High-risk travel insurance is designed for people heading to more dangerous destinations, or doing certain activities viewed as riskier by some insurers.
Whether you're visiting conflict zones, regions with extreme weather, or taking part in adventure sports, having specialist cover in place can give you peace of mind. It can include protection for medical emergencies, evacuations, trip cancellations and personal liability in situations where standard travel insurance might not apply.
What is high-risk travel insurance?
If you're travelling to a high-risk destination, there's a good chance you won't be covered by a standard travel insurance policy. For example, you're unlikely to be covered if you're going to a country that the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) advises against travelling to.
This is where high-risk travel insurance steps in. These specialist policies can cover you for trips to high-risk areas. For example, if you work in a war zone or area of civil unrest, or need to go to an area prone to natural disasters. Alternatively, you might get a policy to protect you for dangerous activities, such as extreme sports.
What destinations are considered as high risk?
The FCDO may advise against travel to high-risk areas or countries. This could be because the destination is a war zone, crisis zone or disaster-relief zone - such as an area which has suffered a natural disaster.
Entire countries may be considered high risk, such as:
- Afghanistan
- Iran
- Syria
- Sudan
- Yemen
Whereas some countries may contain high-risk areas, such as parts of:
- Burkina Faso
- Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Egypt
- Iraq
- Israel
It's important to check if your destination is safe on the FCDO travel advice page. This changes frequently, so be sure to check both before you book and before you go.
It's also worth noting that warnings may exist in some destinations, but the FCDO won't advise against travelling entirely. For instance, you'll need travel insurance for Cuba, as it's a legal requirement to enter the country - so you need to plan for this if you still intend to travel.
What types of holiday need high-risk travel insurance?
Certain destinations will be more dangerous, but you may nonetheless need to go. You may have family obligations, for instance. Or your job may require it - such as if you're a journalist, photographer, interpreter or aid worker. If this is the case, you'll need a higher level of travel insurance cover.
Alternatively, the destination may be safe, but your holiday might involve activities which insurers view as higher risk. This is a different thing, but may also not be covered by standard travel insurance.
You might want to indulge in some higher risk activities such like sky diving and paragliding. Again, activities such as these will require a higher level of cover than standard travel insurance provides. Depending on what activities you plan to do, you may require specialist policies such as:
- Extreme sports travel insurance
- Travel insurance with winter sports cover
- Scuba diving travel insurance
Your holiday may also be seen as high risk if you require specialist medical travel insurance for a pre-existing condition. We'll come back to this in a moment.
Can I travel against FCDO advice?
Yes, you can travel against FCDO advice. But it's not recommended unless you have a good reason. For example, getting caught up in a war zone or in the aftermath of a natural disaster can be incredibly dangerous.
NBut it can be done. And you can even get travel insurance for it. Although all standard policies are likely to exclude this, meaning your policy will be invalid if you travel to these areas.
If you need to go, you may be able to get high-risk travel insurance from a specialist provider.
Find out more by reading our guide to travelling against FCDO advice.
High-risk holiday insurance and pre-existing medical conditions
Travelling with a serious health condition is also viewed as high risk by travel insurance providers.
But it's vitally important to declare any conditions when you apply for travel insurance with medical cover. This will almost certainly make your policy more expensive. But it's preferable to not declaring your condition, and not being able to claim if you need treatment while abroad.
Be aware that cover varies from insurer to insurer. If you apply for a quote through Confused.com, we'll only show you providers who cover the conditions you've declared. But it's important to check the policy wording and exclusions carefully before you commit to buy.
With serious medical conditions, some insurance providers will charge more for insurance, and some may not even cover you at all. If you struggle to get a quote, MoneyHelper has a directory of insurers that may be able to help. You can also call them on 0800 138 7777. This is the consumer arm of the government-sponsored Money and Pensions Service (MaPS).
Please note that you may also struggle to get cover for high-risk activities if you have certain pre-existing medical conditions.
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