As vaccines are rolled out, and restrictions start to lift, more and more are planning long-awaited for holidays to lands, far and wide. But what do you need to know about travel insurance, and what are the pitfalls to watch out for?
Please note, the following details are guidelines only, and are taken from the advice of Sunworld Insurance. Your provider may differ to the following, and the following should be taken as advice only. Change in circumstance, timing, or provider may affect the following advice.
Our travel insurance policies include cover for coronavirus including cancellation due to falling ill with coronavirus and being unable to travel or being required to self-isolate (subject to a medical certificate or an official test result) as long as you are not travelling against the advice of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) or any other equivalent government body in another country:
- If you were to fall ill with COVID-19 (or other Pandemic illness) abroad and need medical treatment – Covered as Standard
- If you were to fall ill with COVID-19 (or other Pandemic illness) at home and cannot travel – Covered as Standard
- If you have to self-isolate (Yourself or household member) at home and cannot travel due to COVID-19 – Covered as Standard
- If you are denied boarding at the airport due to detected symptoms of COVID-19 (or other pandemic illness) – Covered as Standard
- If you are made redundant, cannot cover the cost of your holiday and have to cancel the trip – Covered as Standard
- If you are due to stay with family, and those family members you are due to stay with have to self-isolate due to a pandemic illness, and you wish to cancel your trip as you no longer have anywhere to stay – Covered as Standard
- If, during your travels, new travel restrictions are imposed asking people to return to their country of residence due to a Pandemic illness – Covered as Standard
- If your proposed accommodation provider closes due to outbreak of COVID-19 Coronavirus (or other Pandemic illness) – Covered as Standard
Any policy will not cover cancellation due to:
- An event which has already begun, or circumstances already known to you.
- Current or future FCDO restrictions on travel due to a pandemic, such as coronavirus or you choose not to travel.
- Cancellation cover is for the perils listed in the “What is Covered” section in your relevant policy wording. Generally speaking, if you cancel for other reason, you may not be covered. Please check your policy wording carefully.
Examples of “Not covered”:
- You book your trip whilst in lockdown and need to cancel their trip because restrictions still apply at the time of travel (lockdown, tiers, etc) – Not covered
- At the time of booking the trip, entry restrictions apply at your destination, and when the time to travel comes, the restrictions are still in place – Not covered.
The examples provided above do not form a complete list of covers and or exclusions in relation to COVID-19.
One thing you should always do, is check your policy wording, policy IPID (Insurance Product Information Document) and where possible, have a professional broker look after your policies for you. They will always be able to have access to the latest information, and be able to provide you with requested updates as global restrictions evolve.