Key Takeaways
- Cancel For Any Reason Insurance, or CFAR coverage, is an add-on to your standard Trip Cancellation coverage that lets you cancel your trip for reasons that aren’t covered by traditional cancellation coverage.
- CFAR is best-suited for travelers with high prepaid, non-refundable trip costs who value flexibility, especially those who have a high chance of cancelling for a non-covered reason.
- CFAR typically reimburses 50% or 75% of your non-insurable, non-refundable trip costs if you cancel your trip for reasons not covered by standard cancellation protection.
- Our internal quote and sales data show that a CFAR add-on will increase your overall insurance premium by 40%-60%.
- CFAR is only available during a strict purchase window, typically within 14-21 days of your first trip payment.
- Try our quote tool to filter and find travel insurance plans that offer CFAR coverage.
What is Cancel For Any Reason Travel Insurance?
Cancel For Any Reason (CFAR) is an optional travel insurance benefit that provides partial reimbursement of your travel expenses if you choose to cancel your trip for a reason not covered by your plan’s Trip Cancellation benefit.
It differs from Trip Cancellation protection in that it lets you cancel your trip for any reason, rather than being strictly limited to a list of covered reasons.
A Cancel For Any Reason travel insurance policy offers the most comprehensive cancellation coverage available. It adds flexibility to your trip and financially protects you if your plans change unexpectedly on top of your policy’s standard Trip Cancellation protection.
CFAR travel insurance is beneficial when your travel plans are uncertain or if your trip requires large upfront payments. This add-on lets you cancel or make last-minute changes to your travel plans for any reason without losing your entire investment.
CFAR is only offered on a select few policies from certain providers, but at Squaremouth, we are proud to offer it as an upgrade on over 41% of policies on our site.
Among those plans, reimbursement rates range from 50% to 75% of your prepaid, non-refundable trip costs, with the vast majority of plans (80%) offering 75% reimbursement.
Benefits of Cancel For Any Reason Travel Insurance:
- Maximum cancellation flexibility
- Covers gaps left by standard Trip Cancellation insurance
- Still refunds a majority of your trip expenses
Looking for the Best CFAR plan? Travel Insured International FlexiPAX, Seven Corners Trip Protection Basic, and Tin Leg Gold are our top 3 most popular plans for CFAR coverage. See our Best CFAR Travel Insurance page for more details.
Do I Need Cancel For Any Reason Travel Insurance?
While CFAR is not necessary for every trip, we recommend buying if you’re taking an expensive trip or traveling to/through a high-risk area.
Standard Trip Cancellation insurance can reimburse you for many scenarios, but it strictly applies to the list of reasons in your policy. CFAR gives you more flexibility to cancel your trip for any reason that is not otherwise covered.
Additionally, CFAR has become the most searched benefit on Squaremouth this year, as many unexpected events in 2026 were only covered by plans with CFAR.
| Who should consider CFAR: | CFAR may not be necessary if: |
|---|---|
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“We’ve seen nearly unprecedented interest from Squaremouth customers in CFAR this year. Over 25% of our customer service calls were related to CFAR coverage in Q2 of 2026 .”
- Chrissy Valdez, Senior Director of Operations at Squaremouth
Top reasons for CFAR based on around 11,000 customer service calls in Q2 2026
- Geopolitical / Safety Concerns: 32.5%
- Life Uncertainty / Future Planning: 27.4%
- Work / Business Uncertainty: 21.3%
- Elderly / Ill Family Member: 11.2%
- Prior Claim Denial / Distrust: 7.6%
Eligibility Requirements for Cancel for Any Reason Travel Insurance
It’s important to note that you must meet specific eligibility requirements to qualify for Cancel For Any Reason insurance.
Most plans include the following stipulations:
- You must purchase your policy within a specific time-sensitive window, typically 14-21 days after your trip deposit date.
- You must insure 100% of your prepaid and non-refundable trip expenses, such as airfare, hotel reservations, and cruise bookings.
- You must cancel your insured trip in its entirety at least 2-3 days before your scheduled departure date, depending on the policy.
- CFAR coverage availability varies by state of residency, and residents of states like New York and Washington may have few to no options for CFAR coverage from certain providers.
What Does Cancel For Any Reason Travel Insurance Cover?
Cancel For Any Reason travel insurance covers 50%-75% of your trip cost for any cancellation reason as long as you meet your policy’s eligibility requirements, including cancelling within the required timeframe.
While it’s nearly impossible to name everything CFAR can cover, here are the ways travelers have found it most useful:
- Fear of travel
- Work conflicts
- Passport delays
- Changing your mind
- A fallout with your travel companion
- Voluntary Itinerary changes
- Events that were foreseen when you purchased travel insurance
- Acts of War
- Viral outbreaks
- Government shutdowns
None of the above scenarios are covered under standard Trip Cancellation insurance.
For example, if you had a falling out with your partner right before the start of a big cruise, CFAR is the only type of coverage that would reimburse your trip.
What does CFAR Not Cover?
That said, there are a few niche situations where CFAR exclusions may apply:
- Refundable bookings: CFAR only reimburses non-refundable costs.
- Airline vouchers that you’ve accepted: Vouchers and credits are considered a refund under travel insurance.
- Flights booked with miles: You can’t recover the cost of points or miles, though taxes and fees may be refundable, depending on your plan.
- Cancelling only 24 hours before leaving: CFAR plans generally require you to cancel at least 2-3 days before your trip starts.
- Partial trip cancellations: Cancelling only a portion of your trip, like a flight only, usually doesn’t count; you must cancel your full trip to get reimbursed.
- Claims filed through your regular Trip Cancellation policy: You can’t double dip and be reimbursed twice. Your CFAR will pay for anything not covered by your standard cancellation coverage.
Compare travel insurance quotes side by side and explore coverage options tailored to your needs. See Plans & Prices
How Much More Does CFAR Cost?
Our internal booking data from the past 12 months shows that, on average, CFAR upgrades cost an additional 3% of your trip cost when added to your policy.
Add-ons like CFAR directly raise your premium, and with standard travel insurance prices ranging between 4%-10% of your total trip cost, an additional 3% means adding CFAR coverage can raise your premium by 40%-60%.
To give you a ballpark dollar amount, our data shows that the average traveler spends an extra $246 to add CFAR.
For example, let’s look at the potential costs for a $10,000 trip. Comprehensive travel insurance might cost between $400 to $1,000 for this trip. Assuming a 3% cost for CFAR, a CFAR add-on might cost around $300, raising the total premium to $700-$1,300, for a 30%-75% premium increase.
CFAR Cost Example for a $10,000 Trip
| Example Coverage | Estimated Percentage of Trip Cost | Estimated Premium |
|---|---|---|
| Comprehensive Travel Insurance | 4%-10% | $400-$1,000 |
| CFAR Add-on | 3% | $300 |
| Total Insurance With CFAR | 7%-13% | $700-$1,300 |
How Much Can CFAR Travel Insurance Reimburse?
CFAR can reimburse up to 50%-75% of your trip cost, which can amount to thousands of dollars in savings, depending on your trip. While you’ll pay a premium price tag for CFAR, you may get nearly a 10,000% return on your premium if you need to cancel your trip.
For example, let’s say you’re planning a $10,000 prepaid, non-refundable safari in Tanzania, which has recently experienced political turmoil. If you decide to cancel your trip due to civil unrest, and the U.S. state department hasn’t issued a “Do Not Travel” warning, you may not be able to recover the cost of your safari under regular travel insurance.
In this case, the same CFAR policy from Tin Leg Gold could save you $6,831 for cancelling your trip.
- Trip cost: $10,000
- Estimated Travel insurance premium: $446
- Estimated CFAR cost: $223
- Estimated Travel insurance + CFAR: $669
- CFAR reimbursement Rate: 75% of trip cost
- Amount refunded: $7,500
- Net savings: $6,831
How Does Cancel For Any Reason Coverage Work?
CFAR differs from other benefits. You must follow a strict timeline and cancellation rules to qualify for reimbursement, so it’s important to understand all the requirements.
Follow these steps to use your CFAR coverage effectively:
- Confirm Your Coverage: Review your policy documentation to make sure it includes Cancel For Any Reason.
- Determine if Your Cancellation Reason is Already Covered: CFAR only applies when your reason for cancelling falls outside of your plan’s standard Trip Cancellation benefits.
- Cancel Your Trip in Its Entirety: You must officially cancel all reservations with your travel suppliers, including airlines, hotels, and tour operators, before submitting a claim. Your insurer requires written documentation supporting your cancellation.
- File a CFAR Claim With Your Provider: Attach invoices, proof of payment, cancellation confirmations, and other documents that indicate your expenses, date of cancellation, and reason for cancelling.
- Receive Partial Reimbursement: CFAR will only reimburse a percentage of your total insured travel expenses, usually up to 75%, depending on your policy.
Since CFAR claims are time-sensitive, handling the process efficiently can improve your claims outcome. Be prepared to carefully document all your expenses and keep an eye out for requests for additional information.
Claims can be denied due to a lack of response on your end, so respond quickly and diligently to facilitate a successful outcome.
When is Cancel For Any Reason Travel Insurance Worth It?
Ask yourself these questions to determine if CFAR is worth it for you:
- How much of your trip was booked with non-refundable clauses?
- Can you comfortably afford to forfeit all of the money spent on your trip if standard trip cancellation doesn’t cover you?
- Is the extra amount spent on your premium (~50% more) worth the partial reimbursement (50%-75%) you could receive?
- Are you concerned about things excluded by standard trip cancellation?
Cancel For Any Reason is worth it if you expect you might need to cancel for reasons that wouldn’t be reimbursed by your standard Trip Cancellation insurance, such as an emergency with your pet, or a delayed passport.
“Fear of travel” is another common scenario where CFAR coverage is invaluable. Examples of fear of travel include not wanting to risk driving on dangerous, icy roads during severe weather, or wanting to cancel your cruise because the cruise before yours got quarantined for an onboard norovirus outbreak.
CFAR coverage is also extremely valuable during known or foreseen events that can sometimes be excluded by travel insurance, such as government shutdowns, hurricanes, epidemics/pandemics, and more.
FAQs: Cancel For Any Reason Travel Insurance
CFAR varies from Trip Cancellation by the types of cancellation reasons that qualify for reimbursement, the amount of reimbursement, and the cost and rules for buying it.
CFAR covers any cancellation reason, whereas Trip Cancellation only covers a specific set of cancellations listed in your plan. However, Trip Cancellation typically reimburses 100% of your prepaid, non-refundable trip costs, while CFAR only reimburses 50%-75%.
CFAR typically adds 40%-60% to the cost of your premium, and is only available for a short window after booking your trip. Trip Cancellation is usually already included on a comprehensive travel insurance plan, which you can purchase up until the day before the start of your trip.
However, adding CFAR can be worth it in some cases because it gives you much more flexibility to cancel.
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Standard Trip Cancellation Covers cancellations due to: |
CFAR Travel Insurance Covers cancellations due to: |
|---|---|
| Unforeseen events | Foreseen events |
| Terrorist attack at your destination | Changing your mind |
| Unexpected job loss or layoff | Fear of travel |
| Unexpected illness, injury, or death of you, a traveling companion, or a family member | Military action & acts of war |
| Natural disasters, inclement weather, or other severe weather events | Pre-existing medical conditions |
| Jury duty | Bad weather forecast |
| Financial default of a travel supplier | Scheduling conflicts |
| Passport delays | |
| Any other reason that would cause you to cancel your plans |
No, most CFAR plans require you to cancel your plans at least 48 hours in advance to qualify for reimbursement. For example, CFAR does not cover same-day cancellations.
Most travel insurance companies require you to add CFAR at the time of purchasing your policy. However, some may allow you to modify your existing plan. To do so, contact your provider directly. Alternatively, if you’re still within your policy’s Free Look Period, you can cancel for a full refund and buy a new plan with CFAR added.
No, CFAR cannot be purchased as a standalone benefit. You can only buy CFAR as an add-on when purchasing a comprehensive single-trip travel insurance policy.
When you file a CFAR claim, expect to provide the following:
- A copy of your travel itinerary, along with trip invoices and booking confirmations
- Proof of payment, such as receipts and bank statements
- Cancellation confirmations from your travel suppliers that indicate the date of cancellation
- Documents that show any reimbursement or vouchers you have already received from a travel supplier
- A copy of your declarations page showing you purchased CFAR coverage
This is the same core documentation insurers typically ask for when filing a standard Trip Cancellation claim.
No, Cancel For Any Reason trip insurance will only provide coverage if you choose to cancel your trip in its entirety for an uncovered reason. If you voluntarily choose to change your flight, you will need to pay for your new airfare out of pocket. Some airlines allow free flight changes depending on the ticket you purchased.
You can quickly find Cancel For Any Reason trip insurance by using our online quote tool, which lets you filter policies by specific benefits. You can also check out our review of some of the best Cancel For Any Reason travel insurance policies available on our platform.
Yes, CFAR can provide cancellation coverage for any situations related to COVID-19. Your regular Trip Cancellation insurance should already cover illness of you or your travelling companions due to COVID-19. CFAR provides additional coverage for situations not covered by a standard travel insurance policy, including fear of traveling, border closures, or travel bans.
Being too scared to fly is not a covered reason to cancel your trip under standard travel insurance policies. However, CFAR will allow you to cancel your trip due to fear of flying.
You may need CFAR coverage if your reason for cancelling your trip isn’t covered under your card’s Trip Cancellation policy. Note that credit card Trip Cancellation policies tend to have a smaller list of covered reasons than comprehensive travel insurance, so the likelihood of needing additional Trip Cancellation coverage is high. You should read your card’s guide to benefits to confirm
No, CFAR typically won’t cover flights booked with points, miles, or vouchers. CFAR reimburses the cash value of purchases, so it may refund the taxes and fees for travel purchased with points and miles but can’t reimburse non-cash purchases. Furthermore, CFAR only reimburses non-refundable expenses, so won’t reimburse flight vouchers, which are considered a refund under most policies.
You may be able to upgrade to CFAR if you are within your policy’s Free Look Period. During this period, which lasts around 10-14 days, you can modify your policy, switch to a new policy, or even cancel travel insurance altogether for a full refund. After the Free Look Period, you can’t upgrade to CFAR.
No, you can’t use CFAR to cover just a portion of your travel. You must insure 100% of your trip with CFAR, and you must cancel your entire trip in order to claim CFAR.
Sometimes, and in many cases yes.
One important note is that travel insurance policies can explicitly exclude active war zones and specific destinations with travel bans, like Cuba, Iran, Syria, North Korea, Belarus, or Russia. Excluded destinations will be listed in the policy certificate.
That said, if you book a trip for a destination that isn’t on your policy’s excluded list and the U.S. State Department issues a Level 4 “Do Not Travel” warning, you may be eligible for reimbursement under CFAR. Always double-check with the provider before booking.
Yes, CFAR covers any cancellation reason, including illness, injury, or death of a pet. While some standard trip insurance policies include service animals under Trip Cancellation coverage, they typically don’t cover regular pets, so it is a good idea to purchase CFAR for this scenario.
For example, if you have an ailing pet that suddenly takes a turn for the worse right before your departure date, CFAR can let you cancel your trip and get reimbursed for most of your expenses.
No, CFAR is generally unavailable for New York and Washington residents due to strict insurance laws in these states.
However, a few providers, including Travelex and WorldTrips offer a workaround called “Cancel For Any Fortuitous Reason” for New York residents. Also, Washington residents may be able to purchase a CFAR waiver directly from a travel supplier, like a cruise line.
In 2026, more travelers are choosing CFAR for the added flexibility it provides. Travelers this year have faced a growing number of unpredictable disruptions, from jet fuel shortages and airline instability to the possibility of government shutdowns. CFAR is increasingly useful to travelers as uncertainty becomes a more common part of travel planning.
Yes, once you have purchased CFAR coverage, you can use it to cancel and get reimbursed for any reason, including a work conflict or just changing your mind about your trip. Be aware that there a couple of stipulations one the benefit: You have to insure 100% of your trip to qualify for CFAR and you must cancel by your plan’s cancellation deadline, usually 2-3 days before the trip.
The eligibility window for CFAR varies by provider and plan. Some providers, like Tin Leg, allow you to purchase CFAR up to 14 days after your initial trip deposit, while others, like Travel Insured International, offer a 21-day window for purchasing CFAR. Aegis has a particularly generous window on its cruise plan, allowing to purchase CFAR up until your final cruise deposit.
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Last updated: October 16, 2026