7 Best Credit Cards with Free Travel Insurance in Singapore: 2025 Comparison

Travelling is exciting; it’s an adventure and a chance to explore new places. But it also comes with risks. Flight delays or medical emergencies can turn into expensive problems, so it’s always best to be prepared and covered before you depart Singapore.

Having a credit card with complimentary travel insurance is one solution. Many banks offer cards that bundle in free coverage when you book your trip, giving you peace of mind without having to buy a separate policy. However, be aware that exclusions and claim limits do apply, so be sure to check before you make a decision.

This blog looks at how credit card travel insurance works, what to consider when choosing a card, and compares 7 of the best credit cards with free policies in 2025. We'll also introduce the Wise card, a handy travel companion to make seamless card payments when you're overseas.

Table of contents

How does credit card travel insurance work? How to choose the best credit card with travel insurance included The best credit cards for free travel insurance UOB PRVI Miles Card DBS Altitude Visa Signature Card Citi PremierMiles Card American Express Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer Credit Card HSBC TravelOne Card Maybank Horizon Visa Signature Card CIMB Visa Infinite Travelling soon? Bring the Wise card along to maximise your foreign currency transactions

How does credit card travel insurance work?

Most premium credit cards in Singapore include complimentary travel insurance as a perk. But it’s not included automatically for every trip you take. To activate it, you must meet specific requirements, such as using the credit card to purchase your flight tickets (and sometimes other travel costs like accommodation). Only when it’s activated do you get coverage for yourself, and in some cases for your spouse and children.

Travel insurance provides coverage for things that can go wrong during your trip. Typical areas your travel insurance policy will cover include:

• Overseas medical expenses
• Trip cancellations or delays
• Lost or delayed baggage
• Accidental death and disability

Coverage levels and claim limits will vary between cards. You should always read the terms and conditions for the specific policy to fully understand coverage and exclusions. For example, extreme sports aren’t usually covered as ‘standard’.

Most cards also require you to “opt-in” to activate the complimentary coverage, even after meeting the requirements for each trip.

How to choose the best credit card with travel insurance included

When choosing a credit card with travel insurance in Singapore, weigh up these five factors to find the one that’s right for you.

Included policies

Most policies have a long list of eligible policy areas, like medical expenses and trip cancellations. However, what exactly is included can differ by card, some might only offer cover for accidents and flight delays, while others provide extensive medical protection and family coverage.

It’s usually best to match the policies with your travel habits. For example:

• A business traveller might prioritise trip delays and baggage cover.
• A backpacker might care more about medical coverage and adventure sports.

Coverage scope

Every policy has a basic level of coverage with claim limits. When reading through coverage, you’ll see things like overseas medical expenses up to a specific amount, say $30,000 or $40,000. There can be quite a big difference in these ranges depending on the card, so it’s useful to note them down when comparing cards.

Trip length

Many complementary policies cap coverage to a specific time frame, such as 30 or 90 days per trip. The coverage is typically for shorter breaks. You might need to look at a card with extended protection or a separate standalone policy if you’re travelling long-term or plan on hopping from one country to another for several months or more.

Annual fee vs benefits

Most credit cards have an annual fee you need to pay. A higher fee may be worthwhile if the level of insurance and perks outweigh the upfront cost. Most of the cards listed in this blog have fees that range from just under $200 to a maximum of $260 per year.

Eligibility

Not every credit card with travel insurance is open to everyone. Many come with eligibility requirements you’ll need to meet before applying, such as income thresholds and credit scores. In addition to card approval, the travel insurance itself is likely to have its own eligibility conditions.

Some of the requirements you might see include:

• Paying for the trip using the card
• Age limits - over-70s might be excluded or require an add-on for seniors
• Exclusions for pre-existing medical conditions
• Coverage only for the cardholder, plus spouse and dependent children under 18

You might need to dig deep into the policy’s document or fine print to get a clearer picture of what’s included and what’s not (exclusions).

The 7 best credit cards for free travel insurance in Singapore

The seven best credit cards with complimentary travel insurance in Singapore combine solid reward points and perks when spending at home and abroad, plus a basic level of coverage when travelling overseas.

Here’s a comparison of the top options:

Card	Activation requirement	Types of coverage	Annual fee (SGD)	Additional perks
UOB PRIVI Miles	Charge full travel fare	Emergency medical assistance Personal accident Travel delay	$261.60	4 lounge visits Online travel discounts
DBS Altitude Visa Signature	Book flights via DBS	Personal accident Travel delay Baggage delay Journey cancellation	$196.20	2 lounge visits Online travel deals
Citi PremierMiles	Charge full travel fare	Medical expenses Emergency medical assistance Personal accident Travel delay/cancellation Baggage loss	$196.20	2 Lounge visits Hotel & flight promos
American Express Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer Credit	Charge outbound and return travel fare	Personal accident Baggage & flight delay Missed connection	$179.85	Cashback offers until June 2026
HSBC TravelOne	Charge full travel fare	Personal accident Medical expenses Emergency evacuation Trip delay/cancellation Missed connection Luggage delay/loss	$196.20	4 lounge visits Cashback offers
Maybank Horizon Visa Signature	Charge full travel fare + copy of ticket	Personal accident Luggage delay/loss Missed connection Loss of sports equipment	$196.20	Free sign-up gift Lounge access when spending $1,000+
CIMB Visa Infinite	Charge full travel fare + other travel expenses	Personal accident Medical expenses Emergency evacuation Baggage delay/loss Flight delay Trip cancellation	Free	3 lounge visits Dining and retail discounts

UOB PRVI Miles Card

Best for: Frequent overseas shoppers and travellers

Activation requirement: Charge full airfare

The UOB PRIVI Miles Card is a solid all-rounder, with 1.4 miles per $1 spent for overseas trips and 1.4 miles locally. The perks include 4 complimentary airport lounge visits per year, plus discounts with providers including Klook and trip.com¹.

For travel insurance, coverage includes emergency medical assistance up to $50,000 per person and $200 per person or $400 per family for travel delays of 6+ hours². However, there is no coverage for lost luggage or trip cancellations.

The annual fee is $261.60, but it’s waived in the first year.

Pros	Cons
Solid miles earn rate on travel	Higher annual fee than most
Includes overseas medical coverage	No coverage for lost luggage

DBS Altitude Visa Signature Card

Best for: Online travel bookings and foreign spend

Activation requirement: Book flight though DBS Travel & Leisure Marketplace

The DBS Altitude Visa Signature Card is a favourite for frequent flyers thanks to its impressive 2.2 miles per $1 spent in currency overseas, and 1.3 miles for local spend³. Perks include 2 free lounge visits and access to “awesome” travel deals where you can save on bookings with Expedia, Trip.com, and more.

Unfortunately, DBS doesn’t provide any coverage for overseas medical expenses (apart from COVID-19). You’ll need to buy TravellerShield Plus to get up to $1,000,000 coverage in this area⁴. The complimentary insurance does include accident death and disablement up to $100,000, plus $300 for travel delay/cancellation⁵.

The annual fee is $196.20, again waived for the first year.

Pros	Cons
Strong miles earn rate for travel spend	Coverage only activated when booking flights through DBS
Free lounge visits and travel booking perks	No overseas medical expense coverage

Citi PremierMiles Card

Best for: Broad travel insurance coverage with high limits

Activation requirement: Charge full fare of travel ticket

With the Citi PremierMiles Card, you get 2.2 miles for every $1 spent overseas, and 1.2 miles for local purchases⁶. The perks are again centred around airport lounge access. With Citi, you get 2 per year worldwide. You’ll also get “promotions” for travel, including hotel and flight privileges.

The travel insurance coverage includes up to $40,000 for overseas medical expenses, for you, your spouse, and an accompanying child, plus $1,000,000 for accidental death, and $100,000 for emergency evacuation and repatriation⁷. There’s also $500 for flight and baggage delays.

The annual fee is $196.20.

Pros	Cons
High earn rate overseas	Annual fee applies straight away
Broad complimentary insurance, including medical cover	Limited lounge access (2 per year)

American Express Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer Credit Card

Best for: Travellers flying regularly with Singapore Airlines

Activation requirement: Charge outbound and return travel fare

If you prefer flying with Singapore Airlines, this American Express card offers 2 miles per $1 spent on eligible purchases, plus 1.1 miles per $1 spent on “everything else”⁸. There’s also cashback offers up to June 2026. However, other perks are thin on the ground.

The travel insurance includes travel accidents, but only for death or total disablement, with coverage up to $175,000⁹. There’s also $200 per person for 4+ hour flight delays, and $200 per person for baggage delays and missed connections.

The annual fee is $179.85, waived for the first year.

Pros	Cons
Best earn rates on Singapore Airlines spend	No medical expense coverage
First-year free waiver	Few other additional travel perks compared to rivals

HSBC TravelOne Card

Best for: Maxing miles on spend with solid insurance coverage

Activation requirement: Charge full cost of travel fare.

HSBC has one of the highest earn rates, with up to 2.4 miles per $1 spent on foreign currency, plus 1.2 miles locally¹⁰. You get a few perks, too, including 4 lounge visits per year and cashback offers on travel to 26 destinations through to June 2026.

For travel insurance, you get overseas medical expenses covered up to $150,000 and accidental death and disability up to $75,000, both ‘per insured person’¹¹. HBSC offers $150 for travel deals and missed flights, and a more generous $1,500 for trip cancellations.

The annual fee is $196.20, but can be waived in the second year when spending $25,000+ annually.

Pros	Cons
High overseas earn rate	Annual fee only waived with high spend
Strong insurance cover, including medical expenses	Lower coverage for accidental death compared to some rivals

Maybank Horizon Visa Signature Card

Best for: Earning points on flights

Activation requirement: Charge air ticket, plus photocopy of ticket and confirmation letter/email from airline.

It’s possible to rack up points quickly with the Maybank Horizon card. Get 2.8 miles for every $1 spent on flights and foreign currency. One caveat: you must spend $800 a month to start earning¹². There are 1.2 miles per $1 spent on other travel-related expenses. Parks include a “sign-up gift,” which is currently a free suitcase. There are card privileges, too, including lounge access (when spending $1,000 on travel).

There’s no medical expense coverage with the complimentary travel insurance, though. You do get up to $1,000,000 for accidental death, $400 for missed flights and luggage delays, and $1,000 for lost luggage¹³.

The annual fee is $196.20, waived for the first 3 years.

Pros	Cons
High earn rate on flights and foreign spend	No medical expense coverage
Annual fee waived for first 3 years	Minimum $800 monthly spend to unlock bonus earn rates

CIMB Visa Infinite

Best for: Cashback on travel and overseas purchases

Activation requirement: Charge full travel fare and any travel-related expenses via travel agency, etc.

CIMB offers 2% ‘unlimited’ cashback on several types of spend: travel, overseas, online spend in foreign currency, plus 1% on all other retail purchases¹⁴. The perks include 3 airport lounge passes globally, and up to 25% discount when dining at airports. CIMB also advertises “over 1,000” deals and discounts for dining and retail.

You get medical expenses coverage with travel insurance, up to $25,000 for the cardholder, plus a spouse and dependent child. Like other policies, accidental death or disablement is up to $1,000,000¹⁵. There’s also $600 for baggage delays of 6+ hours, $500 for flight delays of the same length, and $1,000 for trip cancellations.

There are no annual fees. CIMB says it’s “free for life.”

Pros	Cons
Complimentary medical coverage included	Miles earn rate replaced by cashback model
No annual fee - free for life	Lower medical expense limit than some cards

Travelling soon? Bring the Wise card along to maximise your foreign currency transactions

A credit card is a smart way to get complimentary travel insurance and rack up rewards, but be aware of the extra fees when you’re overseas. For the best of both worlds, use your credit card to book your trip, then keep the Wise card in your wallet for your overseas spending.

The Wise card lets you spend in 40+ currencies at the mid-market rate including MYR, JPY, CNY, and USD so you know you'll be getting a great deal in over 150+ countries. Simply create a free Wise account, order a card and top-up SGD to get started.

Virtual cards are free and can be added to your Google or Apple Pay wallet, while a physical Wise card can be ordered for a low fee of 8.50 SGD. Having a physical Wise card allows you to make chip and pin payments, as well as 2 free ATM withdrawals to the value of 350 SGD each month, before low fees start.

While abroad, you can choose to spend with directly in SGD and let auto-conversion do the trick, or convert to your desired currency with your Wise account. Either way, you’ll get the exchange rate you see on Google, with low, transparent fees from 0.26%.

💳 Get your Wise card

---

Sources:

1. UOB - PRIVI Miles Card
2. UOB - Certificate of insurance
3. DBS - Altitude Visa Signature Card
4. DBS - TravellerShield Plus
5. DBS - Complimentary travel insurance
6. Citi - PremierMiles Card
7. Citi - Complimentary travel insurance
8. American Express - Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer Credit Card
9. American Express - Complimentary travel insurance
10. HSBC - TravelOne Card
11. HSBC - TravelOne credit card travel insurance policy
12. Maybank - Maybank Horizon Visa Signature Card
13. Maybank - Complimentary travel insurance
14. CIMB - Visa Infinite Card
15. CIMB - Visa Infinite complimentary travel insurance policy