Am I covered if I have to cancel due to catching Coronavirus?
Yes. If you, or someone you’re due to be travelling with, contracts Coronavirus before travel and you have to cancel your trip, then you can claim costs for any non-refundable travel related expenses up to the limits of cover on the policy you have. In addition, if you are quarantined before travel by a relevant authority as there is a suspicion you have been exposed to Coronavirus, again you can claim cancellation.
Am I covered if I contract Coronavirus on my trip?
It depends on where you are travelling to, or where you are, if you’re already travelling. The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) issue travel warnings on their Travel Advice Pages. You may check the country you are going to (or are in already) by using this link, and if there is a specific warning on the Summary section for “all but essential travel on the current assessment of COVID-19 risks”, this means your policy will not cover any costs in the event you contract Coronavirus. However, your policy may cover any other sudden unexpected illness or accidents which may require medical attention.
Note now just a handful of countries have such a warning issued by the FCDO for COVID-19.
If you arrive in a country when there was no FCDO warning for COVID, but then a warning is subsequently issued whilst you’re still there, you will remain to have medical cover for COVID in that country for the duration of your policy.
Am I covered if I have to quarantine abroad?
If you have been newly diagnosed with COVID-19 by a medical practitioner overseas and are therefore required to undertake mandatory quarantine during, or at the end of your trip, you may claim reasonable and necessary additional accommodation (room only), or for any specific accommodation provided by the local health authorities.
Should this happen, you must contact our 24-hour Medical Assistance Service at the time of being diagnosed for authorisation of cover. As stated above, if you are in a country where the FCDO has advised against all but essential travel due to COVID-19 risks, any claim would be denied.
Must I be vaccinated against COVID?
The COVID vaccination programmes which were in place throughout Europe have all now ended, so there is no requirement or need to have been vaccinated, or be vaccinated, for COVID.
What if my holiday or flights are cancelled?
If your holiday or flights are cancelled due to new COVID travel restrictions (rather than you having to cancel due to illness etc.), your airline or tour operator will either offer you revised travel dates, or refund you, in accordance with the Law. You have a right to cancel any travel insurance policy within 14 days of purchase, as long as travel hasn’t commenced. If you have gone over the 14-day cooling off period, we can change the start date of your policy to any new date within 12 months of the original policy issue date.
If you’d like to change the dates of your trip, you must do this before your original trip was due to start. You can also change the area of cover and duration of your policy if you need to. Depending on where you’re going there may be an additional cost, so you’ll need to pay the difference in premium.
We do need any instructions in writing to arrange a cancellation or a date change, so please just use the Contact Us form on our website.