Insurance & Travel

Insurance is admittedly not be the most glamorous subject. But it is hugely important. So please take the time to read the information and advice below. We set out some key considerations, including when traveling to skydive outside the UK. Following this guidance could save you and yours a great deal of money, time and heartache.

Members’ insurance

Third party legal liability insurance & death and critical injury insurance

Members’ third party legal liability insurance covers accidental harm you may cause to others by your skydiving, for instance by damaging their property through an off-landing.

Third party insurance cover is included in your British Skydiving Membership – the insurance premium forms part of the membership subscription you pay.

All of the policy documents can be downloaded below, for an in depth summary of the insurance.

Open/download Form 206 – Members’ insurance summary.

Open/download 2023 Members Public Liability Insurance Certificate

Open/download AXA XL IPID and Important Information – Members Cover – British Skydiving 2023

Open/download British Parachute Personal Accident 2023 Summary of Benefits

The indemnity limit of the British Skydiving third party public liability insurance policy is £10m at British Skydiving Affiliated Parachute Training Organisations and £100,000 at overseas non-affiliated drop zones, excluding the USA where the policy does not apply. The policy does not provide cover for instructor negligence at non-affiliated drop zones.

Please note in particular that:

  1. except for death and critical injury cover whilst jumping under the British Skydiving Operations Manual, British Skydiving insurance does not include personal accident cover. British Skydiving recommends that members should take out their own personal accident insurance – various insurers offer such cover (it is not available through British Skydiving). British Skydiving strongly recommends that all members who jump overseas should take out their own personal accident travel insurance policy which includes cover for skydiving, with repatriation to the UK in the event of an emergency. It should include equipment and baggage cover. See Insurance essentials for skydivers
  2. British Skydiving insurance cover does not apply to indoor skydiving at wind tunnels.
  3. If you are not a national of the United Kingdom you will not be covered at Non-Affiliated Drop Zones outside of the United Kingdom unless you are performing parachuting activity as part of a British Registered Display Team.
  4. If you are not a national of the United Kingdom but you reside in the United Kingdom (i.e. you hold a British address) you will be covered at any Overseas Non-Affiliated Drop Zone excluding the USA.

British Skydiving Members’ insurance includes a separate policy giving £15K death and critical injury cover (for members aged under 75 years) whilst undertaking a parachute jump from leaving the aircraft until such time the landing is complete in accordance with the British Skydiving Operations Manual supplemented by local Standard Operating Procedures, ie when jumping at British Skydiving Affiliated Parachute Training Organisations or on an organised and notified display by a British Skydiving-Registered Display Team. The death and critical insurance policy does NOT apply outside the UK except at the British Skydiving Affilated Parachute Training Organisations on British bases in Germany and Cyprus. A summary of this policy is included in the Members’ insurance summary document.

Personal accident insurance

Insurance against harm to yourself when you are skydiving (or doing whatever else that a specific personal accident insurance policy may cover you). Apart from death and critical injury cover (see note above), personal accident insurance is NOT included in your membership – you need to take it out separately. Typically, a personal accident policy might cover you if you were off work recovering from an injury sustained in sport parachuting – say for example your work involves driving and you sustain a broken ankle that prevents you from working until it has healed.

If you’re jumping in the UK only, many UK Drop Zones may be able to provide information on companies that provide Personal Accident Insurance that covers UK jumping.

If you are thinking of jumping outside the UK, in the rest of the European Union or the rest of the world, personal accident insurance should include medical fees and repatriation cover to the UK in the event of a serious skydiving injury or any medical emergency. British Skydiving strongly recommends that Members should take out travel [personal accident / medical repatriation] insurance cover that is suitable for your own personal needs.