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When does trip cancellation insurance not pay?

In short

It does not pay if the reason was already known or foreseeable when you bought the policy, if it is not serious, or if the terms exclude it. Losing interest, fear, resigning yourself, strikes, war and the operator's insolvency are never covered. Cancelling late, missing a medical certificate (Attest) and intent also lead to a refusal.

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When does trip cancellation insurance not pay?

What it costs

Documented premium ranges for Germany and typical deductible rates, as of September 2026.

Example	Typical range
Single trip policy, share of the trip price	about 4 to 8 percent
Single trip, price EUR 1,500, up to age 66	about EUR 77 one off
Single trip, price EUR 3,000, up to age 66	about EUR 110 one off
Annual policy per person, sum insured EUR 1,000	from about EUR 31.70 a year
Annual policy per person, sum insured EUR 4,000	from about EUR 99.52 a year
Annual family policy, basic to premium tariff	from about EUR 42.50 to EUR 73.50 a year
Annual policy at age 68, trips up to EUR 3,000	about EUR 175 to EUR 230 a year
Deductible in standard tariffs	20 percent of the eligible loss, at least EUR 25 per person
Tariff without a deductible	about 25 to 35 percent surcharge

As of September 2026, from published tariff examples and test reports for the German market. The surcharge for tariffs without a deductible is a guide value from our quoting practice. Your premium depends on age, trip price and cover; we obtain the exact quote for you.

Worked example

Cancelling because of a known back condition, trip price EUR 2,400

The slipped disc had been treated twice in the year before booking. The pain returns 25 days before departure and the operator charges 40 percent cancellation costs.

Trip price	EUR 2,400
Cancellation costs, 40 percent	EUR 960
Payout, because the condition was known when cover started	EUR 0
Same case with a new, unexpected reason: 20 percent deductible	EUR 192
Payout in that case	EUR 768

Because of the known condition, EUR 960 stays with you. With a new and unexpected reason the insurer would have paid EUR 768, and with a tariff without a deductible the full EUR 960.

The two tests: unexpected and serious

Almost every refusal comes down to two questions. First: was the event unexpected and serious enough that travelling is unreasonable? A cold is not, a broken leg is. Second: was the reason already foreseeable when the policy started? If you buy cover after the surgery date is fixed, you have bought nothing but a premium.

Both must be true at the same time. The list of covered reasons in the terms (Versicherungsbedingungen) is closed: what is not on the list is not covered, however unlucky the case. German policies are usually written in German, and the German wording is what decides a claim.

These reasons are excluded

The table below sets out the cases that are refused most often in practice, and why. It does not replace the terms of your own tariff, but it shows where the line runs.

The third column is the useful one. Once you know the reasoning, you can see before you buy which building block is missing in your own situation.

Reason	Pays yes or no	Why
Losing interest, or fear of attacks or infection	no	not an unexpected event but your own decision
Bad weather at the destination	no	part of the normal risk of travelling
You resign, or you planned a job change	no	you bring the reason about yourself
Dismissal by your employer, through no fault of yours	yes, in many tariffs	unexpected and not triggered by you
Leave request refused by your employer	no	part of the employment relationship, not the insured risk
Known illness treated in the last 6 to 12 months	usually no	the course of it was foreseeable when you bought cover
Condition not yet healed when you booked	no	the state existed before the contract
Pregnancy already known before you bought the policy	no	known at the start, so not unexpected
Pregnancy first diagnosed after booking	often yes	arose unexpectedly and is named in many tariffs
Pandemic and official travel warning	depends on the terms	many tariffs exclude this with a clause of their own
War, civil unrest, strike	no	treated as force majeure and excluded expressly
Insolvency of the tour operator	no	the statutory package travel guarantee covers this instead
The operator cancels the trip	no	then the operator refunds the price of the trip
Policy bought after the reason had already arisen	no	only events after the start of cover are insured
Cancellation reported days after the event	only in part	you get the fee that would have been due on the day of the event
No doctor's certificate with a diagnosis	no	without evidence the claim counts as unproven
Alcohol, drugs or intent	no	a loss you caused yourself

If the operator cancels, the operator pays

If the tour operator cancels a package trip, that is not a case for your cancellation insurance. The operator refunds what you paid. The same applies when unavoidable extraordinary circumstances hit the destination, for example an earthquake or a hurricane: then you can withdraw without paying a cancellation fee.

So the policy covers your personal reasons, while package travel law covers events at the destination. If you send the wrong claim to the wrong party you lose time, and the operator's cancellation scale keeps rising while you wait.

Paperwork causes most of the refusals

After pre-existing conditions, the most common reason for a refusal is cancelling too late. The operator's cancellation scale rises as departure gets closer: around 20 percent 30 days before the trip, up to 90 percent shortly before departure. If you wait two weeks to see whether things improve, you only get back the fee that applied on the day of the event.

Evidence matters just as much. Insurers normally want a certificate stating a diagnosis, issued on the day you cancelled. One written three weeks later is often rejected. You also need the booking confirmation, the cancellation invoice and the insurer's claim form.

What the deductible leaves with you

Even with a clearly covered reason, many tariffs do not pay everything. The usual deductible is 20 percent of the eligible loss, at least about EUR 25 per person. On cancellation costs of EUR 1,200 that leaves EUR 240 with you.

Tariffs without a deductible cost more but pay in full, and on an expensive trip that surcharge is usually worth it. On a cheap trip the honest answer is different: it can make more sense to skip the policy and carry the cancellation costs yourself.

Step by step

Read the terms and check whether your reason is on the list of covered reasons.
Cancel with the operator as soon as the reason is certain, and do not wait.
Tell the insurer the same day and ask for the claim form.
Get a doctor's certificate with a diagnosis, dated the day you cancelled.
Send in the booking confirmation, the cancellation invoice and the evidence, and ask for written reasons if the claim is refused.

Checklist

The reason arose only after cover started
The reason was not foreseeable when you bought the policy
Treatments in the last 12 months clarified and, if possible, covered
Certificate with a diagnosis dated the day of cancellation
Cancellation and notice to the insurer on the same day
You know the size of the deductible

Common mistakes

Waiting to see whether things improve, and moving into a higher cancellation band
Buying the policy only once the appointment or the diagnosis is already fixed
Assuming a travel warning or a strike is automatically a covered reason
Cancelling with the operator but telling the insurer weeks later

Questions and answers

Frequently asked

Does it pay if I am afraid of a terror attack?

As a rule no. Fear is not an unexpected event. Only a few tariffs name an attack at the destination as a covered reason.

Does it pay during a pandemic or a travel warning?

That depends on the terms. Many tariffs exclude pandemics and travel warnings with a clause of their own, so read that clause before you buy.

What if the tour operator cancels?

Then the operator pays. On a package trip you get the price refunded, and the insurance is not involved.

Does it pay if I resign or change jobs?

No. Only dismissal by your employer through no fault of yours is covered, and only in tariffs that name this reason.

Are pre-existing conditions always excluded?

Not always. What is usually excluded is an illness treated in the last 6 to 12 months. A new and unexpected flare-up can be covered in better tariffs.

What if I cannot get a certificate?

Without medical evidence the insurer will refuse. Ask for a certificate with a diagnosis on the day you cancel, not weeks later.

Do I need the policy if I can cancel for free?

No. If the hotel or flight can be cancelled free of charge until shortly before arrival, there are no cancellation costs and nothing to reimburse.