Should You Get Travel Insurance for Morocco?

Summer in Morocco means extreme heat and high humidity. The temperature outside will likely lull around the low 80s at best—120 at its worst. If you’re not properly hydrated, you can get heatstroke, sending you straight to the hospital for emergency fluids.

Tap water in Morocco is not usually safe to drink, especially in small towns and villages. There’s a high chance that the water contains harmful bacteria and materials. Consequently, one sip (or brushing your teeth) could make you very sick.

Crowded areas, like Medinas and souks, can be teeming with thieves and pickpockets. And if you’re not paying attention, someone could easily steal your wallet or smartphone without you noticing.

While hospitals are located in big cities, they are not common in rural areas of Morocco. If you get injured and need medical help in the desert or a small village, you’ll need to be transported (and possibly airlifted) to the nearest hospital.

Crossing streets or walking through the Medina can be a dangerous task. Streets are filled with cars, scooters and even donkeys. And if the driver isn’t paying attention, you could get injured.

Moroccan food, while delicious, can make you sick if it’s not cooked properly. You don’t know if your fruit was washed with tainted water or if your meat was handled by dirty utensils. As a result, you could get a stomach bug or even food poisoning.

While you’re in Morocco, you might consider getting a henna tattoo from a local artist. And while most ink is perfectly safe, some can contain traces of para-phenylenediamine or PPD. This could cause allergic reactions and skin irritations that require medical treatment from a hospital.

Trip cancellation will cover the cost of any unused travel expenses if you are unable to go on your trip to Morocco. It’s important to note that your reason for canceling needs to be covered by the insurance company. Some common reasons include injury, natural disasters or the death of a family member.

The amount of coverage also differs between different travel insurance companies. However, you should purchase a policy that covers the entire cost of your trip.

If for some reason you need to leave Morocco during your trip, then you’ll be thankful to have trip interruption coverage. That’s because, if you need to return home due to a family emergency, travel insurance will reimburse the cost of your unused flights and hotel stays.

Like trip cancellation coverage, your trip interruption plan should also cover the entire cost of your trip to Morocco.

Unfortunately, accidents can happen when you’re traveling through Morocco. If you need to see a doctor or go to the hospital, a medical emergency plan will cover the cost of your medical bills.

Without travel insurance, you could be forced to pay thousands of dollars in hospital bills and medical treatments. For this reason, you should purchase a plan with at least $100,000 in emergency medical coverage.

Not all cities in Morocco are equipped for emergency medical treatments. If you break your leg in the Sahara or get food poisoning in a small village, you’ll need to be transported to the medical facility.

Medical evacuation coverage will cover the costs of sending you to the nearest hospital for treatment. And if your injury becomes too severe, emergency repatriation will pay to send you back home for further care.

Being airlifted or transported can be extremely expensive. That’s why your travel insurance policy should include at least $100,000 in medical evacuation and repatriation.

Travel Insurance should also cover lost, stolen or damaged property. So if the airline loses your luggage or a pickpocket takes your camera, you can file a claim to be reimbursed for the cost of the items.

Keep in mind that most plans won’t cover items that were left unattended. And, they might not cover stolen cash, smartphones or passports.

Even before you arrive in Morocco, there are steps you can take to protect your trip as well as yourself.

To start, you should print and store your travel insurance information. This can be a card or a printed document. Make sure the information includes your full name and policy number.

You should also fill out all the information inside your passport. Include your full name, address and phone number, as well as the details of an emergency contact.

It’s also a good idea to take a photocopy of your passport. That way, you can have all the necessary information without carrying your original passport with you during the day.

Finally, make a list of the in-network medical providers in Morocco. If you need to visit the hospital during your trip, you’ll already have the names of hospitals and facilities that accept your travel insurance.

A good travel insurance company will offer a 24-hour contact number. If your situation is not urgent, you can call your insurance provider to inform them of the accident and to start the claim filing process. They can also advise on the next steps, like where to find the nearest police station or medical facility.

As always, go to the hospital or police station right away if you’re in an emergency. You can always inform your travel insurance provider after.

If you need to file a claim, gather the necessary documents, receipts or written notices. In order to get reimbursed, you will need to provide proof of the incident to your travel insurance provider.

Let’s say, for example, that someone steals your iPad while you were in a cafe. In this situation, you will need an incident report from the policy and, probably, the receipt that shows the cost of the iPad. And if you break your leg, you’ll need to have the written medical report as well as the itemized bill.

Remember, the more proof you provide your travel insurance company, the more likely it is that they’ll reimburse you.

Many providers allow you to submit your documents and file the claim from their website. However, other companies may require that everything is sent by mail.

Take note of when you need to submit your claim to your insurance provider by. Different companies have different timelines. But generally speaking, you have between 10 and 60 days to file your claim.

After you’ve submitted your claim, you will need to wait for a response from your Morocco travel insurance company.

If they require further information, they will get in touch by phone or mail. However, this could delay your approval, which means you should send as much information as you can in the beginning.

When the company approves your claim, it may take them anywhere from a few days to several weeks to reimburse you.