Does travel insurance and assistance services cover passport issues?

By Steven Bartholow

The prospect of your passport not being where you expect it when you need at the airport or border crossing is the stuff of travel nightmares. However it might have gone missing, it will likely take a good deal of time and expense to replace the passport and get back on your way.

How long it takes and how much it costs you in the end might just depend on whether you bought a travel insurance and assistance services for your trip. Keep reading to see how travel protection from Generali can help if you encounter passport problems.

When you get one of our travel protection plans, we can help before and during your trip, in different ways, such as helping you get a new passport and paying you back for certain expenses and lost trip costs.

Here’s the gist of it:

If your passport is stolen before your trip begins: Trip Cancellation coverage may reimburse your insured trip costs.

If your passport is stolen during your trip, Trip Interruption coverage may reimburse you for expenses associated with rescheduling your travel while waiting for your passport replacement. Also, if your passport is lost or stolen, Travel Delay coverage may reimburse you for reasonable expenses during the delay, like accommodations and food.

Baggage coverage may even cover fees related to getting a new passport if the old one is lost, stolen or damaged during your trip.

All plans come with those coverages, plus 24/7 Travel Assistance Services, which includes assistance locating or replacing lost or stolen items and connecting you with the U.S. Embassy or Consulate in the area you are visiting. Identity Theft Resolution Services are also included and can help in the event your passport is stolen. 

Let’s look in more detail at how travel protection can help you with passport issues. We found the top questions travelers ask about travel protection and passports and answer them directly.

Bad news first.

No, our plans do not offer benefits in case you experience delays in receiving your passport in time for your trip. It’s up to travelers to make sure they have a valid passport in advance of their departure date.

And keep in mind, the wait for new passport, renewals, and replacements is even longer than normal these days, so get started early!

Video: How to Avoid Pickpockets on Vacation

No, travel insurance won’t help in that situation.

It’s your responsibility to ensure that your passport is valid for the entire duration of your trip and to renew it well in advance if you have to.

No, it doesn’t. It’s up to you to apply for a passport far in advance of your trip, even if that means starting the process a year or more before you’re slated to leave.

Also read: How to Prevent Identity Theft When You Travel

Yes, in a few ways. Let’s go into more detail.

No, not if the passport is simply lost.

If you lose your passport before you leave on your trip, it’s up to you to arrange for a new one and pay any fees that go along with that. Travel insurance is not part of that picture.

We suggest you keep your passport in a secure place, remember where that secure place is, and make photocopies or digital backups of key travel docs to aid in replacing them.

But, if the passport was stolen and the theft was documented, you may be covered and reimbursed for your insured trip costs if you need to cancel your trip as a result. Alternatively, you could also work with our 24/7 Travel Assistance experts to help rebook your trip and have rebooking fees covered by your plan.

Also read: Traveling With Kids? Don't Forget the Documents

Yes, it may help in numerous ways, including helping you get a new passport and paying you back for certain expenses and lost trip costs.

If your passport is lost or stolen, Travel Delay coverage may reimburse you for reasonable expenses during the delay on your trip, like accommodations and food.

Baggage coverage may even cover fees related to getting a new passport if the old one is lost, stolen or damaged during your trip.

With Trip Interruption coverage, which is similar to Trip Cancellation coverage, if your passport is stolen during your trip you can get reimbursed for expenses associated with rescheduling your travel while waiting for your passport replacement.

If you’re traveling and you lose a passport, call the 24/7 Travel Assistance line and tell them you’ve lost your passport.

Our assistance experts can help connect you with the nearest embassy or consulate, where you can start the process to get a replacement. They can also give you suggestions about what to do, and can help answer your questions as you do it. If you need to rebook travel arrangements, they can advise you what to do about your travel itinerary while you’re waiting for a replacement and help with the rebooking.

Also read: How to Replace a Lost or Stolen Passport on a Trip

Here are some tips to help prepare in case your passport joins the ranks of the missing:

Keep multiple copies of your passport and travel documents in multiple locations. If you ever have to apply for an emergency replacement passport, a copy of your passport will speed up the process.

Keep a copy back home. Assuming the folks back home are still paying attention to the fact that you’re abroad, they can quickly send you an electronic (scanned) copy of your passport should yours go AWOL.

Travel insurance is an essential investment that covers certain unforeseen events. As a responsible traveler, it's crucial you understand the details of your travel protection plan and take steps to safeguard your passport and travel documents.

While Generali can’t help you solve all your passport-related woes, we can help with the most important issue of all: getting you out of “passport detention” and back to traveling.

That’s why it’s important you get a quote today.

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