Travel Advice - Nepal Earthquake

Following the devastating earthquake in Nepal we would like to provide the following information:

A major earthquake occurred at 11.45 local time on 25 April in Nepal. The epicentre was 81kms west of Kathmandu. Aftershocks are continuing, and a smaller earthquake occurred at around 13.00 local time on 26 April. There has been extensive damage to buildings. There are reports of avalanches in the Macchaputre and Everest regions.

As at the time of this posting - 27 April - the FCO advise against all but essential travel to the whole country.

Customers currently in Nepal

If you have been injured as a result of this event and require assistance please contact the 24 hour emergency medical service:

Telephone: +44 20 7183 3751
Email: [email protected]

If you are a family member of one of our customers and you have concerns on the wellbeing of your relative please call the 24 hour Emergency Medical Assistance Service.

If you are in a safe place and are uninjured, you should stay where you are until it is safe to leave. You should follow any advice provided by the local authorities. If you can leave Nepal safely then we advise that you should do so.

If you are a British national currently in Nepal and wish to inform the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) of your whereabouts the FCO have advised that you should contact them by:

completing the online form
emailing [email protected]
calling them on +44 207 008 0000; and
texting NEPAL to +447860010026. You’ll then receive a reply, please respond with your details. Text messages should be restricted to 160 characters. Reliability and cost of sending a text varies from country to country and is dependent on the networks within those countries.

Further information can be found on the FCO website: www.fco.gov.uk

Customers who have purchased a policy before 25 April but have not begun their trip/customers currently travelling and due to go to Nepal

Please contact your airline or tour operator before travelling to make sure your flight is still operating.
Check the FCO website regularly to receive the most up to date information and advice.
If you have booked a trip and the airline cancels your flights due to the current situation you will need to contact your tour operator/airline. It is anticipated that airlines/tour operators will make a full refund of your travel costs.
If your trip is a package trip and your flights are cancelled operators must refund you the full cost of the holiday or offer an alternative trip. Often if you have booked on a package trip the tour operator may offer 3 main options:
1. deferring the start date of your trip
2. transferring to another trip of the same or similar value, or
3. a refund of the cost of the whole trip.

Further information

If you have re-scheduled your trip for a later date your existing policy will be transferred /extended to cover the new dates.
If you have purchased a single trip policy and your outbound flight is cancelled and you do not travel nor make a claim on your insurance we will refund your premium.

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