Does Travel Insurance Cover Civil Unrest?
Key Takeaways
- Some travel insurance policies offer benefits that can be triggered by violent events, including terrorism and civil unrest.
- Providers often have different definitions and exclusions regarding civil unrest, so it’s important to review policy documentation carefully before purchase.
- Trip Cancellation coverage can reimburse your prepaid, non-refundable trip costs if civil unrest results in an official government evacuation order, airport closures, or damage that renders your destination accommodations uninhabitable.
- Non-Medical Evacuation is an important benefit to include in your coverage when traveling to politically unstable regions.
- If you’re traveling abroad when civil unrest breaks out, your provider’s 24-Hour Emergency Assistance service can help facilitate transportation to safety and coordinate logistics for return travel.
- Once civil unrest is publicly reported or a travel advisory is issued, insurers will treat it as a “foreseeable event.” Any policies purchased after this will not provide coverage for the civil unrest.
What Is Civil Unrest? Provider Definitions Explained
Civil unrest is defined as public disturbances involving groups of people that may include protests, riots, demonstrations, or violent clashes. However, travel insurance providers often use very specific language when defining what constitutes civil unrest.
Providers will reference this exact language to determine if an event is eligible for coverage, so it’s important to familiarize yourself with this wording before filing a claim. Oftentimes, riots, violent demonstrations, strikes, insurrection, and military coups are grouped together under the term “civil unrest,” “civil disorder,” or something similar.
To help you get an idea of the differences in definitions from one provider to another, we’ve included examples from a couple of popular plans below:
| Plan | Definition |
|---|---|
| Travel Insured International – FlexiPAX | A public disturbance by a person or persons acting in revolt, coup, rebellion or resistance against an established government or civil authority or involvement in acts of violence that causes immediate danger, damage, or injury to others or their property. |
| Battleface – Discovery | A group of people acting in revolt, coup, rebellion or resistance against an established government or civil authority. |
Definitions for “civil unrest” or “civil disorder” can be found in the General Definitions section of most policy certificates.
What Travel Insurance Typically Covers During Civil Unrest
The best comprehensive travel insurance plans will cover cancellations, delays, evacuations, and other disruptions caused by civil unrest.
Keep in mind that if your policy explicitly excludes civil unrest, then you will not be eligible for reimbursement for claims related to such events.
Trip Cancellation & Interruption
If there’s an evacuation order, airport closures, or other disruption related to civil unrest that causes you to cancel your trip entirely or end it early, your plan’s Trip Cancellation and Trip Interruption benefits can help you recoup any prepaid, non-refundable travel expenses.
Trip Cancellation is a pre-departure benefit that covers up to 100% of your non-refundable expenses, such as airfare and hotel bookings, if you need to cancel your trip for a covered reason.
Trip Interruption applies after your trip has begun and covers the unused portion of your trip if your travel plans are cut short for a covered reason. This can include unused nights at a hotel or unused airfare to return home.
Good to Know: Other Ways Cancellation Coverage May Apply
It’s also worth noting that if civil unrest causes significant damage to your booked accommodations, this may constitute a covered reason to cancel or interrupt your trip under some policies, even if civil unrest is not explicitly covered. Additionally, if civil unrest escalates into an act of terrorism, your policy’s cancellation benefits may also apply.
Non-Medical Evacuation
If you get caught in a dangerous situation while traveling, such as a violent protest or insurrection, the Non-Medical Evacuation benefit covers reasonable expenses to transport you from a dangerous location to a place of safety.
This could involve anything from a train ticket to an emergency flight, depending on the situation. Coverage ranges from $10,000 to $150,000 per person. If you’re visiting a remote destination or one without strong transportation infrastructure, we recommend plans with higher coverage limits for this benefit.
A few things to know about this coverage before you travel:
- An evacuation order must be issued by a local authority, or in some cases, by the U.S. State Department
- Civil or political unrest must not have been present before your arrival date
Not all travel insurance plans include Non-Medical Evacuation coverage. In fact, only a quarter of policies on Squaremouth come standard with this benefit. If you’re traveling to a region with a history of instability or demonstrations, it may be worth seeking out plans that explicitly offer this coverage.
Travel Delay
If civil unrest grounds flights, causes airport closures, or prevents you from reaching the airport, Travel Delay benefits cover essential expenses while you wait for your new departure time. Most policies require a minimum delay of 6 hours before the benefit kicks in.
Examples of expenses that may be reimbursed include:
- Meals
- Overnight accommodations
- Local transportation, such as taxi or rideshare services
Emergency Medical
If you’re injured as a bystander during civil unrest, not as a participant in any illegal activity, Emergency Medical coverage may apply. This benefit can cover unexpected hospital bills, doctor visits, and prescription medication while you’re traveling. In the event you need to be airlifted to a medical facility or back home for treatment, your plan’s Medical Evacuation coverage may cover those costs.
What Travel Insurance Does Not Cover Regarding Civil Unrest
As mentioned earlier, not all plans will reimburse you for financial loss resulting from civil unrest, and even plans that do offer this coverage have restrictions. The following situations are typically never covered by travel insurance:
- Cancelling due to fear of travel. Travel insurance won’t cover you if you cancel because you’re concerned about strikes, acts of war, political unrest, or other events that may impact your trip but have not directly affected your ability to travel.
- Disruptions caused by “known” unrest. If a situation at your destination is considered foreseeable or known at the time you purchase your policy, any related claims will be denied.
- Civil unrest that doesn’t impact travel. If there is civil unrest at your destination but it has no impact on your flights, accommodations, or itinerary, you will likely not be eligible for reimbursement.
If you’re traveling abroad, Cancel For Any Reason (CFAR) is the only way to protect yourself from civil unrest disruptions. More on this in the next section.
Is it Too Late to Buy Coverage for an Ongoing Event?
Yes, if a civil unrest event is already widely reported in the news, it is almost certainly too late to purchase a new policy that covers that specific event. Once an event becomes publicly known, insurers classify it as “foreseeable” and will deny claims related to it for any policy purchased after that date.
We recommend contacting providers directly to determine if coverage applies to an ongoing situation. Many travel insurers also issue Coverage Alerts for major events that disrupt travel, identifying when an event becomes a known or foreseeable risk that may no longer be covered by policies purchased afterward.
Protecting Your Trip with Cancel For Any Reason (CFAR)
When traveling to a destination known for large-scale protests, political instability, or ongoing tension, we strongly recommend choosing a policy that offers the Cancel For Any Reason (CFAR) add-on.
With this benefit, you can receive partial reimbursement for uncovered cancellations, such as those due to a fear of travel or known events. This flexibility can save you thousands of dollars if you need to change your travel plans and can help you avoid situations that may feel dangerous.
A few things to keep in mind before purchasing CFAR coverage:
- Reimburses 50%–75% of prepaid, non-refundable trip costs
- Must be purchased within 14–21 days of your initial trip deposit
- Must insure 100% of prepaid, non-refundable trip costs
- You must cancel at least 48–72 hours before departure
- Increases your premium by approximately 40%–50%
Real World Example:
Imagine protests erupting at your destination just days before your $10,000 trip to South America. While airports remain open and your hotel isn’t impacted, you are worried about your safety and your ability to enjoy your destination to the fullest extent.
In this scenario, standard travel insurance can’t help you. However, a strong CFAR policy will cover up to $7,500 of your prepaid expenses. While you aren’t able to recoup all your costs, CFAR significantly reduces your financial loss and lets you cancel your trip with more peace of mind.
Top Travel Insurance Plans for Civil Unrest
When civil unrest occurs, you want a comprehensive policy that comes with strong Non-Medical Evacuation coverage and optional CFAR protection, as well as a provider that has a track record of handling real-world claims.
If you’re concerned about civil unrest impacting your trip, we recommend the following plans:
| Plan | Non-Medical Evacuation Coverage | CFAR Coverage | In-Trip Assistance Customer Satisfaction |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seven Corners – Trip Protection Choice | $20,000 per person | Up to 75% of non-refundable trip cost | 3.93/5 |
| Travel Insured International – Worldwide Trip Protector | $150,000 per person | Up to 75% of non-refundable trip cost | 4.07/5 |
| IMG – iTravelInsured Choice | $150,000 per person | Up to 75% of non-refundable trip cost | 3.59/5 |
Why Timing Matters When Buying Civil Unrest Travel Insurance
The single most important action you can take when traveling to a destination at risk of civil unrest is to purchase your travel insurance before a qualifying event makes headlines. The last thing you want is for a protest or demonstration to ruin your trip and not be properly protected.
Once civil unrest is widely reported or once an advisory is issued, insurers will likely classify it as a foreseeable event and deny subsequent claims. By buying a policy early, you’re giving yourself the best chance of being protected if unrest occurs.
Ideally, you will purchase a comprehensive plan within 14–21 days of your initial trip deposit. This way, you can be eligible for time-sensitive benefits like CFAR, while also maximizing your coverage period.
What to Do If You’re Already Traveling When Unrest Breaks Out
Civil unrest can escalate fast. If you’re already abroad when a situation occurs, your immediate action should be to get to safety.
Here are a few steps to take to keep out of harm’s way without jeopardizing your insurance coverage.
- Move away from demonstrations, crowds, and high-traffic areas. Coverage often requires you to take reasonable actions to move away from danger.
- Call your travel insurance provider’s 24/7 emergency assistance line immediately. This will inform your provider of the situation and help you get the support you need in that moment.
- Contact your airline or transportation provider about rebooking options. If the situation is intensifying, it may be necessary to end your trip early.
- Keep every receipt. You will need to show proof of financial loss when submitting your claim.
- Document the situation. When it’s safe to do so, create a timeline of events, along with news stories, official alerts, or photos to accompany your claim.
Getting Help From Your Provider’s 24/7 Emergency Assistance Line
Every provider on Squaremouth offers 24-Hour Emergency Assistance services to help policyholders navigate stressful situations while away from home.
During times of unrest, your provider can help identify the nearest safe location, help you communicate with family, coordinate transportation options, and advise on whether coverage applies to your situation in real time.
Because of their experience in crises and knowledge of policy limitations, we recommend calling your provider before making any major decisions if possible.
FAQs: Civil Unrest Travel Insurance
If your provider has a specific definition of “civil unrest,” it can be found in the General Definitions (or something similar) section of your plan’s Certificate of Insurance. If you’re unable to find a written definition of the term, we recommend reaching out to your provider.
To file a claim for disruptions or damages caused by civil unrest, you must document your financial loss and file a formal claim through your travel insurance provider. During the claims process, you will be required to show evidence, such as receipts, police reports, and official alerts.
Providers typically require you to submit your civil unrest claim within 20 to 90 days of the loss, depending on your specific policy. This can typically be completed online through your provider’s claims portal.
No, terrorism and civil unrest are treated differently by providers. However, the two events have been known to occur at the same time.
Terrorism typically has unique coverage triggers, such as occurring within a set timeframe before your departure and taking place within a certain radius of your destination. Civil unrest is a broader category that may or may not be covered depending on the policy.
Some policies cover one but not the other. Always check both the covered reasons list and the exclusions section of your certificate.
If civil unrest at your destination escalates into an act of terrorism within a specific number of days before your scheduled departure, you may become eligible for Trip Cancellation benefits even if the original civil unrest was excluded.
Government advisories have a direct impact on your coverage. Generally, providers won’t cover you if you knowingly travel to a destination that has a Level 4 travel advisory at the time your policy is purchased. If a travel advisory is issued after you purchase your policy, your policy may cover cancellations, delays, interruptions, and other disruptions if your trip is impacted by world events.
To find CFAR policies on Squaremouth, simply apply the “Cancel For Any Reason” filter to your search. This is located in the “Cancellation and Interruption Benefits” tab. We also created a list of the Best CFAR Plans, where we curated some of the top policies on the market that offer the CFAR add-on.
Unfortunately, fear of travel is not a covered reason under standard Trip Cancellation plans, regardless of the severity of the situation at your destination. This applies to cases of significant political instability, ongoing riots, or labor strikes that have not yet impacted your specific itinerary or travel plans. The only way to receive reimbursement when canceling out of concern for your safety is through the CFAR add-on.
Non-Medical Evacuation covers the cost of transporting you from a place of danger to a place of safety when civil or political unrest at your destination puts you at risk. This could include a train, charter vehicle, or emergency flight. Depending on the nature of the situation, finding a policy with this benefit can save you thousands of dollars in transportation costs and assist in the logistics of getting you home safely.
Non-Medical Evacuation coverage is not widely available and is only found in roughly 25% of plans on Squaremouth. We recommend using coverage filters to find plans that offer this protection.