Buy Backpacker Travel Insurance

Backpacker Travel Insurance with Covid-19 Cover

It has never been so important to have comprehensive and reliable backpacker insurance, especially when going away on long-term trips. For this reason, we have included several Covid-19 related benefits to our backpacker travel insurance policies to allow you to go abroad again with peace of mind as you had before.

Covid-19 cover includes:

  Medical Expenses covered if you or your travelling companions are diagnosed with Covid-19 abroad.

  Additional Travel or Accommodation Expenses abroad if you need to extend your stay due to a Covid-19 diagnosis.

  Cancellation cover if you are diagnosed with Covid-19 within 14 days of departure.

  Cancellation cover if you are hospitalised with Covid-19 within 28 days of departure.

  Cancellation cover if your travelling companion(s) are diagnosed with Covid-19 within 14 days of departure.

  Cancellation cover if your travelling companion(s) are hospitalised with Covid-19 within 28 days of departure.

  Cancellation cover if somebody you have arranged to stay with abroad is diagnosed with Covid-19 within 14 days of departure.

  No Cover for cancellation due to government travel restrictions or lockdown.

  You will not be covered for any Covid-19 Cancellation claim event occurring within 14 days of purchase.

Covid-19 Travel Insurance FAQs

Where does travel insurance sit now with all this talk of the 'traffic light system'?

The first point to note is that the traffic light system is not in any way related to travel insurance. Travel insurance works in accordance with guidance from the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), so customers should always check their travel advice at the time of travel. The positive news is that the DFA has changed its travel advice for all EEA countries and Great Britain from 'Avoid Non-Essential' to 'High Degree of Caution'. Where a country is now stating 'High Degree of Caution', travel insurance will cover customers if they travel to this country/region.

Would travel insurance cover me if I am flying to a Red or Amber country?

Backpackertravelinsurance.ie travel insurance policies are valid for all countries that have the advice from the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) of 'High Degree of Caution' regardless of if they are Amber or Red. Amber or Red only refers to the requirements to restrict your movements when you return home. For some countries, the advice of 'Avoid Non-Essential Travel' remains in place and, as a result, no cover at all is provided by our policies if customers decide to travel against government advice.

Would travel insurance cover me at the moment if I want to travel abroad?

Backpackertravelinsurance.ie travel insurance policies include cover for all countries that are listed as 'High Degree of Caution' on the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA)'s website. Other countries that the DFA still state 'Avoid Non-Essential' are not covered. To check the status of the country of travel, please visit the Travel Advice section on the DFA's website.

High Degree of Caution = Covered as per the policy terms and conditions, including Covid-19 medical cover abroad and cancellation cover if diagnosed within 14 days of travel.

Avoid Non-Essential / All travel = No cover to travel to this country.

If I fall ill with Covid-19 abroad and need medical treatment abroad, am I covered for medical expenses?

Backpackertravelinsurance.ie travel insurance policies provide cover for emergency medical and other expenses incurred abroad if you catch Covid-19 subject to the policy terms, limits, conditions and exclusions.

Please note that we will not cover Covid-19 related claims where you have travelled to an area that the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) has advised against all or all but essential travel. All customers and partners should refer to the Travel Advice section on the DFA's website prior to purchasing a policy and/or departure to ensure the policy provides the required cover for their trip.

If I fall ill with Covid-19 abroad and need to be repatriated to Ireland/UK, am I covered for this?

Backpackertravelinsurance.ie travel insurance policies provide cover for emergency medical and other expenses incurred abroad if you catch Covid-19 subject to the policy terms, limits, conditions and exclusions; repatriation to Ireland/UK is covered under this section.

Please note that we will not cover Covid-19 related claims where you have travelled to an area that the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) has advised against all or all but essential travel.

All customers and partners should refer to the Travel Advice section on the DFA's website prior to purchasing a policy and/or departure to ensure the policy provides the required cover for their trip.

Show/Hide more FAQ

If I contract Covid-19 whilst on a trip (with no symptoms and incur no medical expenses) and I am denied boarding due to the positive diagnosis, am I covered for reasonable additional transport or accommodation expenses?

Backpackertravelinsurance.ie travel insurance policies provide cover for emergency medical and other expenses incurred abroad if you catch Covid-19 subject to the policy terms, limits, conditions and exclusions. In the event of a positive diagnosis of Covid-19 abroad, the policy will cover reasonable additional transport (economy class) or accommodation expenses incurred up to the standard of your original booking if you must extend your stay up to the amount of €2,000.

Please note that we will not cover Covid-19 related claims where you have travelled to an area that the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) has advised against all or all but essential travel.

All customers and partners should refer to the Travel Advice section on the DFA's website prior to purchasing a policy and/or departure to ensure the policy provides the required cover for their trip.

If I fall ill with Covid-19 abroad and need to extend my stay as a result of it, incurring additional costs, is it covered?

Backpackertravelinsurance.ie travel insurance policies provide cover for emergency medical and other expenses incurred abroad if you catch Covid-19 subject to the policy terms, limits, conditions and exclusions. This section also provides cover for any reasonable additional transport (economy class) or accommodation expenses incurred, up to the standard of your original booking, if it is medically necessary for you to stay beyond your scheduled return date up to the amount of €2,000.

Please note that we will not cover Covid-19 related claims where you have travelled to an area that the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) has advised against all or all but essential travel.

All customers and partners should refer to the Travel Advice section on the DFA's website prior to purchasing a policy and/or departure to ensure the policy provides the required cover for their trip.

If my travelling companion and I fall ill with Covid-19 at home and cannot travel, am I covered for cancellation?

Backpackertravelinsurance.ie travel insurance policy includes cover for cancellation if you, your travelling companion or any person you have arranged to stay with during your trip receives a Covid-19 diagnosis within 14 days before the start date of the trip, or if admitted to hospital with a Covid-19 diagnosis within 28 days before the start date of the trip.

You won't be covered for any Covid-19 cancellation claim events occurring within 14 days of the date you purchased insurance unless the insurance is purchased within 48 hours of booking the trip.

This cover is subject to the policy terms, limits, conditions and exclusions.

If my family member is hospitalised with Covid-19 and as a result you cannot travel, am I covered for cancellation?

Backpackertravelinsurance.ie travel insurance policies include cover for cancellation if your close relative or close business associate is admitted to hospital with a Covid-19 diagnosis at the time of the trip and/or the death of Your close relative or close business associate due to Covid-19 at the time of the Trip.

You won't be covered for any Covid-19 cancellation claim events occurring within 14 days of the date you purchased insurance unless the insurance is purchased within 48 hours of booking the trip.

This cover is subject to the policy terms, limits, conditions and exclusions.

If I am diagnosed with Covid-19 whilst on my trip and must self-isolate in my accommodation, can I claim for any cancelled excursions?

Backpackertravelinsurance.ie travel insurance policies include cover for your irrecoverable unused pre-paid charges (including sports, concert and entertainment tickets), which you have paid or are contracted to pay, only if you receive a Covid-19 diagnosis within 14 days of the start date of your trip.

This cover is subject to the policy terms, limits, conditions and exclusions.

If I need to curtail my trip as a close relative has passed away from Covid-19, am I covered for curtailment?

Backpackertravelinsurance.ie travel insurance policies include cover for curtailment in the event your close relative or close business associate is admitted to hospital with a Covid-19 diagnosis at the time of the trip and/or the death of your close relative or close business associate due to Covid-19 at the time of the trip.

A special condition of this cover is that the insured customer must contact our Emergency Assistance Service whilst away to seek approval before returning home. Please see definition of close relative contained within the policy wording.

If I buy a policy now and the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) changes their advice on my country of destination to 'Avoid Non-Essential Travel' while I am away on my trip, what am I covered for?

Backpackertravelinsurance.ie travel insurance policies will continue to cover you up to the limits on your policy until you return home, even if DFA advice changes to 'Avoid Non-Essential Travel' while you are abroad.

If I buy a policy now and the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) changes their advice on my country of destination to 'Avoid Non-Essential Travel' before my trip, am I covered for cancellation of flights and accommodation?

There is no cover for any claim related to a change in DFA advice or government lockdown.

Would travel insurance cover me if I have to cancel a holiday as I cannot restrict my movements when I return home from a foreign trip due to my job or other commitments?

No, there is no cover in this event.