【Earthquake TravelCare】Encounter an earthquake in Japan: does travel insurance cover it? When to buy + claims guide

Recently, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency, a magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck off the coast of north-eastern Japan on 20 April. A tsunami warning was issued temporarily, and some areas recorded a seismic intensity of 5 lower, while Tokyo and other locations also experienced noticeable tremors. The authorities also warned that the likelihood of a massive earthquake measuring magnitude 8 or above occurring within the next week is 10 times higher than usual, urging residents in the relevant areas to strengthen their disaster preparedness.

For travellers planning to visit Japan, the biggest concern is: if an earthquake really occurs, will TravelCare be useful? If flights and hotels have already been booked, can they be cancelled and compensation claimed?

In fact, most TravelCare policies cover earthquakes, but the key factors are whether the event is considered a “known risk” and whether you purchased the policy beforehand. If you wait until news of the earthquake has emerged, or even until a travel warning has been issued, any related losses are unlikely to be covered.

This time, 10Life provides a detailed analysis of the coverage available under earthquake TravelCare, the timing of purchasing cover and points to note when making a claim. 

TravelCare covers trip, transport and medical-related losses caused by earthquakes, mainly including:

Trip cancellation or curtailment: If you are unable to depart due to an earthquake or need to return to Hong Kong early, you may be reimbursed for non-refundable air tickets, hotel and activity costs  
Flight delay or cancellation: If your flight is affected and the delay reaches the specified duration (such as 5–6 hours), you may receive cash compensation or reimbursement for additional accommodation and transport expenses  
Overseas medical expenses and emergency evacuation: If you are injured in an earthquake, medical expenses are generally covered, and emergency medical transport or arrangements to return to Hong Kong may also be provided  

The actual scope of cover and compensation limits vary between policies. Before purchasing, you can compare them through 10Life's TravelCare. 

Generally speaking, TravelCare includes earthquakes under its natural disaster coverage, but whether a claim is accepted usually depends on the following conditions:

• The earthquake occurred after the policy was purchased
• It was not considered a known event at the time of purchase
• No travel advisory affected the trip
• The loss falls within the scope of coverage under the policy

If insurance is purchased only after an earthquake has occurred, the insurance company may regard the earthquake as a “known risk”, and compensation will generally not be payable. 

“Known risk” refers to an event that has already occurred or could reasonably be foreseen at the time of taking out the policy. For example:

• An earthquake has already occurred
• The related disaster has been widely reported in the news
• The government has issued a travel advisory 

Generally speaking, insurers will not regard travelling to an earthquake zone as a known risk solely for that reason. Instead, they will consider:

• whether a specific event has already occurred
• whether it has already affected travel arrangements

Therefore, the key question is whether “that particular earthquake has already occurred or been widely reported”, as TravelCare mainly provides cover for unforeseen events rather than risks that have already materialised. 

In this incident, following the earthquake on 20 April, the Japan Meteorological Agency issued the “Hokkaido–Sanriku Offshore Aftershock Earthquake Advisory”, warning that the risk of an earthquake of magnitude 8 or above occurring within the following week was significantly higher than usual. Whether this type of “official risk alert” affects TravelCare depends primarily on how the insurer defines a “known risk”.

This can generally be understood in two situations:

1. Clearly classified as a known event 
   The earthquake that occurred on 20 April was a confirmed event. If you take out insurance only afterwards, losses caused by that earthquake will generally not be covered.
2. A risk alert in a grey area 
   If you take out insurance while an official warning is in force and an earthquake subsequently occurs, whether you are covered may vary depending on the insurer’s policy terms. Some policies may still regard it as a sudden event, while others may define it as a foreseeable risk.

The key point is that different insurers do not have exactly the same definition of a “known risk”. Therefore, 10Life recommends that if you plan to travel to or take out insurance during the relevant warning period, you should confirm with the insurer before purchasing the policy:

• Whether an earthquake that occurs after taking out insurance during the official warning period will be covered  
• Whether trip cancellation or interruption falls within the scope of cover  

Where possible, ask the insurer to provide written confirmation or a recorded acknowledgement, so that it can serve as a reference when making a claim in the future.

Many people assume that purchasing TravelCare automatically means they are covered. In reality, many claims are unsuccessful due to a number of common circumstances.

If an earthquake has already occurred before the policy is purchased, the event will generally be regarded as a “known risk”, and any related losses will usually not be covered.

Even if the journey has not yet begun, if the destination has already been seriously affected and the traveller still chooses to travel, this may be regarded as voluntarily assuming the risk. Taking Japan as an example, as of now, the Hong Kong Government has not issued an outbound travel alert for most areas (only Fukushima Prefecture is subject to a yellow alert). However, the Security Bureau has issued a safety notice reminding the public to pay attention to local conditions. Under the terms of certain policies, such information may also affect whether a claim is payable.

Yes, but certain conditions must be met. If the earthquake occurs after the policy is purchased and directly affects the trip (for example, the flight is cancelled or the destination is affected by the disaster), you can generally apply for compensation for non-refundable expenses. However, it must be a case of “forced cancellation”, rather than “choosing not to travel”.

For example:

• Some travellers discover before departure that the destination has been affected by a disaster, making it impossible to proceed with the trip,
• or have already arrived at the destination but need to return to Hong Kong early because the situation has deteriorated,
• or their flight needs to be rescheduled due to the impact of the earthquake.

If you cancel simply because you are concerned, without the trip being directly affected, compensation will generally not be available.

If you purchase TravelCare after an earthquake has already occurred, or after the associated damage has been widely reported, losses caused by that earthquake will generally not be covered. This is because insurance is intended to cover unforeseen risks that have not yet occurred. Therefore, if you are planning to travel to areas with more frequent earthquakes, such as Japan, you should purchase TravelCare as early as possible.

When you take out insurance is often more important than the cover itself.

It is generally advisable to purchase TravelCare immediately after booking your flights or hotel. This ensures that all potential risks remain unknown throughout your trip, allowing the cover to take full effect.

By contrast, many people only consider buying insurance after seeing news of an earthquake, or even wait until shortly before departure. The risk of doing so is that, once an event has been widely reported, the insurer may regard it as a known risk, which could affect any claim. Therefore, the earlier you purchase TravelCare, the more comprehensive your cover will be. 

Generally speaking, whether all the necessary documents are provided when making a claim will directly affect the processing time and the outcome of the assessment.

Commonly required documents include:

• Flight tickets and hotel booking confirmations  
• Flight delay or cancellation notices  
• Earthquake-related proof (such as news reports or official announcements)  
• Medical documents and receipts (where applicable)  

The basic claims process is generally as follows:

• Contact the insurance company or submit an application through the online platform  
• Submit the relevant supporting documents  
• Wait for the assessment and compensation arrangements  

Please note that the above is only a general overview of the process and document requirements. Different insurance companies or products may have different claims procedures, document requirements and deadlines. The terms of the individual policy shall prevail. After an incident occurs, all relevant supporting documents should be retained as soon as possible, and the claim should be submitted within the period specified in the policy to avoid affecting the progress or outcome of the claim. 

Will I still be covered if I purchase TravelCare after an earthquake?

Losses caused by the earthquake may not be covered, while other losses not caused by the earthquake may still be covered. This is because the earthquake has become a “known risk”, and related losses may fall outside the scope of coverage.

Does the issuance of a travel alert necessarily mean that claims will not be paid?

Not necessarily. Whether you are covered depends on the policy terms and the alert level. However, if you purchase the policy only after an alert has been issued, the chances of a successful claim are generally lower.

If I am only travelling to Tokyo, does earthquake coverage still apply?

This depends on whether your overall itinerary is actually affected. If your flight, transport or travel arrangements are affected by the earthquake, you may still not be covered even if your destination itself is not a severely affected area.

Can I make a claim if I cancel my trip simply because I am concerned about safety?

Generally, no. TravelCare mainly covers situations where you are “forced to cancel”, rather than decisions made based on personal preference or concerns about risk.

Does TravelCare cover flight cancellations caused by severe weather? 

Generally, most TravelCare policies cover flight delays or cancellations caused by severe weather (such as typhoons and snowstorms). However, certain conditions must be met, and the policy must be purchased before the severe weather occurs. If you purchase the policy only after a weather warning has been issued, it may be regarded as a “known risk” and no compensation may be payable.

This English version of this article has been generated by machine translation powered by AI. It is provided solely for reference purposes. In the event of any discrepancy or inconsistency between this translation and the original Chinese version, the Chinese version shall prevail.