Do you have to declare high blood pressure for travel insurance?
Yes — high blood pressure is a pre-existing medical condition, so you must declare it when you buy UK travel insurance, even if it is fully controlled on medication. The good news is that stable, well-managed hypertension is one of the most commonly accepted conditions, often with little or no extra premium. The risk is in not declaring it.
Do you need to declare high blood pressure?
- Yes, always. High blood pressure (hypertension) is a pre-existing medical condition. Declare it on every travel policy, even if a single tablet keeps it perfectly controlled.
- It usually costs little or nothing. Stable, controlled blood pressure is one of the most routinely accepted conditions — often with no exclusion and little or no extra premium.
- Declare the whole picture. Insurers ask about your readings, your medication, any recent changes, and related conditions such as heart disease, a past stroke, high cholesterol or diabetes.
- Not declaring is the real risk. An undeclared condition can void a related claim — and because high blood pressure raises the risk of a stroke or heart attack, those are exactly the claims that get scrutinised.
What declaring high blood pressure typically does to the premium
There is no fixed tariff — every insurer screens and prices differently, and your age, destination and trip length usually move the premium more than the blood pressure itself. The table below is an indicative sense of direction for a two-week European trip, assuming the condition is otherwise stable.
| Your situation | Usually coverable? | Indicative effect on premium |
|---|---|---|
| Controlled on one medication, readings stable | Commonly, no exclusion | Often little or none — roughly £0–£20 |
| Controlled on two or more medications, stable | Commonly | Usually small — roughly £0–£30 |
| Recently diagnosed or medication changed in last 3 months | Yes, after screening | May be modest until readings settle |
| High blood pressure plus high cholesterol | Commonly | Small — the pair is very common |
| Blood pressure not yet controlled / readings still high | Yes, but priced for risk | Can be higher until stable |
| High blood pressure with a heart condition or past stroke | Often via a specialist insurer | Significant — driven by the heart/stroke history |
Indicative directional ranges for orientation only — not quotes, and not a prediction of your own price. Two people with the same reading can be priced very differently once their full history is screened.
For how travel cover is priced before any medical loading, see our guide to travel insurance costs in the UK for 2026. Blood pressure sits within the wider topic of declaring pre-existing medical conditions, which covers how screening works across every condition.
Why high blood pressure has to be declared
Insurers define a pre-existing condition broadly: anything you have been diagnosed with, treated for, or taken prescribed medication for before buying the policy. High blood pressure ticks all three boxes, so it is disclosable even when you feel completely well and your readings are normal on treatment. Most UK insurers screen the previous two years of medical history, and blood pressure is a standard question on almost every medical screening.
The reason insurers care is that hypertension is a risk factor for the emergencies travel insurance is most likely to pay out on — a stroke or a heart attack abroad, where treatment and repatriation can run into tens of thousands of pounds. That is also why an undeclared case of high blood pressure is treated seriously: if you have a cardiac or stroke event overseas and the insurer finds an undisclosed condition that raised that risk, a related claim can be refused, and a careless or deliberate omission can invalidate the policy entirely. Declaring costs you almost nothing; not declaring can cost you the claim.
Controlled or not — what the screening asks
Declaring blood pressure triggers a short medical screening — usually an online questionnaire or a phone call. It helps to answer from your records rather than memory. Expect to be asked about:
- Whether it is controlled. The single biggest factor. Blood pressure kept within a healthy range on stable medication is viewed very differently from readings that are still high.
- Your medication. What you take and how many different tablets. Being on several does not automatically raise the price, but it is part of the picture.
- Recent changes. A new diagnosis, a dose change or a new tablet in roughly the last three months can attract more questions until things settle.
- Related conditions. High cholesterol, diabetes, heart disease, a previous stroke or TIA, or kidney problems. These often travel with hypertension and each is separately declarable.
- Your readings, if known. Some specialist insurers ask for a recent reading; a routine check with your GP or pharmacist before you buy can help.
The rule of thumb is simple: if you are unsure whether something counts, declare it. There is no penalty for declaring something the insurer did not strictly need, and a great deal of downside in leaving something out.
If you are loaded, excluded or declined
Controlled blood pressure on its own rarely causes a problem. Where a quote does climb, it is usually because hypertension sits alongside a heart condition, a past stroke or uncontrolled readings — and a mainstream insurer's "no" often just means you are outside that insurer's appetite, not that cover is unavailable. A specialist medical travel insurer will frequently quote where a comparison site will not.
Since April 2021 the Financial Conduct Authority has required firms selling travel insurance to signpost consumers with serious pre-existing conditions to a directory of specialist providers rather than simply turning them away. The obligation is triggered when a consumer is declined, has the condition excluded, or is quoted a significant medical loading. From 1 January 2026 that loading threshold rose from £100 to £200, and the FCA has said it will be reviewed every five years in line with the Consumer Prices Index. Two directories meet the criteria: the MoneyHelper travel insurance directory, run by the Money and Pensions Service, and the BIBA Travel Medical Directory from the British Insurance Brokers' Association.
If a quote still looks steep, check what is driving it before dropping cover: a narrower destination band, a shorter trip, a higher voluntary excess or removing add-ons you will not use can all move the price. What is rarely worth doing is travelling with the condition excluded and hoping. More context on cover levels sits on our travel insurance hub, and older travellers can see the age-specific picture in our guide to travel insurance for over-65s.
High blood pressure & travel insurance FAQs
Where this information comes from
- Financial Conduct Authority — travel insurance signposting rules for consumers with medical conditions, the 2025 review and the 2026 threshold change from £100 to £200.
- MoneyHelper (Money and Pensions Service) — travel insurance directory and guidance on declaring medical conditions.
- British Insurance Brokers' Association (BIBA) — Travel Medical Directory.
- Association of British Insurers (ABI) — travel insurance disclosure guidance and claims data.
- Published UK insurer and comparison-service medical screening criteria, 2026.
Figures are indicative ranges compiled for orientation and were current at the last update. Always obtain a personal quote and read the policy wording for your own circumstances.
Reviewed by the My Insurance Expert editorial team
This guide was researched and reviewed by the My Insurance Expert editorial team. Methodology: we set out published FCA and MoneyHelper rules on disclosure and signposting, and cross-check indicative premium effects against published UK insurer and comparison-service screening criteria. The premium figures are directional ranges, not quotes; your own price depends on your full medical history, age, destination and trip length.
Information only — not financial advice. My Insurance Expert is not an FCA-authorised intermediary and does not arrange or sell policies. Last updated: 2026-07-23