Yes, you may still be covered if your journey connects through a country outside your selected geographical area.
The rules depend on whether you:
Remain air-side at the airport.
Leave the secure transit area.
Have a planned stopover of 5 hours or more.
Are unexpectedly diverted or stranded by your airline.
You are automatically covered while remaining air-side during a flight connection, even if the airport is in a country outside your selected geographical area.
To remain air-side, you must:
Stay on the aircraft or within the airport's secure transit area.
Not pass through immigration or customs into the public area.
Not leave the secure airport transit area.
Not collect baggage where doing so requires you to enter the public area.
There is no 5-hour limit for an air-side connection, provided you remain within the secure transit area throughout.
For example, if you connect through Dubai but your geographical area does not include the United Arab Emirates, you can remain covered while waiting air-side for your onward flight.
Yes.
A planned stopover of less than 5 hours outside the secure air-side area is automatically covered, even where the country is outside your selected geographical area.
This may include:
Passing through immigration or customs to change terminals.
Travelling between airports for a connecting flight.
Collecting and rechecking baggage.
Briefly leaving the airport during the connection.
You must return to the secure air-side departure area before the time spent outside air-side reaches 5 hours.
The 5-hour period runs from:
The time you leave the secure air-side area by passing through immigration or customs; until
The time you re-enter the secure air-side departure area after passing through airport security.
For example:
Leave air-side at 10:00 and return at 14:30: 4 hours 30 minutes outside air-side — covered under the short-stopover allowance.
Leave air-side at 10:00 and return at 15:00: 5 hours outside air-side — you need geographical cover for that country.
The limit applies to the time spent outside the secure air-side area, not the total time between your flights.
If you plan to spend 5 hours or longer outside the secure air-side area, your geographical area must include that country.
This includes situations such as:
Leaving the airport to go sightseeing.
Staying overnight in a hotel outside the secure transit area.
Visiting friends or family.
Travelling into the city before returning for your onward flight.
Without the appropriate geographical area, you will not be covered for the planned stopover.
You can usually request a change through your Customer Zone:
Sign in to your Customer Zone.
Find the policy you want to amend.
Select More → Change Your Policy.
Follow the instructions to request a change to your geographical area.
If you cannot make the change online, please contact CoverForYou.
Arrange any required change before you travel.
Unexpected stopovers caused by a flight diversion, cancellation or significant delay are treated differently from planned stopovers.
If your airline unexpectedly requires you to stop in a country outside your geographical area, your cover can continue provided you:
Accept reasonable alternative travel arrangements offered by the airline.
Follow the airline's arrangements to continue your journey.
Do not deliberately extend the stopover unnecessarily.
Other policy terms, conditions and exclusions still apply.
If the airline cannot provide a replacement flight within 48 hours, or does not offer an alternative flight, please contact CoverForYou.
Depending on the circumstances, you may need to change your geographical area to maintain the appropriate cover.
Important: An unexpected diversion does not override other policy terms or exclusions, including restrictions relating to FCDO travel advice.
If you have an Annual Multi-Trip policy and only one holiday needs a wider geographical area, you have two options.
You may be able to upgrade your existing Annual Multi-Trip policy to a wider geographical area.
This may be useful if you expect to visit other destinations within that wider area during the remainder of the policy year.
If only one holiday requires the wider geographical area, a separate Single Trip policy may be more suitable.
You can get a Single Trip travel insurance quote and compare the available options.
Connection or stopover | Geographical cover |
|---|---|
Remaining air-side throughout the connection | Automatically covered |
Planned time outside air-side for less than 5 hours | Automatically covered |
Planned time outside air-side for 5 hours or longer | Geographical area must include the country |
Unexpected airline diversion or delay | Cover can continue, subject to the stated conditions |
Unexpected stopover lasting more than 48 hours without an alternative flight | Contact CoverForYou |
Before booking a connection through a country outside your geographical area:
Check whether you need to pass through immigration or customs.
Confirm whether your baggage is checked through to your final destination.
Check whether you need to change terminals or airports.
Work out how long you expect to spend outside the secure air-side area.
Change your geographical area before travelling if the stopover requires it.
If you are unsure whether your connection is covered, please contact CoverForYou.
Important: All cover is subject to the policy terms, conditions, exclusions, cover limits and any applicable excess.
