2022 is shaping up to be the year when international travel finally gets back to normal. Though new COVID-19 variants are popping up in certain parts of the world, many people are vaccinated and now feel comfortable booking that long-anticipated vacation, or international business or academic trip. 

In addition, countries around the world are easing their entry restrictions by eliminating quarantine and testing requirements. 

However, there can still be a degree of uncertainty when it comes to traveling abroad. 

Picture this: It’s less than a week before you’re set to fly halfway around the world for a vacation you’ve been dreaming about for years. But then, you turn on the news. Your destination is experiencing a huge uptick in COVID cases, and many businesses and attractions are closing to prevent the spread. You wonder if it will be safe, or even worth it to travel so far, only to be stuck in a hotel room with nothing to do. 

You were smart and purchased travel insurance when you booked your trip. The trouble is, when you decide to cancel your travel plans, it’s not covered. 

The fact is, deciding that you no longer want to travel to your destination isn’t a covered reason for cancellation under most travel insurance plans, even if it’s due to a pandemic. Trip cancellation insurance only covers you if you need to cancel your trip for a truly unavoidable reason, such as an illness, injury, or death in the family. Concerns about whether the tourist attraction you want to visit will be open are not included.

Cancel for Any Reason Travel Insurance

Luckily, there is another option, and it makes a lot of sense in 2022: Cancel for any reason (CFAR) travel insurance. 

CFAR travel insurance allows you to cancel your trip for reasons not covered by regular trip cancellation insurance. These can include reasons such as health or safety concerns, work-related reasons, family reasons, or even because you simply don’t want to go. 

However, you can’t just cancel your trip on a whim and expect to get your money back. That’s not how CFAR insurance works. 

First off, you will need to purchase the insurance within 24 hours to 21 days of your initial trip deposit – depending upon the plan – and insure all of your prepaid trip costs. If you decide to cancel your trip, you must do so at least 48 hours in advance. You can then receive 50% to 75% of your nonrefundable, prepaid trip costs back, depending upon the plan and penalty percentage. 

The exact conditions you must meet to be eligible will depend on the plan you choose, so be sure to review the coverage carefully. 

Why CFAR Travel Insurance Makes Sense

The pandemic has created a sizeable “gray area” when it comes to booking international travel. There’s simply no way to know what COVID cases will look like several months down the road in a far-off destination. By electing to add CFAR coverage onto your travel insurance, you can at least give yourself the opportunity to receive some of your prepaid, nonrefundable costs back if you simply don’t feel comfortable traveling. 

In a world where things are a little more unsure than we’d like, the extra cost of CFAR coverage can be money well spent.