Going To An Area Of Conflict? Take Cover

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Going To An Area Of Conflict? Take Cover

If you are going to a part of the world deemed ‘high risk’ by your government you may need specialist travel insurance to cover you. A new policy is aimed at individuals or groups going from the UK, EEA and overseas dependent territories on business or leisure to areas that are deemed to be high risk. The ‘high-risk’ status is as defined by government advisories and which would not be covered under a typical retail travel insurance policy It includes warzones, conflict and crisis zones, disaster relief and humanitarian aid areas, for example.

‘All but essential travel’ to some countries is a restriction regularly issued by the UK Foreign & Commonwealth Office. However, many people make those journeys assuming, wrongly, that a health insurance plan or standard travel insurance covers them in these higher-risk locations.

Nearly all mainstream travel insurance products restrict cover if someone is travelling against the advice of one’s home government to a dangerous, remote and challenging location in the world, including warzones, crises and disaster relief zones. Restrictions to cover also apply if there is a travel advisory on or within six months of the date of arrival.

The new policy, High Risk Voyager Travel Insurance is available for individuals and groups on business and work trips including journalism, media, humanitarian, aid, disaster and relief work, conservation, research, voluntary, missionary, religious work and charitable programmes including teaching, study and educational travel and non-governmental organisations (NGO).

Travellers have the choice of up to four territorial zones of cover including war, crisis and disaster relief zones in countries such as Afghanistan, Somalia, Syria, Sudan, Iraq and Yemen.

Policies are available with standard or enhanced levels of cover, with a choice of two levels of Medical+ cover with limits of up to £/$/€1 million. They provide cover for emergency medical expenses, emergency repatriation/evacuation, political and natural disaster evacuation expenses, emergency medical dental treatment, personal accident, PTSD assessment and counselling following a hostile event, and also hijack, mugging, piracy and wrongful detention.

A High Risk Voyager single-trip policy can cover trips up to 365 days on business or work, and up to 31 days for leisure travel, or incidental leisure travel preceding or attaching to a business trip. Annual multi-trip policies are available for an unlimited number of trips of up to 31 days each and includes 17 days winter sports cover.

Moving Abroad Checklist

Initial Considerations

Will your partner be travelling with you?

If so, what will they be giving up in your present home and will they be able to continue with their career in your new home? You will need to check whether a separate visa is required for your partner to work or if your visa gives that right. If they are unable to work you will need to decide on the effect on your finances and what alternatives are available to give a fulfilling life (home business, training, voluntary work).

Are you taking family with you?

Moving with family raises many exciting opportunities, but also can create challenges. The HSBC Expat Explorer survey indicates that expat kids can take six months to settle in to their new country (see article). Getting young or even older children to prepare to move and leave their friends and family behind can be a challenge and should be thought through.

The options for education is another area that needs to be thought through.

Moving your child to a new country with a different education system can be a great opportunity to broaden their experience, but if they are close to key exams the timing can make this inadvisable. If you do take your family with you, it is important to decide between joining the local school system or choosing an international school.

Where will you be living?

Whether you will be living in a house or apartment, furnished or unfurnished, these decisions will affect what you need to take with you. The time you are planning to live overseas will also affect whether you should leave your property at home empty, rent it out or sell it. See the article Sell, Store or Ship.