The moment you’ve been waiting for so long has finally arrived. Your tickets are booked and the countdown to your travel is on. Whether you’re travelling by yourself or with your family, for a single trip or multiple trips, it’s never been more important to stay on top of the ever-changing COVID-19 travel guidelines. Keep reading for more tips and information to help you and your loved ones enjoy that well-deserved trip.

One of the most uncertain topics in these uncertain times are the travel restrictions. To avoid being denied entry into the country you’re traveling to (or when coming back home), it’s important to double or even triple-check travel restrictions. The best place to find this up-to-date information is on the country’s official government website. Be sure to understand the country’s COVID-19 testing, vaccination and quarantine requirements so you have a prepared travel plan in place.

Wondering how soon or late you should book your trip? Well, after understanding the travel requirements for your destination (and back home) you should have a good idea of what you need to do in order to travel. But let’s say you end up booking a trip and have to cancel due to an unexpected event. The good news is that Manulife Travel Insurance Trip Cancellation and Interruption Plan can help cover the costs when your trip is cancelled unexpectedly.

Remember when we spoke about keeping up-to-date on the ever-changing COVID-19 regulations? The same applies when you’re in public spaces like airports, public transportation, cruises, restaurants and other attractions. Before you arrive at any of these places, it’s always good to look up their websites (and their country’s official government websites) to read the latest policies. And when you’re physically there, be on the lookout for signs posted around the facilities to see if there’s any new changes you weren’t aware of.

When you’re on vacation, enjoying your trip should be the first thing on your mind. Whether it’s to help you prepare for your trip or face the unexpected while on vacation, Manulife’s multilingual Assistance Centre is there for you 24 hours a day. Before your trip, the Assistance Centre can help you with health hazards advisory, weather information, consulate and embassy locations, and more, all at no extra cost.

In the event of a medical emergency while traveling, the Assistance Centre can help you with physician, hospital or other health care referrals, it can verify and explain coverage, monitor your medical emergency and keep your family informed, offer translation and interpreter services and more, all at no extra cost.

When travelling outside of your home province or territory, there are many proactive steps you can take to make sure your trip goes smoothly. Remember to check the right websites (like official government or airport websites for example) to stay updated on last-minute COVID-19 restrictions.

Last but definitely not least, be sure your travel insurance is up-to-date and covers everything you need to keep you and your family safe, including implications from COVID-19*. An example of a comprehensive travelling plan is the Manulife COVID-19 Pandemic Travel Plan. It offers all Canadian travelling abroad up to $1,000,000 CAD emergency medical coverage per insured for COVID‑19 and related complications (up to $5,000,000 CAD per insured if fully vaccinated against COVID‑19).