Am I covered if the Australian Government’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) issues a ‘Do Not Travel’ warning for my destination?

Under the Fast Cover PDS, there may be provisions for cover when a DFAT Do Not Travel warning is issued after your policy is purchased, depending on your individual circumstances and the reason for the warning. If you bought your policy before the DFAT advice changed, certain benefits such as trip cancellation or trip disruption may be considered, as long as the event causing the warning was not known or reasonably foreseeable at the time of purchase and the claim meets the policy terms, conditions, limits, and exclusions. 

If a Do Not Travel warning is issued and you choose to continue with your trip or remain in the affected destination, cover may be limited for claims that arise because you did not take reasonable steps to avoid or minimise a potential loss. The PDS explains that claims linked to ignoring official government warnings or advice may not be payable where the loss could reasonably have been avoided by changing or cancelling travel plans. 

It’s also important to note that there are situations where cover will not apply at all, regardless of when the policy was purchased. For example, the Fast Cover PDS excludes claims that arise directly or indirectly from war, civil war, rebellion, revolution, insurrection, or similar events. If a DFAT Do Not Travel warning is issued due to war or warlike activity, claims related to that situation would generally not be covered under the policy. 

Each claim is assessed individually, taking into account when the policy was purchased, when the DFAT advice changed, the cause of the warning, and how the claim relates to that advice. 

Every claim is reviewed individually on a case by case basis and will only be paid if it meets the terms, conditions, limits, and exclusions in your policy. Always check the PDS carefully so you know exactly what’s included before you travel.