Yes, Rise & Shield travel insurance provides cover for helicopter evacuations as long as it's for medical reasons and has been pre-approved by our 24/7 emergency support team.

If you choose to abandon your adventure for non-medical reasons, this is not a valid claim, and you will be responsible for all helicopter costs.

Yes, there is a policy excess of £1000/$1,250/€1,200 if you require a helicopter rescue. This excess only applies to the helicopter evacuation.

Additional excess fees may apply for other services like medical bills etc. You can see all benefits and excesses on page 3 (Summary of Benefits) of our policy document.

The helicopter excess can be paid directly to the helicopter company or to our 24/7 emergency support team, after you've been rescued and are safe.

Helicopter evacuations, especially in high-altitude regions like Nepal and Kilimanjaro, have increased significantly, with the majority due to Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS) or foodborne illnesses.

Unfortunately, in some regions, weak regulations and fraud have led to cases of unnecessary evacuations, where inexperienced trekkers are taken to altitude too quickly by local guides who earn a kick-back of $1000s for getting their clients rescued by helicopter.

In some cases, these dubious guides give contaminated food to induce illness—resulting in costly helicopter rescues.

You or your tour operator must call our experienced 24/7 emergency support team (the contact details are on your policy certificate) to speak with our medical practitioners and get official clearance for an evacuation. They will guide you through the process and ensure you’re well cared for.

To avoid a costly bill, do not agree to a helicopter evacuation before speaking to our emergency team. This may invalidate your claim.

Once our emergency support team agrees to the evacuation, they will provide a guarantee of payment to the helicopter company.

Don’t book extremely low-cost treks or adventures through unverified local operators.

Instead, book with a reputable international operator or a well-reviewed local company. It may cost more upfront but significantly reduces the likelihood of requiring emergency rescue.

If you’re planning to hike at altitude, make sure your itinerary builds in acclimatisation days. Fast routes to Everest Base Camp or up Mount Kilimanjaro may look cheap, but end up being very costly and dangerous.

If you’re feeling very unwell, don’t push on. Take the advice of your guide and descend.