Can people from the UK still enter Europe?

President of the EU, Ursula Von der Leyen, said that “UK citizens are European citizens” as we are still in the transitional period post-Brexit, so we will be able to travel to other member states, although the UK government have warned against travel to certain European countries. The exemption also includes long-term EU residents, family members and essential healthcare workers and medical experts.

What’s going on with the USA travel ban?

The USA first announced a list of 26 banned countries last week, but the UK and Ireland were excluded. As of tomorrow (Tuesday 17 March) people from the UK will be also be unable to enter the USA. “To avoid a repeat of the situation that left travellers stuck in Italy, affected airlines should not be flying passengers out to the US ahead of the ban if they will be left stranded once the restriction comes into force,” said Rory Boland, Editor of Which? Travel.

Airlines should be offering options such as refunds, re-routing or rebooking cancelled flights and supporting passengers due to travel or already in the USA. If you’re worried about what it means for you and your flight, it’s best to contact your airline directly.

What should you do if you have a holiday booked to an area seriously affected by coronavirus?

The important thing here is whether the Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO) advises against travel to the area, says Helen Saxon, banking editor at MoneySavingExpert.com. It’s best to check the FCO page for the country you’re planning to travel to, but some of the government recommendations are:

• against all travel to Hubei Province, in China.

• against all but essential travel to the rest of mainland China. If you’re in China and able to leave, you should do so.

• against all travel to the cities of Daegu, Cheongdo and Gyeongsan in South Korea.

• against all but essential travel to Europe.

• against all but essential travel to other countries including the USA, South Africa and Jamaica after the countries have all announced measures restricting or banning entry to people from the UK.

If you travel to any of these areas against government recommendation, you’re unlikely to be covered by your insurer. If you booked your insurance before the FCO issued the warning, then most people will be covered for their cancellation, if they don’t receive refunds or exchanges from the airlines and hotels, according to Saxon.

What about if you’ve booked elsewhere?

Some countries are making plans that will affect your holiday, but there is no warning about travelling there. For example, on Saturday France announced the closure of many of its ski resorts, but the FCO haven’t issued any official advise against travel.

“If there’s no official warning against travel, then it’s a bit more of a grey area,” says Saxon. “A lot will depend on whether your flights and hotel are cancelled, and how good your travel insurance is.” If there’s a cancellation, you should get money back from the airline or hotel directly. But, you’d need to talk to your insurer about other losses, such as covering the cost of your hotel if your airline cancelled the flight, as it’s unlikely the hotel would refund this.

Coronavirus travel advice: should we cancel our holidays?