Questions about insurance for high-risk destinations? We have answers.
High-risk destination insurance does what it says on the tin: it provides cover for you in high-risk places, including conflict zones. Here are some things you should know before you buy.
1. What is high-risk destination insurance? Do I need it?
High-risk destination insurance covers medical expenses and evacuation from high-risk or unsafe areas. This can include politically unstable regions, natural disasters, or conflict zones.
You need this kind of plan if you’re going to a high-risk region, or one that could become one.
2. How do I know if an area is high-risk?
Is the destination under a government-issued travel warning? Then it’s high-risk.
Visit your home country’s travel site and take a look at the places you plan to visit. For areas near a border, check out info for all the countries in the region. Where to find it? US travellers: US Department of State and UK travellers: Foreign Travel Advice.
Tip: For an easy way to keep up with news about your destination, follow your country’s travel advice posts on social.
3. What’s the difference between high-risk destination insurance and backpacker’s insurance?
If your home country has issued a travel warning for a destination you plan to visit, or while you visit, regular travel insurance won’t work there.
What you need depends on where you go, and your travel style.
Beaten-path travellers: good for you! Stick with the tour group in government-approved travel areas and you probably don’t need high-risk destination insurance.
Wanderers and free spirits: Injure yourself just a few metres on the wrong side of a border without high-risk destination insurance and you could get stuck with the bill.
4. What’s the best value in conflict zone insurance? Is it expensive?
The best value is medical and evacuation coverage. Any kind of care that involves the word ‘helicopter’ is bound to include six figures, so insurance is cheap by comparison.
With a med & evac plan, the details are already in place. If you’re in trouble, you don’t want to go looking up ‘air ambulance’ in a Farsi phone book.
5. What’s a common mistake people make when buying conflict zone or high-risk destination insurance?
Not checking who the service and claims providers are and their service strengths, particularly in conflict zones.
Tip: Check TrustPilot reviews of claims and service providers. Pay attention to comments that include your destination.
6. What about football matches?
If you want to go and watch, no problem. If things get ugly and a riot breaks out, you’re covered. Unless you’ve been boozing. Just about every insurance company has a Drunk and Stupid clause. If you get loaded and then get hurt, it’s all on you.
7. What about adventure sport?
Most policies cover amateur adventure sport, with some limitations, including extreme altitudes, deep depths, wingsuits. So surfing Socotra, you’re probably covered. Planning to race in Paris-Dakar? Nope. Check before you buy.
High-risk destination insurance covers injuries in risky places, not from risky activities like adventure or extreme sport.
Tip: If you add adventure sport to your policy, ask what gear and equipment are covered.
8. I have more questions
Questions are free! But be nice. Include travel details when sending questions in emails or chat, and have them handy for phone calls. Customer service people usually need to know the dates of your trip, your age, home country and where you’re going before they can give you an answer. For high-risk destination questions, getting the details right is even more important.
Tip: The more detailed the question, the better the answer you’ll get. Consider making a list of questions before contacting your insurance company.
This article is an update of a version previously published in 2019.
