Travel insurance is often a one-click option at the airline checkout, and it's easy to buy without reading what it covers. That policy decides what gets paid if you fall ill abroad, lose a bag or have to cancel. A claim is paid only for the events listed in your policy and on the conditions it sets. Plans sold in Malaysia differ a lot in both.
RinggitPlus compares travel insurance plans from 13 insurers and takaful operators on its travel insurance page. The page shows each plan's medical cover, accidental death benefit and travel delay payout side by side. RinggitPlus updates each listing when an insurer changes its benefits.
The Main Benefits In A Travel Insurance Plan
Some benefits pay you a fixed sum. Others pay back what you spent, up to a limit, and you'll need receipts for those.
| Benefit | What It Pays For | How It Pays |
| Medical expenses | Hospital, surgery, doctor and medicine costs from an accident or illness during the trip | Reimbursement up to the plan limit |
| Emergency evacuation and repatriation | Moving you to a suitable hospital or back to Malaysia, or bringing remains home | Arranged by the insurer's assistance provider |
| Accidental death and permanent disablement | A one-off payment if an accident on the trip kills or permanently disables you | Fixed lump sum |
| Trip cancellation | Non-refundable flights, hotels and tours if you must cancel before you leave for a covered reason | Reimbursement |
| Trip curtailment | The unused part of your trip if you must come home early for a covered reason | Reimbursement |
| Travel delay | Compensation when your flight leaves late, usually for every full six hours | Fixed amount per block of hours |
| Baggage and personal effects | Items lost, stolen or damaged during the trip | Reimbursement, with a cap per item |
| Personal liability | Your legal liability if you accidentally injure someone or damage their property | Reimbursement up to the plan limit |
RHB Insurance's Travel Protector Plus pays up to RM150,000 for medical bills on its Advance plan and RM500,000 on Supreme. If you're 70 or under, Kurnia Travel Supreme pays up to RM150,000 on Plan A and RM400,000 on Plan B. Read the benefit table for the plan you're buying, not just its name.
Checking Medical Cover And Regions For Your Trip
Medical cover is the benefit that protects you from the largest bills. Hospital costs vary hugely by country, so the right limit depends on where you're going.
Insurers price plans by region, and each insurer sets its own regions. RHB Insurance's Travel Protector Plus, for example, puts Japan, South Korea and China in the same region as Singapore and Thailand. The United States and Canada sit in its most expensive worldwide region. Before you buy, check that every country on your trip, including transit stops, falls inside the region on your policy.
Malaysians don't need a visa for a short trip to the Schengen area, which covers most of Europe. The German Embassy in Kuala Lumpur says Malaysian citizens can stay for up to 90 days in any 180-day period without one.
You may need a Schengen visa for a longer stay, for study or work, or if you travel on another passport. The embassy's travel health insurance page says your travel medical insurance must then:
- Cover at least EUR30,000.
- Be valid in every Schengen country for your whole stay.
- Cover emergency hospital treatment and repatriation.
Ask your insurer for a certificate that shows all of these. If you don't need a visa, EUR30,000 is still a useful starting point when you choose a medical limit for Europe.
All policies also list excluded countries. These often include countries at war or under international sanctions. RHB Insurance names 15 countries and adds any country under sanctions, such as Myanmar and Russia.
What Sets Your Premium
Your premium depends on four things:
- How long you'll be away, priced in bands of days rather than by the exact number of days.
- Where you're going, based on the insurer's regions.
- The plan tier, since higher tiers pay more for each benefit.
- Who's covered, whether that's you alone, you and your spouse, or your whole family.
Kurnia Travel Supreme Plan A costs RM24 for a trip of up to five days within its Area 1. Zurich's Z-Travel Insurance (Domestic) Lite costs RM19 for a trip of up to 20 days in Malaysia.
There's no service tax on cover for trips overseas. Cover for trips within Malaysia carries 8% service tax. If a plan covers both, as some annual plans do, check the service tax line in its product disclosure sheet. Stamp duty is RM10, but you don't pay it if you buy as an individual and the premium is RM150 or less. That exemption runs until 31 December 2028, after the government extended it in Budget 2026.
Single Trip Or Annual Plan
A single trip plan covers one journey, from the time you leave home until you get back. Maximum trip lengths vary by insurer, from 60 days on some domestic plans to 180 days or more on some overseas plans.
An annual plan covers every trip you take in 12 months, but each trip has its own length limit. Work out how many trips you take a year and compare the two costs, including any stamp duty.
Kurnia Travel Supreme Plan A shows how this works for one person travelling within its Area 1. Area 1 lists 18 places in Asia plus Australia and New Zealand. Kurnia's brochure prices the annual plan at RM172, or RM182 with stamp duty, regardless of how many trips you take. A single trip costs RM24 for up to five days, or RM37 for six to ten days. Neither pays stamp duty, since both are under RM150.
| Trips A Year | Five-Day Trips On Single Trip Plans | Ten-Day Trips On Single Trip Plans |
| 4 | RM96 | RM148 |
| 5 | RM120 | RM185 |
| 6 | RM144 | RM222 |
| 7 | RM168 | RM259 |
| 8 | RM192 | RM296 |
For short trips of up to five days, the annual plan saves money only from the eighth trip onward. For trips of six to ten days, it saves money from the fifth trip. Each trip on Kurnia's annual plan can last up to 100 days. Check the per-trip limit on any annual plan before a long holiday.
How Family Plans Work
A family plan covers you, your spouse and your children on one policy. Each insurer sets its own age limit for children, so check it before you assume a teenager or student is covered.
| Insurer And Plan | Who Counts As A Child | How Much The Family Can Claim |
| RHB Insurance Travel Protector Plus | Unmarried, unemployed children up to 19, or up to 23 if studying full time | Each person gets the same benefits as you, capped at 300% of each benefit for the family. Each child's accidental death benefit is 25% of yours |
| Zurich Z-Travel Insurance (Domestic) Lite | Children aged 30 days to 17, or up to 23 if studying full time | Up to 300% of each benefit limit for the family, except accidental death and disablement, which stay per person |
If four people make medical claims on the same trip, the family shares three times the individual limit between them.
Parents, in-laws and other relatives aren't covered under a family plan, so they'll need their own policies.
Travel Insurance For Trips Within Malaysia
Domestic plans cover trips inside Malaysia, including flights between Peninsular Malaysia and Sabah or Sarawak. Some only cover trips that take you a set distance from home. RHB Insurance sets this at more than 50km from where you live or stay. Some credit card cover sets a longer distance, such as 100km.
Medical limits on domestic plans can be low. Zurich's Domestic Lite plan, for example, pays up to RM5,000 for medical bills after an accident.
When To Buy Your Policy
Buy your policy as soon as you've paid for the trip. Cancellation cover starts the day the insurer issues your policy and ends when the trip begins. If you fall ill a week before you fly but only buy insurance the day before, you can't claim for the cancelled bookings.
RHB Insurance doesn't pay cancellation claims on policies bought within three days of departure. The only exception is a cancellation caused by an accidental death, whether yours, an immediate family member's or your travel companion's. The same rule applies to its benefit for postponing a trip. Kurnia Travel Supreme doesn't pay cancellation claims if you buy the policy less than seven days before your trip starts. Unlike RHB Insurance, it makes no exception for death.
What Travel Insurance Won't Pay For
The common exclusions are:
- Pre-existing conditions. RHB Insurance defines these as any condition you knew about, or should have known about, in the 12 months before cover starts. That includes a condition you were treated for, diagnosed with or prescribed medicine for, and one with clear symptoms.
- Injuries while drunk or under the influence of drugs.
- Hazardous sports and activities, which each insurer defines in its own way. Zurich's Domestic Lite plan excludes any activity above 3,000 metres, and RHB Insurance excludes riding a motorcycle, even as a passenger on the back.
- Pregnancy and childbirth. Allianz, Tune Protect and Etiqa exclude both, and AIG excludes pregnancy, fertility and birth control. Allianz and Etiqa still cover complications caused by an accident.
- Epidemics and pandemics, unless the plan includes them. Zurich's Domestic Lite plan sells COVID-19 cover as an optional add-on.
- Travelling against the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Wisma Putra) travel advisories, or to a war zone or an excluded country.
- Events you knew about before you bought the policy or booked the trip, such as an announced airline strike or a storm warning.
- Baggage left unattended, items with no police or airline report and anything above the per-item limit.
RHB Insurance's baggage benefit pays up to RM7,500 on Advance and RM10,000 on Supreme, but no more than RM500 for any single item. Its policy also excludes mobile phones and pays up to RM1,000 for a laptop. If you're carrying expensive equipment, check how the plan treats it, or insure it separately.
What Happens If You Fall Ill Or Get Hurt Overseas
Call the 24-hour assistance number on your policy as soon as you can. The insurer's assistance provider can tell you which hospital to go to. With the insurer's approval, it can also confirm to the hospital that it will pay, so you don't have to pay the full bill upfront. If you pay yourself, keep every receipt and medical report and claim the money back when you return.
Emergency evacuation needs approval first. RHB Insurance won't pay for an evacuation unless its assistance provider approves and arranges it in advance.
Many plans also pay for follow-up treatment in Malaysia after you return, but only up to a limit and for a set time.
| Insurer And Plan | Limit | Time Allowed |
| RHB Insurance Travel Protector Plus | RM30,000 | 30 days after you come home |
| AIG online travel plans | RM50,000 on Standard and Deluxe. None on Starter and Basic | 30 days after you arrive in Malaysia |
| Allianz Travel Easy | RM50,000, or RM25,000 if you're 71 to 80 | 45 days after you come home |
| Etiqa TripCare 360 | RM5,000 on Silver, RM10,000 on Gold and RM30,000 on Platinum | Three months after you come home |
Overseas cover ends soon after you land back in Malaysia, and each policy sets its own point. Allianz Travel Easy ends when you arrive at your final destination in Malaysia. Etiqa TripCare 360 ends six hours after your booked arrival, or when you get home if that's sooner. RHB Insurance's Travel Protector Plus ends 24 hours after you arrive. Tune Protect Travel Easy ends 24 hours after you clear immigration in Malaysia, or when you get home if that's sooner. It never runs past the policy's end date.
If you didn't see a doctor overseas, treatment that starts after you're home usually isn't covered. Allianz, Etiqa and AIG only pay for treatment in Malaysia in that case if it starts within 24 hours of arriving. Dengue symptoms usually start 4 to 10 days after the bite. So if you catch dengue abroad and fall ill a week after you get home, your travel insurance usually won't pay. Claim on your medical card or your employer's cover instead.
Claiming From More Than One Policy
You can hold more than one travel insurance policy, but you won't be paid twice for the same loss. For benefits that pay back what you spent, such as medical bills and lost items, the insurers share the cost between them. Zurich's disclosure sheet says it pays these losses only once, even if you hold several policies.
RHB Insurance shares claims with other insurers for every benefit except personal accident, which pays a fixed sum. So its accidental death and disablement payout isn't reduced by other cover you hold. RHB Insurance won't pay the same claim under two of its own travel policies for the same trip, though.
You must tell the insurer about other travel policies when you apply. Zurich's disclosure sheet lists this among the facts you must tell it. A wrong answer can lead to a rejected claim.
How Credit Card Travel Insurance Compares
Some credit cards include free travel insurance when you pay for the trip with the card. The Mastercard travel cover that comes with some HSBC cards, underwritten by AIG, only works if you register before the trip starts. It only covers trips within Malaysia that are more than 100km from your city of residence. Its terms also say it isn't protected by Perbadanan Insurans Deposit Malaysia (PIDM).
The Mastercard cover applies only if the entire fare is charged to the card or bought with the card's reward points. CIMB's cover requires the full airfare to be charged to a CIMB card, with tickets bought directly from the airline's website or app.
Check the card's medical limit, the regions it covers and whether it pays for cancellations before you rely on it.
How To Make A Claim
Get the right papers while you're still on the trip, because many are hard to get later.
| Type Of Claim | What To Get At The Time |
| Medical | Itemised hospital bills, receipts, the doctor's report and any prescriptions |
| Theft or robbery | A police report, usually within 24 hours of the incident |
| Lost or damaged checked bags | The airline's lost-bag form, called a Property Irregularity Report, made at the airport |
| Flight delay | A letter or email from the airline showing the scheduled and actual departure times |
| Cancellation or early return | Medical certificates or death certificates, plus booking receipts and proof of what couldn't be refunded |
Tell the insurer about the claim within the deadline in your policy. Most give you 30 days, but they count from different days. Etiqa and AIG count from the day of the incident. RHB Insurance and Allianz count from the day you get home. Zurich's Domestic Lite plan gives you 14 days after you get home. If something happens early in a long trip, notify the insurer while you're still away.
If Your Claim Is Rejected
Start with a written complaint to the insurer's complaints unit and ask for its final decision in writing. If you disagree, you can take a claim of up to RM250,000 to the Financial Markets Ombudsman Service (FMOS). You have six months from the date of that letter. You can also go to FMOS if the insurer hasn't replied within 60 days. FMOS doesn't charge you.
Your complaint may be about how the insurer behaved, rather than how much it paid. If the insurer hasn't resolved it within 14 days, you can complain to Bank Negara Malaysia. BNM doesn't take a case that's already with FMOS or the courts, so choose one route.
Checklist Before You Buy
- The medical limit suits your destination. If you're applying for a Schengen visa, it's at least EUR30,000.
- Every country on your trip, including transit stops, sits inside the plan's region and isn't on its excluded list.
- The trip length fits within the plan's maximum days.
- Any activities you've planned, such as diving, skiing or riding a scooter, aren't excluded.
- Your pre-existing conditions are declared, and you know which ones the plan won't cover.
- The per-item baggage limit covers what you're taking, or you've insured it separately.
- You've bought the policy early enough for cancellation cover to count.
- You've saved the assistance hotline number and the claim deadline.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I buy travel insurance after I've left Malaysia?
No. RHB Insurance and Kurnia start cover when you leave home in Malaysia. You need the policy before you go. Zurich's Domestic Lite plan isn't available to anyone who has already started the journey.
Can I get a refund if I don't travel?
Usually not. Zurich's Domestic Lite plan and RHB Insurance's Travel Protector Plus don't refund the premium once the policy is issued. If you need to change your dates, contact the insurer before the trip starts.
What happens if my flight home is delayed and my policy runs out?
Your cover is usually extended at no extra cost. RHB Insurance, Allianz and Etiqa extend cover by up to 14 days if your transport is delayed. They extend it by up to 30 days if a covered injury or illness stops you from travelling home. Etiqa only does this if you're in hospital or in quarantine. AIG can extend cover by up to 30 days, but only if it agrees.
Are travel insurance payouts protected by PIDM?
Yes, if the plan is eligible and the insurer fails. PIDM protects eligible benefits without you having to register. Under its Takaful and Insurance Benefits Protection System (TIPS), healthcare benefits are protected in full. Most other benefit types, such as pecuniary loss (money you lose) and loss of property, are protected up to RM500,000.
The plan must be issued in Malaysia by a PIDM member and be in ringgit. The product disclosure sheet states whether a plan is protected. Some card-linked cover isn't, such as the Mastercard cover described above.
Is there travel insurance for Hajj and Umrah?
Yes. Some takaful operators sell plans built for pilgrimage trips. Takaful IKHLAS's Kembara Plus Takaful-Hajj & Umrah plans are listed on RinggitPlus as Basic, Intermediate and Premium plans. Compare a pilgrimage plan's medical limit with a standard overseas plan before you buy.
