When can I get my money back for a booked journey or stay outside the Netherlands?

Conditions for getting back all or part of your travel costs

If your travel company is affiliated to the Stichting Garantiefonds Reisgelden – SGR (travel costs guarantee fund foundation), you can claim a refund for all or part of your travel costs. The Disaster Fund (SCR) decides whether and when you will get your money back. If you are entitled to a refund, it will be paid by the travel company.

Guarantee restrictions

The SCR can decide not to provide a guarantee for travel to certain countries. This is known as a guarantee restriction or a travel warning. A guarantee restriction is imposed if there is an imminent risk of an emergency situation arising.

NB:

• A decision to impose a guarantee restriction is not linked to the travel advice issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
• The fact that there is no guarantee restriction on a country does not necessarily mean that the country is safe.

You can find information (in Dutch) on current guarantee restrictions on the SCR website.

No SCR guarantee if you travel to a country with a guarantee restriction

You will not be covered by the SCR guarantee if you travel to a country or region subject to a guarantee restriction. If a restriction is imposed after you have booked your journey, you can cancel the booking with your travel company free of charge up to 30 days before the agreed departure date. If a guarantee restriction is already in place when you book, you are not entitled to an SCR guarantee.

Travel restrictions in the case of epidemics or outbreaks of animal disease

Travel restrictions because of epidemics or outbreaks of animal disease are not covered by the SCR. The World Health Organization (WHO) sometimes advises against travel to prevent a virus from spreading. In the case of an epidemic, you can request compensation under the law governing travel agreements (known in Dutch as the Wet op de reisovereenkomst).