In short: does standard travel insurance cover war?
No — in the vast majority of cases, a standard travel policy simply won't help you on a trip to Ukraine. Classic holiday products contain a specific clause that excludes losses caused by hostilities, war, or a state of emergency. So while medical care for something like a cold might be covered, an incident tied to shelling or an air-raid alert will not be.
This isn't a mistake or a trick by insurers — it's standard market practice. That's precisely why entering Ukraine calls for a different type of policy, one that explicitly spells out war-risk cover. Below, we explain how to recognise it and what to check before you travel.
Why Ukraine needs a dedicated policy
Ukraine remains a country under a legal regime of martial law. Because of this, any document simply labelled "travel insurance" deserves a careful read: what matters isn't the name but the exclusions section.
A policy with war-risk cover describes events linked to the consequences of hostilities separately, and it doesn't automatically deny assistance just because they occurred in a country under martial law. That's a fundamental difference general insurance comparisons often overlook.
Checklist: what to verify in a policy before entry
Before you buy a policy, run through these points:
- Medical expenses with war-risk cover. Make sure assistance is provided even when an event is linked to the consequences of hostilities, not just everyday causes.
- A sufficient sum insured. Aim for a sum that would cover inpatient treatment and emergency care.
- Medical evacuation and repatriation. Check that transport to hospital and return to your home country are included.
- 24/7 assistance service. There should be a contact where you can get help in a language you understand, at any hour.
- Territorial scope. Read carefully which zones are excluded (more on this below). The exclusion should apply to specific zones, not to whole regions.
- Duration and number of trips. A single journey or multiple entries within a period.
- Who the insurer and agent are. The licence, the regulator, and the intermediary's identity are your guarantee that the policy is genuine.
Save this list and check any document against it before you pay for it.
The four categories of territorial exclusion
Even a policy with war-risk cover won't protect the entire territory without limits. The exclusion isn't framed as "whole regions" but through clear categories of zones:
- Active combat zones — as defined by the relevant acts of state authorities.
- Temporarily occupied territories.
- A 50-kilometre buffer zone around the first two categories.
- Areas under a special-access regime.
This approach means a trip to the country's safer regions may well be covered, while getting close to the zones listed above will not be. Before planning your route, check the current status of regions against official Ukrainian government sources, as the situation changes.
How to buy a policy: step by step
- Plan your dates and destination. Decide exactly where you're going and for how many days.
- Check the current entry rules on the official resources of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
- Move on to the quote. The price depends on the duration, the sum insured, and your trip details — the typical market range is a few euros a day, and you'll see the exact price when you get your policy quote online.
- Read the exclusions section carefully and cross-check it against the checklist above.
- Pay and save your policy on your phone and in printed form, together with the assistance service contact.
The whole process is fully remote — you don't need to be physically present in Ukraine to buy.
Whom to trust: the regulator and transparency
A policy only makes sense when a reliable insurer stands behind it. The product we offer is underwritten by an insurer supervised by the National Bank of Ukraine (licence class 18), which is part of a European group listed on a stock exchange and subject to the solvency requirements of the Solvency II directive.
The agent operates under USREOU code 44559356, and the intermediary's identity is disclosed in line with the requirements of the Insurance Distribution Directive (IDD). These details aren't a formality: they're what set a genuine, regulated policy apart from a dubious offer.
Official sources to check before you travel
So you don't rely on outdated information, go straight to the primary sources:
- State Border Guard Service of Ukraine — border-crossing rules.
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine — consular information and guidance.
- Official acts on the status of territories — the current list of restricted zones.
Rules and regional statuses can change, so check them right before departure, not only while planning.