The IATI Estrella travel insurance is IATI’s “flagship” and it’s the one thousands of travelers use to move around the world and, above all, in countries where medical care is most expensive.
We’ve spent many years traveling with all kinds of insurance policies, testing and comparing and, thanks to that, you could say we know this topic quite well. In fact, the insurance once paid us more than 22.000 euros a few years ago after three weeks admitted to a hospital in Asia.
In this guide we’re going to focus on what many consider the top policy on the market, the IATI Estrella. We give you a 5% discount and all the information so you know if, in your case, this is the policy that best fits your next trip. Let’s get started!
IATI Estrella Discount
The IATI Estrella Discount is what brings many of you to this guide. So if you already know for sure that this is the insurance you want to travel with and you want your 5% discount easily, you just need to click and you’ve got it: IATI Estrella Discount.
Easy!
Reasons to travel with insurance
In our guide Why buy travel insurance we explain it in more detail but, broadly speaking, you should know that as soon as you leave your country you’re no longer covered by Social Security and costs in case of illness or accident are enormous. With a policy:
- You save a lot of money.
- You save a lot of time.
- You’ll access quality hospitals instead of any old medical dive.
- You have protection for your luggage.
- You get your money back if you end up not traveling.
Nowadays, traveling without insurance is reckless.
IATI Estrella: why travel with it
Many years ago, when we started traveling, each company offered a single policy and there wasn’t much to choose from. Now, over time, the offer has grown a lot and there are already policies designed for every type of trip. From weekend getaways in Europe to adventure trips where you need everything tied up. In that respect, the IATI Estrella has been the top insurance for more than a decade, with the highest coverage on the market at a super competitive price.
In the next section we go into the reasons that make it the best but, as a summary, here’s a preview:
- The highest medical coverages: IATI Estrella offers UNLIMITED medical assistance coverage (and 1 million euros for Europe) — it’s wild! This makes sure you’re in the best hands even in countries known for being the most expensive in the world such as the United States or Japan.
- Adventure sports included: Stop. Don’t skip this thinking “adventure sports” means skydiving over New Zealand. This includes things as common as trekkings, kayaking, ziplining, snorkeling or diving. Without this coverage, if something happens to you while doing these or other activities, you wouldn’t be covered.
- The best Trip Cancellation Option: This coverage has also saved us a lot of money. If you have to cancel your trip for any of the many covered reasons (positive COVID, serious illness of a family member, hospitalization…). They reimburse up to 6.000 euros. Today, this offers huge peace of mind.
- Theft, damage and pickpocketing: Whether you’re going to Colombia or Japan, these things can happen on any trip. So, IATI Estrella has coverage of up to 2.500 euros for theft or damage to baggage. Plus, it’s now the first company that also covers pickpocketing.
- Delays: Travel insurance goes beyond health and this is the one that does it the most. You’ll be covered for delays in your transport’s departure, delays in the delivery of your baggage or even missed connections, with the possibility of getting back more than 300 euros in such cases.
- COVID coverages: It was the first insurance to offer them and it does so with exactly the same coverage as for medical expenses, which translates into unlimited expenses for these issues as well. This will save you a lot of money on assistance, detection tests and it even covers extending your trip with up to 1.400 euros.
- Easy communication: With IATI Estrella and the company’s other policies you can request free assistance via the app or WhatsApp. They’re available 24/7 and they do it in your language, without hassle.
- No tricks and no upfront payments: Many insurers make you pay first and then claim reimbursement. Others hide deductibles that mean you always pay a big part of each assistance. With this one, they’ve always covered everything from the very first cent.
- Repatriation: Spain’s MAEC insists on the importance of this coverage to make sure they “get you back home” if necessary. In 2019 they put us on a Business flight to return from Manila. Super top!
- No extra charge for being LATAM: Other policies have an extra price for Latin American citizens. With this one you pay exactly the same.
- Accidents: If you have an accident in a vehicle (whether you’re driving, a passenger, or even if you don’t have a license) they cover medical expenses for your injuries.
Transport included after a positive COVID test.
IATI Estrella price and discount
The IATI Estrella discount and its final price are things we know fully influence whether you go for it or look for another one (we’ll talk about alternatives below). As you’ll see, the great value for money means there’s little doubt here but, in addition, thanks to the 5% IATI Estrella discount you get by accessing from this guide, there’s no argument.
A policy like this represents a tiny part of your trip’s cost but, in the event of a moderately serious assistance, it can save you thousands of euros like it did for us. Here we show you three sample prices for 1, 2 and 3 weeks and the difference when applying our IATI Estrella discount.
Keep in mind that the price can vary slightly depending on the country you choose (in this example we show it with Mexico) and that over the months there are also certain changes.
7 days: 63,25€ – With the IATI Estrella discount: only 60,09€
14 days: 102,92€ – With the IATI Estrella discount: only 97,77€
21 days: 129,61€ – With the IATI Estrella discount: only 123,13€
As you can see, it’s not worth the risk when you can count on this superb policy and be sure you’ll have access to the best specialists with this beastly set of coverages included.
How to purchase IATI Estrella with a discount
It’s very easy to purchase IATI Estrella with a discount by following the steps we show you now. Don’t forget that if you go directly to the IATI website without coming through this guide you won’t receive the discount. It only activates by accessing via the links on our site or using the menu you have right below.
1) Go to the IATI website with the discount activated from here: Estrella Discount.
Or, easier, fill in all the fields in this menu which also activates it:
2) In the menu, fill in the indicated fields:
– Country of residence: this will be the country you’re taken to in case of repatriation.
– Trip origin and destination.
– Dates.
– Type of insurance: select “Travel insurance”.
– Number of travelers: if there are several of you, mark the number here. It’s much better than getting a policy for each one since, if one of you has problems, it will include the possibility of accommodation or transport for a companion.
Click “Calculate your insurance”.
3) You’ll see a menu where you can choose between different policies. The discount works for IATI Estrella but also for the rest. So, if you want another one such as IATI Estándar (500.000 euros of coverage and more focused on European getaways) or IATI Mochilero (for those going hard at adventure sports and wanting to travel with a great 600.000‑euro coverage), you’ll also get a discount.
You’ll see the original price crossed out and, below, the discounted one. Choose the one you prefer and click “Purchase”.
4) Right here a pop‑up will appear where you can add two SUPER interesting add‑ons:
- Trip Cancellation Add‑on: For us it’s ESSENTIAL. Thanks to it you’re reimbursed up to 6.000 euros of your trip expenses if you had to cancel it for any of the many covered reasons. It applies, for example, in cases like testing positive for COVID before the trip, if a close relative becomes seriously ill, if you’re hospitalized… or even for work or legal reasons. We never travel without it anymore.
- Air Help: With it, they help you recover up to 600 euros in case of a canceled or delayed flight. Ideal for those summer periods when airports “collapse”.
We see the second one as more optional, but the Cancellation Add‑on should go with your IATI Estrella + discount.
5) Now all that’s left is to fill in your personal details and make the payment. You’ll receive an email with your policy details and the information to request assistance when you need it.
Couldn’t be easier!
Opinions about the Estrella policy – When to choose another
Now that we’ve told you about the greatness of IATI Estrella we assume it’s already clear that it’s the most TOP travel insurance and you understand why so many travelers take it to dream destinations like the United States, Africa, Japan… Plus, you have the guarantee of what we consider the best company in travel insurance. They have literally saved us in cases such as:
- Motorbike accident.
- COVID.
- Dengue.
- Hospital admissions and lung operations.
- Medical tests for respiratory issues.
- Accommodation and the travel of a family member from Spain to Asia to keep us company.
- Medicines prescribed by doctors.
We talk about our experiences here: IATI Seguros reviews.
It’s an excellent policy that, with the highest medical coverages on the market, makes sure that whatever happens you’ll be covered and in the best hands, BUT that doesn’t mean it’s the policy we recommend for every case.
As we always say, and as we’ve experienced while living on the road, every trip has a tailor‑made policy. Sometimes some fall short and, other times, coverages are left over. We don’t want you to overpay. We want you to travel safely and know the tricks we use.
So, here are some recommendations for choosing other policies depending on the trip you have in mind.
Insurance for a long trip
If you’re going away for a few weeks, IATI Estrella is very likely the ideal policy for you. But if you’re going for months, no way. These types of policies are designed for trips of a “normal” length. If you’re going to travel for months it’s well worth checking out this other guide: Long‑stay insurance.
We break them all down there, but you’ll see there are two very interesting options:
- IATI Annual Multi‑trip: Within one year, it covers every trip you make up to 90 days.
- IATI Grandes Viajeros: The best for trips of up to one year.
European getaways and short trips
Honestly, if you’re planning a weekend in Rome or a week in Germany, you don’t need IATI Estrella. In such cases, we think you don’t need coverages that are so high and you can save money by getting this other policy: IATI Estándar.
We’ve created this guide where we talk about it in detail: IATI Estándar + Discount.
All‑round insurance
When we go to “expensive” destinations we always choose IATI Estrella but, if not, we use IATI Mochilero. It has 600.000 euros of medical coverage and offers the highest Adventure Sports coverages on the market. It takes the diving coverage down to 40 meters deep and trekking coverages up to 5.400 meters of altitude.
It’s the one we always use for Southeast Asian countries.
IATI Estrella coverages
Who doesn’t like a good table that clearly shows the figures we’re talking about? Here we show you the exact numbers of the top coverages and the IATI Estrella price + discount.
| IATI Estrella | COVERAGES |
| Estrella Discount price 7 days | 60,09 € |
| Estrella Discount price 14 days | 97,77 € |
| Estrella Discount price 21 days | 123,13 € |
| Medical expenses | UNLIMITED |
| Trip cancellation | 6.000 euros |
| Repatriation | Included |
| Travel of a family member | 1.400 euros |
| Theft and damage to baggage | 2.500 euros |
| Departure delay | 300 euros |
| Delay in delivery of checked baggage | 300 euros |
| Adventure sports | Included |
| Pickpocketing | 100 euros |
| Civil liability | 60.000 euros |
The highest medical coverages on the market
IATI Estrella’s strong point is the huge medical assistance coverages which are, literally, INFINITE. Outside Europe they offer unlimited medical coverage. There’s nothing that money can’t cover in cases of accident or illness.
In addition, this also includes COVID cases. Not only assistance, hospitalization or tests, but also extending your trip if you had to face a mandatory quarantine.
No upfront payments and it covers everything
We have a separate private health insurance, but we never use it when traveling because we know from experience it’s a pain (and those don’t have “travel coverages”). They make you pay all the expenses yourself and then go through a long process to get your money back. That almost happened to us when the bill in Manila went over 22.000 euros and it would have been a disaster. IATI Estrella makes this very easy. As soon as you contact them they direct you to the best nearby medical center and they take care of all the costs. We never paid anything thanks to this.
Plus, unlike other insurance companies, this one doesn’t hide deductibles in the fine print. Otherwise you’d be forced to always pay the first 80–100 euros of each assistance. But with IATI Estrella they pay everything from the first cent.
24 hours, free and in our language
It may sound silly but when we went to the hospital in Japan (where they don’t speak very good English) they provided a translator who helped us via a video call. Also, telephone assistance is always in your language.
You can contact them anytime, any day and at any hour, even on holidays or in the middle of the night. 24/7.
It’s free via their app, email or WhatsApp and, if you prefer to do it by phone, they reimburse the cost of the call so you don’t pay it.
Includes Adventure Sports
We repeat: Adventure sport isn’t jumping out of a plane. It refers to things like bike rides, canoeing, hot‑air balloon rides, kayaking, go‑karts, jet skis, surfing, helicopter rides, ziplining, diving, snorkeling… things that are increasingly common on trips.
After years of experience, we never take out a policy anymore that doesn’t include this coverage.
Travel, “not just health”
The difference between a private health insurance and IATI Estrella is that (in addition to higher medical coverages) the latter goes far beyond health and takes into account all those things that can happen on a trip. For this reason, it comes with great coverages such as:
- Convalescence in a hotel: 1.400 euros.
- Sending medicines abroad: included.
- Repatriation: included.
- Theft and damage to baggage: 2.500 euros.
- Pickpocketing: 100 euros.
- Delay in the departure of the means of transport: 300 euros.
- Delay in the delivery of checked baggage: 300 euros.
Motor vehicle accidents
It’s something many of you ask us about and something in which, unfortunately, we’re also experts. The Motor Vehicle Accident Damage coverage helped us when a motorbike hit us from behind and we had to go to the hospital several times.
It covers cars, motorbikes or any motor vehicle. Whether you’re driving or riding as a passenger.
Do you have any questions about IATI Estrella? We’re pretty knowledgeable about the topic and we’ll be happy to clear up your doubts. Don’t be shy!
