"Permanent resident of UK” for a British travel insurance in the US

I’m an EU national living in UK since 2017. However, I do not work - I am a student. I have a National Insurance Number and have been registered with a GP since 2017.

I am going to the US soon and wanted to purchase a travel insurance. All British companies that offer them require me to be a “permanent resident” of the UK and then they list the following four conditions

being a resident of UK for at least 12 months,
being registered with a UK doctor for at least 6 months,
having a National Insurance Number,
travelling from and returning to the UK.

I satisfy all the above conditions, but I do NOT have a UK permanent residence document, described here: https://www.gov.uk/permanent-residence-document-eu-eea

My question is: why the companies use the term “permanent resident” if in fact what they mean differs from a what is legally known as a permanent residency?

Is it possible that my (potential) claim would be rejected, because I am not a permanent resident of the UK in the immigration status sense?

I asked two companies about this issue, but their answers were very vague.

Is it possible that they deliberately don’t clarify this ambiguity regarding the definition of permanent residence, so that they can take my money, but then have grounds to reject my claim if anything happens to me?

I am also aware about this thread Travel insurance for person living in UK but not technically resident but my question is a bit different – I satisfy the conditions required by the insurer, but I am confused/worried about the usage of a notion of “permanent residency”, when it seems that they don’t really require permanent residency.

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Best Answer

I don't want to stray too close to providing legal advice on interpreting a contract, given that I'm not a lawyer and especially as I haven't seen the contract. But I'm about as certain as is possible in those circumstances that "permanent resident" is being used as a 'plain English' description of the conditions defined in the contract rather than as a reference to a specific immigration status. Requiring permanent residency status in the sense it's used in your link would make the overwhelming majority of UK residents ineligible.

All that being said, the companies really should be both able and willing to clarify exactly what their eligibility criteria are, and if you have any doubts my suggestion would be to either keep pushing them until they provide an unambiguous answer, or find a different provider. Unwillingness to answer such simple questions isn't a good omen for the experience you'll have if you ever need to make a claim.

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What is a UK resident for insurance purposes?

For the purposes of our travel insurance policies, a UK resident is defined as: A person who is a permanent resident of the United Kingdom (England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and Isle of Man). Has their main home in the United Kingdom. Registered with a medical practitioner in the United Kingdom.

Will the NHS cover me in America?

Healthcare. UK residents (consists of people from Northern Ireland, Great Britain, England, Scotland and Wales) are covered by NHS while in the UK; however, NHS does not provide any health coverage in the US.

Can foreigners get insurance in USA?

Can foreigners buy health insurance in USA? Yes, foreigners can definitely buy health insurance in USA. In fact, you must opt for one, as traveling to another country has risks of getting ill and causing unexpected medical expenses. And also, it is best to carry health insurance with you.

Is an international visitors insurance when you travel outside your home country?

What is tourist insurance? Tourist insurance is an international visitors insurance when you travel outside your home country. It is a short-term travel health insurance.

LIFE IN THE UK | What are the benefits of a Permanent Resident in the UK?

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