid non-essential travel' or 'Do not travel', and Cuba is excluded due to US sanctions restrictions on the underwriter.
Unique selling points
- Emergency medical expenses and repatriation abroad are covered up to €5,000,000 per person, a very high ceiling compared to typical market minimums.
- Chubb Assistance guarantees direct payment of hospital and doctor fees abroad so insureds are not forced to pay large medical bills upfront themselves.
- Optional car hire excess cover can be added from as little as €2.39 per day or €39.99 per year, avoiding the need to buy costly excess waivers from rental companies.
- A 14-day no-quibble cancellation/cooling-off option lets customers get a full refund if they change their mind before travelling or claiming.
- Broad automatic cover for dozens of recreational sports and activities (scuba diving, jet skiing, go-karting, motorcycling, hot air ballooning, etc.) is included at no extra cost, subject to safety conditions.
Coverage limits
Medical and additional expenses abroad
€5,000,000
Section 5 Medical and Additional Expenses provides a single aggregate limit of €5,000,000 per Person Insured for reasonable and medically necessary hospital, ambulance, surgical, diagnostic and remedial treatment costs incurred outside Ireland during a Holiday, including hospital stay charges. This is a shared ceiling covering all sub-benefits described below (hospitalisation, outpatient treatment, medical transport and evacuation), not six separate €5,000,000 limits. A €90 excess per person per claim applies, unless a reduction was obtained via a European Health Insurance Card in an EU country.
Emergency medical treatment
€5,000,000
Emergency medical treatment abroad, including doctor referral, hospital admission and payment of hospital/doctor bills arranged via Chubb Assistance, falls within the same shared €5,000,000 Section 5 Medical and Additional Expenses limit, not a separate cap.
Hospitalisation (in-patient treatment costs)
€5,000,000
In-patient hospital treatment costs abroad are covered as part of the shared €5,000,000 Section 5 Medical and Additional Expenses limit (which explicitly includes charges for staying in hospital). A separate, additional Section 6 Hospital Benefit cash allowance of €20 per full 24 hours (max €400 per Holiday) is paid on top if the insured has a valid medical expenses claim and is a hospital in-patient; this is a fixed daily cash benefit, not a treatment-cost limit, and is recorded separately under product_specific_constraints.
Outpatient treatment
€5,000,000
Outpatient medical, surgical or diagnostic treatment abroad prescribed by a doctor falls under the shared €5,000,000 Section 5 Medical and Additional Expenses limit.
Emergency dental treatment
€300
Emergency dental treatment for the relief of pain only, incurred outside Ireland, is covered up to €300 per Person Insured. Dental expenses for reasons other than pain relief are excluded.
Ambulance and local medical transport
€5,000,000
Ambulance transport costs necessary for treatment abroad are included within the shared €5,000,000 Section 5 Medical and Additional Expenses limit.
Emergency medical repatriation/evacuation
€5,000,000
Emergency repatriation to Ireland (or transfer to the most suitable hospital in Ireland), arranged by Chubb Assistance when medically necessary, is included within the shared €5,000,000 Section 5 Medical and Additional Expenses limit. Costs must be authorised in advance by Chubb Assistance.
Repatriation of remains / burial abroad
€10,000
If a Person Insured dies abroad, up to €10,000 is paid for cremation or burial charges in the country of death, or to transport the body or ashes back to Ireland. Cremation or burial costs incurred in Ireland are excluded.
Search and rescue
No limit stated
No search and rescue benefit is described anywhere in the policy document, key benefits table or FAQs reviewed.
COVID-19 medical expenses
€5,000,000
Overseas medical and repatriation expenses for COVID-19 are covered within the shared €5,000,000 medical expenses limit, provided the destination is not under a DFA 'Avoid non-essential travel' or 'Do not travel' status. The policy's Communicable Disease general exclusion explicitly does not apply to claims for Medical Expenses and Repatriation Expenses. COVID-19 cancellation costs and quarantine-related additional accommodation/travel costs are also covered up to €3,000, subject to a Government-recognised positive test certified in writing.
Pre-existing medical conditions
Conditional
Cover is conditional on a Health Declaration: no Person Insured may be receiving or on a waiting list for hospital/nursing home treatment, awaiting investigation, referral or results of any procedure, choosing not to take prescribed medication, travelling against medical advice, travelling to obtain treatment, travelling with a terminal condition, or due to give birth within 12 weeks of trip end. Claims arising from an existing medical condition the insured was receiving or on a waiting list for treatment for are excluded from Medical Expenses cover.
Winter sports extension
€300
Optional Winter Sports Extension (additional premium) covers non-competitive skiing, snowboarding, cross-country skiing, glacier skiing/walking, dog sledding and tobogganing for up to 21 days per Period of Insurance, with a Key Benefits table maximum of €300 per claim. Note: Section 14's Ski Pack sub-benefit heading references 'up to €200' internally while its own text states a €300 limit for the ski pack benefit and the Key Benefits summary confirms €300 as the section maximum; €300 is used here as the governing figure. Competitive winter sports are excluded.
Automatically covered leisure activities and sports
Covered
A long list of recreational leisure activities and sports (including scuba diving to 18m, jet skiing, parascending over water, go-karting, motorcycling up to 125cc, hot air ballooning as a passenger, water skiing, sail boarding, etc.) is automatically covered without extra premium while on a Holiday, subject to safety equipment/procedure conditions and provided the activity is not the main reason for the trip, not competitive, and medically permitted. There is no separate monetary sub-limit; claims fall within the relevant section limits (e.g. Medical Expenses, Personal Accident).
Pregnancy complications
€5,000,000
Complications in pregnancy, as diagnosed by a doctor or specialist in obstetrics, are covered within the shared €5,000,000 medical expenses limit. If travelling between 28 and 35 weeks pregnant, the insured must obtain written confirmation of fitness to travel from a doctor no earlier than 5 days before the outbound travel date. Cover does not apply if the insured is due to give birth within 12 weeks of the date the trip ends.
Personal liability
€2,500,000
Section 11 Personal Liability indemnifies the insured up to €2,500,000 per Person Insured for accidental bodily injury or property damage caused to third parties during the Holiday, plus Costs and Expenses. Excludes wilful/malicious acts, liability for vehicles/aircraft/watercraft/firearms, and liability to family members or employees.
Overseas legal advice and expenses
€30,000
Section 12 Overseas Legal Advice & Expenses covers up to €30,000 per Person Insured for legal fees and expenses in pursuing a claim against a third party who caused bodily injury or illness abroad. Claims must be reported within 24 months of the incident and pre-authorised in writing by Chubb.
Chubb Assistance emergency helpline
Covered
Chubb Assistance provides a dedicated emergency phone line for medical referral, repatriation, payment guarantee, drug replacement, message transmission and personal assistance services (emergency funds transfer, message relay, property tracing, replacement travel documents, translation and legal help) while on a Holiday abroad. The policy document does not explicitly state the line operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, so this could not be confirmed.
Key conditions
Assistance call deadline
For medical expense claims, the insured must contact Chubb Assistance immediately and before incurring any costs, or as soon as feasible in a medical emergency such as an accident or cardiac event; failure to do so may result in a rejected or reduced claim.
Unauthorized treatment
If Chubb Assistance is not contacted before incurring medical costs (where feasible), Chubb may reject the claim or reduce the amount paid. Additional travel/hotel expenses not pre-authorised by Chubb Assistance are excluded, as are legal expenses incurred before Chubb's prior written authorisation.
Purchase while abroad
The policy is intended to be purchased in Ireland before travelling; cover requires the insured to be a resident of Ireland for a minimum of 180 days per calendar year and Holidays must begin and end in Ireland. Purchasing a Holiday after the DFA has issued an 'Avoid non-essential travel' or 'Do not travel' warning for the destination voids cancellation cover for that destination.
Chronic conditions
Claims arising from a medical condition affecting the insured, travelling companions or immediate family are excluded from Cancellation/Curtailment cover if the condition was diagnosed before the Holiday was booked and could reasonably have been expected to result in death, serious injury, sudden illness or sudden deterioration in health.
Pregnancy
Cover excludes any Holiday where the insured is due to give birth within 12 weeks of the trip's end date. If travelling between 28 and 35 weeks pregnant, written medical confirmation of fitness to travel (dated no earlier than 5 days before the outbound travel date) is required.
Pre-existing condition exclusions
No person to be insured may be receiving or on a waiting list for hospital/nursing home treatment, awaiting investigation/referral/results, choosing not to take prescribed medication, travelling against medical advice, travelling to obtain medical/dental/cosmetic treatment, or travelling with a terminal condition; breach of the Health Declaration can void cover for the related claim.
Coverage duration limit
A single-trip Holiday must be up to 31 consecutive days (Aviva product page) / the underlying Chubb wording refers to no individual Holiday abroad continuing for more than 30 consecutive days under annual multi-trip cover, with a maximum of 90 days abroad in total per Period of Insurance and at least 2 nights' pre-booked accommodation for Irish Holidays under annual multi-trip policies.
Where to buy
Documents
Holiday Travel Insurance – Policy Document (incl. Key Benefits summary table)
Terms & conditions
Policy specifics
Medical expenses abroad
Emergency medical expenses while on a trip outside of the Republic of Ireland, including repatriation costs handled directly by Chubb Assistance
SourceWinter sports cover (optional)
Optional extension covering skiing, snowboarding, outdoor ice skating, and tobogganing
SourceCar hire excess cover (optional)
Reimbursement for excess paid towards repair costs if rental car gets damaged
SourceCOVID-19 medical expenses
Overseas medical and repatriation expenses for COVID-19 provided travel is to areas not designated 'Avoid non-essential travel' or 'Do not travel' by Department of Foreign Affairs
SourceCOVID-19 cancellation cover
Cover for cancellation costs if policyholder or travelling companion contracts COVID-19 before trip, or if required to quarantine past original departure date
SourceHospital Benefit (daily cash allowance)
A separate fixed cash benefit of €20 for each full 24 hours as a hospital in-patient abroad, up to a maximum of €400 per Holiday, payable in addition to the Section 5 Medical Expenses limit if the insured has a valid claim under Private Medical Insurance or Section 5
SourceResidency requirement
All persons to be insured must be permanently resident in Ireland for a minimum of 180 days per calendar year
SourceExcess per section
€90 excess per person per claim applies under most sections marked with asterisk
SourcePre-existing medical conditions declaration
Must declare any serious illness, injury or disease received advice, medication or treatment for in the last 12 months before purchase
SourceGeographic coverage area selection
Choice of Europe, Worldwide excluding USA/Canada/Caribbean, or Worldwide including USA/Canada/Caribbean (excluding Cuba)
SourceCancellation and cooling-off period
14-day no-quibble cancellation period available after policy purchase if no claims made and no holiday commenced
SourceArranger and underwriter relationship
The 'Aviva Travel Insurance' product marketed by Aviva Direct Ireland Limited is arranged by Aviva but fully underwritten by Chubb European Group SE; all policy terms, claims handling (via Sedgwick) and Chubb Assistance services are provided by Chubb, not Aviva.
Source