Medical and hospital expenses
Cover in case you are injured or sick while overseas. Includes hospital stays, surgery, dental and prescription drugs.
Whether you’ve taken a spill on the sidewalk, been mugged in a market or picked up an exotic disease, our resident travel insurance guru Eugene Wylde can help to get you back on track quicker than you can say ‘happy holidays!’
Although you shouldn’t bank on the worst possible scenario, it’s hardly worth taking a gamble on your travels. Start reading to find out more and use the guide menu above to navigate your way around. Prefer a helpful handout? Click here to download PDF version.
Cover in case you are injured or sick while overseas. Includes hospital stays, surgery, dental and prescription drugs.
If your baggage and personal items are lost, stolen, or damaged you would be reimbursed or the items replaced.
Cover for prepaid travel & accommodation if you need to cancel because of illness, accident, natural disaster or unforeseen circumstance.
In the event your transport is delayed due to an unforeseen reason, your accommodation, meals, and transport costs will be covered.
Provides protection for you being legally liable for injuring other people or causing damage to their property.
If you hire a car and have an accident, you won't have to pay the excess (this could be as much as $7k!)
Cover for travel expenses if a close relative, or the person you’re travelling becomes seriously ill, injured or dies.
If your transport is cancelled on your way to a pre-booked event alternative transportation will be provided.
If you buy a policy for just one reason this is it! Falling ill or being injured while travelling overseas can be extremely costly. Daily hospital costs in the USA can reach up to $10,000, while emergency transport home can easily exceed $100,000!
Picture your dismay if you had to cancel last minute. Travel insurance covers you for lost deposits and pre-paid travel arrangements for unforeseen circumstances like severe weather, accidents or illness.
Loss, theft or damage to your prized possessions can be a common, yet gut-wrenching experience. If your personal belongings go AWOL on holiday your policy will pay to replace or repair them. Win!
Imagine you’re mid-martini when bad news breaks. Should you need to return home, you’ll be covered for unforeseen events like injury or illness of a close relative.
Imagine you are involved in an accident overseas or cause at-fault damage! Have peace of mind that your travel insurance policy will cover you for legal liability - usually up to at least $2 million. Phew!
Travel insurance will take a load off so you can get some R&R. A comprehensive policy will cover you for an array of sticky situations while you're travelling.
When quoting, some insurers ask you to select the countries you are travelling to and others ask you to choose a region. Hover our our uber cool interactive map which helps you pick the right region for your trip.
means anywhere in the world
generally means Asia and the India subcontinent excluding Japan
means domestic travel within Australia
means all European countries, including UK
means the South West Pacific including Australia, Indonesia/Bali, Fiji
When buying travel insurance online you’ll need to enter a start date, and end date of travel. The start date should be the date that you leave home (not the date you land in your destination if you’re flying) and the return date should be the date you return from your trip. If you travel often you may save some cash by purchasing an annual multi-trip policy rather than a single trip each time you go away.
You’ll need to select the number of travellers to be included in the policy, and enter the name and date of birth of each traveller. In most cases kids are included for no additional cost within your policy as long as they’re under 21, not in full time employment and named on your policy. Yippee!
It’s easy to get caught out by participating in 'extreme' sports before realising you’re not covered! Quite a few sports and activities are excluded from standard policies, so it’s always a good idea to check whether your intended adrenaline activity is covered:
Watch out for single item limits within your cover. If you’re taking your Louis Vuitton luggage, surfboard, DSLR camera, golf clubs, laptop, or even your wedding rings you should make sure your policy covers for these high value items. You can increase the amount you are covered for by paying an additional premium.
Travel insurance exists to cover the unforeseen, not medical conditions you’re already aware of. Medical conditions that exist prior to purchasing your policy may not be covered. Whether you’ve broken your arm, undergone hip replacement surgery, or suffered a bout of bronchitis, you’ll need to disclose any injuries, illnesses and major procedures to your insurer. Depending upon your condition, you might have to fill out a medical declaration signed by your doctor and have it assessed by the travel insurance company before you buy your policy. Pre-existing medical conditions apply to everyone listed on the certificate of insurance. So, the person who buys the travel insurance policy, travelling companions, and close relatives too. In the instance of cancellation, it also applies to close relatives that aren’t necessarily travelling with you.
Single trip policies cover you for one trip (from one day up to 18 months and can be extended from overseas). Annual multi-trip policies cover you for as many trips as you make over the course of a year (internationally and domestically).
Most insurers have 3 levels of cover to choose from: Basic (often medical cover only), mid-range and comprehensive. You should pick the cover that best suits the type of holiday and activities you have planned. Remember that not all adventure activities are covered automatically.
A good way to find a decent policy is to ask friends and family who they’ve bought from before. Reading past customer reviews is an excellent way to get the inside story - there’s no sugar-coating it!
Just as you might compare flight prices, you can compare insurance policies too. Travel insurance policies vary in price and benefits. A comparison website is an easy way to digest all the information in one place.
Don’t tell porky pies. It’s important to be honest with your insurer when you take out a policy. If you have any pre-existing medical conditions be upfront about them so that you know you’re covered.
If your trip is cancelled or delayed due to unforeseen circumstances, you’ll be covered for any pre-paid expenses. As soon as you’ve booked your holiday, travel insurance should be next on your list!
In a nutshell, look after your stuff! Anything you leave out of reach, that isn’t properly supervised, or isn’t safely locked away will be considered unattended and (most probably) won't be covered if you try to claim for it being lost or stolen. E.g. you wouldn’t be covered if you left your phone in the back of a taxi, or on the table in a restaurant. Luggage that is left in a storage room of a hotel once checked out is also considered unattended!
We know that travel is all about new and exciting experiences, but if you deliberately put your life in danger (like jumping off a cliff into the sea) you wouldn't be covered. Injuries or loss when alcohol or drugs have been involved may not be covered either. Not too many piña coladas now!
Hey there adrenaline junkie! Many high risk activities and extreme sports (e.g. American football, boxing, skydiving, competitive cycling , rock climbing, polo and motor sports) are not covered. Always check whether your planned activities are covered before you go jumping out of a plane (for example.)
Does your tour operator sound a bit dodgy ? Travel insurance does not always cover for insolvency of travel agents, tour wholesalers, tour operators or booking agents. Make sure you’re confident in the operater making your travel arrangements.
If you visit a destination or region that Smart Traveller has issued a travel warning for you would not be covered for an incident relating to that warning. This can range from natural disasters, terrorist threats and riots. Similarly, if you are heading to a natural disaster zone or region of civil unrest, you would no longer be able to purchase cover for the events taking place in the media.
Cancellation covers you for transport and accommodation expenses if you experience delays or cancellation of your travel plans because of illness, accidents, or other unforeseen circumstances such as a sudden natural disaster. You can’t just cancel your trip for any reason and be reimbursed. You’re won't be covered if your flight is cancelled due to a mechanical fault, overbooking or airline company closure. This is the airlines responsibility.
Some medical conditions that exist before you travel won’t be covered. But if you do have a pre-existing condition, it’s not to say that you will be travelling without any cover at all. You can still buy a policy that would cover you for all other benefits, and for any unrelated illness or injury to your pre-existing condition would of course still be covered.
A few insurers consider pregnancy a pre-existing condition, so it’s sometimes trickier to get cover in the later stages. Most insurers cover until 26 weeks, but some exclude cover for pregnancy altogether. Find out who offers travel insurance while pregnant.
Travelling in/on a vehicle that you (or the driver) are not licensed to drive is not covered. Riding a motorcycle or scooter in Thailand or Bali is a common one. Make sure you wear a helmet too!
Understand what is covered and what is not, paying particular attention to exclusions and how to make a claim.
Like receipts, bank statements, photographs, photocopies or serial numbers so you can prove ownership of your belongings.
Get letters from your airline of flight delays & cancellations, and medical certificates for hospital stays - all written proof helps to back up your claim.
It is vital that you report any loss, theft or damage to your insurer, the local police, transport provider, or the relevant authority within 24 hours, or asap!
When you buy your policy and disclose any pre-existing conditions. If you lie about your medical history and become ill overseas your insurer may deny your claim.
All insurers have telephone numbers to call in an emergency. It is a good idea to keep this number on you, along with your policy details.
