COVID-19 - FAQs

We pride ourselves on being there for our customers and keeping them safe. We know that the ongoing COVID-19 situation is having a big impact on travel at the moment. The frequent changes can be overwhelming and confusing, which is why we’ve tried to clear up as much as possible and answer the most important questions below.

These questions relate only to the Allianz Assistance branded single trip, backpacker and annual multi-trip policies available on this website. For information on other policies underwritten by AWP P&C SA and administered by Allianz Assistance or sold through our partners please refer to your policy wording for the customer service contact details.

The advice below was last updated on 8th March 2022. To the best of our knowledge this information is correct at the time of writing.

Useful websites:

FCDO travel advice: Foreign travel advice - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

FCDO step-by-step travel abroad guide: Travel abroad: step by step - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

NHS COVID-19 information: Coronavirus (COVID-19) - NHS (www.nhs.uk)

Government red list rules: UK Government Red List Countries - Return Travel Rules

Government travel rules: UK Government All Other Countries - Return Travel Rules (non-red list countries)

Rapid lateral flow test kits: Ordering Service (www.gov.uk)

1) What do the revised government travel lists mean for my travel insurance policy?

From the 4^th October 2021 at 4am UK time, the UK government revised its traffic light approach to travel. There is now just a Red list of countries and a list of other countries.

These lists relate purely to the guidelines you’ll need to follow when returning to the UK and once you arrive back in the UK. While these are not relevant to the travel insurance policy cover, you should check and follow the latest information on the Government guidance websites.

Travel insurance cover remains dependent on you following the travel advice from the from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) - make sure you read your policy documents carefully so that you fully understand what you’re covered for. It is important to understand that you must travel directly to or via another destination that is not subject to FCDO advice against all or all but essential travel for your cover to be valid.

Where the FCDO advise against all travel

If you travel through or make a stopover in a destination that the FCDO is advising against visiting, your travel insurance policy will not cover you for claims made before or during any part of your trip.

Where the FCDO advise against all but essential travel

If you travel to a destination where the FCDO has advised against all but essential travel and need to make a claim, you’ll need to provide Allianz Assistance with documentation that shows you are travelling for a permitted and essential reason before they can consider your claim.

Please keep up to date with the FCDO advice when booking and travelling and contact us if you have any questions or concerns.

2) What do your travel insurance policies cover in relation to COVID-19?

Whilst each of our policies have varying levels of cover depending on the needs of the policyholder and the level of cover they have chosen, it is important to note that under all of our travel insurance policies, changes in Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) travel advice and government-imposed restrictions including quarantine/lockdown of a geographical area, are not covered events. However, we’ve made specified exceptions to the general exclusion against claims arising from or relating to a pandemic or epidemic. This means that if you buy a new policy now, or even if you already have a policy and are yet to travel, you’ll have cover if:

You contract COVID-19 whilst abroad and need medical treatment, or have to return home early as a result of your condition.
You contract COVID-19 or are required to quarantine abroad following virus exposure and need to extend your trip. We’ll cover the cost of additional accommodation and transport until its safe for you to return home.
You or your travel companion develop symptoms and are advised against travel by your GP, test positive for COVID-19 or are asked to self-isolate by the NHS or under the government’s ‘Test and Trace’ scheme and have to cancel your trip. Please note that this applies to isolation in individual circumstances only; you won’t be covered if you can’t travel due to a local or national lockdown.
You’re denied boarding on pre-booked public transport because you or your travel companion are showing signs of COVID-19 and are unable to travel as a result.
A close relative of you or your travel companion becomes seriously ill with a pandemic/epidemic illness and you need to cancel or cut your trip short.

3) Am I covered if I travel within the UK now?

Yes, you’ll be covered in line with the terms and conditions outlined in your policy document if you travel within the UK, in line with government advice – make sure you read your policy documents carefully so that you fully understand what you’re covered for. It is also important to adhere to all government orders or transport provider rules.

4) Am I covered for travel abroad now?

Yes, you’ll be covered in line with the terms and conditions outlined in your policy document if you travel abroad providing you follow travel advice from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO). However it's important to remember that FCDO is still advising against travel to certain destinations at the moment and you won’t be covered if you travel against the advice.

You should read your policy documents carefully to ensure that your cover is suitable for your needs and make sure you keep up to date with the latest advice before you book and ahead of your departure date, as the advice may change at short notice if there is a sudden rise in COVID-19 cases or a new variant is detected in your travel destination.

If the advice for your destination changes before you set off, you should speak to your airline/travel provider to arrange reimbursement or an alternative date/destination of travel. If you took out a single trip policy with us to specifically cover the trip, you can get in touch with us to make changes to your policy, as long as you have not and do not intend to make a claim. Changing your policy details is free of charge, but you may need to pay an additional premium if the changes are significant, for example if you add additional travellers to your policy or medical treatment is significantly more expensive at your new destination.

5) I have booked a trip abroad to a destination which does not have any FCDO restrictions but I am not fully vaccinated. Can I still travel?

According to the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), you can visit countries regardless of whether you are fully vaccinated or not. However, there are some countries that will not allow travellers to enter unless they can prove that they’ve been fully vaccinated for COVID-19. When you’re booking a trip, make sure you check the entry requirements for your destination and prepare any documents of proof before you go. If you are denied entry into your country of destination because you have failed to meet the entry requirements, you won’t be covered by your travel insurance policy for any financial losses or unexpected additional costs.

6) Can I claim on my travel insurance if I have to cancel my trip because my destination has banned UK residents from entry?

You would need to contact the airline and/or travel provider to discuss your options for amending or cancelling your trip. Your travel insurance policy won’t cover you for cancellation if you’re unable to travel to your destination due to a ban on UK residents at your destination.

If you chose to buy a single trip or backpacker policy with us to cover this trip specifically and are able to change your dates of travel, you can contact us to discuss your options for amending your travel insurance policy.

7) Can I claim on my travel insurance if I have to cancel my trip because the FCDO are now advising against all or all but essential travel to my destination?

However, there are other ways in which you might be protected against financial losses in these circumstances. Many travel providers will enable customers to cancel or alter their booking free of charge if the FCDO is advising against travel to the destination. Costs over £100 that are not recoverable from your airline and/or travel provider may be recoverable from your credit card company if your credit card was used to make the purchase. You may also have buyer protection if payments were made through PayPal.

8) I’m abroad now and the area I’ve travelled to is going into lockdown, what should I do?

If you’re abroad and the country or local area goes into lockdown you should contact your airline/travel provider as soon as possible to discuss your options for amending your return travel. If you are unable to arrange travel to return home, please contact the FCDO or local embassy or consulate for advice.

9) Would I be covered for medical expenses if I contracted COVID-19 whilst abroad, providing I didn't travel against the FCDO advice??

As long as you haven’t travelled against FCDO advice, we can consider claims under the medical expenses section of your travel insurance policy for expenses incurred from receiving medical treatment. Should you contract COVID-19 during travel, follow any advice given by the local authorities and contact your travel provider to notify them as soon as possible. If you are suffering with COVID-19 abroad, please contact our 24-hour emergency medical assistance line for advice.

If your trip needs to be extended as a result of your condition, please contact our 24-hour emergency medical assistance line to discuss your cover.

10) Would I be covered for non-medical financial losses if I contracted COVID-19 whilst abroad, providing I didn't travel against the FCDO advice?

Yes, as long as you haven’t travelled against FCDO advice, you will be covered in line with the policy terms and conditions. If you’re suffering with COVID-19 abroad, please contact our 24-hour emergency medical assistance line for advice and support with your arrangements.

11) Would I be covered if I cancel my trip because I’m unable to quarantine on my return?

Your travel insurance policy wouldn’t cover you for any financial losses incurred from cancelling your trip if you aren’t able to quarantine on your return to the UK. This is because your travel insurance is there to cover you during travel and for unexpected events that take place before your trip impacting your ability to travel. Quarantine takes place after the trip ends, so this period of time isn’t covered under your travel insurance policy.

12) Would I be covered for the cost of any government imposed quarantine either at my resort or on my return?

Your travel insurance policy wouldn’t cover you for any financial losses incurred from quarantine on your return to the UK. We would only consider claims if you or a travelling companion have to be quarantined (as an individual) at your resort when you have contracted COVID-19 or been exposed to a similar contagious disease. Local or national lockdowns or where quarantine applies to entire vessels would not be covered.

13) Would I be covered for additional unexpected costs if I’m fined or refused boarding upon re-entry into the UK because I didn’t take a COVID-19 test or meet another entry requirement before my return travel?

Your travel insurance policy wouldn’t cover you for any unexpected additional travel or accommodation costs if your return journey is delayed as a result of failing to produce evidence of a negative test or meet any other entry requirements when starting your journey home. This is because failure to comply with entry requirements for any country is not a covered event; your travel insurance is there to cover you for unplanned and unknown circumstances.

If you aren’t able to obtain your test result, COVID-19 vaccine passport or any other documentation in time for your original return travel, you should get in contact with your travel provider to make alternative arrangements for coming home.

14) If I decide to cancel/move a trip in the future, can I cancel or change my travel insurance?

If you buy a single trip or backpacker policy with us to cover a specific trip and make changes to the dates, destination or other aspects of your trip, you can contact us to discuss your options for amending your travel insurance policy. If you have an annual multi-trip policy with us and reschedule your trip, cover will only apply during the period of insurance; if your rearranged trip is taken after your policy expires, you won’t be covered unless you take out another policy. If you want to cancel your travel insurance outside of the 14-day cancellation rights period, we can cancel your cover but will be unable to offer you a refund. However, we might be able to offer flexibility on the 14-day cancellation period if you’ve come into financial difficulty as a result of the COVID-19 crisis, as long as you haven’t already used or claimed on your policy. Please get in touch with us directly to discuss your options.

15) Can I claim on my travel insurance if my airline/travel provider has cancelled my trip and is only offering to reschedule or give me a voucher, instead of a refund?

If your airline/travel provider is based in the UK, they are obliged to provide a cash refund if you don’t wish to accept a voucher or reschedule your trip. As this is not an insured event under your travel insurance policy, you should always contact your airline/travel provider if your travel is cancelled and you aren’t happy with the reimbursement being offered.

16) I had an upcoming trip planned but my airline/tour operator has gone bankrupt. Can I claim on my travel insurance for cancellation costs?

If you chose to take out a policy with Gold level of cover, you may be able to claim under the End Supplier Failure section of the policy. Please note that this would only cover costs associated with the relevant supplier, not for any other costs incurred when cancelling your trip. However, you should find out whether you are covered for these losses by any other means before making a claim on your travel insurance.

If the company is ATOL protected, you would already have protection against end supplier failure. If you’re unable to recover costs from the company, they may be recoverable from your credit card company if your credit card was used to make the purchase. You may also have buyer protection if payments were made through PayPal.

If you chose to take out a policy with Silver or Bronze level of cover or our backpacker policy, your policy won’t cover you for financial losses in the event of end supplier failure, even if you can’t recover the costs by any other means.

17) I’m due to travel in the next couple of weeks but have symptoms/have tested positive for COVID-19. Am I covered if I cancel my trip as a result?

As long as no FCDO advice against travel to your destination is already in place and you’re able to provide a medical certificate completed by your GP confirming your diagnosis and declaring you unfit to travel, you can claim for cancellation costs in line with the terms and conditions of your travel insurance policy.

18) The country I’m due to travel to next week, have announced it’ll be closing its borders to travellers from the UK after my arrival date. Am I covered if I continue with my trip?

As long as no FCDO advice against travel to your destination is given and the government at your destination also allow you to travel, you will be covered in line with the terms and conditions of your travel insurance policy.

We suggest you check that your travel provider can still provide the transport and accommodation you have booked, since changes to these arrangements are not covered by your insurance policy. You should also be aware that any additional costs relating to or caused by these entry requirements (such as compulsory quarantine) will not be covered.

19) My flight has been re-routed and will now stopover in an area not included in my travel insurance policy. Do I have to pay extra to upgrade my policy?

As long as you don’t leave the airport during your stopover and your stay doesn’t exceed 24 hours, you won’t need to upgrade your travel insurance policy and we’ll still cover you during your stopover. However, if your stopover is longer than 24 hours and/or you leave the terminal building, even if you go to an airport hotel, you’ll need to pay an additional premium to stay covered. Contact us - we’ll be happy to help.

20) I’m struggling to make ends meet as a result of the crisis. Is there anything you can do to support me?

Single trip and backpacker policies:

If you took out a single trip or backpacker policy with us and have since had to move or cancel your trip, your policy with us needn’t go to waste. If you’ve changed your travel dates, you can amend your policy to reflect this, though you may need to pay an additional premium if there are significant changes to your policy, such as the length of your new trip or the number of people travelling. Or, if you have had to cancel your trip, you can cancel your policy and receive a full refund as long as you have not and currently do not intend to make a claim. Please be aware that no claims can be made on the policy after it has been cancelled.

If you move your trip to another date within the next 12 months and need to amend your policy, please get in touch with us as soon after confirming the new dates as possible. If you need to cancel your policy, please contact us to arrange this before the start date of your policy cover.

Annual multi-trip policies:

If you have an annual multi-trip (AMT) policy with us that you’re unable to use right now, you may be able to claim a pro-rata refund if you want to cancel your cover. As long as you haven’t already claimed on your policy during a previous trip and will not be making a claim, you can cancel the remainder of your AMT policy and we’ll proportionately refund you, based on how many days’ cover you have left when you get in touch with us.

Getting in touch:

You can reach us on 020 8603 9653 or insurance@allianz-assistance.co.uk, Monday – Friday, 9am – 5pm. During this extremely busy time for our customer service team, we ask you to bear with us whilst we work hard to help you as quickly as we can.