Medical emergency or hospital visit
For travellers who fall seriously ill, are injured or are admitted to hospital abroad. It covers getting urgent care, dealing with insurance and payment, and what your own government can and cannot do.
Call for emergency help
Call the local emergency number or go to the nearest hospital straight away. If you cannot make the call or do not speak the language, ask a companion, a tour guide or staff where you are staying to help.
Call your insurer's emergency line
Contact your travel insurer's emergency line as early as you can; most run day and night. Ask it to refer you to suitable care, and ask whether it can pay the hospital directly or advance funds before you pay yourself.
Be ready to pay
Be prepared to pay upfront or show insurance details before treatment, even when you are insured or the situation is life-threatening. Some hospitals will not treat a patient until this is done, so carry a card or other means of payment.
Keep every medical paper
Keep all receipts, doctors' notes and reports on your illness or injury and its treatment. Before you leave the country, ask the hospital for a detailed report and invoice, because insurance claims usually need the original papers.
Contact your embassy or consulate
Contact your own government's embassy or consulate, or ask a friend or relative to do it if you cannot. With your consent, staff can usually help you find doctors and hospitals, tell your family, talk with your insurer and help family send you money.
Know the limits of help
Consular staff cannot pay medical bills or your journey home, give medical advice, or get you better treatment than local people receive. They do not provide formal translation either, so ask them about interpreters or translation services if language is a problem.
Plan getting home safely
If you need to travel home while still under care, or move to a specialist hospital, your insurer normally arranges it. Without insurance, you must arrange and pay for it yourself. Airlines may ask for a doctor's confirmation that you are fit to fly.
Keep people at home informed
Tell family, friends or your employer at home if your illness changes your plans, and keep them updated. Give your insurer any new information about your treatment as soon as you have it.
Sources
- GOV.UK: Medical emergencies, treatment and hospitalisation abroad (checked 4 Nov 2026)
- New Zealand SafeTravel: You're sick or injured (checked 4 Nov 2026)
- Government of Canada: Canadian Consular Services Charter (checked 4 Nov 2026)
- Government of Canada: Trip interruption and travel health insurance (checked 4 Nov 2026)