Ski and snowboard travel insurance from the UAE

Does your travel policy cover skiing?

With Liva, Orient and AIG, only if you buy their optional winter sports cover. Daman covers it through an extension.

• Liva covers winter sports only if the option is on your schedule and paid for. Otherwise its medical and accident sections exclude them.¹
• Orient excludes winter sports unless you paid the extra premium and the activity is listed or confirmed in writing.²
• AIG puts skiing and snowboarding in its Hazardous Sports column, which is an optional extra benefit.³
• Daman has a winter and summer sports extension. Its general exclusions also list hazardous winter and summer sports such as skiing, and the wording does not say how the two fit together.⁴
• GIG Gulf treats recreational skiing or snowboarding inside marked trails as a normal activity, with no extra premium. Winter sports as the wording defines them need its Adventure Sports option.⁵
• Allianz Partners excludes skiing or snowboarding outside marked trails, or in an area reached by helicopter, unless you bought its Sports Cover add-on.⁶
• Salama excludes hazardous winter and summer sports such as skiing.⁷ Its booklet names an optional Adventure Sports cover and gives no terms for it.
• Mastercard card cover excludes winter sports.⁸

What do you need for off-piste skiing?

A guide, or staying inside the resort’s boundaries, depending on the insurer.

• Liva: a qualified guide or instructor.¹
• Daman: a qualified guide, in an area not marked out of bounds or hazardous.⁴
• AIG: an official guide, and you must stay within local ski patrol guidelines.³
• Orient: you must stay within the ski area boundaries of a recognised resort and follow ski patrol guidelines.²
• Allianz Partners: even with the Sports Cover add-on, heli-skiing and areas the resort has marked unsafe are excluded.⁶
• GIG Gulf: its general exclusions list off-piste and skiing in an area the resort marks unsafe. The conditions for its Adventure Sports option list skiing outside marked trails in an area the resort marks safe. The wording does not say how the two fit.⁵ Ask GIG Gulf before you ski off-piste.

How many ski days are covered?

Between 15 and 21 days with the three insurers that set a limit. Liva allows 21 days on an annual policy and 15 on a single trip, for people aged 10 to 65.¹ Orient allows up to 17 days a trip in total under annual multi-trip cover, once the extra premium is paid.² Daman limits its winter and summer sports cover to 15 days, and to medical expenses in hospital.⁴ The other policies state no winter sports day limit.

What if the slopes close?

Four insurers pay, each under a different test.

• AIG pays if all lift systems are closed for more than 24 hours for lack of snow, and the resort is at least 1,000 metres above sea level. It does not pay if the reason was known and you bought the policy within 14 days of leaving.³
• Liva pays if all lift systems are closed for more than 12 hours because of too little or too much snow, between 1 December and 15 April in the northern hemisphere or 1 May and 30 September in the southern.¹
• Orient pays when lifts and ski schools are closed by bad weather or an avalanche. It does not pay for the first full 24 hours and needs a letter from the ski-lift or ski-school operator.²
• Allianz Partners, with the Sports Cover add-on, pays if the resort closes 75% or more of its ski trails for lack or excess of snow, for at least 50% of normal operating hours on the day you meant to use your lift ticket.⁶

Is your ski equipment covered?

With the option, at Liva, Orient, AIG and Allianz Partners. Liva’s Winter Sports cover has limits for equipment, ski hire and ski packs on Holiday and Executive Travel.¹ Orient covers ski equipment, delayed ski equipment and ski packs.² AIG covers ski equipment, ski hire and an unused ski pack.³ Allianz Partners’ Sports Cover add-on covers sporting equipment and equipment rental.⁶ Daman’s extension does not mention equipment.⁴

Does your policy cover indoor skiing?

It depends on the insurer. AIG’s Hazardous Sports Benefits do not apply to indoor winter sports.³ Orient’s winter sports list names dry slopes and indoor ski centres.²

Is mountain rescue covered?

Allianz Partners lists Search and Rescue up to USD 1,000 or USD 2,000.⁶ Ask your insurer whether a rescue on the mountain counts as medical evacuation.

The small print

• Daman’s extension limit. Daman sets the limit for its winter sports extension in its Schedule of Benefits. Ask Daman for yours.⁴
• Orient’s excluded activities. Its winter sports extension excludes ski jumping, ski racing and other listed activities.²