Travel Insurance for Peru

When travelling to Peru -as to any other distant or exotic location- it is highly recommended that you take out travel insurance. Although chances are your trip to Peru will be a wonderful experience, it's prudent practice to cover yourself from any unforeseen event that may threaten to spoil your holiday, from the pretty serious ones -accidents or health problems- to the unimportant -loss of luggage, travel delays, etc.

The type of insurance policy you decide to buy should depend on your holiday needs, of course. For example, if you plan on doing some birding in a remote and inaccessible location (i.e the Manu National Reserve), you should make sure that your travel insurance includes emergency medical evacuation. The same is true for adventure sports such as rafting or trekking.

A standard travel insurance will usually provide coverage for medical expenses, trip cancellation or interruption, baggage claim loss (which may also include emergency monetary assistance), and emergency evacuation. As said before, though, even if travel insurance policies provide a comprehensive list of risks covered, they do have exclusions and it is important to ensure that the policy provides you with sufficient cover in the event of a medical emergency.

If you need coverage for adventure sports, be certain that the insurance policy actually covers the sports you plan on doing. For example, most insurance companies do not cover sports that require the use of support ropes (that is, mountaineering and rock climbing are usually NOT covered, whilst trekking is covered, provided you do not need to use support ropes). Furthermore, some sports are covered but only under certain conditions. Such is the case of rafting, which is covered only if done with a licensed operator.

Bear in mind that there are significant differences from one policy to the other in terms of costs and conditions, so you might want to do some shopping before taking a decision. For example, a one-month standard policy might cost from US$30 to more than US$100 depending on the insurance company.

Also, some policies, such as the one from MedjetAssist, provide medical transport emergency services if you are hospitalized anywhere in the world.

Final Considerations on Travel Insurance
Even if you have a travel insurance, hospitals and clinics may ask for cash payment up front. Keep all receipts so that you can be reimbursed once you return home.

If you are bringing expensive equipment (photographic, sports, etc) it is a good idea to make sure whether your travel insurance covers it. Moreover, check the conditions of the policy regarding where your equipment should be kept for it to be covered, as a claim for valuables not kept in a safe place as defined by your policy may not be covered.

Remember that many credit cards provide a medical insurance when you are abroad, so check if yours does -and covers your needs- before buying a travel insurance for Peru.

If you finally decide to take the chance and travel without an insurance, and eventually need assistance, you can contact the Tourist Protection Bureau for information on the nearest medical centre:

24-hour line: (51 1) 224-7888 (when calling from a city other than Lima, dial 01 first)

Toll free: 0800-4-2579

Lima: 421-1227
Arequipa: (054) 444564 or (054) 221228
Cusco: (084) 237364 or (084) 234498
Ayacucho: (064) 918308
Trujillo: (044) 294561
Iquitos: (094) 260251
Puno: (054) 365088