Travellers flying to the UAE with the continued uncertainty of the Iran conflict were advised to check their travel insurance carefully, especially when it came to claims relating to cancellations, medical treatment, and flight disruption.
While the frequency of attacks on the UAE has decreased significantly since the outbreak of the conflict, several countries are still urging caution when it comes to travelling to the region – in some cases even warning that travel insurance could be invalidated if flying against government advice.
Yet demand for UAE travel insurance has not dropped. Adnan Raj, a financial adviser at Dubai-based Continental Group, said enquiries from would-be travellers remain high.
“The requests have not slowed down and the ones who travel regularly understand that while it is safe to travel, it would also be wise to have a comprehensive travel insurance policy in place to ensure their protection,” he told The National.
“Some people are certainly taking advantage of the low cost of travel right now and want to make the most of their experiences in the UAE. This is why they are very eager to ensure their travel insurance is secured before even booking their flights.”
Here’s what you need to know about your travel insurance policy before you book that flight.
Vulnerable claims
Having a policy and having valid coverage are not the same thing. The most important thing to understand, said Vladimir Chernov, analyst at Freedom Finance Global, is that the real risk does not materialise until after check-in.
“The main risk for travellers is not that entry to the UAE is automatically restricted, but that problems arise after an insurance claim is filed,” Mr Chernov told The National. “If a traveller’s home government has formally advised against travel to the UAE, insurers may treat the trip as a knowingly accepted high-risk activity.”
The most vulnerable claims are those for trip cancellation, early return, flight delays, extra hotel nights, missed connections and costs caused by airspace closures. “These losses are often interpreted as stemming from a known risk, armed conflict, government action, or changes in official travel advice,” Chernov explained. “Standard policies typically exclude war, civil unrest, and government-ordered disruptions when these exclusions are explicitly stated.”
Medical cover is not automatically safe either. If a policy states that all coverage becomes void when travelling against government advice, even a heart attack or accidental injury may not be paid out. “The closer the claim is to the risk highlighted by the government advisory, the higher the likelihood of denial,” added Mr Chernov.
Not every element of a standard policy automatically collapses. Cover that could remain valid includes “emergency medical treatment unrelated to conflict, medical repatriation, lost or stolen luggage, and third-party liability”, according to Mr Chernov.
Check wording carefully
What’s imperative is that travellers read the full policy wording rather than the summary document before departure. The key clauses to examine are those concerning travel against foreign ministry advice; exclusions for war, terrorism, civil unrest, border closures, and airspace restrictions; whether transit through the UAE is covered; whether a business trip qualifies as “essential travel”; and whether coverage survives if government advice changes after tickets have already been purchased.
Then, obtain written confirmation from the insurer before travelling, advised Mr Chernov. “It is best to have a documented statement that the policy is valid for the UAE, for the specific dates, and under the current advisory level. A verbal assurance from a call centre agent may not help in a dispute later.”
If an insurer is not willing to confirm in writing that a policy is valid for the UAE under the current advisory conditions, “the traveller is effectively assuming the risk of major expenses for medical care, evacuation, delays, cancellations, and extended stays”, he said.
For those determined to travel, specialist high-risk travel policies do offer an alternative. These can cover travel against government advice, medical treatment, evacuation, repatriation, and in some cases political or military risks.
They are not, however, standard consumer products, and insurers will require detailed information – purpose of travel, itinerary, nationality, health status, evacuation plans, and local contacts – before issuing them.
There is no standard price. Costs vary based on destination, trip duration, age, coverage limits, medical history and the scope of risk included. The bottom line, Mr Chernov added, is that “a standard policy may be insufficient”, and any specialist policy must be explicitly confirmed as valid for the UAE under current advisory conditions.