Is travel insurance mandatory?

Travel insurance is not a mandatory policy to have when you travel outside of Canada. There are some exceptions to this rule. Some destinations and vacation booking organizations, for example, cruise lines, may require you to provide proof of travel insurance coverage. Most of the time, these requirements will be displayed prominently at the booking time, so as long as you read the fine print, you should not be caught unaware.

Is travel insurance worth it?

Buying a travel insurance policy insurance is just like buying any other type of insurance. It feels like it’s not worth the money until suddenly an emergency happens, and it is. Since you cannot predict if or when an emergency will occur, it’s better to err on the side of caution and buy travel insurance, hoping you never have it use it. If you use a travel rewards credit card, your insurance coverage is free and included with the card, making it worthwhile.

Does travel insurance cover any travel disruptions due to COVID-19?

The answer is that it depends. Most travel insurance policies have specific exclusions for traveling to countries with travel advisories to avoid all non-essential travel. If you travel to a country that has a travel advisory, your coverage may be invalidated. That said, some travel insurance companies are offering specific COVID-19 friendly plans that will give you coverage even if you travel to a country with a travel advisory. These plans are understandably more expensive than a standard travel insurance policy.

Jordann Kaye

Jordann Kaye is a freelance financial writer based in Halifax with more than 10 years’ experience writing about personal finance topics, such as investing, insurance, credit cards, and real estate. She has gained a reputation as an expert in the field and is regularly featured in top publications such as the CBC, Toronto Star, The Globe and Mail, Global News, CTV News, and more. Jordann can be found on Twitter and Instagram, where she enjoys interacting with her followers and sharing tips and insights on personal finance.