Family Ski Insurance

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Family ski insurance FAQs

What is family ski insurance?

Family ski insurance combines travel insurance with cover for eligible skiing, snowboarding and other winter sports undertaken during a family holiday.

With Rise & Shield, Optional Winter Sports Cover must be added to the policy for the winter sports activities to be insured.

Who counts as a family under the policy?

The policy defines a family as the principal insured person, their spouse or common-law partner, and up to four dependent children under 18 who are in full-time education and travel with the principal insured person.

How many children can be included on a family policy?

The Family definition allows for up to four dependent children, provided they meet the age, education and travel requirements in the policy.

What age can children be on a family ski insurance policy?

Dependent children must be under 18 and in full-time education to fall within the policy's Family definition.

Do children have to be in full-time education?

Yes. The current Family definition specifies dependent children under 18 who are in full-time education.

Do children have to travel with a parent?

For the policy's Family definition to apply, dependent children must travel with the principal insured person.

Can my 18-year-old child be included as a dependent child?

Not within the current Family definition, which applies to dependent children under 18 in full-time education. Travellers aged 18 or over should be entered according to the options available during the quote.

Can I use family ski insurance for a child's school ski trip?

A child travelling without the principal insured person would not meet the policy's Family definition for that trip. A school ski trip should therefore be quoted under the appropriate traveller arrangement rather than assuming the family policy definition applies.

Does our family need to add Winter Sports Cover?

Yes. If insured family members plan to ski, snowboard or take part in another listed winter sport, Optional Winter Sports Cover must be selected and shown on the policy documents.

Does family ski insurance cover on-piste skiing?

Yes. Eligible conventional on-piste skiing and snowboarding are included when Winter Sports Cover has been selected, subject to the general policy and activity conditions.

Does family ski insurance cover snowboarding?

Yes. Eligible conventional snowboarding can be covered with Optional Winter Sports Cover, including on-piste and qualifying off-piste snowboarding.

Are children's ski lessons covered?

Eligible conventional skiing or snowboarding undertaken during ski lessons can fall within Winter Sports Cover when the relevant activity and safety conditions are met. The policy's normal resort rules, safety requirements and other terms still apply.

Is off-piste skiing covered for families?

Yes. Eligible off-piste skiing and snowboarding can be covered where Winter Sports Cover is included and local safety guidelines and warnings are followed.

Does our family need a guide for off-piste skiing?

Not for every off-piste run. The policy does not make skiing or snowboarding with a guide an automatic condition of cover. However, resort rules and local guidance must be followed, and a guide must be used where local rules require one. Inexperienced skiers should not go off-piste without guide supervision.

Can experienced parents ski off-piste while the children stay on-piste?

Potentially, yes. Each insured person's activity must meet the applicable Winter Sports conditions. The off-piste skier must comply with the relevant resort, safety and guide requirements, while other family members can take part in their own eligible activities.

Does family ski insurance cover backcountry skiing?

Backcountry skiing and snowboarding are listed within the Winter Sports activities, but additional safety conditions apply. Local advice, appropriate rescue equipment and any applicable guide requirements must be followed.

Is alpine ski touring covered?

Yes. Alpine ski touring is listed as a Winter Sports activity when undertaken with the required professional, qualified and licensed guide or operator and the other applicable conditions are met.

Is cross-country or Nordic skiing covered?

Yes. Eligible cross-country and Nordic skiing can be covered with Winter Sports Cover. Cross-country skiing must follow the applicable route and activity conditions.

Are snowshoeing and sledding covered on a family ski holiday?

Eligible snowshoeing and several sledding or tobogganing activities are listed within Winter Sports Cover, subject to their relevant safety and activity conditions.

Are ski and snowboard terrain parks covered?

Terrain park skiing and snowboarding within a resort are listed under Winter Sports Cover. However, this does not mean every freestyle activity is insured: separate exclusions apply to activities such as freestyle skiing or snowboarding, jumping, acrobatics and stunting.

Is ski racing covered for children or adults?

No. Ski and snowboard racing, competitions and professional or semi-professional participation are excluded. This applies regardless of whether the participant is an adult or child.

When does family Winter Sports Cover apply?

Winter Sports Cover applies during the recognised winter seasons: 1 November to 30 April in the Northern Hemisphere and 1 May to 30 September in the Southern Hemisphere.

Can we take a family ski holiday outside the recognised winter season?

Not under the Optional Winter Sports Cover. Winter sports trips outside the specified Northern or Southern Hemisphere seasonal periods are excluded from that cover.

Does family ski insurance cover emergency medical treatment?

Eligible emergency medical expenses following a sudden and unforeseen illness or injury affecting an insured family member may be covered, subject to the selected plan's medical limits, policy terms, exclusions and excesses.

What happens if my child is injured while skiing?

If the child's skiing activity meets the applicable Winter Sports conditions, eligible emergency medical treatment may be covered under the policy. Serious medical emergencies should be referred to the 24/7 Emergency Assistance Centre as quickly as possible.

Is helicopter rescue covered for children and adults?

An eligible medical helicopter evacuation may be covered for an insured family member where it is medically necessary and pre-approved by the 24/7 Emergency Assistance Centre. The assistance team determines the appropriate evacuation method and provider.

Is there an excess for helicopter rescue?

Yes. The current policy applies a separate medical helicopter-rescue excess.

Can we arrange our own helicopter rescue and claim afterwards?

You should contact the 24/7 Emergency Assistance Centre before arranging a helicopter evacuation whenever circumstances allow. Medical helicopter evacuations require pre-approval and the assistance team determines the appropriate method and provider.

Does family ski insurance include 24/7 emergency assistance?

Yes. Rise & Shield provides access to a 24-hour Emergency Assistance Centre for medical emergencies while travelling.

Are our own skis and snowboards covered?

Eligible owned skis and ski equipment can be covered through Winter Sports Cover, subject to the relevant benefit limits, depreciation, security requirements, policy conditions and excess.

Is hired children's ski equipment covered?

Yes. The Winter Sports section extends eligible equipment protection to skis and ski equipment belonging or hired to an insured person, subject to the policy terms and limits.

Is hired ski equipment covered for adults too?

Yes. The same Winter Sports provision can apply to eligible equipment hired to an insured adult, subject to the applicable benefit limits and conditions.

Is ski equipment covered while we are using it?

Yes. The current Winter Sports wording specifically extends eligible cover to skis and ski equipment against loss or damage while in use, subject to the remaining policy terms and limits.

Are our family ski passes covered?

Winter Sports Cover extends the Personal Luggage section to include an insured person's ski pass, subject to the applicable policy limits and conditions.

Are skis covered on a car roof rack?

The policy provides for skis when they are locked to a roof rack and the roof rack itself is locked to the vehicle's roof.

How does depreciation apply to family ski equipment?

Eligible damaged ski equipment is assessed according to its age. Under the current depreciation schedule, equipment less than one year old is assessed at 85% of its original cost, with the percentage reducing as the equipment gets older. Equipment over five years old receives no compensation under that schedule.

What happens if my child gets injured and cannot ski for the rest of the holiday?

The Winter Sports section includes an Inability to Ski benefit. If a medical practitioner at the ski resort certifies that an insured child cannot ski because of an eligible bodily injury or sudden and unforeseen illness, a proportionate refund of qualifying unused ski-pack costs may be available.

What if a parent gets ill or injured and cannot ski?

The same Inability to Ski provision can apply to an insured adult who is medically certified at the resort as unable to ski because of an eligible injury or sudden and unforeseen illness, subject to the policy conditions and limit.

If one family member cannot ski, are everyone's unused ski costs refunded?

Not automatically. The Inability to Ski benefit relates to the qualifying unused ski-pack costs of the affected insured person. One family member becoming unable to ski does not automatically make every other family member's ski-pack costs refundable.

Are unused ski lessons, ski hire or ski-pack costs covered after an injury?

Qualifying unused ski-pack costs may be considered under the Inability to Ski benefit when the policy conditions are met. A certificate from the attending doctor is required for claims involving unused ski-pack or ski-hire costs following illness or bodily injury.

Does family ski insurance cover piste closure because there is no snow?

Potentially. If lack of snow causes the entire lift system at the family's pre-booked resort to close and skiing is impossible for more than 12 hours, the Piste Closure benefit may apply, subject to its daily limits and evidence requirements.

What happens if an avalanche disrupts our family ski holiday?

The Winter Sports section contains a separate Avalanche or Landslide benefit. Eligible reasonable additional accommodation and travel expenses may be reimbursed where scheduled public transport is cancelled or curtailed following an avalanche or landslide, subject to the applicable limit.

Is lift closure caused by an avalanche covered under Piste Closure?

No. The Piste Closure benefit specifically excludes claims arising from closure of the Winter Sports lift system because of an avalanche. Avalanche and landslide transport disruption is dealt with under a separate benefit.

Are lift closures caused by high winds covered?

Not under the Piste Closure benefit. Claims arising from closure of the Winter Sports lift system because of dangerously high winds are specifically excluded.

Can we cancel our family ski holiday because the snow looks poor?

Not simply because snow conditions are disappointing or because of adverse weather. Cancellation and Curtailment only applies where the reason for cancellation is an insured event. The separate Piste Closure benefit has its own specific conditions after you reach the pre-booked resort.

Does family ski insurance cover cancellation of the whole holiday?

Eligible unrecoverable costs may be covered if an insured event under the Cancellation and Curtailment section forces the trip to be cancelled or cut short. The reason for cancellation, affected travellers, costs claimed and all other policy conditions must be satisfied.

Do children have to wear helmets while skiing?

Insured travellers must follow local rules, safety procedures and the conditions applying to their activity. Recommended safety equipment and protective clothing, including helmets where appropriate, must be used.

Does family ski insurance cover pre-existing medical conditions?

Claims arising from conditions defined by the policy as pre-existing are excluded. This can also matter where the family's travel plans depend on another person's health.

Can we add Winter Sports Cover to a family Annual Multi-Trip policy?

Winter Sports Cover can be selected alongside an eligible Annual Multi-Trip policy. Each trip must still comply with the applicable trip-duration, destination, seasonal and activity conditions.

Can one family policy cover skiing and other adventure activities?

Potentially. Winter Sports Cover can be selected for eligible skiing and snow activities, while other adventure activities may be included as standard or require their own add-on. Check every planned activity individually.

What should I look for in the best family ski insurance?

Check more than the phrase “family ski insurance”. Look at who qualifies as a family, the age and travel requirements for children, the winter sports actually covered, emergency medical and evacuation benefits, off-piste rules, owned and hired equipment protection, ski-pass cover, inability-to-ski benefits, piste-closure provisions and seasonal exclusions.

When should we buy family ski travel insurance?

It is generally sensible to arrange travel insurance after booking the family holiday so that any eligible pre-departure cancellation protection can begin. Before buying, make sure all travellers are entered correctly and that Winter Sports Cover and any other required activity add-ons appear on the policy.

How do we check whether every activity on our family ski holiday is covered?

Check each planned activity individually using the Rise & Shield activity list or activity checker. Different family members may plan different activities, and similar-looking winter sports can have different rules or exclusions. Your completed quote and policy documents remain the final basis of cover.

Other useful resources about family skiing

Preparing for Winter Sports Abroad

International Ski Federation Rules

Avalanche Canada