Has your travel or cancellation insurer rejected your claim? First check what cover you took out and why the insurer is refusing to pay. Link the event to the correct policy condition and support the costs with bookings, proof of payment and relevant statements. If information is missing, ask what else is needed; if the rejection is on the merits, respond specifically to the ground relied on.
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Written by Onur Arslan, attorney at Arslan Advocaten. Registered in the Netherlands Bar’s register of specialist areas for employment law and personal injury. Onur Arslan practised for many years as a corporate lawyer and insolvency trustee (curator) and has extensive experience in financial law disputes. Last updated: 22 September 2026.
A holiday cut short, a medical emergency or a cancelled trip can lead to considerable costs. Even so, travel insurance does not automatically cover every financial loss connected with a trip. The distinction between travel cover, cancellation cover and your rights against the tour operator is therefore important.
Travel insurance or cancellation insurance
Travel insurance may include modules for baggage, assistance, medical expenses and other events during the trip. Cancellation insurance covers certain reasons for not making a trip or for ending it early. Which reasons and costs are insured differs from product to product.
Check the policy schedule: did you actually take out the necessary module, for the right people, length of trip and destination? Annual travel insurance does not always automatically include cancellation. Insurance through a credit card may also have its own activation conditions and limits.
According to Kifid on travel and cancellation insurance (Kifid is the Dutch Financial Services Complaints Tribunal), the cover you chose is decisive for the assessment. A drastic event does not automatically lead to a payout if it falls outside the insurance.
Common grounds for rejection
An insurer may argue that the reason for cancellation is not insured, the risk was already known, the insurance was taken out too late or a maximum has been reached. With baggage claims, there may be a dispute about taking proper care of your belongings, proof of ownership or the amount of the loss.
Ask for the precise provision. ‘You should have been more careful’ is not a complete explanation of which contractual obligation was breached. Conversely, ‘there was nothing I could do about it’ is not always enough to bring an excluded event within the cover after all.
Read a rejection item by item. Medical treatment, extra hotel nights and a new flight may fall under different sections. A rejection for baggage need not automatically lead to the same outcome for necessary assistance.
Cancelling because of illness or a pre-existing condition
Map out the timeline: booking, taking out the insurance, first symptoms, diagnosis, advice not to travel and cancellation. With pre-existing conditions, it may be relevant what was known or foreseeable at the relevant time and what the policy says about this.
A medical statement must answer the relevant question, for example why travelling on the planned date was not medically advisable. A general note that someone is ill may not fully support that. Provide only the information that is necessary, through the designated secure channel.
Illness of a family member or travelling companion is not dealt with in the same way under every policy. Check which relationships count and whether special conditions apply to joint bookings or co-insured persons.
Should you have called the emergency assistance centre?
In the case of assistance, repatriation or high medical expenses, prior contact with the emergency assistance centre may be important. Check which obligation applies and document your attempts to make contact. If consultation was not possible because of an acute situation, record the circumstances and inform the insurer as soon as reasonably possible.
A dispute about late notification requires an assessment of both the policy and the law. Article 7:941 of the Dutch Civil Code (BW) is the key provision here, and it is more favourable to you than many people think. Paragraph 1 requires you to report the occurrence of the insured event “as soon as reasonably possible”, so there is no hard deadline, only a standard of reasonableness. Paragraph 3 provides that, in the case of late notification, the insurer may reduce the payout by the loss it suffers as a result: it must therefore show that it was actually prejudiced by your late notification, for example because it could no longer investigate the damage. Paragraph 4 only allows complete loss of the right to a payout if the insurer’s reasonable interests have been harmed as a result. A mere “you reported too late” is therefore not an independent ground for rejection. Conversely, do not assume that every solution you chose yourself will automatically be reimbursed.
Also bear in mind Article 7:942 of the Dutch Civil Code: your claim against the insurer becomes time-barred three years after the day following the day on which you became aware that it was due and payable. You interrupt that period with a written notice in which you claim payment. If the insurer rejects the claim unequivocally, a new three-year period starts running from the following day. Make a note of that date.
Which supporting documents help with an objection?
Gather these documents before you object; a claim stands or falls with the substantiation of each item.
- The booking confirmation and the invoice: with a breakdown per component (flight, accommodation, excursions, insurance).
- Proof of payment: bank statements showing what you actually paid, and when.
- The travel provider’s cancellation conditions: and the calculation of the amount they withheld.
- Evidence of the event itself: a dated medical statement, death certificate, employer’s statement in the event of dismissal, police report in the event of theft.
- The full rejection letter: with the policy provision on which the insurer relies.
- Your policy conditions in the correct version: those applicable at the time of booking, not the current version on the website.
- Correspondence with the emergency assistance centre: including your attempts to make contact if prior consultation was not possible.
- Evidence of what you have already been reimbursed elsewhere: by the carrier, the travel agency, your credit card company or the guarantee fund.
- Your own overview of costs: see the table below.
Keep the booking confirmation, invoice, payment, cancellation conditions, statement of costs and written rejection. Add a timeline and evidence of contact with the tour operator, carrier and emergency assistance centre. For baggage, photographs, purchase details and a police report or a carrier’s report may be relevant.
Draw up an overview of costs with a separate line for each item. State what the tour operator, carrier or another insurer has already refunded. This makes the remaining loss visible and prevents a dispute about double compensation.
A travel sum that has not been refunded is something different from a refund you have not yet requested. So also ask the provider what compensation you are entitled to. Where necessary, pursue the different routes in parallel and keep the parties involved informed.
Costs, refunds and balance at a glance
Insurers only reimburse what has not already been reimbursed elsewhere. For each item, therefore, set out side by side what you paid, what you got back and what remains. The amounts below are a fictitious example.
| Item | Paid | Already refunded | By whom | Balance = your claim | Supporting document |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Airline tickets for 2 people | € 840 | € 120 | Airline (taxes) | € 720 | Booking + credit note |
| Hotel, 10 nights | € 1,250 | € 375 | Hotel (30% if cancelled > 14 days) | € 875 | Invoice + cancellation confirmation |
| Hire car | € 310 | € 310 | Rental company, cancelled free of charge | € 0 | Confirmation |
| Excursions booked in advance | € 180 | € 0 | – | € 180 | Vouchers + proof of payment |
| Rebooking fees | € 95 | € 0 | – | € 95 | Invoice |
| Less: policy excess | – | – | – | − € 100 | Policy schedule |
| Total | € 2,675 | € 805 | € 1,770 |
Writing a persuasive letter of complaint
State the policy number, the travel dates and the event. Summarise the rejection and respond to the relevant provision. Then refer to your evidence and to the amount that you believe should still be paid.
Ask concrete questions: why does this medical situation fall outside the cover referred to, what information is missing, or how was the depreciation calculated? Ask for a substantive reassessment. A general complaint about your disappointment is understandable, but gives less of a basis for a different decision.
Check the limitation period and the time limits of the complaints route. There is no general six-week deadline for objecting to a travel insurer’s decision. If the internal complaint does not resolve matters, Kifid may be a next step. The civil courts are another route; weigh the costs against the financial interest at stake.
Example: objection to the rejection of your travel claim
Re: objection to your rejection of [date], claim number [number], policy number [number].
On [date] you rejected my claim on the following ground: “[quote the ground for rejection verbatim]”. In doing so, you rely on [article or section] of the policy conditions. I disagree, for the following reasons.
1. The event is covered. On [date] [describe briefly and factually what happened]. That is a covered event under [article], because [reason]. As evidence I enclose: annex 1, [medical statement from … dated …].
2. [If applicable] The notification was made in time, or at least did not prejudice you. I reported the event on [date], as soon as reasonably possible because [reason]. Under Article 7:941(3) of the Dutch Civil Code, you may only reduce the payout by the loss you suffer as a result of the late notification. I ask you to substantiate what specific prejudice you have suffered.
3. The loss amounts to € [amount]. Please find enclosed my overview of costs, setting out for each item what I paid, what I have already been refunded elsewhere and what balance I am claiming.
I ask you to reconsider the rejection and to pay € [amount]. If you maintain your position, I ask you to confirm it as your final position, stating your internal complaints procedure, so that I can turn to Kifid or the courts.
I request a written response within [period].
Quote the ground for rejection verbatim and respond to it point by point; a general complaint that the rejection is “unjustified” rarely leads to reconsideration. Keep proof of sending. Bear in mind the three-year limitation period under Article 7:942 of the Dutch Civil Code, which starts running again after an unequivocal rejection.
If the insurer maintains its position, first go through its internal complaints procedure and ask for a final position. After that, you can turn to Kifid if you are a consumer and your insurer is a member; check the admission requirements and the filing deadline in the applicable rules of the Kifid Disputes Committee. The civil courts also remain an option. In the meantime, keep track of the limitation period yourself: an ongoing complaints procedure does not automatically interrupt it.
Distinguishing travel insurance from cancellation cover
Travel insurance and cancellation insurance cover different risks. Check the reason for cancellation, the insured persons, the booking date, the start date and any known circumstances. A medical statement does not automatically prove that every policy condition has been met.
For baggage, ownership, loss or theft, and value must be substantiated. Safekeeping requirements, limits and obligations to report to the local police may be relevant. Ask the insurer to link the exact clause to your situation.
Compensation from a carrier, tour operator or another insurer may affect the remaining loss. Record any amounts received. Also read about overlapping insurance policies and proving stolen belongings.
Frequently asked questions about rejected travel claims
Does cancellation insurance cover every medical reason?
No. The event must fall within the policy and be sufficiently substantiated. The person concerned, foreseeability and the need to cancel may all form part of that assessment.
Do I get money back if there is a negative travel advisory?
That depends on the policy and the reason. A negative travel advisory is not an independent ground for cancellation under every policy. Also check your rights against the travel provider.
Can I take out the insurance after booking?
Sometimes you can, but time limits or restrictions may apply. A problem that was already known is not automatically covered. Check which date and conditions apply to your policy.
What if my phone was stolen and I have no receipt?
Other evidence can help to prove ownership and value, such as bank records, photographs or a purchase account. The circumstances of the theft and any reporting requirements also remain relevant.
Do I have to ask the airline for money first?
You may have rights against the carrier in addition to the insurance. How these interact, and any priority rules, depend on the type of loss and the policy. Report any compensation received to the insurer.
Is legal assistance worthwhile for a relatively small claim?
That depends on the amount, the evidence and the costs. A targeted complaint may be sufficient. With high medical expenses, several grounds for rejection or a complicated cancellation, a legal assessment can add value.
Have the ground for rejection checked
Would you like a rejected travel or cancellation claim to be assessed? Contact Arslan Advocaten with your policy, booking, statement of costs and rejection. You can find more about our legal approach under insurance law.
Legally reviewed by Onur Arslan, attorney at Arslan Advocaten. Reviewed on 13 September 2026.
Further reading on this topic
- Claim rejected for non-disclosure: what can you do?
- Claim rejected after a loss investigation: what now?
- Water damage rejected by the insurer: leak, maintenance or covered after all?
