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. The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) issue travel warnings on their Travel Advice Pages. You may check the country you are going to 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” on your destination, this means your policy will not cover any costs in the event you contract Coronavirus. However, if you still decide to travel, your policy may cover any other sudden unexpected illness or accidents which may require medical attention.
If you are already in a country and have your insurance with us, and then the FCDO places a warning on that country, which happened to the United Arab Emirates on 12 January 2021, or were in a country before the Exempt List came into being on 3 July 2020 and are still there, then your True Traveller policy will continue to cover you for medical expenses for COVID-19 until you leave that country, or your policy expires, whichever instance occurs first.
Am I covered if I travel in Lockdown?
From 5 January 2021, residents of the United Kingdom can only travel abroad for legally permitted reasons, and you can check these for your country by clicking here. Your insurance will be valid for new trips if your trip is being undertaken for any of these permitted reasons. However, should you be prevented from travelling by officials, please note you will not be able to claim for any fees or fines you may incur, as this is an exclusion to Cancellation Cover on your policy.
From 8 March 2021 if travelling overseas from the UK, you must complete a Travel declaration form before travelling. You can download this form from the GOV.UK website here.
For any customers from the United Kingdom travelling now, there is no requirement to return, and your insurance remains valid regardless of your reason for travelling.
Am I covered for Cruises?
The FCDO has advised against all Cruise Ship Travel. This means we cannot cover you at all for any part of your cruise, including cancellation. Cruise ship travel means staying overnight for at least 1 night on a sea-going cruise ship with people from multiple households, and doesn't include ferries or privately rented boats.
What if my holiday is cancelled?
If your holiday is cancelled (rather than you having to cancel), 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 other date within 12 months of the original policy issue date, or if your policy was issued in 2020, we can change the start date to a date within 18 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.