Reporting from the Frontlines: How to Insure Travel in ‘No-Go’ Zones for Journalists and Documentary Filmmakers

A journalist heads to cover the violence in Burkina Faso when he gets injured. He realizes his travel insurance doesn’t extend to areas with Level 4 DO NOT TRAVEL warnings. People all over the world travel into unstable, restricted zones where most insurance policies don’t apply. Specialized insurance becomes the only financial safety net for such travelers.

Let’s go over what high risk travel insurance covers, its pros and cons, and what you need to know about visiting no-go zones.

Defining “No-Go” Zones

No-go zones come with a big red warning of DANGER. They include:

Areas flagged by governments: US State Department Level 4 warning zones and other flagged areas are considered no-go for travelers. Tourists should definitely not visit these areas.

Conflict zones: Some areas have high levels of violence and crime, and may struggle with essential services such as sanitation, food, communications, and housing.

Regions with political instability: Geopolitically tense areas may be excluded from travel insurance coverage because it is possible for sudden war to break out. Travel becomes difficult and ports may close.

Terrorist activity: If there are known terrorist threats within the region, they are declared no-go zones. While standard travel insurance can cover trip cancellations due to terrorism at the destination, it will not cover trips if you insist upon going.

Active war: If a war is going on, most people want to escape the area, not enter. It can even be very difficult to enter the region unless you have special reasons.

Examples of No-Go Zones

Parts of Syria, Yemen, Sudan, Myanmar, Ukraine, Haiti, and Venezuela are no-go zones. The US Department of State provides a detailed list of Travel Advisories that travelers should consult with before heading on a trip. When you’re in a high risk, no-go zone, your life may be in danger.

Why People Still Go

Despite the gravest of travel warnings, travelers still go to these dangerous zones for a multitude of reasons.

War reporting: Journalists who want to show the rest of the world what is going on will enter war zones.

War tourism: Yes. Danger is a source of thrill for many people. War tourism is a real thing. Tourists may feel like they’re invulnerable or immune to foreign risks as long as they have a tourist’s passport, but this is still not safe.

Humanitarian workers: Whether it’s for humanitarian work or documentaries, people do travel to no-go areas out of a desire to help the people suffering there.

Environmental conflict zones: Environmentalists care about protecting fragile ecosystems that are getting disrupted due to logging, poaching, oil drilling, and other harmful activities. These environmentalists often go up against local governments, cartels, and corporations that do not appreciate their interference.

Human rights investigations: Violators of human rights often operate in high risk regions. Human rights activists and investigators may need to go to the site to see what is going on and how victims can be helped.

Visiting family: People do visit their loved ones even if there is a risk to life and wellbeing. Emotional ties, or even important business ties, can lead people to travel to dangerous places.

Pilgrimage: Religious and spiritual travelers may put the importance of a pilgrimage over safety advisories.

Standard Insurance Policy Exclusions

Common Exclusions

War or act-of-war clauses: Civil wars, incursions, invasions, and pretty much all war related risks are not covered by standard travel insurance.

Regions under travel advisories: If there has been a serious travel warning, the place won’t be covered by a normal travel insurance policy.

High-risk activities: Drone usage, extreme sports, and visiting highly dangerous areas are not protected by most travel insurance policies. Evacuating from a high-risk area can be near impossible and expensive. Medical claims are also overly common in high-risk areas, making them outside the risk tolerance of most travel insurance companies.

Consequences of Inadequate Coverage

Denied medical claims: Medical expenses can get very expensive if you’re traveling to a dangerous region. Without travel insurance, you would need to pay for the healthcare expenses out-of-pocket, potentially paying over $100,000 for hospitalizations, injuries, and illnesses.

Denied evacuation claims: Emergency evacuations are needed if your location is far from suitable medical facilities or if there is a crisis in the area. Medevacs can cost over $200,000 if you’re escaping from a war zone or other no-go zone. Arranging an emergency evacuation from a high-risk area may even be impossible if you can’t prove you have insurance.

No support in kidnappings: Kidnapping and ransom situations are only covered by specialized insurance policies. Activists, journalists, and other high-exposure careers are often targeted by hostile parties when visiting dangerous regions.

No support for detainment: Some high risk traveler insurance policies cover costs related to wrongful detention, hijacking, and piracy. If you are wrongfully imprisoned, having insurance that covers legal fees can be valuable in case there is a long court case.

No coverage for equipment loss: Special equipment and gear, like drones, may not be covered by traditional baggage insurance.

What Specialized “No-Go Zone” Insurance Covers

Kidnap, Ransom, and Extortion (KRE) Coverage

Kidnap and Ransom insurance (K&R) plus Extortion insurance (KRE) is often a priority for those heading to no-go zones. K&R insurance is essential for financial institutions, NGOs, journalists, activists, and others who are traveling to dangerous locations with civil unrest. KRE policies typically cover:

• Monies paid to extortionists and kidnappers
• Loss of ransom
• Hijackings
• Security consultant fees
• Wrongful detention
• Disappearances
• Hostage crisis

If you want more comprehensive coverage, travel insurance companies also offer KRE add-ons for threat response expenses, loss of earnings, assault expenses, and more.

Emergency Medical & Evacuation from Hostile Territories

If an emergency occurs, evacuation is likely necessary. Emergency evacuations involve airlifts, air ambulances, helicopters, emergency ground transport, and other life-saving services.

Medical Coverage in Conflict Zones

High risk medical travel insurance can cover expenses arising from civil unrest and violence, even if you are actively protesting or providing support in a location. Whether it’s injuries from gunfire, explosions, or crowds, high risk traveler insurance can provide payouts to help with the colossal expenses. Even injuries related to war, riots, and civil unrest can be covered if you have the right policy.

Equipment Loss or Confiscations

If you’re carrying valuable cameras, drones, hard drives, travel gear, or other equipment, you may want special equipment travel insurance. There is usually a coverage limit for items brought into unstable regions.

Some high risk travel insurance policies also include property confiscation, though it is typically for organizations in the form of political risk insurance.

Crisis Response & Negotiation Teams On-Call

If there is a hostage situation or crisis, response teams can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars. Having insurance to pay for these may mean a world of difference in a crisis.

24/7 Assistance

Many high risk travel insurance companies offer 24/7 global assistance hotlines. You can call them in case of an emergency involving medical expenses, evacuation, translation services, legal confusion, or any other travel trouble. The best high risk travel insurers actually have teams of experts who have been to conflict zones and know how to navigate as safely as possible during a geopolitical disaster, terrorist attack, or other crises abroad.

Accidental Death & Dismemberment in Conflict Zones

AD&D insurance is essentially a type of life insurance for travel. If your life insurance does not cover conflict zones, you may require special AD&D insurance for this trip.

Real-World Scenarios

High risk travel insurance is a necessary safety tool for those entering no-go zones. It can be hard to find the right policy terms, but having insurance can potentially save you from a financial and safety catastrophe. High risk traveler insurance can be useful in situations such as:

• Filmmaker detained at the border due to sensitive footage of human rights violations
• Journalist injured in a declared red zone
• Team evacuated under armed escort due to violent insurgency
• Drone destroyed while recording a conflict area

Choosing the Right Policy for High-Risk Media Work

Questions to Ask

• Are all target countries and cities explicitly covered?
• Is your crew, fixer, or translator covered too?
• Does the plan include frontline assignments?

Best High Risk Travel Insurance Companies

Global Rescue: Global Rescue is a popular insurance company that offers excellent travel insurance to travelers headed to high risk destinations. Their insurance company has a team of experts, including Air Force, Army Rangers, Navy Seals, and other experienced professionals.

Clements: Clements serves NGOs, humanitarian aid workers, international contractors, and other clients with specialized insurance solutions.

World Nomads: World Nomads covers all sorts of travel risks. You can choose your country of residence and insurance needs.

battleface: battleface offers global travel insurance, 24 hour assistance, and fully digital claims experience for high risk travelers.

Other niche brokers can also tailor their insurance policies to the needs of your particular trip.

Essential Add-ons

Add-ons, riders, and endorsements are ways to extend your travel insurance coverage. Here are some essential insurance add-ons to consider for reporting from the frontlines:

• Personal Accident Insurance
• Liability Protection for Sensitive Work
• Satellite Communication Support

Best Practices for Working in “No-Go” Zones

Register Your Trip + Get Permission

Make sure that your trip to the no-go zone is allowed. You need to know about:

• Entry legality
• Sanctions
• Export controls
• Embassy/consulate details
• How to get a written exemption for your trip

Traveling with Government Embassies or NGOs can be a way to bypass entry barriers.

Travel with Duplicate Documentation, SIMs, and satellite beacons

Use both cloud and physical storage systems to safeguard your important documentation, such as IDs, insurance info, emergency contact info, and more. Duplicate documentation is useful in case the original gets destroyed.

It may also be a good idea to use a travel phone with no personal info. Disable biometrics and ensure your phone has an international eSIM that works. It may be useful to have an emergency beacon, satellite phone, or messenger just in case.

Train in Hostile Environment Awareness and First Aid (HEFAT)

First aid, triaging, calming techniques, and other survival skills can be invaluable during a crisis. HEFAT or equivalent training is important for all sorts of travelers, from medics to comms, security to drivers.

Work with Local Fixers and Security Teams

Don’t go by yourself with no help. It’s important to build a threat matrix, mapping out potential local threats and where you could escape if needed. Know where local safe havens and hospitals are.

Understand the Legal Environment and Cultural Context of the Region

Research research research. Never enter a hostile environment expecting everything to go smoothly. You also need to understand the legality of your trip, how it may impact insurance, and what cultural standards are expected. Dress accordingly and make risk-minimizing decisions as you travel.

The Future of Crisis Zone Insurance

Drone-Specific Add-ons for Surveillance and Filming

Reporters, NGOs, and other high risk voyagers often use surveillance tech in conflict zones. While drones are not traditionally covered by insurance, it would make sense for more crisis travel insurance to start covering drones and other special gear.

Dynamic Threat Scanning

Geofencing, AI-driven risk forecasting, and real-time intelligence feeds are starting to be used in travel insurance. Travel insurance premiums and coverage can vary depending on your exact location and estimated threat level. WIth dynamic insurance, policies become more tailored to your precise needs instead of you needing to pay for maximum coverage and risks at all times.

Conclusion

Conflict zone travelers should have financial protection too. Specialized travel insurance policies are important for NGOs, frontline workers, journalists, and other travelers entering no-go zones. Whether you’re creating a groundbreaking documentary or visiting loved ones, it’s important to have the right high risk insurance policy to cover:

• High risk travel
• Kidnapping & Ransom
• War zones
• Medical expenses and emergency evacuations

Review your coverage options before your next mission with the best high risk travel insurance.