Travel insurance cover for high risk areas including general cover as well as medical cover

piegirl

Hello. I am finding it impossible to find suitable insurance cover for an organised trip I would like to go on. I am a UK resident wanting to travel to Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran & Iraq for leisure purposes for a total of 82 days. I can find medical insurance on its own but also want trip cancellation, curtailment, baggage loss, personal liability, etc. My holiday operator has recommended firms such as Battleface and High Risk Voyager but they do not cover all 4 destinations or there is a maximum travel period of 31 days for leisure. A lot of American companies will only cover US citizens. I have been to Campbell Irvine but their underwriter won't cover travel to Iran & Afghanistan. Axa no longer offer travel insurance to new customers. IATI don't cover destinations with travel advisories from FCDO. I can certainly get insurance for Iran from Middle East travel agencies so may be able to find cover from local providers in other countries - but then this won't cover cancellation/curtailment, baggage loss, etc. from my home country. I have tried BIBA but no luck there either with their preferred broker. Has anyone got any further ideas on providers anywhere in the world who will insure me in these high risk areas for cover beyond pure medical emergencies? Thank you for any help. I have been looking on and off for 6 months, and recently have spent an estimated 100 hours searching on the internet, requesting quotes and contacting enquiry desks - but no joy so far!

marcia_

piegirl said:

Hello. I am finding it impossible to find suitable insurance cover for an organised trip I would like to go on. I am a UK resident wanting to travel to Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran & Iraq for leisure purposes for a total of 82 days. I can find medical insurance on its own but also want trip cancellation, curtailment, baggage loss, personal liability, etc. My holiday operator has recommended firms such as Battleface and High Risk Voyager but they do not cover all 4 destinations or there is a maximum travel period of 31 days for leisure. A lot of American companies will only cover US citizens. I have been to Campbell Irvine but their underwriter won't cover travel to Iran & Afghanistan. Axa no longer offer travel insurance to new customers. IATI don't cover destinations with travel advisories from FCDO. I can certainly get insurance for Iran from Middle East travel agencies so may be able to find cover from local providers in other countries - but then this won't cover cancellation/curtailment, baggage loss, etc. from my home country. I have tried BIBA but no luck there either with their preferred broker. Has anyone got any further ideas on providers anywhere in the world who will insure me in these high risk areas for cover beyond pure medical emergencies? Thank you for any help. I have been looking on and off for 6 months, and recently have spent an estimated 100 hours searching on the internet, requesting quotes and contacting enquiry desks - but no joy so far!

 You won't get insurance from a uk insurer to Tavel to countries with uk government advisories 

silvercar

There are companies that offer insurance that you can take out when already abroad. It may be worth mix and matching, with an insurer from the start of your holiday booked in advance as normal and then take out something else when you are away.

DullGreyGuy

marcia_ said:

piegirl said:

Hello. I am finding it impossible to find suitable insurance cover for an organised trip I would like to go on. I am a UK resident wanting to travel to Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran & Iraq for leisure purposes for a total of 82 days. I can find medical insurance on its own but also want trip cancellation, curtailment, baggage loss, personal liability, etc. My holiday operator has recommended firms such as Battleface and High Risk Voyager but they do not cover all 4 destinations or there is a maximum travel period of 31 days for leisure. A lot of American companies will only cover US citizens. I have been to Campbell Irvine but their underwriter won't cover travel to Iran & Afghanistan. Axa no longer offer travel insurance to new customers. IATI don't cover destinations with travel advisories from FCDO. I can certainly get insurance for Iran from Middle East travel agencies so may be able to find cover from local providers in other countries - but then this won't cover cancellation/curtailment, baggage loss, etc. from my home country. I have tried BIBA but no luck there either with their preferred broker. Has anyone got any further ideas on providers anywhere in the world who will insure me in these high risk areas for cover beyond pure medical emergencies? Thank you for any help. I have been looking on and off for 6 months, and recently have spent an estimated 100 hours searching on the internet, requesting quotes and contacting enquiry desks - but no joy so far!

 You won't get insurance from a uk insurer to Tavel to countries with uk government advisories 

You will but for leisure trips its capped at 31 days, for business trips its typically longer. 

piegirl said:

Has anyone got any further ideas on providers anywhere in the world who will insure me in these high risk areas for cover beyond pure medical emergencies? Thank you for any help. I have been looking on and off for 6 months, and recently have spent an estimated 100 hours searching on the internet, requesting quotes and contacting enquiry desks - but no joy so far!

www.macbethscott.co.uk

The above were the only company able to offer terms for us when visiting a country with various FCDO warnings and sanctions challenges. We engaged with them over the phone and they put in the effort to get a policy that was over 31 days. Can't say how claims were as nothing happened on the trip. 

They placed it with AHU, who write on Ark's syndicate 4020 paper, so unsurprisingly Lloyds of London being comfortable with a complex risk. 

For bagage, gadgets etc we are covered under Home insurance world wide for trips up to 90 days so wasnt concerned by the policies low limits on that front. 

user1977

I'd probably just have chosen to take the risk rather than spend 100 hours researching it! Are you particularly worried about any of those risks e.g. are you taking much in the way of valuables? Not sure how personal liability is ever likely to arise.

I suppose having to exit the country in a hurry may be more of a concern (though maybe more from a practical issue than who is paying).

jimjames

Out of all the risks in visiting those countries I wouldn't include cancellation/curtailment, baggage loss particularly high on the list. I'd love to visit Iran but to me the risk of not being able to leave at your intended time is just too great.