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Coronavirus: what’s covered by travel insurance policies, exemptions & more (copy)

We explain what you need to do to ensure you're protected if you're heading abroad, including coronavirus cover.

Motoring and Travel

Lisa-Marie Janes Updated on 18 February 2021

Coronavirus: travel insurance policies vary

The Government's announcement of a 'roadmap out of lockdown' has sparked a massive increase in holiday bookings.

If you dare willing to gamble and book a holiday , you need to be aware of the various requirements in place (for now, at least).

For example, if you travel this year through a red list’ country  you have to book a room in a quarantine hotel for 10 days and arrange coronavirus tests, which costs £1,750.

You could be fined up to £10,000, face jail for up to 10 years or both if you don’t provide accurate details about your travel history or break quarantine rules.

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Travel insurance is more vital than ever

Given how horrifically widespread the virus has proved, not all travel insurers offer cover against coronavirus and when it is offered, the level of cover can vary, so it’s a good idea to shop around.

Some travel insurance policies may not cover COVID-related issues – and many won’t offer any insurance if it covers travel that starts during the nation lockdown.

As Brits rush to book summer getaways despite a lack of clarity about when they’ll be able to travel overseas, we explain exactly what you need to know to ensure both you and your money are protected in these unprecedented times.

How to get travel insurance if you have a pre-existing condition

Check your cover before you buy

Some travel insurance providers now offer cover for coronavirus-related issues, but it’s worth checking exactly what each one covers.

For example, Staysure offers cover if you cancel your trip if you have COVID-19 within 14 days of travelling and emergency medical expenses abroad and repatriation.

But it’s worth stressing you may need to take a COVID test and you might not be covered if you have symptoms or the virus before buying a policy.

Staysure also offers ‘European FCDO Travel Advice Extension’ which will cover you if the Foreign Office advise against all but essential travel to Europe – but you won’t be covered for COVID-related claims.

The Post Office offers trip cancellation and curtailment cover, but you must travel to an area where there’s no advice against travel by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) or the UK Government.

“It is more important than ever for customers to shop around for cover from different providers and check the policy wording before purchasing a policy to ensure that they are clear about what they are covered for,” said Patrick Ikhena, former head of travel at  CompareTheMarket .

“It also remains important for people to declare any pre-existing medical conditions – such as diabetes, for example ­– to ensure that their coverage takes this into account.

“This is especially important for customers who may be classed as vulnerable, as they will need to take extra care both in their holiday arrangements and choosing a travel insurance policy right for their specific needs.”

What's more, even among those policies that include coronavirus cover, not all will pay out if you have to cancel because you or a loved one contracts the virus. 

Finally, when shopping around for travel cover, you should consider comprehensive travel insurance. 

Ikhena recommends looking for a policy with disruption cover to reimburse costs associated with delays and protect you in case you have to go into quarantine.

Now, we’ll run through some scenarios and explain how to help protect both yourself and your money.

'I booked a holiday and bought a policy before the pandemic'

If you decided to buy travel insurance before the pandemic, it's good news.

“Providing a customer bought a travel insurance policy before COVID-19 was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organisation on 11 March 2020, their existing policy is likely to have cover for COVID-19,” said Ikhena.

“People are more likely to have cover in place in this scenario as COVID would have been classified like other illnesses that they were unforeseen and prevented them from travelling,” added Josh Daniels, product manager at CompareTheMarket.

“Cover from providers does vary and different limits are imposed, so it’s always worth being clear on what cover you have in place.”

'I booked a holiday but have no travel insurance'

Many travellers have  struggled to get refunds  for cancelled flights during lockdown, including this unlucky loveMONEY reader , or are worried about getting sick abroad.

So, now travel insurance is being viewed as a priority, rather than optional when travelling.

You can get travel insurance for a trip you booked before the pandemic started, but you might not be covered for issues related to coronavirus.

“Most insurance providers have restricted cancellation and travel disruption cover in policies bought after coronavirus was declared a pandemic on 11 March 2020,” said Daniels.

“Therefore, we encourage you to check these details if you are intending to buy a new policy.”

The reason why coverage is unlikely to be provided is because coronavirus is now considered a ‘known event.’

So, you'll need to look for a policy that specifically covers the virus, paying close attention to whether this covers the flights, getting sick abroad, or both.

“As we are in a national lockdown, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) is again advising against all but essential foreign travel for people living in England,” added Daniels.

“If you buy your insurance policy to cover a trip to a destination where the FCDO is currently advising against travel to for your planned dates, then it’s likely that you won’t be covered.

“If you’ve already bought insurance and the FCDO subsequently changes its advice for your destination, then you might have some cover, but you should check with your insurance provider.”

Speak to the insurer before you plan to travel to double-check exactly what you're protected against. 

Travel insurance for people with mental health conditions: costs and considerations

'I’m planning to book a holiday and get travel cover'

Last year, lots of travel insurance providers wouldn’t cover coronavirus-related issues, and the few that did only offered cover if you catch the virus abroad – or in some cases, if you cancel due to catching COVID-19.

Many travel insurers now provide COVID-19 cover but as we mentioned before, it can vary.

For example, some policies may cover medical and cancellations claims, and some may not.

Travel insurers that currently offer coronavirus cover include:

• Post Office;

All of the above offer coronavirus cover, but their policies vary. It’s also worth mentioning again if you travel to anywhere restricted by the FCO or the Government, you won’t be covered by your insurer.

Getting the right travel insurance is more difficult due to the pandemic, so it’s worth understanding exactly what is covered and what to expect if things go awry.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Full and extended answers/information can be found on your policy document or our example policy document found on the travel insurance page.

Q: CAN YOU PLEASE GIVE AN UPDATE ON THE INSURERS POSITION REGARDING COVID-19 Our customers benefit from enhanced COVID-19 cover that comes as standard on Staysure policies, so you can travel knowing you are covered (for countries that the FCDO deems safe to travel to).

Your policy will not cover you if you travel against the advice of the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), unless you have purchased the European FCDO Travel Advice Extension cover and the advice is only against all but essential travel solely as a result of COVID-19.

Q: DO I NEED TO HAVE HAD BOTH DOSES OF THE COVID-19 VACCINE? A: To be covered, you need to have received all doses of the COVID vaccine that you’ve been offered. This could be one or two depending on your age.

You can also be covered if you can’t have the vaccine due to a medical exemption.

If you have refused any doses of the COVID vaccine, then you won’t be covered.

Q: WHAT IS A PRE-EXISTING MEDICAL CONDITION? A: A pre-existing medical condition is a condition that you’ve had symptoms, medication, surgery, investigations or medical appointments for in the past two years. This also includes cardiovascular and circulatory conditions outside of the past two years. It’s important you declare any pre-existing medical conditions you have when taking out a policy with us.

You can declare your medical conditions through the Staysure medical screening process, which is a set of questions for us to understand how your medical conditions affect you. This can be completed either online or over the phone.

All pre-existing conditions need to be declared on your policy. This may help you to avoid large medical bills if you need treatment in another country. Failure to disclose any pre-existing medical conditions may affect the validity of your policy should you need to claim.

Q: WHAT WILL I BE ASKED WHEN I APPLY FOR TRAVEL INSURANCE WITH A PRE-EXISTING MEDICAL CONDITION? A: When applying for travel insurance for existing medical conditions, we’ll ask you to declare any conditions through the Staysure medical screening process.

Declaring all of your pre-existing conditions is vital. Failing to do so may affect the validity of your policy, should you need to claim further down the line.

You should have to hand:

• The names of any medical conditions you have
• Medical history documents to help with questions relating to dates

Complete the Staysure simple medical screening online today.

Q: DO I NEED MEDICAL TRAVEL INSURANCE IF I HAVE AN EHIC OR GHIC? A: If you’re travelling to Europe, you should always carry your EHIC or GHIC with you. These cards give you access to free or discounted emergency medical care in EU countries. While the EHIC and GHIC cards are very useful, they’re not a substitute for travel insurance with pre-existing conditions.

Your EHIC or GHIC card is not always a pass to free healthcare. You may have to pay a substantial amount of the medical bill yourself, or you may be taken to a private hospital. In these cases, travel insurance can cover you.

Q: WHO CAN BE COVERED BY SINGLE TRIP TRAVEL INSURANCE? With no upper age limit on Single Trip Travel Insurance policies, you could insure the whole family with us.

It’s also sometimes cheaper to book together as families and couples living at the same address get an automatic discount applied.

Making sure your whole family is covered with your policy also helps to protect you if a family member falls ill due to unforeseen circumstances.

When it comes to travel insurance, it’s worth doing right and making sure you and your family are covered properly.

Q: HOW FAR IN ADVANCE OF MY HOLIDAY CAN I BUY MY SINGLE TRIP POLICY? A: You can buy a policy from us up to 18 months before you travel.

It’s worth booking your policy early to make sure you’re covered for cancellation – as leaving things till the last minute may mean that you’re not covered.

Q: HOW OFTEN CAN I TRAVEL WITH A YEAR-LONG POLICY? A: Annual Multi-Trip Travel Insurance policies cover your travel plans for up to 183 days in total.

Each trip you take must not be longer than:

• 50 days if you are aged 70 or below. You can increase your trip duration limit to 100 days (for one trip) by paying an additional premium
• 35 days if you are aged 71 and above

Q: WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SINGLE TRIP TRAVEL INSURANCE AND ANNUAL TRAVEL INSURANCE? A:The difference between choosing Single Trip Travel Insurance or an annual policy is how often you’re planning on travelling, how long you’re planning on travelling for and where you’re going to:

With an Annual Travel Insurance policy, you will be covered for multiple trips in a 12-month period (trip limits apply). You can buy your policy up to 90 days before you want it to start.

A single trip policy will cover you for one return trip and can be bought up to 18 months before you travel.

Both have no upper age limit.

Q: WHY SHOULD I CHOOSE TRAVEL FIRST INSURANCE A: TRAVEL FIRST INSURANCE provides a personal service where we listen to our client’s particular requirements. We then select the cover to suit you.  TRAVEL FIRST INSURANCE can arrange cover with extensive benefits at competitive premiums for all travellers, whether cover is required for a holiday or to visit friends or relatives . In addition extra cover can be included for golfers and their golf equipment.

Q: IS GOLFGUARD FULLY AUTHORISED TO ACT AS AN INSURANCE BROKER? A: Yes, TRAVEL FIRST INSURANCE is one of the trading names of the legal entity Golfguard Ltd, a company registered in England and Wales with the Company number 02452429. Golfguard is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). Our FCA Register number is 310410. 

Q: CAN TRAVEL FIRST INSURANCE ARRANGE WORLDWIDE COVER? A: Travel First Insurance will offer you the opportunity to select Staysure worldwide cover excluding Bermuda, Canada, China, Hong Kong, Mexico, Singapore, Thailand, the islands of the Caribbean and the United States of America.

Q: CAN YOU ADVISE ME REGARDING MEDICAL CONDITIONS? A: The basis of the cover arranged for each insured person, is that all persons are healthy, fit to travel to undertake the trip, will not be travelling against the advice of a medical practitioner, have not received a terminal prognosis from a medical practitioner and will not be travelling with the intention of obtaining medical treatment abroad.

The insurance will exclude any claim arising from any medical condition for which there has been surgery, treatment, investigation (or tests or investigations that are ongoing) which existed prior to the trip, unless the condition has been declared to and accepted in writing by the insurers’ Medical Screening Helpline.

The Key Facts and Policy Document provided by each insurer will contain details in respect of Disclosure of Pre-Existing Medical conditions and we would advise that these are carefully read prior to arranging cover. The documents will provide a list of medical conditions and if any person upon whose health a trip may depend has one (and only one) of the accepted medical condition cover can be provided without reference to the medical screening helpline.

However should a claim arise from that condition, the person’s doctor must confirm in writing the date of diagnosis, that the condition was stable prior to travel and that there was no foreseeable reason why the insured person should need to claim on this policy:

Should you need to contact the medical screening helpline to discuss your medical condition(s) or the medical condition of someone on whose health a trip may depend, we will provide you with the insurers’ Medical Screening Helpline telephone number.

Q: DO YOU PROVIDE COVER FOR A FAMILY? A: Yes we can provide cover for a family. Annual cover for families can offer extremely good value.

Q: CAN I ARRANGE COVER FOR A WINTERSPORTS HOLIDAY? A: Staysure can provide wintersports cover. However, this would be dependent on your age limit and subject to medical acceptance.

If you have any questions, please call Travel First Insurance on 0800 581 801 or  contact us .

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Planning a holiday

Look forward to your next holiday with travel insurance from the UK’s favourite travel insurance provider. Staysure cover most pre-existing medical conditions and there’s no upper age limit.

So you can be confident you’ve got the right cover, tailored just for you.

• Pre-existing medical conditions with unlimited expenses*
• £5,000 cancellation* per person
• Superior COVID-19 protection** as standard
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Cover your pre-existing medical conditions and holiday with confidence

Single Trip Travel Insurance

Covering you for one trip to any worldwide destination, with no upper age limit

Annual Multi-Trip Travel Insurance

Flexibility to travel where you want, when you want, and as often as you want

Why choose Staysure?

Staysure has been voted ‘Best Company for Travel Insurance’ at the British Travel Awards, six years running. We’re also rated ‘Excellent’ on Trustpilot – and with more five-star reviews than any other travel insurance provider, Staysure really is the UK’s Favourite Travel Insurance.

• Six times winner of Best Company for Travel Insurance at the British Travel Awards
• The UK’s Most Trusted Travel Insurance Provider on Trustpilot
• Over £23 million in claims paid between Jan-Aug 2022
• 5* Defaqto rated Comprehensive policy
• Peace of mind for over 8 million customers since 2005

Frequently Asked Questions

Do i need to be vaccinated against covid-19 to be covered.

To be covered for COVID, you need to have had all doses of the COVID vaccine you’ve been offered, including any booster jabs.

You can also be covered if you can’t have the vaccine due to a medical exemption.

If you’ve refused any doses of the COVID vaccine or any booster jab, then you won’t be covered for COVID related claims.

Who can be covered by Single Trip Travel Insurance?

There’s no upper age limit on our Single Trip Travel Insurance policy, so you can insure the whole family. You might even get your cover for less, as families and couples living at the same address get an automatic discount on their policy.

Will you cover my pre-existing medical conditions on a Single Trip policy?

We can cover most pre-existing medical conditions – because something you live with day to day shouldn’t stop you seeing the world.

Your pre-existing medical conditions need to be covered on your medical travel insurance, including high blood pressure, diabetes, cancer. If anything changes between taking out your policy and going on holiday, you must let us know.

Does Single Trip Insurance cover multiple destinations?

You can travel to multiple destinations on a Single Trip Travel Insurance policy as long as each destination is listed on your policy.

Going to North America? You can travel between Canada and the USA on a Single Trip policy as long as you let us know.

How long can I travel for on a single trip policy?

You can spend up to 104 days abroad with our standard Single Trip policy – plenty of time to put your feet up.

For an even longer break, take a look at Long Stay Cover, which lets you enjoy longer trips depending on your age and destination.

How far before my holiday can I buy my policy?

You can buy a policy from us up to 18 months before you travel, or up to 24 months if you’re eligible.

You should take out a policy as soon as you book your trip to make sure you’re covered for unforeseen events that might mean you have to cancel.

Which destinations can I get cover for?

You should be covered in most destinations if the country you’re going to is safe to visit.

To check your destination is safe to visit, take a look at the FCDO’s travel advice . The FCDO’s advice can change at any time, so make sure you check it’s safe to travel before you set off.

If the FCDO, World Health Organisation or local authorities have advised against ‘all’ or ‘all but essential’ travel to your destination, then it won’t be safe for you to travel there.

If you travel against FCDO advice, your policy will become invalid and won’t cover you if you need to claim. Even if advice changes while you’re on holiday, you won’t be covered if your destination was listed as unsafe when you travelled.

What if I need to travel to Europe against FCDO advice?

You can take out our European FCDO Travel Advice Extension add-on. This lets you travel with cover even when the FCDO advises against ‘all but essential travel’.

74% of our customers paid less than £5 for this add-on to their European policy.

73.5% of European FCDO Travel Advice Extension add-ons for trips to France or Spain sold between 1st March 2021 and 31 May 2021 cost less than £5 excluding insurance premium tax.

When should I buy travel insurance?

You should buy a travel insurance policy as soon as you book your trip. Our Single Trip Travel Insurance covers you for cancellations as soon as you take out your policy.

Why is travel insurance important?

Our travel insurance can help cover your holiday in the UK or abroad in case things go wrong unexpectedly, like cutting your holiday short, losing your baggage, or needing emergency medical help.

For example, if you have a medical emergency abroad, your travel insurance could save you thousands by covering the cost of your treatment.

Will my travel insurance cover the costs of COVID-19 testing?

Your travel insurance covers the cost of unexpected events and emergencies. COVID testing has become a routine procedure for many countries, so it isn’t covered by your travel insurance.

*On Comprehensive policies. **COVID-19 cover is rated as ‘Superior’ by a leading independent consumer association. Customers must have all recommended COVID-19 vaccinations. COVID-19 cover excludes any destinations restricted by the FCDO. #Based on number of Trustpilot reviews. Terms, conditions and exclusions apply.

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• International

Travel Advice changes made for over 30 countries and territories

The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office has lifted its advice against all but essential travel for over 30 countries and territories.

Advisories against all but essential travel lifted making travel to destinations across the globe more straightforward.

• advice against all but essential travel removed for 32 countries and territories
• travellers able to get insurance for more destinations
• changes are a boost for businesses and families

The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office ( FCDO ) has lifted its advice against all but essential travel for over 30 countries and territories. The change means people will be able to travel to a larger number of destinations with greater ease.

The update comes as part of a simplified system for international travel which has seen the replacement of the traffic light system with a single red list, and reduced testing requirements for eligible fully vaccinated travellers.

The FCDO will no longer advise against travel to non-red list countries on COVID-19 grounds, except in exceptional circumstances such as if the local healthcare system is overwhelmed.

Many travel insurance companies use FCDO travel advice as a reference point in their policies – typically excluding cover for places where government advises against essential travel, however people will now be able to purchase travel insurance for a wider range of destinations across the globe.

Advice has been lifted in light of the improved public health in many countries and territories, better understanding of the virus and the decreased risk to British nationals as a result of the vaccine roll out.

The FCDO will continue to advise against all but essential travel for all red list countries and territories where the risk to British travellers is ‘unacceptably high’. People should not travel to red list countries. The FCDO will remove advisories for more countries and territories in the coming days.

Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said:

These rule tweaks will make travelling more straightforward, supporting businesses and families right across Britain - and allow more of us to see friends and loved ones with greater peace of mind. We’re striking the right balance between keeping people safe which remains our priority and giving them the freedom to exercise personal responsibility, while supporting the travel sector as it continues to recover.

The FCDO advises against travel when it assesses the risk to travelling British nationals to be ‘unacceptably high’, across a range of risks including safety and security. Before the pandemic, this was reserved for fragile states or areas.

A global advisory against all but essential travel to every country and territory was introduced at the start of the pandemic in March 2020. This was lifted in November 2020 and the FCDO has been assessing COVID-19 risks country by country and before today’s changes, advised against travel on COVID-19 grounds to 117 countries and territories.

FCDO travel advice provides objective information to British nationals so they can make decisions about travelling abroad and plan for a trouble-free trip. It is constantly reviewed to ensure it includes up-to-date advice and covers topics such as entry requirements, safety and security issues, health risks and details about local laws and customs.

Travel is different. The FCDO recommends that anyone planning a trip abroad should take the following steps:

check FCDO travel advice for the entry requirements for your destination, including any proof of vaccination you may need, as well as testing and quarantine rules

check what you need to do on return to the UK

know and follow the local COVID-19 rules and restrictions for your destination – there may be limits on group numbers and curfews

plan and prepare in-case you test positive overseas – take more cash, medication and essentials. You must follow local advice regarding self-isolation, and you may need to stay longer than planned

sign up for travel advice email alerts so you automatically receive the latest travel advice updates for the destinations you want to know about

get travel insurance or check your existing policy, particularly for coronavirus related cover

If you are travelling to Europe, check your E/GHIC and ensure your travel insurance covers you for healthcare

Coming back to the UK

The traffic light system has been replaced by a single red list of countries and territories and simplified travel measures for arrivals from the rest of the world .

FCDO will lift its advisory against all but essential travel to:

• America Samoa
• Tokelau & Niue
• Equatorial Guinea
• French Polynesia
• Marshall Islands
• São Tomé and Príncipe
• Solomon Islands

Media enquiries

Email [email protected]

Telephone 020 7008 3100

Contact the FCDO Communication Team via email (monitored 24 hours a day) in the first instance, and we will respond as soon as possible.

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• Moscow extension ...

Moscow extension after June 17-25 St. Petersburg, Tallinn and Helsinki

Hello Forum I’m traveling on the June 17- 25, 2019 St. Petersburg, Tallinn and Helsinki tour. I’m checking in to see if anyone on that tour is planning to extend their trip to Moscow. I'm a solo traveler, planning on taking the high speed train on the last day of the tour, and will be spending two nights in Moscow. I’d be interested in sharing a local guide.

We are doing the same but leaving St Petersburg on July 4 . I am getting a quote from a Russian company but it will probably be high and we will end up figuring it out. We are doing it through the travel agency RS recommends.

If anyone from the tour that ends on July 2 wants to share info, please write.

Since my original posting I have contacted Marina Penkovskay, a guide referenced on this site. She has been an amazing resource. I sent her a long wish list of attractions I wanted to see and activities I wanted to do and she created a custom itinerary for me. I independently booked my seats for the Bolshoi ( a ballet and an opera) and also booked my own accommodations. Marina helped with the Sapsan from St. Petersburg and her team will also provide my ride to the airport. I’m feeling very confident about my solo stay in Moscow.

I'm sure it's your auto-correct, but if you're looking for more information, the high speed train from St. Petersburg to Moscow is the Sapsan, not the Saipan (wrong part of the world!). The Sapsan is a great way to connect the cities - under four hours, city center to city center, on a new and spiffy train, with no airport hassles.

Closing the loop on my initial post.

Been back about a week: I would highly recommend Marina and her team and would book again with her if I have the chance to see Moscow or St Petersburg again. Some notes: arrived in St. Petersburg hotel and found that she had left an envelope for me at the desk. Included my printed Moscow itinerary, train ticket and a postcard. I emailed her to thank her and got a reply within 30 min welcoming me to the city. In Moscow...my guide met me trackside when my train pulled in. He introduced himself as Mikhail or Michael, grabbed by heavy suitcase and escorted me through the train station to a waiting mini van and introduced me to Sergi, our driver for the day. We hit all my listed sites and more, pulling over and jumping out to see monuments, churches or just a great view. And that was just day one. Day two was even better...Mikhail was stellar! Professional, interesting, well educated in art history, local politics, American humor, history of Moscow...you name it. He was tireless. And eager to show me as much as I wanted to see. My first regret, too short of time and too much to see. Another day would have been super. Second regret, not asking to stop and enjoy a meal. I would have enjoyed going to a local place with them to eat and talk. Advice, know what you really want to see or do and be open to some modest changes. Cheers!

Thanks for the update!

Thanks for coming back with an update! One quick question, though - do you feel you wouldn't have been able to see all the things on your list on your own (i.e without the help of your guide)?

Hi Perilofp, To your question, with more time I’m sure I could have navigated 50 to 60% of my selected itinerary. Given my self imposed two days, having a guide was efficient, practical and rather fun! Found it especially practical in the cathedrals and museums, with all the people/tourists, to be guided seamlessly to the highlighted must see items.

I'm headed to Moscow in September. Did you find your hotel to be centrally located and convenient for travel within the city? If so, would you feel comfortable sharing your hotel choice? Thank you! Heidi

Hi Heidi I stayed at the Hotel National. It was across the street from the Kremlin. It was an excellent choice for me, walking distance to the Bolshoi, several metro stations and of course the sites at Red Square. I felt safe walking around the square after dark and to and from the theater. The hotel staff were friendly and helpful. The public areas beautiful. The hotel has an interesting history too.

https://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/mowlc-hotel-national-a-luxury-collection-hotel-moscow/

This topic has been automatically closed due to a period of inactivity.