With the launch of the VTLs (Vaccinated Travel Lanes), you may be wondering just how different is travel insurance now. Will my plan cover for Covid-19 and what does Covid-19 coverage mean to us? In this article we answer some of the questions that you may have about travel insurance with Covid-19 coverage.
Q: How much can I get if I test positive before my flight back to Singapore and have to quarantine overseas?
If you want to receive quarantine allowance while serving a mandatory quarantine overseas, we recommend getting AIG Travel Guard or Sompo Travel (COVID-19) Insurance. With AIG Travel Guard, you can get a quarantine allowance of $100 per day for up to 14 consecutive days of quarantine. This benefit is consistent across all three of its plans. Sompo on the other hand will provide a quarantine allowance at $50 per day for up to a maximum of $700 for Essential plans and $100 per day up to a maximum of $1,400 for Superior plans. In addition to this quarantine allowance, Sompo also offers hospital allowance if you are hospitalised overseas due to Covid-19 with the same limits applied.
Note that while FWD's add-on COVID-19 enhanced travel benefit does not offer quarantine allowance, FWD does provide hospitalisation allowance if you are hospitalised overseas due to Covid-19. This hospitalisation allowance is given for $200 per day for up to 14 days.
AIG Travel Guard |
FWD Travel + add-on COVID-19 enhanced travel benefit |
MSIG Travel Easy |
NTUC Income Travel |
Sompo Travel (COVID-19) Insurance |
|
Quarantine allowance if you test positive for Covid-19 and require mandatory quarantine overseas |
$100 per day, for up to 14 days |
No |
No |
No |
Essential: $50 per day, capped at a maximum of $700
Superior: $100 per day, capped at a maximum of $1,400 |
Hospitalisation allowance due to Covid-19 |
No |
$200 per day for up to 14 days |
No |
No |
Essential: $50 per day, capped at a maximum of $700
Superior: $100 per day, capped at a maximum of $1,400 |
Q: Can I claim for trip cancellations due to Covid-19?
AIG Travel Guard, FWD add-on COVID-19 enhanced travel benefit, MSIG Travel Easy, NTUC Income Travel, and Sompo Travel (COVID-19) Insurance will cover for trip cancellation due to Covid-19 before your trip starts.
If you are looking for a plan with the highest trip cancellation benefit limit, AIG Travel Guard Premier will be your choice. However, note that AIG Travel Guard Premier plan does not come cheap as the premiums commensurate with the higher benefit limits given. If you have non-refundable deposits of less than $4,000 and do not require a high coverage limit then FWD’s add-on, MSIG, NTUC and/or Sompo’s plans will work for you too.
Note that NTUC Income seems to have the broadest cancellation conditions with coverage given if (1) you or your traveling companion is diagnosed with Covid-19, (2) if your family member staying in same household is diagnosed with Covid-19, or (3) if you receive a self-isolation or quarantine order from the Singapore government within 30 days before your trip.
Trip cancellation due to Covid-19 |
AIG Travel Guard |
FWD Travel + add-on COVID-19 enhanced travel benefit |
MSIG Travel Easy |
NTUC Income Travel |
Sompo Travel (COVID-19) Insurance |
Benefit limit |
Classic: Up to $2,500 Superior: Up to $5,000 Premier: Up to $7,500 |
Up to $1,000 |
Standard: Up to $1,000 Elite: Up to $2,000 Premier: Up to $3,000 |
Up to $2,000 |
Essential: Up to $2,000 Superior: Up to $4,000 |
Conditions to claim |
Covered if you have to cancel your trip after:
(1)You or your relative are diagnosed with Covid-19 prior to your trip departure date.^ |
Covered if you have to cancel your trip after:
(1) You, your traveling companion or family member staying in same household is diagnosed with Covid-19 within 30 days before your scheduled departure date.* |
Covered if you are:
(1)Diagnosed with Covid-19 (2) Quarantined or isolated by the local authority due to a suspected or confirmed infection of Covid-19 |
Covered if you have to cancel your trip after:
(1) You, your traveling companion or family member staying in same household is diagnosed with Covid-19, or (2) Are issued with an order by the Singapore government to self-isolate or quarantine within 30 days before your scheduled departure date.* |
Covered if you have to cancel your trip after:
(1) You or your immediate family member staying in the same household or travelling companion insured with Sompo test positive for Covid-19 within 30 days of departure^. An excess of $100 applies. |
*You will not be covered for trip cancellation due to Covid-19 if you buy your policy within 3 days before your schedule date of departure.
^Coverage does not apply if they are diagnosed within 14 days from date of purchase.
Q: What happens if I test positive for Covid-19 midway through my trip?
If you test positive for Covid-19 midway through your trip and have to make changes to your original itinerary, this will be covered under trip disruption or curtailment benefits.
There are four plans that provides coverage for trip disruptions: AIG Travel Guard, FWD's add-on COVID-19 enhanced travel benefit, NTUC Income Travel, and Sompo Travel (COVID-19) Insurance. Among these, AIG Travel Guard offers the highest cover for trip disruption.
However, a point to note is that FWD's add-on COVID-19 enhanced travel benefit will only cover for additional transport expenses incurred to return to Singapore. FWD will not pay for any additional accommodation and miscellaneous expenses that you incur if your trip is extended for longer than you originally planned.
Trip disruption or curtailment due to Covid-19 |
AIG Travel Guard |
FWD Travel + add-on COVID-19 enhanced travel benefit |
MSIG Travel Easy |
NTUC Income Travel |
Sompo Travel (COVID-19) Insurance |
Benefit limit |
Classic: Up to $2,500 Superior: Up to $5,000 Premier: Up to $7,500 |
Up to $1,000 for additional transport expenses incurred to return to Singapore. Additional accommodation and miscellaneous expenses you incur to extend your trip longer than you originally planned will not be covered. |
Not applicable |
Up to $2,000.
Sub-limit of $500 for transport-related claims, and $400 per room per night for accommodation expenses. |
Essential: Up to $1,000 Superior: Up to $2,000 |
Conditions to claim |
Covered if you or your relative are:
(1) Diagnosed with Covid-19 while travelling and need to return to Singapore earlier than planned |
Covered if you have to cancel your trip after:
(1) You, your traveling companion or family member staying in same household is diagnosed with Covid-19 within 30 days before your scheduled departure date.* |
Not applicable |
Covered if you have to cancel your trip after:
(1) You, your traveling companion or family member staying in same household is diagnosed with Covid-19, or (2) Are issued with an order by the Singapore government to self-isolate or quarantine within 30 days before your scheduled departure date.* |
Covered if you have to cancel your trip after:
(1) You or your immediate family member staying in the same household or travelling companion insured with Sompo test positive for Covid-19 within 30 days of departure^. An excess of $100 applies. |
Q: Is a PCR test result needed to purchase travel insurance?
While most travel insurance previously required a pre-departure polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test in order to purchase Covid-19 related coverage, going forward this will no longer be required. Instead, the requirement of a pre-departure Covid-19 diagnostic test will follow the destination country's requirements.
However, if you are not fully vaccinated and would like to purchase Sompo Travel (COVID-19) Insurance, we recommend you to still do a pre-departure COVID-19 PCR test. This is because Sompo will not pay for trip disruption and curtailment, overseas medical expenses, and emergency medical evacuation benefits if you are not fully vaccinated unless you have a negative PCR test result within 72 hours before your scheduled departure from Singapore.
AIG Travel Guard |
FWD Travel + add-on COVID-19 enhanced travel benefit |
MSIG Travel Easy |
NTUC Income Travel |
Sompo Travel (COVID-19) Insurance |
|
Is a PCR test needed? |
Not specified |
Not specified |
Follows destination country's requirement |
Not necessary for trips commencing on or after 4 October 2021 |
Not necessary for trips commencing on or after 13 October 2021. |
Q: How much medical expenses can I claim for if I get Covid-19 while overseas and require medical treatment?
AIG Travel Guard, FWD add-on COVID-19 enhanced travel benefit, MSIG Travel Easy, NTUC Income’s Travel, and Sompo Travel (COVID-19) Insurance, all covers for overseas medical expenses incurred due to Covid-19. Of these five plans, AIG's Premier plan offers the highest coverage limit at $300,000.
Additionally, Income offers an interesting coverage with medical expenses covered if you have to seek treatment while overseas for Covid-19 vaccine complications. Note that treatment for Covid-19 vaccine complications must be done within 30 days from the last dose. Any Covid-19 vaccine not taken in Singapore or not approved by the Singapore government at time of vaccination will not be covered.
AIG Travel Guard |
FWD Travel + add-on COVID-19 enhanced travel benefit |
MSIG Travel Easy |
NTUC Income Travel |
Sompo Travel (COVID-19) Insurance |
|
Medical expenses overseas due to Covid-19 |
Classic: Up to $100,000 Superior: Up to $250,000 Premier: Up to $300,000 |
Up to $100,000 |
Standard: Up to $65,000 Elite: Up to $130,000 Premier: Up to $200,000 |
Up to $150,000 Also covers if you suffer from Covid-19 vaccine complications and require treatment while overseas.** |
Essential: Up to $100,000 Superior: Up to $200,000 |
Emergency medical evacuation due to Covid-19 |
Classic: Up to $100,000 Superior: Up to $250,000 Premier: Up to $300,000 |
Up to $100,000 |
Standard: Up to $65,000 Elite: Up to $130,000 Premier: Up to $200,000 |
Up to $150,000 |
Essential: Up to $100,000 Superior: Up to $200,000 |
** Treatment must be within 30 days from last dose. Covid-19 vaccine not taken in Singapore or not approved by the Singapore government at time of vaccination will not be covered.
Q: Are my medical expenses in Singapore covered if I test positive for Covid-19 after coming back to Singapore?
If you are worried about testing positive after your return to Singapore and the medical expenses that you may incur, FWD’s add-on COVID-19 enhanced travel benefit may reassure you.
Under FWD's add-on COVID-19 enhanced travel benefit, you will continue to receive coverage for medical expenses and hospitalisation allowance in the event that you require treatment for Covid-19 within 14 days upon your return to Singapore.
AIG Travel Guard |
FWD Travel + add-on COVID-19 enhanced travel benefit |
MSIG Travel Easy |
NTUC Income Travel |
Sompo Travel (COVID-19) Insurance |
|
Medical expenses due to Covid-19 upon returning to Singapore |
No |
Up to $100,000 (must receive treatment within 14 days upon returning to Singapore) |
No |
No |
No |
Hospitalisation allowance if hospitalised in Singapore due to Covid-19 |
No |
$200 per day for up to 14 days. Hospitalisation must be within 14 days upon your return to Singapore |
No |
No |
No |
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Some other things to take note of,
- Travel insurance (even those with Covid-19 cover) will not cover the mandatory PCR tests that you have to take as a requirement to board a flight or to travel. This means that you cannot make a claim for any pre-departure PCR tests that are compulsory for travel.
- Travel insurance does not cover trip cancellations in the event that you are afraid to travel and wish to cancel due to the general pandemic or endemic related travel advisories. Fear is not a valid reason to cancel your trip and claim from your insurance.
- Even though some travel insurance plans do not cover for Covid-19 related expenses, the plans will still cover for other claims that are unrelated to Covid-19. Examples include lost or delayed baggage, loss of personal belongings, terrorism etc.
- This article only covers Covid-19 coverage in a travel insurance plan.
In our next article "Best Travel Insurance for Covid-19 coverage", we share the plan specifics of five Covid-19 travel insurance plans.
Want to find out more about Covid-19 travel insurance?
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Information is accurate as of 18 November 2021 with changes subjected to the insurer’s discretion.
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