Travel Insurance and Known Events

Last Updated: 20 Jan 2026.

Are You Covered for Known Events Such as Pandemics or Political Unrest?

We’ve had more than our fair share of known events such as political unrest, epidemics and pandemics around the region.

So, when it comes to protecting your travel plans, it can be confusing as to whether you’re covered and what you can claim for.

Here, we answer some questions you might have.

1. What is a known event in travel insurance?

   A known event refers to any situation such as a riot, strike, civil commotion, natural disaster, epidemic/pandemic, or other occurrences that could threaten your health or disrupt your trip. To be considered a known event, it must have been publicised or reported by the media, or a relevant authority (local or foreign) must have issued travel advice about it before you purchased your policy (for Single Trip) or before you booked your trip (for Annual Cover) or any circumstances (including pre-existing medical condition or sickness) that is known by you, an insured person, your family member or travelling companion which may threaten you or your health or disrupt your trip.

2. Does my travel Insurance policy with Budget Direct Insurance cover a known event, such as a war, an epidemic or pandemic?

   Claims related to any known event including but not limited to wars, epidemics or pandemics are not covered under Single Trip or Annual Plan policies.

   Known events fall under General Exclusions and will not be covered. Refer to the Product Disclosure Document for more details.

   Not to be confused with known events, you will be covered for travel inconveniences if you purchased your travel insurance policy (Single Trip policy) or booked a trip (Annual Plan policy) before the event is made known. This cover falls under Travel Inconveniences such as Trip Cancellation, Trip Shortened, Trip Disruption and Trip Postponement.

Travel Inconveniences		Comprehensive Plus	Comprehensive	Basic
Trip Cancellation	Per insured person	S$20,000	S$10,000	S$5,000
Trip Shortened	Per insured person	S$15,000	S$10,000	S$5,000
Trip Disruption	Per insured person	S$3,000	S$2,000	S$1,000
Trip Postponement	Per insured person	S$2,000	S$1,000	S$500

Additionally, if you have to be quarantined and you bought your travel insurance policy (Single Trip policy) or booked a trip (Annual Plan policy) before the known event, you are eligible to claim a daily allowance under the travel insurance policy (see table excerpt below).

Personal Accident and Medical Expenses		Comprehensive Plus	Comprehensive	Basic
Overseas Quarantine Allowance	Per insured person	S$1,000	S$500	S$250
(S$50 per 24 hours)
Quarantine Allowance in Singapore	Per insured person	S$1,000	S$500	S$250
(S$50 per 24 hours)

3. Does my travel insurance cover airline cancellation?

   It’s important to read the small print here when it comes to your travel insurance cover. Most insurance companies, including Budget Direct Insurance, will cover you when all flights are grounded, and the airline cancels due to the closure of the airport, runway or airspace.

4. I no longer want to travel due to a known event, can I cancel my Budget Direct Insurance travel insurance policy whenever I want?

   If you purchased a Single Trip policy, Budget Direct Insurance will provide a full refund with no cancellation fees if you decide to cancel your policy before your policy start date on the condition no claims were made or reported against your policy.

   As long as no claims were made or reported after the start of the policy period, Annual Plan policies can be cancelled at any time, but will incur a cancellation fee. For more information, please refer to Travel Insurance FAQs.

5. Ways to help minimise financial loss for your cancelled trip

   There are several steps you can take to recoup a part of your trip expenses. For instance, you can talk to your airline's customer service representative in the event of flight cancellation, who subject to their own policies will typically try their best to offer you some form of credit or refund.

   You can also call your tour operator as soon as possible to let them know if your cancelled flight led to you missing a non-refundable event such as a tour or excursion. They may lend a sympathetic ear or offer to reschedule your tour.

   Hotels often have a cancellation window of 24-48 hours prior to check-in, after which time you may be required to pay a cancellation fee. Accordingly, it helps to book a hotel that has a flexible refund policy. If you can't obtain a refund from your hotel, try to ask if they are able to offer you a credit instead.

6. Consider buying travel insurance as soon as you book your holiday

   Consider the benefits of buying your travel insurance policy when you book your holiday such as being covered in the event of sudden illnesses or any other unforeseen events that may occur before your trip begins.

7. Register your trip with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

   If you’re travelling, we suggest you consider e-registering your trip with the Singapore Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) before you set off. That way, you can get hold of the relevant people should you require assistance whilst overseas. Here’s a simple guide on the benefits of registering and how to do it.

   If you require further clarification regarding your travel insurance coverage related to known events, kindly contact our Customer Care team at 6221 2111. Mondays to Fridays, 9am – 6pm (Closed on weekends and public holidays), or email [email protected].

   Enjoy stress-free holidays when you buy smarter Travel Insurance.
   Check out Budget Direct Insurance for your best deal