Travel insurance

• The trip must start in Latvia.
• The trip begins upon crossing the Latvian border and concludes upon returning to Latvia or home country . The insurance policy must be issued for the entire period of the trip.
• Insurance is valid for trips up to 120 continuous days. This restriction does not apply to study trip insurance.
• If you have forgotten to purchase a policy in time, feel free to buy it even during the trip for the period from the date of issue until the planned date of return. Remember that in this case, the insurance will start working 48 hours after the policy is issued.

If you need emergency medical assistance or consultation during your trip, immediately call the BALTA 24/7 assistance service at +371 67500174. Depending on the situation, we will either inform you how to get to the nearest medical facility or arrange transportation to it, as well as provide consultations and practical assistance.

Expenses that must be coordinated in advance by contacting the 24/7 assistance service:

• any medical expenses if you are in Turkey, Egypt, Thailand, Russia, or the USA,
• expenses for cardiovascular surgeries,
• evacuation of a child,
• repatriation of a patient,
• repatriation in case of death or burial abroad.

BALTA travel insurance is valid worldwide, except for Antarctica, the Arctic Ocean and its adjacent seas, as well as countries where a state of war has been declared, including Ukraine and Israel.

• Full medical support: we pay for hospital treatment, surgeries in critical moments, dentist visits in case of acute pain, as well as necessary medications and technical aids.
• Care for your loved ones: if children are left unattended due to your hospitalization, we organize and pay for their transportation home, as well as cover expenses for a relative staying with you in the hospital.
• Safe return home: if you miss your flight due to illness, we provide new tickets or medical transport so you can safely get home to continue treatment.
• For expectant mothers: we provide assistance in case of pregnancy complications up to the 32nd week of pregnancy, caring for both the health and safety of the mother and the newborn.
• Handling unforeseen situations: we take on all organizational work and costs even in the most difficult moments of life, including repatriation in case of death or burial abroad.

Example
During the trip, acute appendicitis begins, and it is not possible to return to Latvia with the planned flight. We will pay for the surgery, the stay at the clinic, and provide a new plane ticket for the journey home.

Personal accident insurance provides a vital financial safety net in cases where a personal accident leaves serious consequences on health or life.

• Financial support in case of disability: if a personal  accident causes permanent health disability, we pay compensation to help adapt to the new circumstances.
• Care for the family: in the most difficult moment, we pay the insurance sum specified in the policy to the relatives, providing the necessary financial help.
• Security in unpredictable situations: insurance protection is also valid if an accident occurs as a result of a terrorist act.

Example
A fall occurs while skiing, resulting in a serious injury. Later, a Group II disability is granted. In such a case, BALTA pays 50% of the insurance sum specified in the policy (for example, 15,000 EUR from a 30,000 EUR limit) to cover rehabilitation or other unforeseen expenses.

• Baggage protection: we cover losses if the carrier damages or loses your baggage.
• Essential purchases: if baggage is delayed at the destination for more than 3 hours, we pay for the purchase of hygiene products and necessary clothing.
• Theft of belongings: if you experience theft from locked premises or robbery during the trip, we cover the losses according to the policy limits.
• Renewal of documents: we cover expenses for replacing a lost or stolen passport or ID card, as well as transport and hotel costs if you cannot return home on time because of it.
• Winter sports equipment: we compensate for equipment damage, delays, and even unused ski-pass days in case of an injury.

Example
You arrive in Rome, but your baggage is delayed for more than 3 hours. You purchase essential items and clothing for 150 EUR, and we will fully refund these expenses based on the purchase receipts and the airline's certificate.

• Trip cancellation: we compensate non-recoverable expenses (tickets, hotels, participation in events) if you cannot go on the trip due to illness, job loss, a home emergency, or other justified reasons.
• Trip interruption: we provide new tickets and cover the costs of missed events if you must urgently return home due to a family member's illness, damage to your home, or other unforeseen circumstances.
• Delay on the way: we pay for ticket changes or hotel expenses if you miss a flight due to a road traffic accident, a closed road, or technical problems with public transport.
• Connecting flights: if you miss the next flight or cruise due to a delay of the first flight for 2 or more hours, we cover transport and accommodation costs to get you to your destination.
• Airport support: if a flight is delayed for more than 4 hours, we pay for food, drinks, use of lounge areas, or a hotel in case of a long delay.

Example
You are supposed to go on a trip, but two days before departure you suffer an injury and the doctor forbids you to fly. BALTA will reimburse you for the plane tickets, hotel, and excursions that the airline, hotel, and excursion organizer do not refund.

• Damage caused to other persons: we compensate other persons' medical expenses or material losses if they have accidentally occurred as a result of your actions.
• Hotel inventory: we cover losses even if you accidentally damage the inventory or premises in your accommodation.
• Legal assistance: we pay for lawyer services if a claim is brought against you for an accidental violation of local laws or regulations.
• Translation services: we cover expenses for professional translation services for communication with authorities or translation of documents.

Example
While shopping in a souvenir shop, you accidentally knock over and break an expensive vase. You don't have to worry about unplanned expenses – BALTA will cover the losses calculated by the shopkeeper on your behalf within the limit specified in your policy.

• Deductible reimbursement: if the rental car is damaged or stolen, we reimburse you for the deductible provided in the rental agreement (expenses that the rental company withholds from you).
• Keys and fuel: we cover expenses for lost keys or filling the wrong fuel.
• Roadside assistance: we pay for assistance in cases when it is not possible to get into the car or continue the journey.
• Unused days: we compensate for paid but unused rental days if the car is no longer usable after an accident.

Example
While parking the car, you accidentally scratch its side. The rental company withholds a 500 EUR deductible from your card for the repair. BALTA will refund these 500 EUR to you within the policy limit.

• Contact us: immediately call the BALTA 24/7 assistance service at +371 67500174 (24 hours a day). We will tell you where to go and arrange assistance.
• Important – take note in popular destinations: if you are in Turkey, Egypt, Thailand, Russia, or the USA, to receive full compensation, go only to the medical institutions recommended by BALTA.
• Critical situations: if life is in danger, first call the local emergency service (for example, 112 in Europe). 
  
  

• Important – get a certificate: before leaving the airport, go to the baggage service and get a written certificate of baggage delay, loss, or damage.
• If baggage is delayed for more than 3 hours while you are abroad: you can purchase necessary hygiene products and climate-appropriate clothing. Be sure to keep the purchase receipts!
• If baggage is damaged: take a photo of the damage and keep the bag until you receive compensation.
• Claim compensation:  submit all documents, receipts, and photos to us as soon as possible after the event occurs.

If you have insured winter sports equipment and it is delayed, we will also cover equipment rental costs.

• If you cannot travel for a serious reason, such as an acute illness, inform us as soon as possible and cancel all reservations.
• If the trip must be interrupted when you are already abroad, keep all receipts for transport expenses and submit them to us.

Remember that in case of a medical reason, a medical documentation will be required.  

It is best to take out a policy already during the trip planning stage. If you remember about insurance while on the way, you can also buy a policy while abroad, but keep in mind that it will start working 48 hours after the moment of purchase. To ensure your plans are fully protected, observe the deadlines for when the insurance takes effect:

• Flights and cruises: Risks “Missed connecting flight”, “Missed departure due to traffic problems” and “Missing the cruise” take effect if the delay occurs at least 24 hours after the policy is issued.
• Trip cancellation: This risk starts working 72 hours after the policy is purchased. Important – protection will not be valid if the reason for the trip cancellation was already known at the time of purchase.
• Activities: If you decide to try something more extreme during the trip that was not initially planned, an additional policy with the necessary coverage must be purchased at least 24 hours before the planned activity.  

The EHIC card gives the right to receive medical services in European countries under the same conditions as citizens of the respective country. Meanwhile, BALTA travel insurance takes care of everything else – patient co-payments, medical transportation, baggage protection, and assistance in case of document theft. Use both so that your trip is fully protected from unplanned expenses.

• Report to the police within 24 hours and get an official certificate of the theft.
• Contact the Latvian consulate or embassy to receive a temporary travel document.
• Keep all documents – both the police certificate and the certificate issued by the consulate with the specified dates, so you can claim compensation.