Is it possible to return money if you are banned from traveling abroad because of debts

More than 3 million Russians could not go on vacation this (2018) year due to the establishment of a ban on leaving for debt. Such a ban is established if a citizen accumulates a debt of more than 30,000 rubles to state bodies (taxes, fines, penalties) or commercial organizations (bank loans, utility bills, etc.), or if there is a debt of more than 10,000 rubles for alimony.

It is not yet possible to cancel such a ban by paying off debts at the border. And this means that if you suddenly find out just before departure that you are not allowed to leave, nothing can be done on the spot, and the trip will be disrupted. Check for debts, by the way, not only at airports, but also at land border crossings, if you are going to go on vacation by car or train.

Unfortunately, in such a situation, all your tickets and vouchers are non-refundable, and all the money you spent on them will simply burn out. Trying to challenge the ban through the court and recover compensation (the cost of tickets or vouchers) is useless – you will obviously lose. In such cases, special travel insurance against non-departure or cancellation of the trip is also not valid (see what is non-departure insurance here).

If, according to the results of the check, you suddenly find yourself on the list of those who are not allowed to travel, you need to act as quickly as possible. Immediately contact the travel agency with a request to cancel the trip and refund the money for the ticket. Unfortunately, not the entire amount is subject to refund, and depending on the terms of the contract for the tour, sometimes a very small part can be returned, but this is better than nothing.

If you do not have a ticket in your hands, but tickets, then the refund amount will depend on the tariff at which you purchased them. The cheapest flights are usually non-refundable, but sometimes you can return their full cost, with the exception of agency fees, which are quite small.

There is another way, obviously illegal, and we do not recommend using it. But it is impossible not to mention it. We are talking about insurance against cancellation of the trip, if you, of course, had it issued in advance. Such insurance under the terms of the contract does not cover cases of cancellation of the trip due to the presence of a ban on departure. But if you find out in advance about the ban, and independently initiate another reason for canceling the trip, without bringing it to the border check, then there is a chance to return the full cost of the ticket or tickets according to the terms of the insurance contract. However, once again, this method is obviously illegal, and if the insurance company reveals your trick, then you may well be under criminal prosecution for fraud.

Well, so that you do not have such problems, it is best to pay off all debts in a timely manner, periodically check their availability, and then you will not have any problems at the border.