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Political Risk Insurance: Covering Expropriation, Currency Blocks, and Political Violence

Learn how political risk insurance protects investors and lenders against expropriation, political violence, and transfer restrictions.

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Political risk insurance protects investors and lenders against losses caused by government action or political disruption in a foreign country.

It is most relevant in cross-border investing, project finance, infrastructure, and emerging-market lending.

What It Can Cover

Depending on the policy, political risk insurance may cover losses tied to:

  • expropriation or nationalization
  • currency inconvertibility or transfer restrictions
  • political violence
  • breach of contract by a sovereign or state-linked entity

The coverage is designed for events that are political in origin rather than ordinary commercial underperformance.

Why It Matters

This insurance can make a project financeable when lenders or sponsors would otherwise see the jurisdictional risk as too high.

It does not remove business risk, operating risk, or market-demand risk. It targets the political layer of uncertainty.

Revised on Monday, May 18, 2026