Documents you need for a travel insurance claim

Your insurer decides which documents it needs, and its claim forms must be free and in clear language.¹ It cannot reject a claim simply for a missed procedure or missing data, unless that is needed to check the event, its causes, the size of the loss or a right of recourse. If you claim online, the insurer may ask for originals before it pays.²

The lists below are what each policy names, in paraphrase. An insurer not named under a heading may still ask for that document.

What do you need for any claim?

Your booking and payment records and your original receipts.

• Orient Easy Journey Outbound. Original booking invoices and travel documents showing dates and times, original receipts and bills, details of any other insurance or takaful that may apply, and as much evidence as possible.³
• Allianz Partners UAE. The same list, with a passport copy added.⁴
• Mastercard World cards MENA. For trip claims, proof that the full fare was charged to the eligible card, with copies of tickets and receipts.⁵

AIG sends you the claim forms after you tell it about the claim, and may ask for more information.⁶

Keep booking invoices, tickets and receipts from the day you book.

What do you need for a medical claim?

The treating doctor’s report and the original bills. Most of these policies also ask you to contact the insurer or its assistance line when you need hospital treatment, and some before any expense.

• GIG Gulf. A medical claim is paid only if you contacted GIG and it approved the cost. It asks for a full medical certificate from the doctor, with original bills and receipts.⁷ An emergency claim may still be considered if you could not make contact.⁸
• Liva. Call the emergency hotline and, where appropriate, the helpline before you are admitted to hospital. It asks for all medical reports from the hospital or clinic and the receipts.⁹
• Orient. Contact the 24-hour emergency medical service if you are admitted to hospital, need repatriation, or the fees are likely to exceed USD 250. It asks for medical evidence from the treating doctor, including admission and discharge dates.³
• Allianz Partners UAE. Contact the emergency service if you are admitted to hospital, need repatriation, or the fees are likely to exceed USD 500. It asks for medical evidence from the treating doctor.⁴
• Mastercard World cards MENA. A medical report and original medical receipts, the hospital admission and discharge card for cash benefits, a passport copy with entry and exit stamps, and proof of the fare.⁵
• Salama. Expenses Salama did not approve beforehand are not reimbursed. A reimbursement request needs the claim number from its assistance company.¹⁰
• Daman Alami. If you could not reach the assistance company, get a case number, write a letter explaining why, and send official documents and original receipts.¹¹

Call the assistance line before you are admitted if your policy asks, and write down the case number.

What do you need to claim for a cancelled or shortened trip?

Proof of the reason and proof of what you lost.

• Liva. A medical certificate, a death certificate where relevant, unused tickets, and a cancellation certificate from the carrier, agency or provider. For reasons such as jury service or redundancy, a letter from a suitable authority.⁹
• Allianz Partners UAE. Original cancellation invoices, a medical certificate from the treating doctor or a certified death certificate, and independent evidence for any other reason.⁴
• Orient. Original cancellation invoices, a medical certificate or certified death certificate, and evidence of any other circumstances.³
• Mastercard World cards MENA. Documents showing the reason, proof of the fare, and receipts for refunds or confirmation of amounts that cannot be refunded.⁵

Ask the airline, hotel or tour operator for a written cancellation invoice when you cancel.

What do you need for a delay or missed connection?

A written report from the airline giving the reason and the length of the delay.

• Liva. A report from the carrier or its agent of the actual departure time, the reason and the hours of delay, and the ticket receipt.⁹
• Orient and Allianz Partners UAE. Written confirmation from the airline or its handling agent of the scheduled and actual departure times and the reason.³⁴
• Daman Alami. An Airline Report of Delay, meaning official written confirmation of what happened, why, for how long and on which flight.¹¹
• Salama. Written confirmation from the carrier of the date, time and reason, and the original invoices.¹⁰
• Mastercard World cards MENA. Ticket and boarding pass, a letter from the airline certifying the delay or missed connection, and proof of the fare.⁵

If you missed a departure, Liva asks for evidence of the accident or breakdown, or evidence from the transport provider if public transport failed.⁹ Allianz asks for a detailed account with evidence from the transport provider or the authority that attended.⁴

Ask for the airline’s written report at the airport. What the airline itself owes you is in flight delay and cancellation rights.

What do you need for a lost, delayed or damaged bag?

A Property Irregularity Report (PIR), the airline’s record of the problem, and your baggage tag. Liva, Orient, Allianz, AIG, GIG Gulf, Daman and Mastercard texts all name the PIR.

• Liva, loss or damage. The PIR, travel tickets and baggage tag receipts, proof of purchase, and written notice to the carrier within its own time limit. For a delay, receipts for essentials, baggage tag receipts and written confirmation of the hours.⁹
• Orient and Allianz Partners UAE. A PIR within 7 days, and a letter to the airline within 21 days confirming the essentials you bought.³⁴
• Mastercard World cards MENA. Copies of your notice to the carrier, the PIR with flight and baggage check numbers, details of any amounts the carrier paid, a list of the items, and airline confirmation.⁵
• GIG Gulf. Written proof of the delayed delivery from the airline.⁷
• AIG Travel Guard. A written carrier report and original receipts for a delay, with purchases made within 4 days of arrival.⁶

Get the PIR before you leave the baggage hall. The airline’s own deadlines are in lost or delayed baggage.

What do you need after a theft or loss?

A police report, usually within 24 hours.

• Liva. A police or authority report within 24 hours, with a written incident report. A lost passport also needs a consular letter, and card fraud a statement and confirmation from the card company.⁹
• Orient. A police report within 24 hours of discovering the loss, and a written report from the courier or hotel where relevant.³
• Allianz Partners UAE. A police report within 24 hours of discovery. For a lost or stolen phone, written confirmation from the network that it was blocked. Repair estimates for damaged items.⁴
• GIG Gulf. A police report within 24 hours for theft and baggage claims, and written proof from the police.⁸
• AIG Travel Guard. A police report within 24 hours of the incident for baggage theft, and within 24 hours of discovery for money.⁶
• Daman Alami. Losses not reported to the police or other authorities within 24 hours of discovery, or as soon as reasonably practicable, are excluded.¹¹

Keep damaged items. Orient and Allianz say they may need to inspect them, and that an item they pay for or replace becomes theirs.³⁴

How long does the insurer have once you send everything?

15 days from receiving your complete documents to tell you whether it approves the claim. If it needs longer, it must tell you how long and why.¹

Deadlines for telling your insurer are in how to make a travel insurance claim. If the claim is rejected, see how to complain to Sanadak.

The small print

• The insurer’s duty to define documents and the rule on rejections are in Art 9 and Art 9(6) of the Code of Conduct, Insurance Authority Board Resolution 3 of 2010. The 15-day decision is Art 9(4).¹ The rule on originals for online claims is Art 22 of the Electronic Insurance Regulations.²
• AIG’s two deadlines are separate. Notice is due within 90 days of the loss, and the information AIG asks for within 90 days of the Claim Notification Period.⁶
• Mastercard’s terms call the PIR a Property Indemnity Report.⁵
• Orient’s exclusion text sets the report for a lost item within 24 hours after returning home, where its claims notes say 24 hours of discovery.³