Travel Insurance

Our "Where can I go on holiday?" guide answers this question in more detail, with links to the most up to date sources of official guidance on where you can travel to in this time of Covid-19 and what's required of you if you do. This includes any requirements for Covid-19 testing and quarantine when visiting different destinations, and whether they're affected by your vaccination status.

The key thing to remember is that there is no cover provided if the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) advises against all travel to your destination or if any of the UK governments have implemented travel bans against travel within the UK or internationally.

If the FCDO have advised to only undertake essential travel to a destination and your trip is not essential and you choose to travel, we will only cover a claim if the cause is not linked to the reason for the FCDO advice. This limitation applies even if you have purchased an optional Trip Disruption or Covid-19 upgrade. You may be able to travel with full cover if we authorise in writing that your trip is essential before you depart. Should you like to request this, please email travelinsurancefeedback@postoffice.co.uk

If there's no such advice in place, your travel insurance should cover you for the trip as set out in the terms of your policy.

Check the latest FCDO travel advice regularly to make sure you'll be covered if you go.

You should test and report test results in line with official guidance to reflect government advice.

To support any claim, we require a written confirmation of positive test for Covid-19 administered by an independent authority (online consultations are included), including the date of the result to be provided.

Useful site link:
https://www.gov.uk/report-covid19-result
 

Many countries now require a certificate from an officially recognised testing centre that confirms you’ve tested negative for coronavirus, or that you’re double or triple vaccinated depending on your age, and your last vaccination was more than two weeks ago.

For the very latest information, including specific requirements for your destination, always check the www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice. It has dedicated pages for all countries and territories that include what’s needed to enter them.

Testing must be conducted at the traveller’s expense and the prices can vary, so shop around for prices from reputable UK test providers.

Make sure you allow plenty of time to take the tests and get the results, so you don’t risk a wait that could delay or prevent your trip altogether.

At the time of writing, the government’s red list has effectively been removed. Should the red list be reinstated the following will apply.

Whether your travel insurance will cover your trip to a specific destination is determined by the FCDO’s advice on international travel, not necessarily by the list that destination is placed on in relation to Covid-19.

If, for example, a red country has no advice against “all” travel in place from the FCDO, your policy will still be valid and your trip there covered. If the FCDO have advised to only undertake “essential travel” to a destination and your trip is not essential and you choose to travel, we will only cover a claim if the cause is not linked to the reason for the FCDO advice. This limitation applies even if you have purchased an optional Trip Disruption or Covid-19 upgrade. You may be able to travel with full cover if we authorise in writing that your trip is essential before you depart.

But you will still need to take any tests required for red list countries and your vaccination status, and self-isolate as directed on your return to the UK, paying the associated costs.

None of those expenses are covered under our standard policy provisions, but you can add the optional Covid-19 upgrade to cover against this eventuality. Cover is only provided, if the status of your destination changes after you have departed to a red listed country.  If its known at the time of booking or taking out a policy, then this is not covered.

The simplest way to confirm if your policy will be valid is to check the latest FCDO advice for your specific destination. Please note that any local government restrictions must be adhered to also.

This answer was written when the government’s red list had effectively been removed. In the event of the red list being reinstated, the following will apply.

If your destination moves to the red list before you travel there, contact your tour operator, flight and/or accommodation provider to see if they can move your trip.

We’ll happily move the start date of your Single-trip Travel Insurance policy by up to 12 months from the original purchase date. If you wish to extend the duration of your Single-trip policy, change your trip destination or you have a new or changed medical condition, you may have to pay a bit more.

Please call us on 0330 123 3690~ to arrange these changes.

There’s no cover for the impact of such delays on our Travel insurance policies but you can easily add it by selecting our Covid-19 upgrade option for an additional premium.

The cover this upgrade provides is limited to tests taken on the day of your booked departure and administered at your departure point. You need to be at the airport at least 4 hours before your scheduled departure for this cover to apply.

If, during your trip, the UK government changes the quarantine requirements impacting your destination, there’s no cover for:

• The costs involved in cutting your trip short, including the expenses of getting back home early. If this happens, please contact your airline to see what support is available and if you need to abandon the trip, any receipts for the cost of additional transport
• Any additional costs you’re unexpectedly required to pay for testing or quarantine in a place outside your home on your return to the UK, please refer to the policy wording for the full list of requirements.

If you want extra protection in case of such changes, you can buy our Covid-19 optional upgrade to any of our policies. It provides cover if you have to cut short your trip and fly home before the quarantine restriction comes into force, or to help with costs of the quarantine itself, up to the limits specified.

Should new testing requirements be introduced for re-entry to the UK that were not in place before you left or booked your trip, we can help to cover these costs too.

Suppose you buy a new policy, travel to a destination for which there is no FCDO advice against all travel, but the advice changes while you’re there to avoid all or all but essential travel there and government advise is for trips to be cut short and return to the UK. 

If during your trip the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office advise against all or all but essential travel to your destination for a reason other than Covid-19 and advise trips are cut short and return to the UK, you can claim for unused travel and accommodation costs form the date it changed.

If its coronavirus related, this is not covered.  
 

Check your policy wording, terms and conditions for more details.

On all Post Office Travel Insurance policies bought from 31 March 2022, you’re covered for cancellation if:

• You, a travelling companion, an immediate relative^ or someone you’re planning to stay with dies or is hospitalised due to Covid-19
• Within 14 days of your trip, you test positive for Covid-19 and are required to self-isolate by a medical practitioner, the NHS or any UK government body
• A medical practitioner certifies you as too ill to travel due to Covid-19
• You, a travelling companion, or the person you are staying with are required by a medical practitioner, a government body or health authority to self-isolate due to COVID-19.

For full details of all scenarios in which cancellation cover does and does not apply, whether related to coronavirus or not, please check the full policy wording.

If you have to cut short your trip because of Covid-19, your Post Office Travel insurance policy will cover you in these circumstances:

• You, a travelling companion, an immediate relative^ or someone you’re planning to stay with dies or is hospitalised due to Covid-19
• During your travels, after you’ve left the UK, you test positive for Covid-19 and self-isolation is required by a medical practitioner, health professional or government body

You can also add our extra Covid-19 upgrade option for an extra premium. This will provide cover if you have to cut short your trip because someone you’re travelling or staying with tests positive for Covid-19 and you have to self-isolate. There are other reasons included, so check out what additional cover you can purchase.

At the time of writing this, there are no entry requirements to enter the UK, but should this change for the future the below will apply.

If while you’re away you, someone you’re travelling with or someone you’re staying with test positive for Covid-19 and you have to self-isolate, there’s a chance you could miss your return flight and/or connections to get you back to the UK. Our Covid-19 upgrade option provides extra cover to reimburse you for expenses incurred up to the limits.  There is no cover for this without the Covid-19 upgrade.

The Covid-19 upgrade also offers protection in case the hotel you’ve pre-booked to stay in or the cruise ship you’re travelling on (but not the wider geographical area it’s in) is put into compulsory quarantine due to the virus.

If your travel or accommodation providers cancel, please contact them first. If an airline or tour operator cancel your flight or trip, they must reimburse you or provide an alternative. If you’ve booked independently, some accommodation and car parking providers won’t give refunds. So, if you booked with a credit or bank card, contact your card issuer first to see if you’re covered. If you’re able to rearrange your travel plans, we’ll happily transfer your cover to your new trip dates up to 12 months from your original policy purchase date.

Policies sold between 6 September 2020 and 30 March 2022 provide the following Covid-19 cover.

Before you go:

• Cancellation within 14 days of your trip should you test positive
• Cancellation if a close relative# passes away after testing positive for Covid-19
• Curtailment if you test positive for Covid-19 at your outward departure point and are not allowed to go on your trip
• Missed departure while waiting for test results* (negative result included, you must arrive at your departure point within the time stated, and the testing is to take place at your departure point) 

 While you are travelling

• Curtailment if you test positive upon arrival at your destination**
• Curtailment if you test positive for the virus or are medically quarantined for 24+ hours whilst in destination**
• Curtailment if a close relative# passes away from Covid-19 back at home
• Emergency medical and additional expenses, including getting you home

There’s NO cover for:

• Travelling against Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) advice or any Government restrictions (including UK lockdowns or travel bans)
• Changes to FCDO or local Government travel advice while you’re away
• Not wanting to travel for fear of catching Covid-19
• Unlimited costs (each level of cover has a maximum benefit)
• Buying a policy after receiving a positive Covid-19 test result or waiting for a result when your trip starts within 14 days
• Following general advice from a government to self-isolate, including any quarantine requirements upon re-entering the UK
• The cost of any medical tests or results
• Your GP or medical practitioner advises not to travel due to existing health conditions.

For more details check the full policy wordings so you’re in no doubt what’s covered. Remember, your cover won’t be valid if you travel against FCDO advice on international travel and government guidance on travel within the UK. This can change often and at short notice, so please check it regularly and again before you go.

*Not available on Economy, Lite, Prime and Elite policies

** Economy, Standard and Premier levels of cover only

#Close relative: Your mother, father, sister, brother, spouse, civil partner, fiancé/e, your children (including adopted and fostered), grandparent, grandchild, parent-in-law, daughter-in-law; sister-in-law, son-in-law, brother-in-law, aunt, uncle, cousin, nephew, niece, step-parent, step-child, step-brother, step-sister or legal guardian.