Coronavirus Guidance
This information was last updated on 15th February 2022 To the best of our knowledge, the information below is full and correct as of that date.
You should monitor the situation through official sources such as:
Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO): gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/
World Health Organisation (WHO): who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019
You should also follow the rules published by the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO).
You won't be covered for any event you were aware of when booking your holiday or buying your insurance. There is no cover if you fail to provide the required tests or documentation for travel, such as a negative test result. If there is a legal obligation for the package provider or airline to offer you a refund and they refuse, your debit or credit card provider may be able to assist.
Buying travel insurance
Before you buy our travel insurance, it's important to know what cover is in place if coronavirus (COVID-19) or any other pandemic impacts your travel plans. Below is a list of scenarios that explain the cover we offer.
| Scenario | Cover Stance |
| You fall ill with COVID-19 (or any other pandemic illness) while abroad and need medical treatment? | You're covered for medical claims due to COVID-19 while you're away, as long as you're not travelling against the advice of the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) or the equivalent government body in another country. |
| You, your travelling companion, close relative or colleague falls ill with COVID-19 (or any other pandemic illness) and you can't travel? * | You’re covered if you can't travel and have to cancel your trip because you or your travelling companion, close relative or colleague has fallen ill with COVID-19. You'll need to provide evidence to substantiate your claim such as, but not limited to: A medical certificate or an official test result if you make a claim. * |
You or your travelling companion has to self-isolate or remain at home and can't travel due to: *
|
You’re covered if you can't travel and have to cancel your trip because you or your travelling companion has COVID-19 symptoms, have to self-isolate at home from NHS track and trace or remain at home due to local or national lockdowns. You'll need to provide evidence to substantiate your claim such as, but not limited to: A medical certificate, an official test result or confirmation from NHS Track and Trace if you make a claim. * |
| You’re denied boarding at the airport because you have symptoms of COVID-19 or another pandemic illness? | You're covered if you’re denied boarding at the airport because you have symptoms of COVID-19. You'll need to provide evidence to substantiate your claim such as, but not limited to: A medical certificate or an official test result if you make a claim, as you will need to be tested for COVID-19 in-line with government guidance. |
| You’re unable to travel due to advice from the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) (or any other equivalent government body in another country) because they have advised against travel due to a pandemic? | You’re not covered to cancel your trip if the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) or the equivalent government body in another country has advised you not to travel due to a pandemic. You will need to contact your travel provider or tour operator. Existing customers may be covered, please check the 'existing policy’ section below. |
| You’re unable to travel due to a country you’re travelling too has been placed on the red list? | You’re not covered to cancel your trip if the country you’re travelling too has been placed on the red list. You will need to contact your travel provider or tour operator to discuss what options are available to you |
| You’re unable to travel due insolvency of your package provider, airline, accommodation provider and their booking agents? | You’re covered if you cannot travel and have to cancel your trip because your package provider, airline, accommodation provider and their booking agents have gone insolvent. We will only be able to cover costs which irrecoverable. You will need to approach ATOL, PayPal, your debit or debit card provider before we’re able to consider your claim |
| You’re unable to travel due redundancy of you or your travelling companion? * | You’re covered if you can't travel and have to cancel your trip because you or your travelling companion has been made redundant. You'll need to provide evidence to substantiate your claim such as, but not limited to: Letter from your previous employer. * |
* Throughout your policy wording, certain words are shown in bold type. Travel companion, close relative, redundant/redundancy and colleague are words with special meaning. This means we can only cover a claim if they meet the below definition.
Close relative
Your mother, father, sister, brother, fiancé (e), wife, husband, civil partner, domestic partner, daughter, son, grandparent, grandchild, parent-in-law, son-in-law, daughter-in-law, step family, next of kin or guardian.
Colleague
An associate in the same employment as you in the UK, whose absence from work necessitates your stay in or return to the UK.
Redundant/Redundancy
Being made unemployed through the loss of permanent paid employment (except voluntary redundancy) and at the time of purchasing the policy you, or your travelling companion had no reason to suspect that you would be made redundant.
Travelling companion
Any person with whom you are travelling/staying or have arranged to travel/stay with. This person does not have to be insured by your policy.
You have an existing policy with us
If you already have a policy with us and it was purchased on or after 10 September 2020, please refer to the above scenarios (under buying travel insurance).
If you have an annual multi-trip policy which was purchased prior to this date (including if your cover has since renewed), then you may have different cover. Please refer to your Policy Wording for full details of the cover that applies.
You need to make a claim
Before you make a new claim, contact your travel provider or tour operator first to discuss what options are available to you. If your package provider or airline has cancelled your trip you can claim a full cash refund from the provider. You do not need to accept a voucher for a future booking. If you do accept a voucher, the booking date of the trip will be the date you use the voucher.
If your travel provider or tour operator can't resolve your request, you can make a claim on your policy quickly by calling us on 0330 024 8094**.
While we're answering as many calls as possible, as well as looking after our employees' well-being, you may wait longer than usual at this uncertain time.
**Lines open: Monday-Friday 8am to 6pm and Saturday 9am to 12pm, Sundays and bank holidays closed.
You have an existing claim and would like an update
We're working hard on all existing claims, but we're receiving an unprecedented number of calls. One of our team will contact you as soon as they've assessed your request.
How long will my claim take to be settled?
Resolving a claim depends on the nature of each request and the information we need to process it.
You can help us by checking the required documents laid out in your claim pack to evidence the claim. Sending all of them together will reduce requests for further documentation, which could delay your claim.
We're currently working extremely hard to resolve claims as soon as possible, but do bear with us as the number of new claims is unprecedented.