IMPORTANT: Please note that the following advice is a general overview, based upon what we know so far. As our clients have a variety of different insurances, which are placed with a number of different insurers, we are unable to comment on the exact stance of each about COVID-19, as this varies.
Full cover details are contained in your policy documents, but we are here to help you should you have any questions.
If you have any specific questions about your insurances, please call the team on 0800 980 2701
Useful links
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For the latest public information from the UK Government click here
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For health advice and guidance from the NHS click here
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For up-to-date travel advice from the Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO) click here
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For the most recent information from the World Health Organisation (WHO) click here
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Help on how to avoid COVID-19 scams click here
Cancellation
Now that the FCO has issued advice against all non-essential travel for the next 30 days (which is likely to be extended) you may have to cancel or re-organise a booked trip.
Your first port of call should be your travel provider(s) (airline, hotel, train company, etc) to see if you can obtain a refund or amend your travel plans.
Next speak with your credit card provider (if the trip was booked using a credit card, and the amount paid was over £100) as you should be able to claim under Article 75 of the Consumer Credit Act.
Finally, speak with your travel insurance claims team (you’ll find their details in your policy wording). Any claim made would be subject to the policy terms and conditions, when the policy was purchased and when the trip was booked.
Information last updated: 19/03/2020
Medical expenses
If you become ill with Coronavirus, or if you are quarantined overseas, then your policy should cover your medical expenses as well as additional accommodation expenses and changes to your itinerary until you are able to return home.
If you become ill, you should contact the 24 hour medical emergency service shown in your policy.
If you have a single trip policy, it should automatically extend until you are able to return home.
Curtailment (cutting your trip short)
If you are in an area for which the FCO advice has changed so that travel is restricted to “all but essential travel”, you should follow the advice of local or national authorities and make every effort to leave the area. You should be able to make a curtailment claim for unused travel and accommodation costs as well as additional costs of returning home.
Firstly, you should always follow the advice given by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), local (overseas)/UK health authorities and, if abroad, the local British Embassy.
FCO advice can be found at www.gov.uk/guidance/travel-advice-novel-coronavirus
Secondly, contact your travel provider (airline/hotel/tour operator/etc) to discuss options such as refunds, amendments or postponements.