Coronavirus travel disruption - latest info and your rights

Westin

Daniel1111 said:

mattyprice4004 said:

Daniel1111 said:

I'm in a similar boat. Every insurance company I've checked says no they don't cover that scenario.

IMO it's shocking that the FCO doesn't advise against travel to a country if all Brits going are going to end up in a mandatory quarantine. I would email your MP and the FCO directly (as I have), and maybe if enough do it, they'll change their approach.

But it's not hit 200 cases yet, so it's not a situation that's happened. 
Maybe they will when the time comes, but for now it's business as usual. 

It now has.

Israel is to ban entry for UK residents as of tomorrow, too.

Can you post a link to your official source Daniel111?

silvercar

aroominyork said:

silvercar said:

Daniel1111 said:

mattyprice4004 said:

Daniel1111 said:

I'm in a similar boat. Every insurance company I've checked says no they don't cover that scenario.

IMO it's shocking that the FCO doesn't advise against travel to a country if all Brits going are going to end up in a mandatory quarantine. I would email your MP and the FCO directly (as I have), and maybe if enough do it, they'll change their approach.

But it's not hit 200 cases yet, so it's not a situation that's happened. 
Maybe they will when the time comes, but for now it's business as usual. 

It now has.

Israel is to ban entry for UK residents as of tomorrow, too.

I thought Israel was requiring residents of certain countries to be staying somewhere where they can self isolate (eg a home rather than an hotel), the UK wasn't on the original list, though I expect it could be by tomorrow. If they do require self isolation for 14 days, there may well be people who were planning on going for a few months who will be prepared to self isolate for 14 days.

FCO travel guidance for Israel says "Non-resident visitors from France, Germany, Switzerland, Spain and Austria will not be able to enter unless they can provide proof they can be placed under home quarantine." 

I am booked to visit Israel on 2 April for 10 days and have two questions. FIrst, if that is extended to the UK will my travel insurance cover cancellation (or pay for me to stay there four more days locked in a room!!)? Second, my adult kids are travelling with us and have not yet taken out travel insurance. If they take out a policy today and the UK is later put on a no entry or home isolation list of countries, will their travel insurance pay for cancelled flights? Thanks.

My understanding is that you would only be allowed into the country if your accommodation was a home rather than an hotel. If you had booked an apartment/ house to stay in, then you would be allowed in provided you were prepared to self isolate. People with hotel bookings won't be allowed in.
Your adult kids should take out insurance today, whilst the guidelines are not yet in place for the UK.
Generally insurers only pay out if the FCO advises against all but essential travel, so I doubt (but would be happy to be corrected) if the FCO isn't saying don't travel, then insurers may not pay out. Just because a foreign government won't allow you in, doesn't come under the same category. I doubt the airline will allow you to fly if you aren't going to gain admittance.
On a practical level, there isn't much point going if you have to self isolate, unless you had planned a trip for a good few weeks or were going for a special occasion (in which case going early and isolating before the occasion may be an option).
Anecdotally, I have heard that some guests have had to be uninvited to a wedding because of the current restriction on no more than 100 guests were there are overseas visitors!

silvercar

Westin said:

Daniel1111 said:

mattyprice4004 said:

Daniel1111 said:

I'm in a similar boat. Every insurance company I've checked says no they don't cover that scenario.

IMO it's shocking that the FCO doesn't advise against travel to a country if all Brits going are going to end up in a mandatory quarantine. I would email your MP and the FCO directly (as I have), and maybe if enough do it, they'll change their approach.

But it's not hit 200 cases yet, so it's not a situation that's happened. 
Maybe they will when the time comes, but for now it's business as usual. 

It now has.

Israel is to ban entry for UK residents as of tomorrow, too.

Can you post a link to your official source Daniel111?

This is the official source- current information (8 March) doesn't included the UK on the restrictions, though this may change. Be aware that even this official source often posts new updates in Hebrew and then takes a day or two to provide a translation to English, so it may be that it's Hebrew page has more upto date info than its own English translation.
https://govextra.gov.il/ministry-of-health/corona/corona-virus-en/

aroominyork

silvercar said:

aroominyork said:

silvercar said:

Daniel1111 said:

mattyprice4004 said:

Daniel1111 said:

I'm in a similar boat. Every insurance company I've checked says no they don't cover that scenario.

IMO it's shocking that the FCO doesn't advise against travel to a country if all Brits going are going to end up in a mandatory quarantine. I would email your MP and the FCO directly (as I have), and maybe if enough do it, they'll change their approach.

But it's not hit 200 cases yet, so it's not a situation that's happened. 
Maybe they will when the time comes, but for now it's business as usual. 

It now has.

Israel is to ban entry for UK residents as of tomorrow, too.

I thought Israel was requiring residents of certain countries to be staying somewhere where they can self isolate (eg a home rather than an hotel), the UK wasn't on the original list, though I expect it could be by tomorrow. If they do require self isolation for 14 days, there may well be people who were planning on going for a few months who will be prepared to self isolate for 14 days.

FCO travel guidance for Israel says "Non-resident visitors from France, Germany, Switzerland, Spain and Austria will not be able to enter unless they can provide proof they can be placed under home quarantine." 

I am booked to visit Israel on 2 April for 10 days and have two questions. FIrst, if that is extended to the UK will my travel insurance cover cancellation (or pay for me to stay there four more days locked in a room!!)? Second, my adult kids are travelling with us and have not yet taken out travel insurance. If they take out a policy today and the UK is later put on a no entry or home isolation list of countries, will their travel insurance pay for cancelled flights? Thanks.

My understanding is that you would only be allowed into the country if your accommodation was a home rather than an hotel. If you had booked an apartment/ house to stay in, then you would be allowed in provided you were prepared to self isolate. People with hotel bookings won't be allowed in.
Your adult kids should take out insurance today, whilst the guidelines are not yet in place for the UK.
Generally insurers only pay out if the FCO advises against all but essential travel, so I doubt (but would be happy to be corrected) if the FCO isn't saying don't travel, then insurers may not pay out. Just because a foreign government won't allow you in, doesn't come under the same category. I doubt the airline will allow you to fly if you aren't going to gain admittance.
On a practical level, there isn't much point going if you have to self isolate, unless you had planned a trip for a good few weeks or were going for a special occasion (in which case going early and isolating before the occasion may be an option).
Anecdotally, I have heard that some guests have had to be uninvited to a wedding because of the current restriction on no more than 100 guests were there are overseas visitors!

"Generally insurers only pay out if the FCO advises against all but essential travel, so I doubt (but would be happy to be corrected) if the FCO isn't saying don't travel, then insurers may not pay out." That's likely to be the key issue. I read yesterday (though I can't find the source now) that an insurance professional body said companies would pay out in that situation, ie compulsory self-isolation on arrival. Anyway, the kids now have a policy in place so we'll see what happens.

kateg82

Hi, we have booked with TUI for a holiday in Lombardy in May. Assuming the fco do actually change their travel advice 🙄, will we have the right to a refund or will it be too far away from our departure date? We all have travel insurance. Thanks.

Caz3121

have a read of the link in the opening post

silvercar

kateg82 said:

Hi, we have booked with TUI for a holiday in Lombardy in May. Assuming the fco do actually change their travel advice 🙄, will we have the right to a refund or will it be too far away from our departure date? We all have travel insurance. Thanks.

If the FCO advise not to travel, then you have a claim on your travel insurance. Though if it is a TUI holiday, they may cancel the holiday and refund you themselves.

soolin

The latest FOC update on certain areas in  Italy

https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/italy

Still current at:

9 March 2020

Updated:

8 March 2020

Latest update:

Summary and Health Section - The FCO now advises against all but essential travel to a number of areas in northern Italy, due to an ongoing outbreak of coronavirus (Covid-19) and various control and isolation measures imposed by the Italian authorities on 8 March.

nigelw_2

We have a holiday (not package) booked for the affected part of Italy in June. While we realise things may change a lot by then, we've been checking our travel insurance.  It has the usual clause activated by UK government advice against all but essential travel but my wife has pointed out that all advice on gov.uk refers specifically to British citizens only.  As she is German, this advice doesn't seem to legally apply to her.  Does this mean that our travel insurance might not pay out for her if we cancel?  They know her nationality of course but that doesn't provide much reassurance that they would do the right thing!   Does anyone have experience of a similar situation?

savvy

MiraculousM said:

Moderators, would it not be more useful to make a sub forum for this? There are way more questions and the Volcano one is defunct. Maybe change that one to a corona one? 

Hi MiraculousM have you tried posting your suggestion to the Forum Team in the site feedback board?