If you think travel insurance protects you against every emergency, think again.
Unfortunately, there are limits and exclusions, meaning the insurer doesn't cover certain situations. They do this to limit their risk (and to keep plans more affordable), but many travelers overlook these — and end up surprised when they go to make a claim.
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Most Common Travel Insurance Exclusions
Exclusions vary by policy and insurer, but — just like common insurance inclusions — there are some standard exclusions that most travel insurers set.
The good news is, there are ways you can address many of these gaps.
Pre-existing medical conditions
Many insurers exclude or limit pre-existing conditions in their standard policies, but you often can still get pre-existing coverage with a premium plan or add-on.
Carefully read the fine print to determine the requirements that must be met.
For example, two of Allianz Travel Insurance‘s criteria are that you obtain approval from your doctor that you are medically able to travel on the day you purchase insurance and that you purchase the plan within the specified timeframe (usually within 14 days of travel).
Mental health conditions may also be limited. For example, most policies don't cover trip cancellations/interruptions or treatment related to a mental or nervous health disorder, such as Alzheimer's disease, anxiety, and dementia.
However, according to SquareMouth, some policies will offer trip cancellation coverage in the event of hospitalization due to a mental or nervous condition, if the hospitalization prevents the traveler from leaving on their trip.
If you want to ensure your condition is covered, it’s best to speak with a representative from the insurance company.
High-risk or adventure activities
Most basic travel insurance policies won’t cover high-risk or adventure activities like skydiving, scuba diving, or bungee jumping. If you want coverage for these, you may have to buy an add-on or a more premium policy tailored to adventure travel.
There are some insurers that specialize in adventure travel, such as World Nomads. They offer this coverage built right into all their plans. They have some standard inclusions as well as tiered policies, each covering a higher degree of risk.
Travel to restricted or high-risk destinations
Most policies will exclude coverage for areas where your government has issued a travel advisory. These are commonly regions with civil unrest, but could also be due to a natural disaster or disease outbreak.
Check your policy carefully to see whether it covers travel to such destinations.
Also, purchase insurance as soon as possible after booking your trip to maximize the chance of being covered if the destination is issued a travel warning soon after you book.
For example, maybe violent protests break out in your destination after you book your flight, and the U.S. government changes its advisory to a do-not-travel for that country.
Your insurance may cover you for having to cancel the trip. But you won’t be covered if you travel to a destination against travel warnings.
Pandemics or epidemics
Policies vary regarding pandemics.
For example, if you booked a trip after the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a pandemic on March 11, 2020, most insurers would have considered that a foreseen event — and therefore wouldn’t cover any cancellations, interruptions, or delays caused by having to quarantine.
But if you contracted COVID-19 before then or were stranded in a lockdown (and booked the trip before you could have known COVID was a risk), you may have been covered.
Now that COVID-19 is part of our general cold/flu cycle, some insurers, such as Faye, treat it like any other medical illness defined in their policy. Travel Guard also provides coverage if you can provide evidence from a doctor stating you are medically unfit to travel due to COVID.
READ MORE: Do Travelers Still Need Pandemic Travel Insurance?
Losses due to negligence
Having travel insurance doesn't mean you shouldn't still take care of your belongings or yourself.
For example, if your claim is “directly or indirectly linked to an incident involving alcohol, there's a good chance the insurer will deny their claim,” says Dean Van Es, Founder and CEO of Fast Cover Travel Insurance.
Similarly, “travel insurance policies generally won't cover ‘unattended possessions' — like if someone leaves their bags behind on a train station platform or at the beach and a thief wanders off with them. However, they might be covered if their luggage was safely stored in a secure locker or a locked hotel room, meaning someone had to break in to reach them.”
RELATED: How To Protect Family Valuables While Traveling
How To Identify Exclusions in a Travel Insurance Policy
Before you end up with an unapproved claim, make sure you know what’s included and what’s not in your travel insurance policy.
Read the fine print
“Always read the agreement thoroughly and call or email the insurer to understand it fully. If you hop on a call, they are always willing to help,” says Brittany Betts with The 100 Collection, a travel and hospitality evaluation company.
For an easy way to find what you’re looking for, she suggests copying and pasting the agreement into ChatGPT or similar tool and asking it to explain the agreement to you, including any limitations or exclusions.
Check your limits
It's also important to understand the limits to know how much compensation you're eligible for if something happens during your trip.
“For example, if your travel insurance covers $1,000 worth of stolen luggage and your luggage is worth $2,000, you would want to increase your limits or find a policy that covers more,” says Melanie Musson, a travel insurance expert with Clearsurance.com.
Shop around and compare
You can use online insurance marketplaces like VisitorsCoverage or SquareMouth to compare policies and narrow your search results based on specific exclusions you’d like covered.
If you would like peace of mind to be covered no matter what happens, some insurers offer cancel for any reason (CFAR) insurance, which lets you cancel for, yes, any reason.
Just note that you’ll only receive a percentage of the amount you insured — typically between 50% and 70%.
Tips for Avoiding Surprises When Filing Claims
If you’ve just had to deal with any kind of travel emergency, the last thing you then want to deal with is a rejected claim.
Here’s how to make sure yours has the best chance of being approved:
- Keep thorough documentation. Save receipts, medical records, police reports for stolen items, and proof of loss. Contact your insurance provider as soon as possible so there is a record that you have done so.
- File claims within required timeframes. There are deadlines for submitting claims and documentation. If these aren't adhered to, your claim may not succeed.
- Communicate with your provider. Most insurance companies have a 24-hour emergency assistance line that you can call while travelling. They can direct you to services such as medical assistance and offer advice to ensure a successful claim.
FAQs About Travel Insurance Exclusions
How do I know if a pre-existing condition is covered under my policy?
Check the fine print in your policy documents, in particular the section that explains exclusions and pre-existing conditions. Speak to your insurer if you are not sure.
Are pandemics excluded from most travel insurance policies?
Most insurers exclude coverage for pandemics other than COVID-19. If it is a “known” event, generally meaning that it has been publicly declared, there will likely be no coverage.
What happens if my destination is added to a government advisory after I’ve purchased insurance?
If a travel warning is issued after you purchased your travel insurance, you may be covered for any cancellations. Check your policy’s fine print or contact your insurer to double-check your options.
If the government advises that you need to leave the country and you don’t, you likely will not be covered.
Can I get coverage for acts of terrorism or civil unrest?
Yes, some insurers will cover you in these situations, provided it was in a destination that wasn’t considered high-risk and you purchased your policy before any high-risk event occurred that would indicate the destination was unsafe.
TL;DR: What Are Travel Insurance Exclusions?
Unfortunately, travel insurance doesn’t cover all situations.
Coverage for pre-existing conditions and adventure sports can often be purchased as an add-on, but high-risk destinations, declared pandemics, and your own negligence could make your travel insurance void.
Carefully read your policy documents and contact your insurer to be sure. This way, you can be prepared for what you can and can’t claim for.
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