…That is the question we seem to have been asked the most over the last few days. And this is not surprising, as several European countries have banned UK travellers from visiting and others have introduced new travel rules for British arrivals as a result of rising Omicron cases in the UK.
Yesterday Germany joined France in banning most British travellers from entering the country, apart from those that have a ‘compelling reason’ to visit – and unfortunately holidays are not seen as a ‘compelling’ enough reason. Those who are allowed to enter the country will have to isolate for 14-days upon arrival. While Austria, Greece, Italy, Portugal, and Ireland have introduced new entry rules that require all arrivals to produce negative pre-departure tests, regardless of their vaccine status.
The measures introduced have caused chaos for families hoping to get away for the festive break, as many tour operators have cancelled upcoming trips to Germany and France. Additionally, with other European destinations now requiring Brits to arrive with proof of a negative Covid-19 test, as well as proof of their vaccine status, travellers are facing the burden of having to pay and secure private tests ahead of their trip.
At the time of writing, travel remains unpredictable and it is possible that other countries could introduce new entry measures on British tourists at short notice. For this reason, those with an upcoming trip should make sure they keep up-to-date with the latest travel guidance on the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office website, and check our Facebook and website news feed, as we will be providing the latest information and travel guidance.
If an upcoming trip is affected by a country implementing a travel ban on British tourists, then travellers affected by these changes should contact their tour operator or airline in the first instance. Many holiday providers now offer flexible booking terms so it is likely that the trip may be able to be amended or changed if restrictions overseas make it impractical for Brits to travel.
It is also worth noting that for destinations that allow Brits to visit, so long as they have proof of a negative Covid-19 test, there is no travel insurance protection available within the market for missed departure due to a delayed Covid-19 test result. Therefore, we would strongly recommend researching the intended test providers’ turnaround times before booking with them and having a backup option in place just in case.
Lastly, while Omicron continues to rapidly spread, we would recommend that anyone planning a getaway looks for a policy that offers cancellation cover due to receiving a positive Covid-19 test result and having to isolate, as well as protection if you should you test positive on your return Covid-19 test and have to isolate abroad. This type of protection will typically include a contribution towards costs for accommodation and alternative transportation costs if you cannot return home as planned. However, it’s worth being aware that cover if your return Covid-19 test is positive, is not readily available across all travel insurance providers, so travellers will need to check the policy wordings of their chosen policy to see if this event is covered.
As always, if you have any questions or need help with a specific travel query, please do not hesitate to get in touch with us at hello@travelinsuranceexplained.co.uk and a member of our dedicated team will be on hand to assist.
