Coronavirus (COVID-19) Information for non-UK residents

If you are resident in the EU and purchased your travel insurance before 1st January 2021:

• You will be covered for Emergency Medical Expenses if symptoms develop during a trip requiring urgent treatment, provided that, prior to the trip commencing, the UK Foreign, Commonweath & Development Office (FCDO) had NOT advised against travel to the area being visited. There is no cover for the cost of exploratory tests, including for Covid-19, unless it is part of a hospital admittance.
• There is no cover for claims under any other section of the policy.
• IMPORTANT: if your insurance AND holiday were both purchased BEFORE Covid-19 was declared to be a Pandemic, please contact our office for advice on cover.

If you are resident outside of the UK and EU
OR if you are resident in the EU and purchasing cover after 1st January 2021:

There is no cover for claims under any section of the policy.

Can insurance be purchased during the current Pandemic?

Before booking a holiday or insurance, you should check whether your trip complies with local rules in your home country and destination. As policies for non-UK residents do not currently include cover for claims relating to Covid-19, you will not be able to make any claims relating to Covid-19, however you should not travel against Government advice.

Can a policy be changed if the trip is postponed due to Covid-19 travel restrictions?

• If you trip is postponed and you need to make a change to your insurance policy, please email our office.
• If you need to make a claim relating to the original booking, you will need to purchase a new policy to cover the rescheduled trip.
• Annual Multi-trip policies: We are not able to amend the start and expiry dates of an annual multi trip policy once it is live. We cannot ‘suspend’ a period of the cover if you are unable to travel, nor can we extend the cover beyond the 12 month period.

Can a policy be extended if return home is unavoidably delayed

• If you are unable to return home due to unexpected circumstances beyond your control, e.g. due to airline reduction, border closures, local lockdown etc., please email our office with details of the reason for the delay and your new expected return date.

I do not WANT to travel due to concerns about Coronavirus. Can I claim?

If the area is still accepting visitors and there is no governmental directive advising against travel there, it will be classed as ‘disinclination to travel’ if you choose to cancel or change your trip. You should contact the travel/accommodation providers to see if they are able to make any changes but you should be aware that they are not obliged to do so.
There is no cover on Travel Insurance for disinclination to travel.

Does the Covid-19 vaccine affect my insurance cover?

Under the Travel Insurance policy terms, you may not be insured if you fail to have recommended vaccines or similar precautions before travel. So, if it is a requirement of your travel destination country that you have received the Covid-19 vaccine, you will not be able to claim for any losses if you are refused entry.
It is essential that you check the entry requirements of your destination country and look out for any changes or updates to those requirements as the current situation changes. Some countries are requiring visitors to provide evidence of a negative Covid-19 test within a few days of travel and may require follow-up testing or quarantine on arrival.

If you have been offered the Covid-19 vaccine, you should not book travel which could co-incide with your vaccination date as you will not be able to claim for Cancellation in order to attend the vaccination appointment.

Can I cancel my insurance if I am no longer travelling?

• There is a 14 day 'cooling off' period following purchase when you can cancel your policy and receive a full refund as long as you haven't travelled and will not be making a claim.
• If your travel plans are cancelled and your insurance has been in force for more than 14 days, please email our office regarding a possible refund or credit voucher. If we are able to offer a refund on the insurance, it will be subject to a charge; depending on the circumstances and the period that the cover has been in force, this may be an administration charge or a percentage of the policy premium. Refunds will only be considered if you haven't travelled and there will not be any claim made on the policy.
• Annual Multi-trip policies can only be cancelled from the date that the request is made and any refund or credit voucher will be a pro-rata calculation based on the period of cover remaining. If there is less than 6 months cover left on the policy, refunds will only be given in exceptional circumstances. Refunds will only be considered if no claims have been made and there is no intention to claim on the policy.