Civil unrest can affect your travel insurance, get the latest advice before you travel

With civil unrest continuing to spread across North Africa and the Middle East, it is vital to get the latest advice from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) before you travel. If the FCO advise against travel it will affect your worldwide travel insurance.

Although it is unlikely that many people were planning a holiday to Libya, there were certainly many holiday makers with holidays planned to Tunisia, Egypt and Bahrain when the FCO updated its travel advice and either advised against all but essential travel to the whole country or in the case of Egypt, specific towns and cities.

Morocco is another country which could be affected in the coming weeks and months as political demonstrations take place in Tangier and Marrakesh.

The spread of unrest and the fluidity of the situation in countries, which would previously have been considered safe holiday destinations, highlights the importance of checking the latest FCO advice before you travel - no matter where you are going.

Before you travel you should check the FCO website to see if it's safe to visit your chosen destination. If the FCO has advised against travel, your travel insurance policy will no longer provide cover if you travel against their advice. In this situation you should contact your tour operator for the latest information.

If you are already in a country or resort and civil unrest has broken out during your trip (and you travelled before FCO advice changed) you will be covered as normal under the medical and personal accident sections of your policy, so long as you follow current FCO advice and do not intentionally get involved in any demonstrations

The FCO has now lifted its travel ban for Tunisia and the affected parts of Egypt, however it is still advising people to be alert and avoid public gatherings and demonstrations. This advice is also the same for Morocco.

For the latest travel advice, wherever you are travelling, check the FCO website.

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