Can I purchase or add benefits if I travel to a region affected by a travel advisory, and will I still be covered? 

When a Government of Canada travel advisory is active for your destination, it can affect certain parts of your travel insurance, depending on the type of advisory. Advisories to “avoid all nonessential travel” or “avoid all travel” are the ones that may limit coverage.

Most benefits, such as Emergency Medical, Baggage, and Accidental Death and Dismemberment, are not affected by these advisories. However, Trip Cancellation and Trip Interruption can be affected depending on when you purchase the coverage. 

If you purchased Trip Cancellation and Interruption before the Government of Canada issued the advisory for your destination, here is how coverage may apply: 

• Trip Cancellation: If the advisory is still in place seven days before your scheduled departure, the change in advisory can be considered an eligible reason to cancel your trip. 
• Trip Interruption: If the advisory applies to any country or region you are travelling to or stopping over in, it may qualify as an eligible reason for trip interruption. 

If you purchase Trip Cancellation and Interruption coverage after the Government of Canada issued the advisory for your destination, then the advisory is considered a known event at the time of purchase. In this situation, you will not have coverage for Trip Cancellations or Interruptions related to the advisory. 

It is also important to keep in mind that advisories are just one factor. All travel policies include additional limitations and exclusions, such as situations involving war, civil unrest, terrorism, pregnancy, illegal acts, substance use, or highrisk activities. These may limit or remove coverage even when a travel advisory is active. 

For full details on how these limitations and exclusions apply, please review your travel policy booklet.