Does travel insurance cover wars and terrorism?

Travel insurance can serve as a safety net for globetrotters, insuring an array of potential mishaps from minor inconveniences to life-threatening emergencies. However, specific high-risk scenarios like war are often left out from standard policies. 

With increasing geopolitical instability in certain parts of world, understanding how — or if — your travel insurance policy provides coverage in such extreme circumstances is crucial. Here, you’ll find the answers to some commonly asked questions about travel insurance coverage for wars, terrorist incidents, and civil unrest.  

What are the definitions of war, terrorist incident, and civil unrest in relation to travel insurance? 

It’s important to note the difference between “war”, a “terrorist incident”, and “civil unrest,” as they're three distinct situations. Travel insurance companies typically define:  

• War as any official conflict between nations or states — whether it's declared or undeclared
• A terrorist incident as a violent act carried out by any individual or group with the motive of taking over or influencing the control of a government. This type of incident is recognized as terrorism by the United States Government and is not considered a civil disorder or riot. A terrorist incident is also not an act of war, whether declared or undeclared, and leads to the loss of life or causes significant property damage. 
• Civil unrest as a conflict between different groups of people living in the same country. The conflict can be violent or peaceful, and range in scale from involving a small rally with few people to a large demonstration with thousands of people. 

It's crucial to note, however, that the specifics may vary slightly from one provider to the next, and travel insurance policies can have different coverage — or lack thereof — for incidents labeled as war, terrorism, civil disorder, and riots. 

Always remember to read the details of your description of coverage and reach out to customer service to fully understand what's eligible for coverage if you're concerned. 

Does Travelex travel insurance cover war? 

Both declared and undeclared war and acts of war are excluded from coverage under all our travel insurance policies. So, if you're impacted by an unforeseen situation that occurs because of war in your destination, remember your Travelex policy won't offer coverage for this scenario.  

Does Travelex travel insurance cover terrorism? 

Our plans may offer coverage for terrorist incidents under the trip cancellation and trip interruption benefits. However, the eligible terrorism event must occur at a city within five miles of a destination listed on your itinerary within 30 days of your scheduled arrival or during your trip for coverage to apply.   

Does Travelex provide travel insurance that covers civil unrest? 

If you’re looking for travel insurance for civil unrest, it’s important to know that we don't include coverage for civil unrest in any of our plans. If you have a Travelex policy, you won't be insured if your trip is affected by or you participated in civil disorder, riots, insurrections, or unrest.

FAQs on travel insurance coverage for wars and terrorism

Do you have more specific questions about travel insurance coverage in war-torn destinations? Here are some commonly asked questions about travel insurance that covers wars and terrorism.  

How can I access Travelex’s 24/7 assistance if I’m at a destination involved in a terrorist incident, civil unrest, or war? 

If you’re a Travelex policyholder, you can access our assistance provider's help at any time in two ways:

• Via our Travelex Travel On app, which has a tap-to-call travel assistance feature. You can download the app before your trip so you can access its features and your policy details easily in the palm of your hand. 
• Via our provider's travel assistance services at 1-800-555-0870 (toll-free) if you're in the U.S. or Canada or 1-416-977-1803 (collect) if you're outside of the U.S. or Canada. 

Are there certain countries that Travelex doesn't provide coverage for? 

Our travel insurance plans don't offer coverage for a destination that has been sanctioned by the U.S. government. To understand which destinations have active sanctions, visit the Office of Foreign Assets Control. Additionally, we don't provide coverage for travel to any destinations listed on our blocked destinations page.

How do I know if my destination is affected by war or terrorism? 

It’s important to stay updated with the political climate in your intended destination. You can stay updated with the travel advisories posted by the U.S. Department of State, as well as the war travel alerts on our website that may affect your policy coverage.

As a Travelex policyholder, you can access our Travel On app, which offers real-time security alerts, location information, immediate travel assistance, and more. Downloading this as soon as you’ve purchased your policy can help you stay informed if there's an act of war or terrorist incident at your chosen destination(s). 

If I added the cancel for any reason upgrade* to my travel insurance policy, will I have travel insurance that covers war, terrorism, or civil unrest? 

Yes, this is the only instance where you may receive travel insurance coverage for civil unrest or war.

If you have our cancel for any reason upgrade* with our Ultimate plan, you can cancel because of war or a terrorist incident — or any other reason — up to two days before your departure date and receive reimbursement up to 75% of your insured trip expenses (up to $7,500). 

To be eligible to use this upgrade, the following must apply:  

• Your insured all prepaid, nonrefundable trip costs in your policy (up to $10,000). 
• Your trip cost is no more than $10,000.
• You purchase the upgrade with our Ultimate plan 31 days or more before your departure date and within 21 days of your initial payment for your trip.
• You insure additional travel arrangements within 14 days of booking them.

_{*Cancel for any fortuitous reason in NY.}

What if a war or terrorist incident occurs while I am already at my destination? Will I have travel insurance that covers war and terrorism? 

You won't receive travel insurance coverage for any incident that occurs because of war or an act of war.

Once you've arrived at your destination, you're eligible to receive coverage for a terrorist incident that happens while you're on your trip. If a terrorist incident occurs while you're abroad, take necessary steps to stay safe and use our Travel On app's tap-to-call travel assistance feature for support from our assistance provider.

What steps can I take to try to stay safe if war or a terrorist incident occur while I am at my destination? 

If you’re a Travelex policyholder, be sure to download our Travel On app before you depart so you can access real-time safety alerts, destination details, and tap-to-call travel assistance at any time before and during your trip.

As an American traveler, you can also enroll in the STEP program with the U.S. Department of State to receive security alerts. 

Using both methods can help you stay in the know if an act of war or terrorism occurs before or during your travels.

It’s also smart to save emergency contact numbers — such as the number for the U.S. embassy at your destination — before traveling in case a terrorist incident happens. You can access these in our Travel On app or on the government website.

Plus, you can follow the U.S. State Department’s safety guidelines for terrorist attacks on their website and monitor their posted travel advisories.

How do I file a claim for a terrorist incident? 

If you’re a Travelex policyholder, you can file a claim for a terrorist incident via our online claims portal.

If you want help filing a claim or have more questions about submitting your terrorism-related claim, please contact our claims administrator:

Zurich Travel Claims Administration

• Phone: 1-855-205-6054
• Email: [email protected]

Stay updated, safer, and protected with travel insurance

Having travel insurance is an essential consideration for any traveler, but understanding its limitations, particularly in relation to high-risk scenarios like war, terrorism, and civil unrest is equally important. Always remember to reach out to our customer service team at 1-800-228-9792 with any questions to ensure you're fully informed before you purchase.

Want to feel more protected while you travel?

Discover how our travel insurance can help support you during your trip. Get a quote now.