All new Post Office Travel Insurance policies include a range of cover for disruption or difficulties relating to Covid-19. We’ve included this base layer of protection to help holidaymakers travel more confidently in the time of coronavirus. Check what's covered as standard

This includes cancellation cover for a number of scenarios relating to Covid-19, reimbursing you for the missed part of your trip if you cut it short in the event that you test positive on your trip and self isolation is required, and cover for medical and repatriation costs if your fall ill with the virus while away.

Everyone’s needs are different, though, so you may want the extra reassurance of additional protection over and above the standard cover, for other scenarios in which the virus might affect your travel plans.

The Covid-19 Cover option provides cover for curtailment (cutting your trip short) in more scenarios than the standard cover, including if testing or quarantine requirements change for your return to the UK. It also provides additional protection in the event of you missing a scheduled departure or connection due to the virus in certain situations, such as a localised quarantine in your pre-booked accommodation. You'll find more details of these in the questions below and listed in the policy wording.

It’s important to check the latest travel advice from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) regularly. There’s no cover on our policies if the FCDO has current advice in place against all travel and where any of the UK governments – for England, Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland – 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’ll only cover a claim if the cause is not linked to the reason for the FCDO advice.

This limitation applies even if you’ve 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 We’ve prepared a guide on where you can go on holiday that summarises and links out to official sources of advice on where you can travel to and you must do in order to go.

Your vaccination status won't affect whether you can buy Post office Travel Insurance or our policy add-ons like Covid-19 cover.

What may be affected is where you can travel to or what is needed to return to the UK once you've been away.

It's important to check the latest travel advice from Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) regularly.

All our travel insurance policies bought from 31 March 2022 onwards provide trip curtailment cover in some circumstances. Check what’s covered as standard for details.

If you buy your policy directly from Post Office rather than through an aggregator site, you have the option to add the Covid-19 Cover upgrade, which provides additional cover.

• You’re delayed waiting for your Covid-19 test result at your outward departure point (airport/ferry/train terminal) and are unable to go on your trip. If this happens, you can claim unused travel and accommodation costs. If you test negative, please see the ‘Missed departure’ section below. Tests must be taken at your departure point on the day your trip’s due to start, and you must arrive at the airport at least 4 hours before you scheduled departure.

• Someone in your party has tested positive for COVID-19 and you are told to stay in your hotel room (self-isolate) for more than 24 hours by a local medical practitioner, health authority or Government body. In this event, you are covered up to the sum insured for travel and accommodation costs you couldn’t use. 

In both of the above scenarios, a copy of the positive test result will be required when submitting your claim. Positive tests must be administered/witnessed by an independent authority, including the date of result. Photographic evidence of a self-administered test kit is not acceptable validation.

Please note we only cover your unused travel and accommodation expenses, not the actual cost to return you back home.

The Covid-19 Option also provides curtailment cover if:

• You wish to return home early when UK rules for your destination change to avoid having to quarantine away from home upon your return to the UK. In this case, you're covered for the unused accommodation costs plus any necessary additional travel and accommodation costs to get you home early when you cut short your trip before the quarantine restrictions in the UK come in to force.

Where we pay for additional costs to return you home early, we will not pay for the cost of the original unused return flight. 
This is providing there was no warning by the UK Government that your destination could be impacted by quarantine restrictions upon entry back into the UK 14 days prior to the start of your trip.

• Compulsory quarantine of your hotel or cruise ship by a medical practitioner, health authority or Government body disrupts the rest of your planned trip. 

If you’re instructed that your localised accommodation has been put under quarantine, you're covered for travel and accommodation costs you could not use. This cover only applies to your immediate accommodation, not a mandatory quarantine applied to a wider geographical area around it.
 

Our policies don’t provide cover for cutting short a trip in these circumstances, regardless of whether you have the Covid-19 optional upgrade:

• The Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office advise against ALL travel to your destination during your trip and advise UK nationals to return to the UK. If this happens we suggest you contact your travel and accommodation providers to see if they can help get you back to the UK

• The area you’re staying is in lockdown on the instruction of local Government or public health officials 

• You’re held in compulsory/mandatory quarantine upon your arrival at your destination

• While you’re on holiday there is a spike in local cases and you wish to cut short your holiday

• You have elected to self-isolate after a positive test result (where it has not been mandated by medical practitioner, health authority or Government).
 

There is no cover for missed departure due to Covid-19 unless you have purchased the Covid-19 Cover upgrade. If you buy the Covid-19 Cover option along with your policy, you’re covered for missed departure in the following scenarios.

• If you arrive at the airport for your outbound flight, you're required to produce a negative test result before exiting the UK, and your test results are delayed meaning you miss your flight, your covered for travel and accommodation costs to get you to your destination, subject to the limit on your policy.

• If you, a traveling companion or a person you are staying with test positive for Covid-19 and you miss your departure or connecting flight back to the UK because a local Government, a medical practitioner or health authority instructs you to self-isolate for more than 24 hours you're covered for additional travel and accommodation costs up to the level of cover you have purchased. A copy of the positive test result will be required when submitting your claim. Positive tests must be administered/witnessed by an independent authority, including the date of result. Photographic evidence of a self-administered test kit is not acceptable validation

• You’re also covered if you miss your departure/connecting flight back to the UK due to your pre-booked accommodation being placed into a localised compulsory quarantine on the instruction of local government, medical practitioner or health authority. 
We'll pay an additional daily benefit for each 24-hour period you're abroad beyond your original return date, up to 10 days. We'll need evidence of this in writing

There’s no cover if your travel or flight operator has cancelled a flight due to Covid-19. In this case, we suggest contacting your tour operator, airline, travel/service provider in the first instance for them to rearrange your return flight to get you back to the UK.

There is no cover if testing or quarantine rules change to re-enter the UK due to Covid-19, unless you have purchased the Covid-19 Cover upgrade. If you buy your Post Office Travel Insurance policy directly from Post Office and select the optional Covid-19 Cover add-on, this scenario’s covered. 

If UK regulations for your destination change while you’re there meaning you're required to quarantine in a hotel, you are covered for unexpected costs of mandatory quarantine accommodation on your return to the UK up to the sum insured.

There is also cover (up to the sum insured) if the change means you're required to take Covid-19 tests to re-enter the UK that you weren’t liable for when you booked your trip or bought your policy.

This is providing no restrictions were already in place in the area where you live, or there was no Government warning prior to purchasing this policy, booking your trip or within 14 days prior to travelling.

There’s no cover in these situations for policies bought through aggregator websites. 

• Travelling against advice of the FCDO where they state against ALL travel, or any government restrictions (including UK lockdowns)

• Changes in any advice from the FCDO or any local government where it was safe to travel to but is now being declared as unsafe and restrictions are again being put in place due to Covid-19

• Not wanting to travel for fear of catching Covid-19

• Costs that exceed the maximum benefit as per the level of cover you choose

• If you bought your policy after receiving a positive coronavirus test result or while waiting for a coronavirus test result and your trip starts within 14 days

• Claims made for any Covid tests or results

• Providing written confirmation of a positive test, but the test was not taken by an independent authority

• Self-isolation has not been mandated by a medical practitioner, health authority or government

• Claims for additional accommodation and/or travel expenses when you have elected to self-isolate following a positive test, and self-isolation has not been mandated by a medical practitioner, health authority or government