Coronavirus: How Will It Affect My Holiday?

The FCO has created a checklist for people whose travel is considered essential. Please read this carefully to ensure that you’re fully prepared before you travel.

Some insurance providers have now stopped offering travel insurance entirely due to the outbreak of COVID-19. You may still be able to get a travel insurance policy for your trip but because the FCO has advised against all but essential travel, you will only be covered for travel changes due to coronavirus if you bought your policy before the advice was issued.

The UK government has advised against all but essential travel. If you have to travel it’s advisable to contact your insurance provider, carrier and accommodation to check how the virus could impact your cover and your travel arrangements. For up to date information on what areas and regions are most affected visit the FCO website.

As the FCO has now advised against all non-essential travel abroad, provided you bought insurance for your trip, you will be covered for cancellation. If you don’t have insurance, you should contact the company you booked your holiday with or the airline and hotel to see what can be done about the cancellation of your trip.

If you’re travelling to a destination that the UK government has advised against travelling to then it’s likely that you won’t be covered for claims related to Covid-19. To be on the safe side we advise you to talk to your insurer and keep an eye on the UK government website regarding travel restrictions to each country and region.

Most insurers won’t offer any coronavirus related cancellation or medical cover for countries that the UK government has advised against all essential travel. For all other medical or cancellation issues, your policy should cover you as long as they are not related to Covid-19.

Yes, there is a selection of travel insurance providers where you can purchase travel insurance but be aware that the majority of these policies will not cover any related coronavirus issues.

You should buy your travel insurance as soon as you’ve booked your holiday. This is key as your cover protects you from the minute you buy it, not from the moment you step foot on the plane. If you need to cancel your trip to due a bereavement or illness your cover will kick in.

This will depend on your insurance provider. It’s best to contact them and check or check online for optional extras.

This is really key question especially as many of us are choosing to holiday in the UK once lockdown is over. In terms of medical cover a travel insurance policy isn’t needed however it’s advisable to have cover for other elements of your trip such as your travel and accommodation costs. If we were to go into a second wave of the pandemic resulting in your trip being disrupted you may find you would be restricted on what you could claim for as it’s a known event.

Fully comprehensive travel insurance is a must when planning any holiday. In light of the recent events, it’s advisable to make sure that you purchase a policy with disruption cover to reimburse costs associated with delays and to protect you if you end up in quarantine. When comparing travel insurance providers, it’s important to consider more than the price. We’ve ranked travel insurance providers exclusively on product quality and customer experience so you can purchase a policy from a provider that you can rely on when you need them most.