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Travel Guard® Direct FAQs

COVID-19 Cover and Benefits

We have enhanced the Travel Guard Direct benefits to cover certain situations pertaining to COVID-19. Depending on the travel insurance plan purchased, the benefits and cover may differ.  Full terms and conditions, as well as exclusions can be found here. For the latest travel requirements and advisories for arrival, transit or departure, please click here.

Travel Guard Direct offers COVID-19 coverage, depending on the type of plan purchased.  A summary of the key benefits by plan types are listed below. Please refer to the policy wording for full details. 

Return Per-Trip and Annual Multi-Trip policies

  • Up to S$250,000 for medical expenses incurred overseas, emergency medical evacuation and repatriation
  • Up to S$7,500 for travel cancellation or up to S$1,500 for travel postponement
  • Up to S$7,500 for travel curtailment
  • S$100 daily cash allowance for out-of-country COVID-19 diagnosis quarantine allowance, capped at 14 consecutive days

One-Way Per-Trip policies

  • Up to S$7,500 for travel cancellation
  • Up to S$1,500 for travel postponement

You do not need to be fully vaccinated to purchase Travel Guard Direct. However, do note that the country that you are travelling to (including any transit countries) may have specific prevailing entry requirements, including a requirement for you to be vaccinated before embarking on your trip.  Please click here for relevant travel information regarding your travel destination(s). Please note also that Travel Guard Direct will not provide any cover if you are refused entry to any location because you do not meet the location’s entry requirements.

You do not need to take a COVID-19 swab test to purchase Travel Guard Direct. However, the country that you are travelling to (including any transit countries) may have specific prevailing entry requirements, including a requirement for you to clear a swab test in order to travel. Please click here for relevant travel information regarding your travel destination(s). Please note also that Travel Guard Direct will not provide any cover if you are refused entry to any location because you do not meet the location’s entry requirements.

Travel Guard Direct comes with COVID-19 coverage as part of the standard benefits for all plans.

You will not be able to claim under your policy if the Singapore government or the destination country’s government closes the border at any stage before or during your trip. Please refer to the General Exclusions section in the policy wording for full details.  

Travel Guard Direct’s COVID-19 coverage does not cover post-trip medical expenses regardless of whether medical treatment has been sought overseas during the trip. 

Travel Guard Direct does not cover expenses related to quarantine in Singapore.

No, Travel Guard Direct does not cover expenses incurred for mandatory COVID-19 diagnostic tests for any pre-departure or post-departure testing requirements. 

Travel Guard Direct does not cover trip cancellations or trip postponements if the airline, hotel, travel agent or any other provider of travel and/or accommodation has offered a voucher, credit note or re-booking of the trip as a form of refund or compensation for the cancellation.

No, there is no cover for unutilized prepaid expenses for your planned trip or additional costs like changes in return transport and accommodation due to being placed under mandatory quarantine.  However, subject to the terms and conditions of the policy you may be covered under the Out-of-country COVID-19 Diagnosis Quarantine Allowance benefit for S$100 per day up to 14 days if you are unexpectedly placed into mandatory quarantine outside Singapore because you test positive for COVID-19 while travelling.

Yes, we will pay S$100 per day for up to 14 consecutive days, if while overseas, you test positive for COVID-19 and as a result, are unexpectedly placed into mandatory quarantine outside Singapore, subject to the terms and conditions of the policy.

No, the Out-of-country COVID-19 Diagnosis Quarantine Allowance will not apply if the quarantine is not mandatory.

If at the time of the expiry of your policy, you are confined in a hospital and/or quarantined whilst overseas due to COVID-19 and you are following the directions of the attending medical practitioner, the hospitalisation or quarantine is covered by the policy if you are unable to return to Singapore as planned. The policy period will automatically extend for up to 30 days from the date of expiry of the policy without payment of any additional premium.

Please refer to the terms and conditions in the policy wording for full details.

Subject to the policy terms and conditions, automatic extension applies to one person who is insured with us and has been authorised by us in writing to extend and stay on the trip.

Yes, provided the conditions for automatic extension have been met for one person of the family, the other accompanying family members named in the Certificate of Insurance will have their coverage automatically extended under the same terms as well.

Travel Guard Direct covers you for travel cancellation and travel postponement if your travel companion is diagnosed with COVID-19 prior to your trip departure date. Please refer to the respective benefits sections in the policy wording for full details of cover.

For COVID-19 benefits to apply, the COVID-19 diagnosis must be confirmed by a medical practitioner. A self-administered ART and/or photographic evidence of a positive ART result in itself would not substantiate a loss.  A medical report from the medical practitioner to confirm the diagnosis will be required for claims assessment. Please click here for details on how to make a claim and the supporting documents required.

The standard supporting documents are:

  • COVID-19 diagnosis/result by a medical practitioner;
  • Flight itinerary; and
  • Government mandate detailing the period of quarantine.

 

Other Benefits Related Questions

You will not be able to claim under your policy if the Singapore government or the destination country’s government closes the border at any stage before or during your trip.

Please refer to the terms and conditions in the policy wording for full details.

If no medical treatment has been received overseas, the time limit for seeking medical treatment is up to a maximum of 30 consecutive days from your arrival in Singapore, provided you first seek medical treatment within 2 days of arrival in Singapore.

Please refer to the terms and conditions in the policy wording for full details.  

You have up to maximum of 30 consecutive days from your arrival in Singapore to seek follow-up treatment.

Please refer to the terms and conditions in the policy wording for full details.

We will reimburse for necessary and reasonable medical expenses incurred and paid by you overseas for pregnancy-related sickness you suffer during your trip.

Please refer to the terms and conditions in the policy wording for full details.

There are no exclusions for general business trips for Travel Guard Direct.

Please refer to the terms and conditions in the policy wording for full details.  

We cover repatriation of mortal remains due to existing heath conditions. However, other benefits will not apply to any claim relating to existing health conditions.

Travel Guard Direct does not cover any loss, injury, damage or legal liability arising from travel in, to or through Cuba, Iran, Syria, North Korea, or the Crimea region.

Any sanction, prohibition, or restriction under United Nation resolutions or the trade or economic sanctions, laws, or regulations of the European Union or the United States of America will not be covered as well. 

An existing health condition is defined as:

  • any injury, illness, disease, or other conditions, including symptoms, suffered by you, your relative, business associate or travelling companion, which in the one (1) year period before the travel start date:
    • first manifested itself, worsened, became acute or exhibited symptoms which would have caused an ordinarily prudent person to seek diagnosis, care or treatment;
    • required taking prescribed drugs or medicine, or tests or further investigation had been recommended by a medical practitioner; or
    • was treated by a medical practitioner or treatment had been recommended by a medical practitioner.
  • any congenital, hereditary, chronic or ongoing condition of yours, your relative, business associate or travelling companion which you or they are aware of, or could reasonably be expected to be aware of, before the travel start date.

There are no exclusions for trekking below 3,000 metres. For trekking above 3,000 metres and below 6,000 meters, the following conditions must be met:

  • Trekking route must be available to general public without restriction;
  • The trekking activity must be organised by a recognised commercial local tour / activity provider; and
  • The entire trekking activity must be under the guidance, supervision of qualified guides and/or instructors and you must follow safety procedures and instruction of the guide and/or  instructor at all times. 

Please refer to the terms and conditions in the policy wording for full details.  

We will automatically extend the period of insurance for up to 30 days from the policy expiry date without payment of any additional premium if, due to unexpected circumstances beyond your control, for example, due to injury or sickness or unavoidable delays affecting your return common carrier, you cannot complete your trip within the period of insurance stated in your Policy Schedule. This also applies to one person travelling with you who is authorised by us in writing to stay with you if the extension is due to medical reasons.

Please contact our 24-hour emergency assistance hotline at +65 6733 2552.

 

Before you buy

You can purchase Travel Guard Direct if:

  • you are ordinarily resident in Singapore (as defined under the Insurance Act 1966) with full rights to enter and return to Singapore regardless of medical status;
  •  you are returning to or intending to return to Singapore at the end of your travel; and
  • your pre-trip arrangements must be made and paid for, and your trip must commence from Singapore.

Please note if you are above 70 years of age, the sum insured limit for some benefits including Overseas Medical Expenses and Personal Accident is lower.  Please refer to the policy wording for full details

The maximum trip period covered by Travel Guard Direct is up to:

  • 182 days for return per-trip plans; or
  • 90 days for any one trip under an annual multi-trip plan.

A per-trip policy covers from the time you depart Singapore and ceases upon your arrival in Singapore or the policy end date, whichever comes first. The maximum period of coverage for an overseas trip is 182 consecutive days.

An annual multi-trip policy covers unlimited number of overseas trips, for up to 90 consecutive days each, within the policy year.

If you are travelling on a cruise, you must select the highest covered zone based on the furthest destination of your cruise.  For example, if your cruise will be stopping at Bali (Region 1) and Maldives (Region 2), you must select Region 2 for Maldives as that is the furthest destination of your cruise.

You can purchase Travel Guard Direct via our  website. We accept payment by credit card (Mastercard or Visa).

 

After you purchase

You can change your travel dates or destination via AIG’s self-help online portal before the policy effective date.

Per-Trip policy: There will be no refund of premium once the policy is issued.  

Annual Multi-Trip policy: If the policy is cancelled in the first nine months from the policy issue date, a short rate will apply except if there has been a claim against the policy. A short rate is an insurance premium which we charge if your coverage is less than one year. It is not pro-rated. There will be no refund if you cancel the policy more than nine months from the policy effective date.

You may extend your policy provided you have not claimed against or are aware of any known losses or circumstances that might give rise to a loss under the policy. You must apply for the extension prior to the expiry date of your original policy, and the total period of coverage must not exceed 182 days.

You can apply for an extension of your original policy via our online form and completing the payment of the additional premium. You will be required to confirm your travel arrangements when you extend the policy. Approval for your application for extended cover is subject to our review. Additional terms and conditions may apply and we reserve the right to decline any extension application.

You can apply for an extension for this trip by submitting a request via our contact us form. However, the total number of days for the trip must not exceed 182 days. You will be required to confirm your travel arrangements when you extend the policy. We will review your application for an extension before deciding whether or not to approve it. If we approve your application, additional terms, conditions and exclusions may apply.  

Claims may be submitted online here