Yahoo Finance No-go zone: Travel insurers could leave you high and dry in these countries
It’s winter in Australia, but summer in a lot of popular destinations.
However, a nasty accident, theft or illness can easily cut a holiday short; and while travel insurance will usually help unlucky Australians escape without too much financial pain, there are some countries where travel insurers will refuse to pay out.
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Travel With Jane pulled together a list of the 13 countries where travel insurers may be unable to look after you if you need to make a claim.
These countries all feature on the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade’s (DFAT) Smartraveller website, and come with a “do not travel” warning.
“This level means that the security situation is extremely dangerous. This may be due to a high threat of terrorist attack, ongoing armed conflict, violent social unrest, or critical levels of violent crime. It is often a combination of these,” DFAT says.
“You should not travel to this location. If you are already in a 'do not travel' area, you should consider leaving.”
They’re considered so dangerous that DFAT suggests travellers update their wills before they leave and seek independent professional security device.
And, it adds, you’ll likely need to double check your insurance policy as most insurers won’t cover you if you come into trouble in these countries.
Which countries are on the “do not travel” list?
These are the 13 countries with a “do not travel” warning:
What happens if my travel destination is upgraded to “do not travel” after I’ve bought insurance and tickets?
In this instance, you should contact your insurer and check if the policy lets you make claims to cover the booking costs or changes in itineraries.
It’s also a good idea to subscribe to the DFAT Smartraveller site for the destinations you’re visiting. This way you’ll receive alerts every time the advisory level changes.
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