Coronavirus Travel Insurance

Do your homework – It is a fast moving situation so make an informed decision about your actions - especially if you may have a compromised immune system, or you are travelling with very young or old family members whose health may be more vulnerable, or you have a pre-existing medical condition; chose destinations carefully; speak to your travel providers; check your insurance cover and stay abreast of FCDO and local Government advice and we strongly advise that you comply with it.

Check the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) https://www.gov.uk/browse/abroad/travel-abroad and the World Health Organisation (WHO) https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019 AND your local Government Advice before you book your travel destination and before you travel to avoid all locations that are against their travel advice.

If you have already booked we still recommend you check these websites regularly for updates in case the advice changes or restrictions are imposed for the area you are travelling to or from.

You will not be covered for any claim if you travel to a destination which your local Government authorities, or for UK residents the FCDO, or WHO, have advised against all or all but essential travel. Currently the FCDO advices against travel to certain destinations, so please check for full details.

Please see Coronavirus and your cover for more information.

This insurance is for unforeseen events, so you will not be covered if your trip is cancelled due to government covid-19 lockdowns / or travel restriction. Cancellation cover is for your own personal medical circumstances (illness or accident - including covid-19). You are covered for irrecoverable Membership Fees, travel costs, pre-booked excursions, and other pre-paid charges if you must Cancel your trip due to YOU, or someone you’re due to travel with, or stay with contracts COVID-19 within 14 days before you travel. There is NO cover for Government imposed area lockdowns (which is in line with other travel insurance policies). For example: If you prepaid 6 weeks in total and you miss 2 weeks due to an insured event under your policy - then Claims would consider the pro-rata proportion of your missed Fees (ie: 2 weeks), less any policy Excess. You are covered for the following specified reasons if you must Cancel / Curtail your trip:

1. death, injury, illness, of yourself, travel companion, anyone you’re due to stay with, close relative, close business associate Including COVID.
2. You are called as a Court witness, or jury service.
3. redundancy
4. cancelled leave by Armed Forces, TA, Police, Fire, Nursing or Ambulance Services.
5. Police or other authorities need you home due to serious damage to your home
6. Your compulsory quarantine for +24hrs by a doctor (excludes Government area restrictions).
7. Failed COVID-19 test or temperature test at your departure point and not permitted to continue trip.

If your travel company cancels your trip, then they must fully refund your costs or provide alternative options for you.

Please see Coronavirus and your cover for more information.

The airline must fully refund your flight costs or re-arrange your flight at the earliest opportunity.

If your travel provider does not co-operate, you can also approach your credit card company for them to arrange a refund instead, if you are in the UK, section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act of 1974 provides legal protection.

Please see Coronavirus and your cover for more information.

If you are stuck away from home because of newly imposed travel restrictions, your first port of call is your travel provider who can advise what next steps they plan for rescheduling. It is their primary responsible to get you to your destination.

Please see Coronavirus and your cover for more information.

If your travel company cancels your trip, then they must fully refund your costs or provide alternative options for you. Most providers are co-operating and rescheduling trips or providing credit vouchers.

For Economy, Regular, Globetrekker or J1 Policies:
Unfortunately you are not covered for cancellation, cutting your trip short, or trip disruption costs. However, in the unlikely event that you cancel your trip prior to travel and are unable to recover any pre-paid costs from your travel provider, and can provide evidence of this, Insurers suggest that you contact the claims handlers who will assess the information available and will consider claims for irrecoverable costs on a case by case, individual merit basis.

For Comprehensive and Annual Multi Trip Policies:
For policies purchased prior to 16th March 2020, if you are unable to recover any pre-paid costs from any other source, such as your travel provider, you may be covered for certain irrecoverable Cancellation costs in line with the Terms, Conditions and Exclusions of your insurance under section S3 Travel Disruption (Force Majeure) of these policy. Contact the Claims Handler with full details to check if your particular circumstances are covered.

Please see Coronavirus and your cover for more information.

Travel Insurance is intended to cover unforeseen events. The coronavirus is a circumstance known to you. This means that if you haven’t already purchased travel insurance for your trip to a location where your local Authorities, or the FCDO/WHO have now restricted travel, or advised against travel, you will not be covered under any section of the policy. The exception is if you have contacted us at globelink@globelink.co.uk with your specific reason for travel and we have confirmed to you in writing that we have classified your particular trip as essential travel to a restricted area.

We can understand you thinking twice about travelling at the moment. However, if you decide against travel, even though the FCDO have not advised against travel to your chosen location – then you are still able to take you trip. This means that you will not be able to make a claim on your Travel Insurance for lost holiday or cancellation costs.

Please see Coronavirus and your cover for more information.

If customers have concerns about travelling with an underlying medical condition and want to cancel the trip, this is not covered by the insurance, however, Insurers will look at each circumstance on its own merits and we can look to assist you alter your insurance travel dates on globelink@globelink.co.uk.

Please see Coronavirus and your cover for more information.

Where you have commenced travel / or are due to travel to a destination and a local Government directive will deny you entry, or apply quarantine restriction upon arrival, you should first approach your carrier, tour operator etc to check your options.

For Comprehensive or Annual Multi Trip Policy purchased prior to 16th March 2020:

• If you need immediate help while away, or may start to incur additional costs because of trip disruption, contact the Assistance Company Mayday, on +44 (0)1273 624 661 or operations@maydayassistance.com. They will provide guidance and support for your circumstances.
• If you are unable to recover your pre-paid costs from any other source, such as your travel provider, you can submit a claim for consideration for irrecoverable costs in line with the Terms, Conditions and Exclusions of your insurance under Section S3 Travel Disruption (Force Majeure) of the policy. You must obtain evidence of the local government restrictions at the time. However, you must first approach your travel provider for refunds / or rescheduling.

Economy, Regular, Globetrekker or J1 Policies purchased prior to 16th March 2020:
Unfortunately you are not covered for cancellation, cutting your trip short, or trip disruption costs. However, in the unlikely event that you cancel your trip prior to travel and are unable to recover any pre-paid costs from your travel provider, and can provide evidence of this, Insurers suggest that you contact the claims handlers who will assess the information available and will consider claims for irrecoverable costs on a case by case, individual merit basis.

All Policies purchased prior to 16th March 2020 and those purchased from 3rd July 2020 do cover emergency medical expenses (Section B) connected with the coronavirus including your compulsory quarantine costs due to medical reasons (not an area/regional lockdown), emergency medication supplies, while you are abroad, provided that you are not travelling against the advice of your local Government authority, or for UK residents the FCDO. You must always tell the 24 hour Emergency Medical Assistance Service as soon as possible if you suffer injury, illness or disease which requires hospital admission. They will then assist and authorise necessary treatment.

Please see Coronavirus and your cover for more information.

All Globelink policies purchased prior to 16th March 2020 and those purchased from 3rd July 2020 cover necessary emergency medical expenses as a result of unforeseen injury, illness, disease and/or your compulsory quarantine for your own medical condition (not area restrictions). You must always tell the 24 hour Emergency Medical Assistance Service as soon as possible if you suffer injury, illness or disease which requires hospital admission or compulsory quarantine. They will then assist and authorise necessary costs.

Please see Coronavirus and your cover for more information.

You have the right to cancel and get a full refund up to 14 days from the date you purchase your insurance provided that you haven’t travelled (or in the case of Single Trip policies, cover has not already commenced), and no claim has been made. In these exceptional circumstances we will also assist by amending your insurance dates wherever possible if you wish to travel at a later date. Please email globelink@globelink.co.uk. We recommend you always check your local government authority website, or the FCDO & WHO travel advice when choosing your destination and keep an eye after you’ve booked, as the situation may change.

The FCDO publish country by country health and safety advice that’s updated regularly and includes any locations where they advise against travel so check for full details.

Any more questions email us on globelink@globelink.co.uk or call +44 (0) 1353 699082.

Please see Coronavirus and your cover for more information.