How to Check Whether a Travel Insurer Is Licensed

An embassy accepting your certificate does not prove the company behind it is licensed in your country. Recognition for visa purposes and financial regulation are two different checks. This guide walks through the practical steps to verify a travel insurer before you pay – starting with the one detail most buyers overlook: who is actually underwriting the policy.

Why Embassy Acceptance Is Not a Licensing Check

A Schengen embassy checks whether your certificate meets the coverage requirements: €30,000 medical cover, repatriation, validity across all Schengen states. It does not verify that the company selling you the policy is authorised to conduct insurance business in your country of residence.

That distinction matters if something goes wrong. If the insurer is unlicensed or unauthorised, you may have no access to the local financial ombudsman, no compensation scheme protection, and limited legal recourse. The UK's Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) is explicit on this point: dealing with an unauthorised firm removes access to the Financial Ombudsman Service and the Financial Services Compensation Scheme [citation:4][citation:8].

Step 1: Identify the Underwriter

The underwriter is the insurance company that accepts the risk and pays valid claims. It may be entirely different from the brand you bought from. Examples from real policy documents show how this works:

• A policy sold under a retail brand may be underwritten by Inter Partner Assistance S.A., a Belgian company regulated by the National Bank of Belgium [citation:10].
• A different policy may be underwritten by AWP P&C S.A., part of the Allianz Group, while the seller is a separate intermediary [citation:2].
• A Gibraltar-based insurer may hold a licence from the Gibraltar Financial Services Commission rather than the UK FCA, even when selling to UK residents [citation:13].

Where to find it: your policy wording, the Insurance Product Information Document (IPID), the certificate of insurance, or the terms of business. Look for a sentence like "This policy is underwritten by [company name]."

Step 2: Check the Regulator's Register

Once you have the underwriter's legal name, search for it on the relevant regulator's public register. The regulator depends on where the insurer is licensed, not where you live.

On the register, check three things: the company name matches exactly, the licence status is active, and the permissions cover travel insurance. The FCA warns that clone firms impersonate authorised companies, so also confirm that the contact details on the register match those on the website or documents you were given [citation:4][citation:8].

Step 3: Confirm Who Issued Your Policy

There is a difference between the company that sells the policy, the company that administers it, and the company that insures it. A single purchase can involve three entities:

• Seller/broker: the website or agent you bought from
• Administrator: the company handling paperwork and claims intake
• Underwriter: the licensed insurer carrying the risk

Your certificate or policy schedule should name the insurer clearly. If it only shows a trading name or a website brand, request the legal name of the underwriter in writing before you pay.

Step 4: Distinguish a Broker from an Insurer

A broker is an intermediary. It must usually be registered or authorised separately from the insurer, and its registration does not mean it is carrying insurance risk. The European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority (EIOPA) publishes links to national intermediary registers for EU member states, including the FCA register for the UK and the German Vermittlerregister for brokers [citation:3].

A broker can be perfectly legitimate. The point is to know which entity you are relying on if a claim is disputed. If the broker disappears, the insurer is still liable under the policy – provided the policy is genuine and the insurer is licensed.

Step 5: Confirm Contact Details and Physical Presence

A licensed insurer should have a verifiable registered address and working contact channels. Red flags include:

• Only a web contact form, with no phone number or postal address
• A phone number that does not match the regulator's register entry
• A registered address that is a virtual office or residential property
• No company registration number anywhere on the site or documents

Legitimate insurers publish their company registration number and regulator reference. Cross-check both against the official register.

What a Licensing Check Does Not Tell You

Licensing confirms that a company is authorised to sell insurance and is subject to regulatory oversight. It does not confirm that the policy is good value, that the coverage meets your visa requirements, or that the exclusions are reasonable. A licensed insurer can still sell a policy with narrow coverage. Treat the licensing check as the first filter, not the last.

A Quick Pre-Purchase Checklist

1. Find the underwriter's legal name in the policy wording or IPID.
2. Search that exact name on the regulator's public register.
3. Confirm the licence is active and covers travel insurance.
4. Check the contact details on the register match the seller's website.
5. Identify whether you are buying from the insurer or a broker.
6. Keep a screenshot or PDF of the register entry with your policy documents.