For information relating to policies purchased prior to 17 June 2021, please check the Policy Wording provided with your purchase. You can contact us if you need this sent to you again. For policies purchased from 17 June 2021 please see below.
Yes, there’s cover for your non-refundable trip cancellation fees if you have no option but to cancel your trip before you were due to leave Ireland due to a sudden, unforeseen, and unavoidable insured event which is outside your control.
What’s covered
As soon as you buy your policy, there’s cover for loss of pre-paid non-refundable travel, accommodation and tour expenses and tuition/course fees if you can’t travel anymore because of:
- Accidental injury; serious illness; sudden death of you, any person with whom you are intending to travel or stay, or of your close relative (as defined in the Policy Wording).
- You being called for jury service, attending court as a witness (but not as an expert witness); or the unexpected, involuntary redundancy for you or for any person with whom you had arranged to travel.
- Your home or place of business being made uninhabitable, within 14 days of your travel ‘start date’ noted on your policy; or the An Garda Síochána asking to see you after a theft from your home which occurred within 14 days of your travel ‘start date’ on your policy.
- The Department of Foreign Affairs or similar body in the circumstances issuing a travel warning of ‘Do Not Travel’ or ‘Avoid Non-essential Travel’ to a specific region or country and that warning was first given after you booked the trip (only available on Explorer Plan).
- For Explorer plans, under the Coronavirus Travel Costs section, if a close relative (defined in Policy Wording) in Ireland is diagnosed with Coronavirus after you’ve started your trip and is then hospitalised or dies, and you have to cancel your trip, you may be covered for your non-refundable pre-paid travel arrangements. Please note this section has its own benefit limit which applies. You can read more about it in our Coronavirus cover article which has all of the details, including benefit limits and exclusions.
What you need to do if you can’t travel anymore
You must tell the travel agent, tour operator or provider of transport or accommodation if you can no longer travel as planned and where possible obtain any available refunds.
When making a claim, you’ll need to show evidence of your cancellation fees and any refund you may have received. You will also need to show that the reason for your cancellation was unexpected and occurred after you purchased your policy and after you booked or paid for any travel arrangements, whichever is later.
What’s not covered
Here are some of the main things that aren’t covered:
- Any expenses related to a pre-existing medical condition as explained in the Policy Wording
- The policy excess
- Medically related claims where a certificate has not been obtained from a medical practitioner confirming that cancellation of the trip is medically necessary
- Additional costs incurred as a result of not immediately telling the travel agent, tour operator or provider of transport or accommodation that you need to cancel the trip
- Anything else that’s listed in the General Exclusions and Specific Exclusions in the Policy Wording.
The policy isn’t designed to cover everything so take the time to read the terms, conditions, limitations and exclusions in the Policy Wording for full details, so there are no surprises if you need to use it. If you’re not sure if something is covered get in touch.