Does your travel insurance cover every country on your trip?
Your policy covers the area on your schedule, usually worldwide or worldwide excluding the USA and Canada, and not your home country. AIG, Liva, GIG Gulf and the Mastercard card exclude named countries, and the lists differ. Five insurers also exclude travel against government advice.
Which areas does your policy cover?
The area shown on your schedule or certificate. Salama, GIG Gulf, Liva and Orient offer a choice of area, usually worldwide or worldwide excluding the USA and Canada. Orient adds the Caribbean to that split.1234 AIG, Mastercard and Daman state a worldwide scope with exceptions.567 The Allianz Partners wording shows no plan areas. Ask Allianz Partners whether they are on your certificate.8
Your home country is outside the area in most policies. Salama, AIG and Daman exclude the country of residence, Orient excludes trips within the home country, and GIG Gulf does not insure a trip made only within the country of residence.15742 AIG’s cancellation, delay and missed departure benefits do apply before you leave the UAE.5 Medical care in the UAE is covered in emergency medical treatment abroad.
One-way trips are excluded by GIG Gulf and Daman. GIG Gulf needs each trip to begin and end in your country of residence. Daman needs a return flight booked before departure, excludes open tickets, and limits each trip to 92 consecutive days.27
Which countries are excluded?
It depends on the policy. Four print a list of named places, and the lists are not the same.
| Policy | Excluded places |
|---|---|
| AIG Travel Guard | Afghanistan, Iraq, Cuba, Iran, Syria, North Korea, and the Crimea, Donetsk and Luhansk regions of Ukraine |
| Liva | Afghanistan, Central African Republic, Crimea and Sebastopol, Cuba, Democratic Republic of Congo, Iran, Iraq, North Korea, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Russia, Yemen, and countries where war is declared or the UN recognises a war zone |
| GIG Gulf Travel Smart | Iraq, Afghanistan, Somalia, and countries where war is declared or the UN recognises a war zone, unless your Schedule names them |
| Mastercard World card | Cuba, Iran, Syria, North Korea and the Crimea region |
Liva’s war exclusion also reaches a Specified Area of Belarus, Russia and Ukraine, and losses within 100 km of Ukraine.3 Daman and Orient carry a sanctions clause that names sanctions regimes rather than a list of countries, and GIG Gulf carries one as well.742 Allianz Partners excludes any activity that breaks the law, including a sanction or embargo.8 Belarus has its own entry rule on insurance, separate from these exclusions. See Belarus.
Does a stopover in an excluded country break your cover?
AIG and Mastercard exclude travel in, to or through the places they name.56 AIG excludes planned or actual travel through Cuba, Iran, Syria, North Korea and the three Ukrainian regions, and actual travel through Afghanistan or Iraq.5 The other policies do not mention stopovers. Ask your insurer whether a stopover in an excluded area breaks your cover.
Can government travel advice remove a country from your cover?
Yes, in five policies, even on a worldwide plan.
- Liva excludes travel to areas any government or public authority has advised against, read as applying to citizens and residents of the country you travel from.3
- Orient follows UK Foreign Office advice on the date you booked. It covers travel to areas under advice against all but essential travel, and not to areas under advice against all travel.4
- Daman excludes travel to a country, area or event when the UK Foreign Office, or an authority in a country you travel to or from, has advised against all travel.7
- GIG Gulf excludes travel against government authority under its Chapters A to H.2
- Allianz Partners excludes losses related to the reason for advice against travel from your home or destination government, if you travelled against it.8
None of the policies names the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Ask your insurer whether advice issued after you booked changes your area. The war and conflict terms are in war, conflict and airspace closures.
Does Orient’s Schengen plan cover every Schengen country?
Not by name. Orient’s Schengen area of cover names 26 countries, and Bulgaria, Croatia and Romania are not among them.4 All three issued Schengen visas in the UAE in 2025.9 The wording does not say whether Orient treats them as inside the area. If your trip includes any of the three, ask Orient.
Which entry rules set where your insurance must apply?
Some countries require your policy to cover them by name or across their territory. These are government rules for entry, not policy terms.
| Destination | Government rule | Applies to |
|---|---|---|
| Schengen | Valid throughout the territory of the Member States. Visa Code Art 15(3). | Schengen visa applicants |
| Georgia | Policy document must show the covered territory. Resolution 602 rules, Art 2(1)(c). | Tourists entering Georgia |
| Qatar | International policy must cover Qatar, and meet other tests. MOPH scheme page, undated. | Visitors using an international policy |
| Belarus | Insurance must apply on the territory of Belarus. MFA page, undated. | Foreign citizens, with listed exceptions |
The small print
- Salama’s areas. Europe means all European countries including the Schengen Area. Worldwide excludes the country of residence. Worldwide I also excludes the USA and Canada. Hajj and Umrah Protection is limited to Saudi Arabia.1
- GIG Gulf Schengen. The wording gives no definition of the Schengen area. Family Plan cover is stated to be worldwide.2
- AIG purchase rule. The policy must be bought before you leave the UAE.5
- Daman’s area clause. It appears under the Personal Accidents heading and refers to the Policy’s Cover.7
- Mastercard. Assistance services may be restricted in regions in conflict and where infrastructure is inadequate. In the Mastercard terms, Territory means the countries where cards are issued, not the travel area.6
- Liva’s Schengen plan. It is limited to Area 1, worldwide excluding the USA and Canada.3
What the policy wording says
Clause by clause
| Question and reading | Status | Source | Effective | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Does your travel insurance cover every country on your trip?1Europe: all European countries including the Schengen Area. Worldwide: worldwide except the country of residence. Worldwide I: worldwide except the country of residence, USA and Canada. Traveller, Pearl and Family take Worldwide or Worldwide I. Schengen takes Europe. Hajj and Umrah Protection is limited to Saudi Arabia. | Conditional | Table of Benefits, Geographical CoverageSalama (Islamic Arab Insurance Company), Salama Travel Insurance Policy bookletNo date in text. Upload path 2024/07 | 4 Nov 2026 | |
| Does your travel insurance cover every country on your trip?2Smart: Worldwide or Worldwide excluding USA and Canada. Schengen is a separate column. Family Plan cover is stated to be worldwide. A Trip must be within the area of travel in the Schedule, and begin and end in the country of residence. One-way trips are excluded, and a trip solely within the country of residence is not insured. The wording gives no definition of the Schengen area. Unless specifically mentioned in the Schedule, cover does not apply to Iraq, Afghanistan, Somalia, or countries where war has been declared or the United Nations has recognised a war zone. | Conditional | Table of Benefits, and Definitions, TripGIG Gulf, Travel Smart Policy handbookURL timestamp 16 September 2024 | 4 Nov 2026 | |
| Does your travel insurance cover every country on your trip?5Worldwide, excluding Afghanistan, Iraq, Cuba, Iran, Syria, North Korea, the Crimea, Donetsk and Luhansk regions of Ukraine, and the country of residence. Trip Cancellation, Trip Delay and Missed Departure also apply before leaving the UAE. The policy must be bought before leaving the UAE. General Exclusion 38 excludes planned or actual travel in, to or through Cuba, Iran, Syria, North Korea and the Crimea, Donetsk and Luhansk regions, and actual travel in, to or through Afghanistan or Iraq. | Conditional | Introductory Clauses, Scope / Territory, and General Exclusion 38AIG (American Home Assurance Company, Dubai Branch), Travel Guard UAE policy wordingUndated | 4 Nov 2026 | |
| Does your travel insurance cover every country on your trip?3Area 1: worldwide excluding the USA and Canada. Area 2: worldwide including them. The Schengen plan is limited to Area 1. Excluded: Afghanistan, Central African Republic, Crimea and Sebastopol, Cuba, Democratic Republic of Congo, Iran, Iraq, North Korea, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Russia, Yemen, and countries where war is declared or the UN recognises a war zone. Travel to areas a government or public authority has advised against is also excluded. | Conditional | Your Travel Plans, and Excluded List Of CountriesLiva Insurance, Liva Travel Insurance policy bookletFile path 2023-12 | 4 Nov 2026 | |
| Does your travel insurance cover every country on your trip?8The wording shows no list of plan areas or excluded countries. The Coverage Summary has Schengen, Standard and Premium levels. It is for UAE residents travelling outside the UAE. No cover applies to activity that breaches law, including a sanction or embargo. Losses related to the reason for a government order or advice against travel are excluded if the insured travelled against it. | Not stated in the documents | General Conditions, DefinitionsAllianz Partners (underwritten by Alliance Insurance PSC), Global Individual policy wordingUndated | 4 Nov 2026 | |
| Does your travel insurance cover every country on your trip?4Three areas: worldwide including the USA, Canada and the Caribbean; worldwide excluding them; Schengen countries, with 26 countries named. The list does not name Bulgaria, Croatia or Romania. Trips within the home country are excluded. General Exclusion 5 ties travel to UK FCO advice on the booking date, with cover for advise all but essential travel areas and none for advise against all travel areas. | Conditional | Definition of words, Area of cover, and General Exclusion 5Orient Insurance, Easy Journey Outbound Policy WordingsFile path 2021/01 | 4 Nov 2026 | |
| Does your travel insurance cover every country on your trip?6Trips are stated to be covered for travel worldwide, with exceptions. Planned or actual travel in, to or through Cuba, Iran, Syria, North Korea or the Crimea region is excluded. Services may be restricted in regions in conflict and where infrastructure is inadequate. Territory in this document means the countries where cards are issued, not the travel area. | Conditional | Assistance Department, 2. Where the service is available, and General Plan Exclusions 19Mastercard World cards, MENA (card benefit), Mastercard World Cards terms and conditionsPolicy period from 1 April 2024 | 1 Apr 2024 | 4 Nov 2026 |
| Does your travel insurance cover every country on your trip?7Any place in the world except the usual country of residence, unless stated otherwise, with each trip not exceeding 92 consecutive days. A return flight must be booked before departure on overseas trips. One-way trips and open tickets are excluded. The clause appears under the Personal Accidents heading and refers to the Policy's Cover. General Exclusions dd) excludes travel to a country, specific area or event when the FCO Travel Advice Unit, or a regulatory authority in a country travelled to or from, has advised against all travel. | Conditional | Area of Cover, and General Exclusions dd)Daman (The National Insurance Company), Alami Comprehensive Travel Policy WordingFilename 01Oct26 | 4 Nov 2026 |
Readings are paraphrased unless set as a quotation.
How to read a status
- Explicitly included
- The policy document says this is covered.
- Conditional
- The policy document covers this only under stated conditions.
- Explicitly excluded
- The policy document says this is not covered.
- Not stated in the documents
- The policy documents do not mention this. This does not mean it is not covered.
- Not yet verified
- We do not have a document for this yet.
Sources
13
1Salama (Islamic Arab Insurance Company), Salama Travel Insurance Policy booklet, No date in text. Upload path 2024/07. Last checked 4 Nov 2026. Source document: Salama Travel Insurance Policy booklet
2GIG Gulf (Gulf Insurance Group (Gulf) B.S.C.(c)), Travel Smart Policy handbook, URL timestamp 16 September 2024. Last checked 4 Nov 2026. Source document: Travel Smart Policy handbook
3Liva Insurance, Liva Travel Insurance policy booklet, File path 2023-12. Last checked 4 Nov 2026. Source document: Liva Travel Insurance policy booklet
4Orient Insurance, Easy Journey Outbound Policy Wordings, File path 2021/01. Undated in text. Last checked 4 Nov 2026. Source document: Easy Journey Outbound Policy Wordings
5AIG UAE (American Home Assurance Company, Dubai Branch), Travel Guard UAE policy wording. Last checked 4 Nov 2026. Source document: Travel Guard UAE policy wording
6Mastercard, hosted by HSBC UAE, Mastercard World Cards terms and conditions, MENA, Policy period from 1 April 2024. Last checked 4 Nov 2026. Source document: Mastercard World Cards terms and conditions, MENA
7Daman (The National Insurance Company), Alami Comprehensive Travel Policy Wording, Filename 01Oct26. Last checked 4 Nov 2026. Source document: Alami Comprehensive Travel Policy Wording
8Allianz Partners, underwritten by Alliance Insurance PSC, Global Individual policy wording for UAE residents. Last checked 4 Nov 2026. Source document: Global Individual policy wording for UAE residents
9European Commission DG HOME, Visa statistics for consulates 2025, Published 2026-05-28, period calendar 2025. Last checked 4 Nov 2026. Source document: Visa statistics for consulates 2025
10European Union (EUR-Lex), Regulation (EC) No 810/2009, Visa Code, Consolidated 2024-06-11. Art 15. Last checked 4 Nov 2026. Source document: Regulation (EC) No 810/2009, Visa Code
11Government of Georgia, via Matsne, Resolution No 602, rules for compulsory health and accident insurance for tourists, 26 December 2025. Effective 1 Jan 2026. Last checked 4 Nov 2026. Source document: Resolution No 602, rules for compulsory health and accident insurance for tourists
12Qatar Ministry of Public Health, Mandatory Health Insurance Scheme. Last checked 4 Nov 2026. Source document: Mandatory Health Insurance Scheme
13Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Belarus, Health Insurance for Foreign Citizens. Last checked 4 Nov 2026. Source document: Health Insurance for Foreign Citizens
- Owner
- Travelinsurance.ae research team
- Last review
- Next review due
- 10 Feb 2027
- Status
- Published