Does Travel Insurance Provide Coverage for Political and Civil Unrest?

For information relating to policies purchased prior to October 1 2024, please check the Policy Wording provided with your purchase. You can contact us if you need this sent to you again. For plans purchased after October 1 2024, please see below.

The world isn’t always as peaceful as we want it to be. Protests, riots and other types of civil unrest can break out in any place you are traveling.

If you feel unsafe in the country you are in due to political, military, or civil unrest, we suggest you contact the US State Department first. Let them know where you are; there may be plans already in place to help American citizens get to safety. Then, call the 24/7 Emergency Assistance Team .

What is considered a political or security event?

If the civil unrest is serious enough that the local governmental authorities or the US State Department recommends you leave the country, you may be eligible for travel insurance* benefits. If you are expelled by the country or are declared a persona non-grata (an unwelcome person), this also counts. In both cases, you’ll need a formal written notice, and you must let us know within 7 days.

What’s covered?

If your trip is interrupted by an overseas political or security event, you may be eligible for certain benefits:

Non-Medical Evacuation: If you get official notice that you should leave the country due to a political or security event, you may be eligible for a one-way ticket out of there, as well as related costs associated with the travel. You can go back to your home country, to your return destination or to the nearest place of safety. This must occur within 14 days of the event that caused the evacuation to be necessary.

Emergency Medical: If you’re a bystander to civil unrest or participating in a peaceful protest or demonstration, your plan provides coverage should you get injured or get into an accident.

Travel Delay: If your trip gets delayed because of a civil disturbance, you could get reimbursed for unused, pre-paid non-refundable land and water accommodations, plus any basic expenses that you’ve incurred because of the delay. The delay must be at least six hours or more for you to qualify for this benefit.

What’s not covered by travel insurance?

  • Any losses arising from criminal activity (looting, vandalism, violence, violating curfews or emergency orders, trespassing, etc.).
  • Trip cancellations due to civil unrest, either at home or at your travel destination.
  • Evacuations if the civil unrest happened before you arrived in the country (this is considered a known event at this point; travel insurance is only for unexpected events)
  • Expenses at the destination you were evacuated to (the safe haven)
  • If you were an active participant in the event that caused the political or security event
  • Events that were the result of war or acts of war

If you are worried there could be civil unrest in the place you are traveling to, you may want to consider purchasing the ‘cancel for any reason’ benefit, along with your Explorer or Epic plan. You must purchase this within a time-sensitive period. It opens up the ability to cancel your trip for a wide variety of reasons, including fear of travel.

If you have any questions, please reach out – we’re happy to help. And when you’re ready, you can get a quote and buy online 24/7.

*All information we provided here is a brief summary. It does not include all terms, conditions, limitations, exclusions, and termination provisions of the plans described. Please carefully read your state specific plan documents for a full description of coverage. Travel insurance is included as part of your travel protection plan which contains both insurance benefits and non-insurance assistance services. Material included on this page does not represent, nor is it specific to, United States Fire Insurance Company or travel insurance benefits provided on United States Fire Insurance Company’s travel protection plans.


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