This collection translates the language of travel insurance documents into plain English – in alphabetical order, with one-sentence explanations. Use it as a cheat sheet while you read: every recurring term from policy wording and quotes is here. For the shorter, beginner-friendly version: the basics in minutes.
- Terms are listed alphabetically – to search, use your browser's find function or the page's magnifying-glass button.
- The definitions are general in nature: for your specific contract, the insurer's terms and conditions always take precedence.
- For English terms: Mini Dictionary EN–HU.
A–D
Accidental death / permanent disability: the lump-sum benefits paid under the accident element of the policy. Add-on cover: an element you can add on top of the base package (sports, cancellation, delay, etc.). Annual multi-trip cover (annual policy): travel insurance valid for multiple trips across a full year, typically with a per-trip day limit. Assistance: the insurer's round-the-clock help service – it arranges care, interprets, and pays according to your cover. Assistance hotline: the phone number of the assistance service – the first call when something goes wrong. Baggage cover: cover for the risk of theft, robbery or damage to your travel belongings, subject to sub-limits. BBP: shorthand for accident–illness–baggage (baleset–betegség–poggyász), the classic three-part core of travel insurance. Cancellation cost: the non-refundable part of a booking when you cancel – this is what trip cancellation cover pays for. Claim notification: the official report of a loss to the insurer. Cover limit: the upper amount up to which the insurer pays for a given element. Deductible (excess): the part of the loss that the insured carries themselves. Discharge summary: the summary document of hospital treatment – a basic document for a claim.
E–I
European Health Insurance Card (EHIC): entitles you to publicly funded emergency care within the EU – it is not travel insurance. Exclusion: what the insurer does not pay for, under the policy wording. Fellow traveller: under the policy wording, a person travelling together with the insured – can also be relevant for cancellation claims. Flexible change option: a change/cancellation service from the travel provider (not the insurer!) – it is not insurance. Force majeure: an unavoidable external event – whether it's covered depends on the package. Inability to travel (unfit to travel): the condition in which travel is medically contraindicated – the key concept behind cancellation cover. Insured event: the occurrence defined in the policy wording that triggers a payment from the insurer. Insured person: the person whose risks the cover applies to. IPID: the standardised insurance product information document – for a quick overview, with the details in the policy wording.
M–P
Medical repatriation: getting a patient home when medically necessary – one of the most expensive items. Multi-trip: see annual multi-trip cover. Notification deadline: the time limit within which a claim must be reported to the insurer. Passenger rights: air passengers' statutory entitlements (care, compensation) – to be claimed against the airline. Payment pledge (letter of undertaking): the insurer's formal undertaking to pay the care provider directly – the key to hospital cases. PIR (Property Irregularity Report): the airport report of a baggage irregularity – the first thing to do for a baggage claim. Policy (document): proof of the contract – on a trip, its place is on your phone. Policyholder: the person who takes out the insurance and pays the premium (not necessarily the same as the insured).
S–W
Specialist's medical report: a medical document issued by a specialist clinic or hospital – the backbone of an illness-based cancellation claim. Sport requiring a surcharge: under the policy wording, an activity covered only with an add-on (skiing, diving, etc.). Start of cover: the point in time from which the cover actually takes effect. Sub-limit: an inner limit within the main limit (for electronics, for example). Territorial scope: the group of countries where the cover applies (a Europe or worldwide package). Trip cancellation cover (storno): cover for a cancellation with a valid reason before the trip begins. Trip interruption cover: cover for the forced interruption of a trip already under way. Waiting period: for certain elements, the period between taking out the policy and the cover becoming active.
Frequently asked questions on this topic
Why do two insurers use different words for the same thing?
Policy wording is drafted in-house at each insurer – “trip cancellation cover” and “cancellation insurance”, “assistance” and “help service” mean the same thing. The glossary includes both the everyday and the official forms, so you can work with whichever wording you come across.
What if I can't find a term here either?
Use the page's search function (the magnifying-glass button), or simply ask – the glossary is a living collection that grows with the terms it's missing. The definition in your policy wording is always the final word.
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