Author
Bowtie Team
Updated on
2025-07-10
Disclaimer: This article is translated with the assistance of AI.
Caught off guard by a last-minute travel alert? Will your travel insurance cover losses from a shortened or canceled trip due to these warnings? And if you buy insurance after an alert is issued, are you automatically denied coverage? The Bowtie team breaks down the meaning of the three travel alert levels, explains how travel insurance protects against emergencies, and clarifies when compensation applies for travel warnings.
What Are Travel Alerts?
Many governments around the world issue “travel alerts” to assess the current political, social, and health conditions of other countries or regions. These alerts are categorized by risk levels, helping residents understand potential personal safety risks before traveling abroad. When a country or region faces natural disasters, unrest, or infectious disease outbreaks, travel alerts serve as a reminder or call for residents to avoid non-essential travel to those areas.
In Hong Kong, the Security Bureau established the Outbound Travel Alert (OTA) system on October 20, 2009. This system evaluates safety risks for 88 overseas countries or territories frequently visited by Hong Kong residents. It helps citizens understand potential personal safety risks before traveling, taking into account the nature, severity, and duration of risks to decide whether to issue an alert. Additionally, based on recommendations from the Health Bureau, the Security Bureau may issue travel alerts for countries or regions severely affected by infectious diseases to protect public health.
After considering these factors, the Security Bureau issues Yellow, Red, or Black Outbound Travel Alerts based on the actual situation, helping citizens gauge the severity of personal safety threats in a specific country or region.
What Do Yellow, Red, and Black Travel Alerts Mean?
The Outbound Travel Alert system is divided into three levels: Yellow, Red, and Black. Yellow represents the mildest level of alert, while Black is the highest. The table below explains the meaning of these three alert levels:
| Travel Alert | Situation in the Area | Message to the Public |
| Yellow Travel Alert | Signs of Threat |
|
| Red Travel Alert | Significant Threat |
|
| Black Travel Alert | Do Not Travel |
|
Current Travel Alerts for Countries/Regions
Yellow Travel Alert
- Bangladesh
- Belgium
- Egypt
- France
- India
- Indonesia
- Japan (areas near Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant)
- Kenya
- Malaysia (East Coast of Sabah)
- Myanmar
- Nepal
- Peru
- Philippines
- Russia
- Saudi Arabia
- Sri Lanka
- Thailand
- Tunisia
- Turkey
- United Kingdom
Red Travel Alert
- Iran
- Lebanon
- Turkey (Southeastern Provinces)
- Israel
- Pakistan
Black Travel Alert
- Syria
- * The above list is updated as of 30 August 2024
What to Do in a Travel Emergency?
If you unfortunately encounter an emergency during your travels, here are some ways to seek assistance:
- Call the Immigration Department’s “Assistance to Hong Kong Residents Unit” at their 24-hour hotline (852) 1868
- Use the “HK Immigration Department Mobile App” to call the “1868” hotline via data or chat with the 1868 chatbot
- Send a message to 1868 WhatsApp Assistance Hotline / WeChat Assistance Hotline
- Submit an Online Assistance Request Form
If you face a serious accident, casualty, or threat to personal safety during your trip, contact the Immigration Department and the Chinese Embassy or Consulate in the local area for further assistance. In case of major incidents (such as riots or natural disasters), the Immigration Department’s “Assistance to Hong Kong Residents Unit” may also advance return travel expenses for affected Hong Kong travelers or even arrange special flights to bring them back to Hong Kong.
Does Travel Insurance Cover Emergency Incidents?
Most travel insurance plans in the market typically offer policyholders access to global emergency assistance services. These allow you to reach out via a 24-hour emergency hotline for services like emergency medical evacuation, repatriation of remains, hospital deposit guarantees, emergency medical transport, and compassionate death benefits.
Beyond severe injury or fatality cases, emergency assistance services also cover needs arising from major accidents, such as arranging family visits, escorting children back to Hong Kong, and providing translation or legal support.
When using emergency assistance services, remember to provide necessary details like your policy number, the insured’s name and passport number, and medical reports. This will help facilitate claims with the insurance company later.
Need to Claim Insurance While Traveling? Bowtie VHIS Offers Global Support!
All Bowtie VHIS policyholders are entitled to global emergency assistance services.
If you encounter an accident abroad and need urgent help, you can call our partner at ( 852-2863 5767 ) – International Assistance (Asia) Company (IPA). Provide the following details to get support:
- Name of the insured under the policy
- Insured’s ID or passport number
- Policy number
- Your current location and local contact number
Global assistance services include dispatching essential medication/medical equipment/doctors from Hong Kong, guaranteeing hospital deposits, and covering medical expenses during hospitalization. Check out more service details now .
Does Travel Insurance Cover Trip Changes Due to Travel Alerts?
If a trip is altered or canceled due to a travel alert, will travel insurance cover the policyholder? The answer depends on the specific circumstances.
Below, we’ll outline three scenarios to explain when travel insurance companies include losses caused by travel alerts within their coverage:
Scenario 1: Travel Insurance Purchased Before Travel Alert Issued
If a policyholder purchases travel insurance before the government issues a travel alert for their destination, and they subsequently need to shorten or cancel their trip, the insurance company will compensate based on the alert level. This includes non-refundable expenses like flight tickets and hotel bookings, as well as reasonable additional travel or accommodation costs incurred due to trip curtailment or cancellation.
Do note that most travel insurance plans in the market only provide compensation if a red or black travel alert is issued for your destination. In other words, even if you bought insurance before the alert, a yellow travel alert issued later won’t be covered unless your policy explicitly includes yellow alerts.
Scenario 2: Travel Insurance Purchased After Travel Alert Issued
If travel insurance is purchased after a travel alert has been issued, this is typically considered a “pre-existing event” and generally falls under excluded items . In simpler terms, even if you shorten or cancel your trip later, losses related to travel or accommodation expenses won’t be compensated.
Scenario 3: Insurance Bought Post-Alert with “Upgraded Alert” or “Extended Coverage” Clauses
In fact, some travel insurance products in the market offer “Upgraded Alert” or “Extended Coverage” clauses. Even if the policyholder buys insurance after a travel alert is issued, they may still claim compensation for losses and additional travel or accommodation expenses if the alert level escalates during the policy period. However, be sure to check the specific coverage scope of these “Upgraded Alert” or “Extended Coverage” clauses.
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