Pet insurance for travelers (US): what policies cover away from home
If your dog or cat gets sick or hurt on a trip, will your US pet insurance pay? It depends on where you are, how long you’ve had the policy and what it excludes. Below: what to check, and what 11 US insurers say on their own websites about travel coverage, waiting periods, age limits and reimbursement.
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Not advice: PetPolicyCheck is not a licensed insurance agent or broker and does not sell, solicit or negotiate insurance. We provide general information only, not insurance advice. Coverage, availability and prices vary by state and are set by the insurer. Always read the policy documents and confirm details with the insurer.
Quick answer
- US and Canada: most policies we checked reimburse care at any licensed vet in the US, and most also in Canada (some only during a temporary stay). Lemonade covers the US only.
- Outside the US and Canada: only Embrace and Nationwide say their policies cover vet care abroad. The rest limit cover to the US (and usually Canada), sometimes adding US territories or military bases, or their sites don’t say (marked “Check” in the table).
- Waiting periods: illness cover usually starts only after a waiting period of up to 30 days (14 or 15 days at most insurers we checked), so a policy bought the week before a trip may not cover that trip.
- Pre-existing conditions are generally not covered, and that includes anything that first shows up during a waiting period.
- You pay first: pet insurance usually reimburses you after you pay the vet, so budget for the full bill on the road.
Policies differ by state, product and underwriting company, and insurers change their terms. Confirm every detail with the insurer before you buy or travel. Last checked .
Why insurance matters when you travel with a pet
Trips bring new risks: heat, unfamiliar food and water, other animals, car and airport stress. If your pet needs an emergency vet away from home, you usually don’t know the clinic, you normally pay the bill yourself first, and it can be large. Abroad, it may come in another currency and language.
Pet insurance doesn’t change what the vet charges, but it can pay back part of a covered bill afterwards. Separate travel insurance for people usually doesn’t cover pets (Trupanion notes this on its travel FAQ), so check your pet’s policy before you go.
Where coverage applies: US only, US and Canada, or abroad
- US only: Lemonade. Care in Canada or abroad is not covered.
- US and Canada: most insurers below. Some limit Canada to a temporary stay (Healthy Paws: “temporarily traveling”; Odie’s sample policy: 90 days or less). Trupanion and Pets Best also name US territories and US military bases abroad.
- Abroad: Embrace and Nationwide say coverage applies outside the US and Canada. Embrace says up to 6 consecutive months per trip; Nationwide says any licensed vet anywhere. Confirm the exact policy wording before an international trip.
Waiting periods and pre-existing conditions
A waiting period is the time after the policy starts before claims are paid. Anything that starts during it is usually treated as pre-existing and never covered. Among the insurers below, accident waiting periods range from none to 15 days, and illness waiting periods from 14 days or less to 30 days. Orthopedic or knee (cruciate ligament) conditions can wait up to 6 months, or 12 months for hip dysplasia at Healthy Paws. Some insurers shorten these after a vet exam. If you’re planning a trip, compare start dates early.
Pre-existing conditions are excluded. Some insurers will cover a curable condition again once it has been cured and symptom-free for a set time (Spot: 180 days; Lemonade, in most states: 12 months), but not knee or ligament conditions.
What 11 US pet insurers say about travel coverage
Last checked , on each insurer’s own website or sample policy (linked in each row). Facts only, no prices and no rankings. Cells marked Check could not be confirmed, or the insurer’s pages disagree or vary by state or carrier (9 of 11 insurers have at least one). Your actual policy decides.
| Insurer | Covers care outside the US and Canada? | Where covered | Waiting periods | Age limits | Reimbursement options | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spot Official site | No | United States, its territories (Guam, Puerto Rico, US Virgin Islands) and Canada. Care elsewhere is not covered. Curable conditions cured and free of treatment and symptoms for 180 days are no longer treated as pre-existing (not knee or ligament conditions). | 14 days for accidents and illnesses, including knee and ligament conditions. Preventive care (optional) starts the next day. | From 8 weeks. No upper age limit. | 70%, 80% or 90%. | Sample policy (Territory, Waiting periods) FAQ Reimbursement checked |
| Pets Best Official site | No | United States, Canada, and regions under US government control, such as territories or US military bases in other countries. Optional Vet Direct Pay sends the covered amount straight to the vet. | Check In the Virginia sample policy: 3 days for injuries, 14 days for illnesses, 6 months for cruciate ligament events. Pets Best says waiting periods vary by state. | From 7 weeks. No upper age limit. | 70%, 80% or 90%. | Sample policy, Virginia (Treatment locations, Waiting periods) FAQ checked |
| Trupanion Official site | No | United States, Canada and Puerto Rico, plus US and Canadian territories and military bases worldwide. Care elsewhere is not covered. (The sample policy PDF says only the US or Canada.) Many US and Canadian vets can be paid directly by Trupanion. | 5 days for injuries, 30 days for illnesses. | Enroll before the pet's 14th birthday. Coverage then continues for life. | Up to 90% of eligible costs, with no payout limits. | Travel FAQ Waiting periods Age limits Sample policy checked |
| Lemonade Official site | No | Any licensed vet in the United States, even in a state where Lemonade isn't sold. Treatment outside the US is not covered (this includes Canada). Sold in 41 states and DC (per Lemonade's FAQ). | Check 14 days for illnesses, 30 days for orthopedic conditions. Depending on your state, Lemonade lists 0 or 2 days for accidents and 6 months for cruciate ligament events. | Check Confirm with the insurer | 70%, 80% or 90%. | Pet FAQ Waiting periods General FAQ (state waiting periods) checked |
| Odie Official site | No | United States or Canada (FAQ). The sample policy covers Canada only for temporary stays of 90 days or less and pays in US dollars. Odie sells policies from more than one insurance company, so read the policy you are offered. | Check Depends on the underwriting carrier and your state: 0 to 15 days for injuries, 14 to 15 days for illnesses, and up to 6 months for cruciate ligament events on one product. | Check Depends on the product: from 7 weeks with no upper limit, or 8 weeks to 14 years. | Check 70% to 90% (one product offers 70% or 90%). | Help Center FAQ Sample policy checked |
| Fetch Official site | No | Any licensed vet in the United States or Canada, including during a trip. Lists cover for canceled vacation costs if your pet gets sick or injured before or during a trip (read the policy for limits). | Check Up to 15 days. Fetch's pages differ on accidents: the Help Center gives 15 days for injury and illness; the reimbursement page says accidents have no waiting period. 6-month exclusion for hip dysplasia, cruciates and patellas (the knee period can be waived with a vet exam). | From 6 weeks. No upper age limit. | 70%, 80% or 90%. | Help Center: Policy & coverage Waiting period Reimbursement Buyer's guide (age) checked |
| Healthy Paws Official site | No | United States, and Canada only while you are temporarily traveling there. Optional direct payment to any licensed US vet on covered claims. | 15 days for accidents and illnesses. 12 months for hip dysplasia if enrolled at age 5 or under. Several states have different rules. | From 8 weeks. Upper age limit: Check | Up to 90%. Exact options: Check | FAQ Home page (any licensed vet, ages) Sample policy (Washington) checked |
| Embrace Official site | Yes, per insurer (terms apply) | Check Embrace says travel with your pet is covered for up to 6 consecutive months per trip, including outside the US and Canada. We found the international wording on an Embrace comparison page, not in a policy document: confirm with Embrace before you rely on it. | 14 days for illnesses. Accidents are covered from the policy effective date. Some states also have orthopedic waiting periods. | Accident and illness plans: under 15. Pets 15 and older: accident-only plan. Minimum age: Check | 70%, 80% or 90%. | Comparison page (international coverage, reimbursement) Waiting periods FAQ (accident-only plan, age 15+) checked |
| Pumpkin Official site | Check Not stated | Any licensed vet in the United States or Canada. Care in other countries: Check | 14 days or less for all conditions, including knee injuries and hip dysplasia. | From 8 weeks. No upper age limit. | 80% or 90%. | Home page and FAQ Plan summary checked |
| ASPCA Pet Health Insurance Official site | Check Not stated | Any licensed vet in the United States or Canada. Care in other countries: Check | Check Confirm with the insurer | Check Confirm with the insurer | Up to 90%. Exact options: Check | Top questions Home page checked |
| Nationwide Official site | Yes, per insurer (terms apply) | Any licensed vet, anywhere in the world (Nationwide FAQ). The buyer's guide says the same applies "in the U.S. or abroad". | Most plans start 14 days after your application is approved and payment is received. | Enrollment ages: Check Cats 8 and older cannot enroll in hereditary coverage. | Depends on the plan: some pay a percentage, others pay set benefit amounts. Check | FAQ Buyer's guide checked |
Confirm with the insurer: this table summarizes the insurers’ public pages as read on . Terms vary by state and can change at any time, and the policy document always decides. Found something out of date? Tell us.
Before you travel: a short checklist
- Read the territory clause in your policy (often called “Territory” or “Treatment locations”) for every country on your route.
- Check that your waiting periods will be over before you leave.
- Save your policy number and the insurer’s claims phone number or app on your phone.
- Carry your pet’s medical and vaccination records. Insurers usually ask for them with a claim.
- Keep itemized invoices and payment receipts from any vet you visit; abroad, ask for an English version if possible.
- Look up an emergency vet near where you’ll stay.
Related pages
- Pet travel rules for the USA: federal and state requirements
- Flying with a dog or cat from the USA to Japan
- Traveling to South Korea with your dog or cat
Last checked . PetPolicyCheck is not a licensed insurance agent or broker and does not sell, solicit or negotiate insurance. We provide general information only, not insurance advice. Coverage, availability and prices vary by state and are set by the insurer. Always read the policy documents and confirm details with the insurer. Prices are set by insurers in US dollars and are not shown here.