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Does LUMA travel insurance cover earthquakes?

July 20 2026| October 7 2026

Earthquakes strike without warning, and many popular destinations sit on active fault lines. A significant quake can shut down transport, damage accommodation, or force you to change your itinerary overnight. This page walks through exactly what is covered if an earthquake disrupts your trip, what is excluded, and what to do if it happens to you.

LUMA insures trips through three products, LUMA Asia Pass, LUMA World Pass, and LUMA Travel Pass, matched automatically to your trip's origin and destination. LUMA Asia Pass and LUMA World Pass are underwritten by Bao Long Insurance Corporation, with emergency assistance from Europ Assistance. LUMA Travel Pass is underwritten by Rock Mutual Insurance, with emergency assistance from Swan International Assistance.

Because the insurers differ, the answers on this page are broken out by product. If you already have a LUMA policy, your confirmation email states which product applies.

Learn more on our coverage page.

Key takeaways

  • An earthquake can be a covered reason to cancel your trip under all three products. Under LUMA Asia Pass and LUMA World Pass, it is also a covered reason to cut your trip short and return home.
  • If you are injured during an earthquake, medical expenses and evacuation apply under LUMA Asia Pass and LUMA World Pass, the same as for any other accidental injury.
  • Under LUMA Travel Pass, trip cancellation before you leave is the only benefit that applies to an earthquake. Medical expenses, evacuation, travel and baggage delays, and cutting your trip short are not covered when an earthquake is the cause.
  • There is no separate "evacuation for safety" benefit on any LUMA product.
  • Buy your policy before the earthquake or related disruption becomes known or anticipated.
  • When an earthquake affected Bangkok in March 2025, several LUMA-insured travelers had to cut their trips short with no warning.

Is earthquake damage or disruption covered?

Bottom line: yes, but what you can claim depends on your product. Under LUMA Asia Pass and LUMA World Pass, you can cancel your trip or cut it short. Under LUMA Travel Pass, you can cancel before you leave.

  • Under LUMA Asia Pass and LUMA World Pass

    An earthquake at your planned destination is a covered reason to cancel your trip before you leave, or to cut it short and return home if it strikes mid-trip and stops you from continuing. You can claim back the non-refundable prepaid costs you lose and, if you return early, the unused part of your trip and the extra cost of the cheapest way home. You can also cancel, or return home early, if an earthquake completely destroys your home.

  • Under LUMA Travel Pass

    You can cancel your trip and claim back non-refundable costs if an earthquake causes the flight or other transport you booked to be canceled, or damages the accommodation you booked so badly that you cannot stay there. There is no benefit for cutting your trip short once you have left.

Am I covered if I am injured in an earthquake?

Bottom line: yes under LUMA Asia Pass and LUMA World Pass. Under LUMA Travel Pass, medical expenses and medical evacuation are not covered for injuries or illnesses caused by an earthquake.

  • Under LUMA Asia Pass and LUMA World Pass

    A genuine injury sustained during an earthquake is covered the same as any other accidental injury, for example if you are hurt by falling debris or broken glass. It falls under your medical expenses and emergency assistance benefits.

  • Under LUMA Travel Pass

    Medical expenses and medical evacuation are not covered for injuries or illnesses caused by an earthquake, such as being hurt by falling debris or broken glass. Trip cancellation before you leave is a separate benefit and is still covered.

Coverage by product

Benefit

What it covers

LUMA Asia Pass

LUMA World Pass

LUMA Travel Pass

Trip cancellation

Non-refundable costs if you cancel before departure

Trip curtailment

Unused prepaid costs plus the cheapest way home if your trip is cut short

Medical Expenses

Treatment if you are injured during the earthquake

Medical Evacuation

Transfer to adequate medical care

Evacuation for safety alone

Arranged transport out, nobody hurt

Travel Delay

Allowance for long delays with a cause your policy lists, such as serious weather or a technical fault

Baggage Delay

Essentials if your checked bags arrive late

Check your plan's Table of Benefits for the exact limit.

What is not covered?

  • A special evacuation for safety alone, with no injury involved. No LUMA product has a standalone non-medical evacuation benefit.
  • Under LUMA Travel Pass, anything caused by an earthquake except trip cancellation, including medical expenses, evacuation, travel and baggage delays, and cutting your trip short.
  • Flight delays caused by an earthquake, under all three products.
  • An earthquake or related disruption that was already known or anticipated when you bought your policy.
  • Cancellations or cut-short trips caused by government orders, such as an official airport closure.
  • Self-arranged evacuation or transport, without going through your insurer first. Refer to your confirmation email for how to reach your assistance provider.
  • Costs already recoverable from your airline, hotel, card issuer, or another policy.

What happens if…? Common earthquake questions

  1. My flight is delayed or canceled because an earthquake closed the airport. Am I covered?

    Bottom line: a delay caused by an earthquake is not covered under any product, but you may be able to cancel your trip.

    Under LUMA Asia Pass and LUMA World Pass

    Your travel delay benefit only pays for delays caused by serious weather, industrial action, hijack, or a technical or mechanical failure. An earthquake is not one of these causes. If the earthquake is at your planned destination, you can cancel your trip and claim back non-refundable prepaid costs. Ask the airline to rebook or refund you.

    Under LUMA Travel Pass

    Delays caused by an earthquake are not covered. If an earthquake causes the airline to cancel your booked flight and you cancel your trip, you can claim back non-refundable costs. This does not apply when the cancellation follows a government order, such as an official airport closure. You also cannot claim costs the airline refunds you.

  2. My checked bags did not arrive because of earthquake disruption. Am I covered?

    Bottom line: under LUMA Asia Pass and LUMA World Pass, yes, whatever caused the delay, except on your flight home. Under LUMA Travel Pass, not when an earthquake caused it.

    Under LUMA Asia Pass and LUMA World Pass

    If your checked bags arrive at least 6 hours after you land in a country your policy covers, you can claim for essential toiletries and clothing, whatever caused the delay. Before you leave the airport, get a Baggage Irregularity Report from the airline, and keep your receipts.

    Under LUMA Travel Pass

    Baggage delays caused by an earthquake are not covered. For delays with other causes, your policy covers essential purchases, except on your flight home. Get a Property Irregularity Report from the airline before you leave the airport and keep your receipts.

  3. My hotel was damaged by an earthquake during my trip and I cannot continue as planned. Will I get my prepaid hotel nights back?

    Bottom line: under LUMA Asia Pass and LUMA World Pass, yes, if you return home early. Under LUMA Travel Pass, there is no cover once your trip has started.

    Under LUMA Asia Pass and LUMA World Pass

    If the earthquake stops you from continuing your trip and you return home early, you can claim the unused, prepaid part of your trip, including hotel nights you could not use, and the extra cost of the cheapest way home. If you move to another hotel and carry on with your trip, the policy does not pay for the new hotel or for the nights lost at the damaged one. There is no daily allowance for disrupted hotel stays. Ask the hotel for a refund first, because anything it refunds cannot be claimed.

    Under LUMA Travel Pass

    There is no benefit for this once your trip has started. Your insurer's assistance team can help you find and book another hotel, but the cost is yours. Ask the hotel for a refund of the nights you cannot use.

  4. My hotel was damaged by an earthquake before I left. Can I cancel?

    Bottom line: yes, under all three products.

    Under LUMA Asia Pass and LUMA World Pass

    An earthquake at your planned destination is a covered reason to cancel. You can claim back the non-refundable prepaid costs you lose.

    Under LUMA Travel Pass

    If an earthquake damages the accommodation you booked so badly that you cannot stay there, you can cancel your trip and claim back non-refundable costs.

    In both cases, ask the hotel and your other providers for refunds first. You can only claim what they do not refund.

  5. An earthquake destroyed my home while I was away. Can I come home early?

    Bottom line: under LUMA Asia Pass and LUMA World Pass, yes. Under LUMA Travel Pass, there is no benefit for cutting your trip short.

    Under LUMA Asia Pass and LUMA World Pass

    If an earthquake completely destroys your home and you need to be there, you can return home early and claim the unused, prepaid part of your trip and the extra cost of the cheapest way home. If it happens before you leave, you can cancel your trip and claim back non-refundable prepaid costs.

    Under LUMA Travel Pass

    There is no benefit for returning home early because of damage to your home.

  6. I bought my policy after the earthquake had already happened. Am I covered for aftershocks?

    Bottom line: not for disruption caused by that earthquake or its aftershocks, under any product.

    Events that were already known or anticipated when you bought your policy are not covered, and that includes aftershocks from an earthquake that had already happened. Your other benefits still apply, for example medical treatment for an unrelated illness or accident.

  7. Does an earthquake need to be declared a disaster for my policy to apply?

    Bottom line: no. Your policy does not require an official disaster declaration.

    Under LUMA Asia Pass and LUMA World Pass

    An earthquake at your planned destination that disrupts your trip is enough. An official declaration or advisory is still useful evidence for your claim.

    Under LUMA Travel Pass

    Any earthquake is treated the same way, however large or small. Trip cancellation applies when the earthquake cancels your booked transport or makes your booked accommodation uninhabitable. Nothing else caused by an earthquake is covered.

What should I do if an earthquake affects my trip?

Earthquake-prone destinations

Real-world example

On 28 March 2025, an earthquake affected the Bangkok area, a destination not typically considered earthquake-prone. Several LUMA Asia Pass travelers were already mid-trip when it happened and could no longer continue as planned, so they cut their trips short and returned home. Under their Trip Curtailment benefit, they were reimbursed for the prepaid travel arrangements and deposits they could not recover any other way.

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