What do travel insurance policies exclude?
Posted:
Government, Geopolitical and External Events
Travelling against FCDO advice
Likelihood: Situational | Impact: Severe
If the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) advises against all travel or all but essential travel to your destination, your policy will not cover claims related to that trip. This applies even if the advice changes after you have booked but before you depart. Some policies will still cover claims unrelated to the reason for the FCDO warning, but many will void cover for the entire trip.
- FCDO advice can change at short notice due to political instability, natural disasters, or health emergencies.
- Some policies treat "all but essential" and "against all travel" differently - check which applies.
- A small number of policies name specific countries that are permanently excluded regardless of FCDO status (for example Afghanistan, Syria, Ukraine, North Korea, Libya, and Somalia).
What to do: Check the FCDO website before booking and again before departing. If advice changes after booking, contact your insurer immediately to understand your options.
War, terrorism, and civil unrest
Likelihood: Uncommon | Impact: Severe
Virtually all policies exclude claims arising from war, invasion, civil war, revolution, military action, and insurrection. Terrorism cover varies: some policies offer limited medical cover if you are caught up in a terrorist incident, but property damage and trip disruption from terrorism are generally excluded. Cyber terrorism is explicitly excluded by several policies.
- If conflict escalates at your destination after you arrive, medical evacuation may still be covered under some policies - but only if the insurer's assistance team authorises it.
- "Civil commotion" is broadly defined and can include large-scale protests or riots.
What to do: If travelling to a region with any history of instability, confirm whether limited terrorism medical cover is included in your policy.
Epidemics and pandemics
Likelihood: Situational | Impact: Severe
Most policies exclude claims arising from epidemics or pandemics declared by the World Health Organisation (WHO). This includes trip cancellation, medical costs, and disruption. Some policies offer limited COVID-19 cover (for example, emergency medical treatment or cancellation if you test positive before departure), but this is usually conditional on being fully vaccinated and the FCDO not having advised against travel.
- Fear of infection alone is not a covered reason to cancel, even during an active outbreak.
- Quarantine at your destination may or may not be covered depending on the policy - some specifically exclude regional quarantine.
What to do: If pandemic cover matters to you, look for policies that explicitly include it and read the conditions carefully.
Strikes, industrial action, and volcanic events
Likelihood: Situational | Impact: Significant
Several policies exclude disruption caused by strikes or industrial action if the action was publicly known or announced before you purchased the policy. Volcanic eruptions and ash clouds are also excluded by some policies, particularly budget-tier products.
- Airline and airport staff strikes are the most common trigger. If a strike is announced and you then buy a policy, you will not be covered for disruption caused by that strike.
- Ash cloud disruption has been excluded by name in some policies since the 2010 Eyjafjallajokull eruption.
What to do: Buy your policy as early as possible after booking. Delays in purchasing increase the risk that a known event will invalidate your disruption cover.
Radioactive contamination and sonic bangs
Likelihood: Uncommon | Impact: Severe
Several policies (for example, those from Coverwise) explicitly exclude damage or injury from ionising radiation, radioactive contamination from nuclear fuel or waste, and pressure waves from aircraft travelling at sonic or supersonic speeds. Other policies may address this in their full wording rather than the IPID summary.
Personal Conduct and Behaviour
Self-inflicted injury and suicide
Likelihood: Uncommon | Impact: Severe
Every policy excludes claims arising from wilfully self-inflicted injury, suicide, or attempted suicide. This is an absolute exclusion with no option to declare or pay extra.
Illegal or unlawful actions
Likelihood: Uncommon | Impact: Severe
Any claim that arises from your own unlawful behaviour or criminal activity is excluded. This includes being arrested, detained, or involved in criminal proceedings abroad.
Jumping from buildings or balconies
Likelihood: Uncommon | Impact: Severe
Multiple policies single out injuries from jumping off, climbing between, or falling from the external parts of buildings (other than via stairs, ramps, or walkways) as a named exclusion, regardless of height. This is distinct from general "reckless behaviour" and reflects the frequency of balcony-related incidents at holiday destinations.
What to do: This exclusion applies even if alcohol is not involved. Moving between balconies at a hotel, for example, is excluded.
E-bikes and e-scooters
Likelihood: Common | Impact: Severe
Several policies now explicitly exclude injuries sustained while riding e-bikes or e-scooters. This is a newer exclusion that reflects the growing availability of rental e-scooters at tourist destinations. It is separate from the motorcycle exclusion.
What to do: If you plan to rent an e-scooter or e-bike on holiday, check whether your policy covers them. Most do not.
Trip Purpose and Eligibility
Travelling for the purpose of medical treatment
Likelihood: Situational | Impact: Severe
If the purpose of your trip is to receive medical treatment, consultation, or surgery abroad, no standard travel insurance policy will cover you. This is a standalone exclusion and is different from having a pre-existing condition. Even someone in good health who books a trip specifically for elective procedures abroad would be excluded.
What to do: If you are travelling for medical treatment, you need a specialist medical travel policy, not standard travel insurance.
Choosing not to travel (disinclination)
Likelihood: Situational | Impact: Significant
Cancelling because you changed your mind, can no longer afford the trip, have a general fear of travelling, or simply do not want to go is not a covered reason under any policy. The cancellation must be triggered by a specific, listed event such as illness, bereavement, or jury service.
Failure to obtain travel documents
Likelihood: Situational | Impact: Severe
If you cannot travel because your passport expired, your visa application was refused, you did not obtain an ESTA, or you failed to get required vaccinations, no policy will pay out. The responsibility for having valid documents sits entirely with the traveller.
What to do: Check passport validity requirements for your destination well in advance. Many countries require six months' validity beyond your return date.
Exceeding maximum trip duration
Likelihood: Situational | Impact: Severe
Every policy sets a maximum trip length. For annual multi-trip policies this is typically 17, 31, or 45 days per trip. If your trip exceeds the stated limit, the entire trip may be uninsured - not just the days beyond the limit. Limits vary enormously across policies, from 22 days (Co-op Value annual) to 550 days (some long-stay specialist products).
What to do: Count your travel days carefully, including departure and return days. If in doubt, buy a single-trip policy that matches your exact dates.
Activities and Sports
Cruise travel
Likelihood: Situational | Impact: Severe
The majority of policies exclude all claims arising from cruise travel unless you purchase a separate cruise cover add-on. If you go on a cruise without this add-on, some insurers will void the entire policy for that trip - meaning even a medical emergency unrelated to the cruise itself would not be covered.
What to do: If your trip includes any sea-going cruise element (even a short ferry crossing marketed as a cruise), check whether cruise cover is needed.
Armed forces and emergency service operational duties
Likelihood: Uncommon | Impact: Significant
Several policies exclude claims arising from operational duties of the Armed Forces, Territorial Army, Police, Fire, Nursing, Ambulance services, and government department employees. However, cancellation due to authorised leave being revoked for operational reasons may still be covered under the cancellation section.
Financial Exclusions and Cost Recovery
Supplier failure and insolvency
Likelihood: Situational | Impact: Severe
If your airline, hotel, or tour operator becomes insolvent and cannot provide the services you booked, most travel insurance policies will not cover your losses. Insurers expect you to recover costs through other channels first.
- ATOL protection for package holidays booked with an ATOL-licensed operator.
- ABTA protection for holidays booked with an ABTA member.
- Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act if you paid by credit card (for purchases over £100).
- Chargeback via your debit card provider.
What to do: Always pay for flights and holidays using a credit card where possible to benefit from Section 75 protection.
Loss of earnings and consequential costs
Likelihood: Common | Impact: Significant
Policies do not cover indirect losses that follow from an insured event. This includes lost income if you are stranded abroad and cannot work, the cost of preparing a claim, replacement of locks after losing keys, or any other knock-on financial impact not directly covered by a named policy section.
Cryptocurrency and virtual currency
Likelihood: Uncommon | Impact: Significant
Several policies (for example, the Coverwise range) explicitly exclude any virtual currency including cryptocurrency and fluctuations in its value. This means crypto wallets, tokens, or digital assets stolen or lost during travel are not covered.
Costs recoverable from other sources
Likelihood: Common | Impact: Significant
All policies exclude costs that you can recover elsewhere. If an airline offers you a voucher, the insurer may treat that as "recovered" even if you cannot use the voucher. You are expected to pursue recovery from airlines, hotels, booking agents, ATOL, ABTA, credit card providers, and PayPal before claiming on your travel insurance. Air Passenger Duty is also excluded even where the rest of a cancellation claim is paid.
What to do: Keep records of all recovery attempts. The insurer will ask for evidence that you have tried other routes before accepting a claim.
Medical Cover Restrictions
Private medical treatment
Likelihood: Situational | Impact: Severe
Beyond the general rule that the insurer decides what is medically necessary, several policies explicitly reserve the right to transfer you from a private hospital to a public facility if one is available. Private treatment is generally not covered unless the insurer's 24-hour assistance team authorises it in advance.
What to do: Always call the insurer's emergency assistance line before agreeing to any treatment. Failure to do so can result in the entire bill being rejected.
Non-urgent, elective, or cosmetic treatment
Likelihood: Situational | Impact: Significant
Medical cover is strictly for emergencies. Treatment that could reasonably wait until you return home, any elective or cosmetic procedure, and ongoing treatment for conditions that existed before departure are all excluded.
Geographic Restrictions
Permanently excluded countries
Likelihood: Uncommon | Impact: Severe
Some policies name specific countries where cover never applies, regardless of current FCDO advice. Countries commonly listed include Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Ukraine, North Korea, Libya, Somalia, South Sudan, and Yemen. The list varies by insurer.
What to do: Check the policy wording or certificate for any named country exclusions before booking travel to higher-risk destinations.
Travelling outside your coverage area
Likelihood: Situational | Impact: Severe
Your policy certificate specifies a geographic coverage area (for example, Europe, Worldwide excluding USA, or Worldwide including USA). If you travel to a destination outside your selected area, you have no cover at all for that trip. This is a complete exclusion, not a reduced level of cover.
What to do: Double-check that transit stops and layover countries also fall within your coverage area.
Notes on this guide:
- This is general guidance based on selection of representative UK travel insurance policy terms from leading insurers.
- This is a summary of common terms. Always read your specific Policy Wording and IPID document. This guide is for information only and does not constitute financial or legal advice.
- This document is based on a detailed, expert review of UK travel insurance policies from March 2026.
- Always read your specific policy documents and contact your insurer or the FOS directly if you have a dispute.
- Risk ratings are structured on how likely the risk is to affect the user and the level of impact it will have if it does occur.
- Frequency
- Common: Applies to most.
- Situational: Specific but normal circumstances.
- Uncommon: Niche scenarios.
- Impact
- Severe: Claim rejected/Policy voided.
- Significant: Payout reduced.
- Minor: Small shortfall/Inconvenience.