A guide to COVID-19 school trip insurance policies

Study trips provide enriching learning experiences for both students and educators. As international travel is now resuming, it’s a great time to start planning the ultimate trip for your students.

Travel insurance is essential for an educational trip, regardless of whether you’re travelling abroad or staying within the UK. COVID-19 has emphasised the importance of school trip insurance, as international travel restrictions are continually changing. Selecting the right insurance policy will give you peace of mind that you’re covered, especially if your travel plans change at the last minute.

To help you with this decision, we’ve put together this handy guide on COVID-19 school trip insurance policies. We’ll go through everything you should take into consideration when selecting a COVID-friendly travel insurance policy for your trip.

What do school trip insurance policies cover?

School trip insurance policies can vary slightly between providers. However, they generally cover the following areas:

Cancellation and curtailment – for UK trips and overseas trips
Emergency medical expenses
State hospital benefit
Personal possession loss
Delayed possessions
Personal money
Loss of travel documents and/or passports
Personal liability
Accidental death and disability
Legal expenses
Winter sports (usually for an additional fee)

COVID-19 school trip insurance policies

Travel regulators around the world are constantly adapting to the latest pandemic developments. As a result, it’s essential to ensure that your school trip insurance policy covers all eventualities. This information can be found in your policy detail and policy wording documents.

When looking through your policy, you should keep an eye out for terms such as:

Infectious diseases
COVID-19/Coronavirus
Self-isolation
Quarantine
Pandemic

Clauses to look out for

You’ll need to take a close look at your COVID-19 school insurance policy before you embark on your trip. Your policy will come into effect when you reach your trip destination, so it’s essential to check you have adequate cover well before your departure.

When it comes to COVID-19, there are certain clauses you’ll need to look out for to ensure that you’re covered in the worst-case scenario.

Cancelling school trips during COVID-19

From sickness to border closures, there are a whole host of reasons why you may need to cancel your school trip at the last minute. Look out for specific information regarding what’s covered if:

You or a member(s) of your group can’t go on the trip due to isolation or COVID-19 infection
Travel restrictions change in the country of arrival
Travel restrictions change in the country of departure

You’ll receive different levels of cover and compensation depending on whether you’re taking a trip in the UK or overseas.

Refunds and credit

In most cases, you’ll need to seek a refund from your tour operator, accommodation provider or another party, before claiming on your insurance.

However, if you need to cancel your trip and you can’t get a refund directly, you may be able to claim and get your money back via your insurance provider. This will be stated in your policy documents.

Emergency medical cover

Emergency medical cover is an essential component of any educational travel insurance policy. However, this clause is especially important when travelling during the pandemic.

You’ll need to check whether there are exclusions regarding COVID-19 itself or COVID-related illnesses.

Legal cover

Different countries have their own regulations regarding social distancing, mask mandates, COVID-19 testing and more. If you’re planning an international school trip, you must ensure that your group is aware of these regulations well before you depart.

Should you or a member of your group fail to comply with local laws regarding COVID-19, you’ll want assurance that you’re protected by your insurance provider.

ATOL protection

ATOL protection provides you with financial cover if your ATOL holder ceases trading. The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has confirmed that you’re still entitled to a Refund Credit Note (RCN) or cash refund if your booking has been cancelled as a direct result of the pandemic.

Here at Diversity Study Trips, all of our trips are ATOL protected. This gives you an additional level of financial security when it comes to booking COVID-19 school trips.

Our flexibility promise

Whether you’re planning a UK school trip or a trip further afield, our flexibility promise ensures that your group is covered if your plans change. When combined with ATOL protection, you’ll have everything you need for a stress-free trip.