Last week, British holidaymakers were delighted with some of the destinations added to the “green list”, giving them more choice for a summer holiday this year. Popular destinations on the “green list” include the Balearic Islands (including Ibiza, Menorca, Majorca, and Formentera), Malta and Barbados, to name a few.
However, Britons have awoken to unsettling news as some countries on the “green list” impose quarantine restrictions to UK travellers.
British tourists travelling to Spain or any of its popular islands, including Ibiza, Mallorca and Menorca, will now be required to arrive with proof of negative PCR test or proof of both Covid-19 vaccinations to visit. The news comes as a shock considering that only last month Spain announced that it would axe all entry restrictions for British tourists in a bid to encourage tourism.
Malta has also tightened its restrictions for UK holidaymakers, requiring proof of vaccination in order to travel quarantine-free.
While these new restrictions shouldn’t cause must concern to UK travellers, as most of the UK adult population has already received at least one dose of a Covid-19 vaccine, it’s important that holidaymakers continue to look for a travel insurance policy that offers protection against the varying scenarios that the virus could cause. For example, while the vaccine reduces the chance of falling seriously ill with the virus, it doesn’t stop you from catching it and testing positive.
Covid-19 cover varies between each insurer, but some key elements of cover we would recommend looking out for are as follows:
- Cover for emergency medical expenses if you should fall ill with Covid-19 while abroad
- Cover for self-isolation costs in the event you test positive for Covid-19 are required to quarantine in your accommodation abroad
- Cover for trip cancellation if you test positive for Covid-19 before your holiday is due to take place
- Cover for accommodation and transportation costs if you fail your pre-departure test before returning to the UK
Again, it is important to remember that Covid-19 cover will differ from provider to provider and no insurer offers it all. Therefore, we recommend shopping around for cover and checking each provider’s policy wording to see which cover suits your requirements the most.
