Short answer: If your child falls seriously ill before departure and a doctor confirms they can’t travel, cancellation insurance reimburses the cancellation fee after deducting the 10% excess. This applies to the insured child and to the insured parents who stay at home with them. If part of the family goes, the share of those who don’t go is reimbursed. For the days you care for your child instead of working, you may get carer’s allowance.
One-minute summary
- A child’s illness is a covered reason for the whole insured family, even if the child isn’t travelling with you and you have to look after them.
- If part of the family goes, the cancellation fee is reimbursed for those who stay at home.
- A medical report with the diagnosis and length of treatment before departure. It can’t be written by a doctor in the family.
- A family holiday for CZK 64,000: premium CZK 5,760. If everyone stays at home, cancelling ten days before departure, the insurance pays back CZK 46,080.
- Carer’s allowance is paid for a child under 10 for up to 9 days, and for single parents up to 16 days.
Who in the family can cancel
The policy terms cover illness, injury or death of a family member — which includes a child — and caring for them. What matters is who is insured on the policy and whether the child is travelling with you:
| Situation | Does cancellation insurance cover it? |
|---|---|
| A child who is travelling with you falls ill | Yes. The child and the insured parents who don’t go because of it. |
| A child who is staying at home (with grandma, at camp) falls ill | Yes, if you demonstrably have to look after them. This is covered as caring for a family member who isn’t travelling with you. |
| The child gets injured during ordinary sport or in the playground | Yes, the same as illness. |
| The child gets injured at a race or competition | No. Injuries during races and competitions are excluded. |
| The child has problems that were already being treated before the insurance was taken out | No, except a stabilised chronic illness. |
| The child doesn’t want to go or is afraid | No. The insurance doesn’t cover worries about travelling or not wanting to go. |
Only part of the family goes
If only some of the insured people cancel, the insurer only reimburses the cancellation fees for those who don’t go. For a holiday paid for jointly, that’s the proportionate share for the people who don’t travel.
The whole cancellation is reimbursed if one of the insured people would otherwise have to travel alone. The policy terms explicitly mention you, your children and grandparents: the insurer may take such a family situation into account.
The tour operator may recalculate the price for those who go, for example if the room occupancy changes. Ask about this before you confirm a partial cancellation.
Medical reports for children
- The report is issued by a paediatrician or an emergency doctor before departure. It must state the diagnosis, the length of treatment and confirmation that the child’s condition doesn’t allow them to travel.
- If the child stays at home and you look after them, the doctor also confirms that your care is necessary.
- The report can’t be issued by a doctor who is a close relative of yours or of other insured people, such as a parent or grandparent who is a doctor themselves.
- The insurer may ask for proof of your relationship to the child, such as a birth certificate. How to report a claim is described on the how to make a claim page.
Example: a family of four
Two adults and two children, a holiday for CZK 64,000, premium CZK 5,760. Ten days before departure, the younger child gets a high fever and the doctor advises against travelling. At this stage, the tour operator charges 80% of the price.
| What the family does | Cancellation fee | Insurance pays back |
|---|---|---|
| The whole family stays at home | CZK 51,200 | CZK 46,080 |
| One parent goes with the older child, the other stays at home with the sick one | CZK 25,600 | CZK 23,040 |
If a child insured on the policy were in hospital for at least 24 hours, no excess would apply under the policy terms. You’ll find the cancellation fees of individual tour operators in the overview of tour operators’ cancellation fees, and you can work out the premium for your amount in the calculator. The reasons the insurance covers are on the what the insurance covers page.
Carer’s allowance and annual leave
- Carer’s allowance (ošetřovné) is paid for the days you can’t work because you’re caring for a child under 10. It’s paid for up to 9 days, and for single parents up to 16 days if the child is under 16 and hasn’t yet finished compulsory schooling. It amounts to 60% of the reduced daily assessment base. Parents can swap over once during the care.
- Annual leave at work. If your child falls ill at a time when you’ve already been granted annual leave and you care for them, the leave is interrupted under Section 219 of the Czech Labour Code. This doesn’t apply if you ask your employer to let you continue your leave.
Details and eligibility conditions are on the website of the Czech Social Security Administration (ČSSZ) — link in the sources.
If your child falls ill before camp, an outdoor school trip or a ski trip
The same applies. Summer camps and day camps, outdoor school trips, ski courses or language courses can be insured if they’re paid for or booked on a binding basis. The parent is the policyholder and the child is the insured person. The insurance is always taken out for a specific booking. More on the camp and ski trip cancellation insurance page and in the guide School ski trips and winter in the mountains.
Frequently asked questions
Can I cancel my holiday if a child who isn’t coming with us falls ill?
Yes, if you demonstrably have to look after them. Caring for a sick family member who isn’t travelling with you is a covered reason. A doctor confirms the diagnosis, the length of treatment and the need for care.
Does the child who fell ill have to be insured on the policy too?
For the insurance to reimburse the cancellation fee for the child, they must be insured on the policy. Your own cancellation because of their illness is covered even if the child isn’t insured.
Does this also apply to grandchildren?
Under the policy terms, grandparents count as family. Grandchildren only do if they live with you in the same household or you demonstrably look after them. If a grandchild is travelling with you and you booked the trip together, their illness is covered anyway.
What if my child is ordered into quarantine?
Mandatory quarantine ordered by a public health officer within 2 weeks before departure is a separate covered reason. You prove it with the confirmation that quarantine was ordered.
Sources
We verified the information on carer’s allowance and the wording of the law on 26/10/2026. The links lead to third-party websites.
Related
This article is general information, not legal or financial advice. The wording of the policy terms and your seller’s terms is what counts. The example scenarios are illustrative.