Already overseas and need travel insurance?

22 January, 2024

Are you already overseas on holiday and forgot to buy travel insurance? Don’t worry, you may be able to still get cover. Hurrah!

We know there are many circumstances that may have led you to be out of the country without cover and fortunately, so do insurers. For example:

You simply forgot to purchase travel insurance before departing
You're on a business trip and just need cover for the personal leisure portion
You have credit card travel insurance but need cover for additional adventure activities
You had a travel insurance policy that expired because you forgot to extend it Eligibility requirements and conditions for already overseas travel insurance varies from one insurer to the next. Depending on the insurer you choose, there may be a waiting period before your cover takes effect, and like standard travel insurance, age limits may apply.

Of course you can’t get cover for mishaps or injuries that have already happened to you prior to purchasing your policy, but an already overseas travel insurance policy can make sure you're covered for the remaining portion of your adventure. Policies will usually offer very similar comprehensive cover as regular travel insurance. So what are you waiting for? Get protected!

Where can I buy already overseas cover?

If you've found yourself abroad without cover, you're not the first and won't be the last. Thankfully, the following insurers offer protection to Australians who have already left their home country.

Insurer	Underwriter	Age restriction	Waiting period	Condition
1Cover	HDI Global Specialty SE – Australia	64 and under	72 hours	1Cover’s Already Overseas policy cannot be longer than 90 days and your one-way journey must end within Australia. This can not be purchased more than 30 days prior to the start date of the policy. The policy will end when you reach immigration in Australia. No cover for pre-existing illnesses, except for automatically covered conditions if the criteria is met.
Fast Cover	Hollard Insurance Company Pty Ltd	64 and under	48 hours	Australian residents, who usually live in Australia, can purchase if your trip commences overseas and ends in Australia. Cover cannot be purchased if you have been overseas less than 14 days, or your current policy has expired for no more than 14 days. A $500 excess applies for all claims. You cannot purchase a Basics or Frequent Traveller Saver policy if you are already overseas.
Cover-More	Zurich Australian Insurance Limited	Up to 99	72 hours	There is no cover under any section of the policy for any event that has occurred already or that arises within the first 3 days of buying the policy.
Freely	Zurich Australian Insurance Limited	Up to 99	72 hours	There is no cover under any section of the policy for any event that has occurred already or that arises within the first 3 days of buying the policy.
Go insurance	Certain underwriters at Lloyd's	75 and under	48 hours	Permanent residents, who are overseas and are returning to Australia are eligible to purchase. Cover cannot extend 18 months in total from the date you originally departed Australia. You must have unrestricted right of entry into Australia and access to Medicare,(excluding Reciprocal Health Agreements)
Insure4Less	Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance Company	70 and under	48 hours	Australian residents who are already overseas after having departed Australia without taking out travel insurance, or who’s policies have expired are eligible as long as they are returning back home to Australia.
Medibank Private	Zurich Australian Insurance Limited	Up to 99	72 hours	There is no cover under any section of the policy for any event that has occurred already or that arises within the first 3 days of buying the policy.
Travel Insurance Direct	Certain underwriters at LLoyd's	80 and under	72 hours	If after the date of departure noted on your certificate of insurance and before the end of the 72 hour waiting period you suffer a serious injury as a result of an accident, there is cover for medical expenses incurred, overseas and additional expenses, and medical evacuation from the time of accident. All other cover still begins 72 hours from when we issue your certificate of insurance.
Travel Insurance Saver	Pacific International Insurance Pty Ltd	Up to 99	72 hours	Consider the PDS and TMD from TIS and if the policy is right for you.
Travel Insuranz	Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance Company	70 and under	48 hours	Available for Australia residents who are overseas intending to return to Australian the date your policy ends.
World Nomads	XL Insurance Company SE	69 and under	72 hours	Waiting period doesn’t apply to emergency overseas medical expenses and emergency transport expenses if you suffer a sudden illness or serious injury as the result of an accident after the policy start date. You can keep buying more cover while away from home to extend your trip up to 12 months in total as long as you extend it before the policy end date.

General Advice Warning: The contents of this article were accurate at the time of writing. Insurers change their policies from time to time, so some information may have changed. You should always read the Product Disclosure Statement of your chosen insurer to understand what is covered and what isn't. The information provided is of a general nature only and does not take into account any personal objectives, financial situation or needs. Before making a decision you should consider the appropriateness of the information having regard to your personal circumstances.

What does already overseas travel insurance cover?

Overseas medical cover

This is one of the most important features of cover. Overseas medical cover includes 24 hours a day emergency medical assistance and may cover the costs for: ambulance cover, medical evacuations, funeral arrangements, messages to family, medical and hospital bills, surgical, nursing and emergency dental treatment.

Cancellation cover

No matter how organised you are, when travelling overseas there are many events beyond your control. This covers you for costs if you suddenly find you can't go on your trip or need to cut short your trip short for some unforeseen circumstance such as illness, an accident or a death of a close relative.

Lost or damaged Luggage

These days, most of us travel with suitcases jam-packed with our belongings. Luggage and personal effects benefits cover you for reimbursement or replacement of your luggage and personal effects which are lost or stolen.

Travel delays

Bummer, your flights delayed, now what!? If your transport is postponed due to an unforeseen reason, your out-of-pocket accommodation, meals, and transport costs would be covered until you get back-on-track. Note, this benefit probably won't kick in if you only have a short delay which is less than 6 hours.

Family emergency

It's always a worry going on holiday leaving loved ones behind. Never fear, should a close relative, or the person you’re travelling with become seriously ill, injured or heaven-forbid die, your travel expenses would be claimable. Restrictions for family emergency cover can apply for relatives age, medical conditions and where they live.

Personal liability

A lawsuit would certainly put a dampener on your dream holiday. Accidents happen! If you're found responsible for another person's injury while travelling you will want to be protected, personal liability bills can run into the millions.

Conditions Of An Already Overseas Policy

Who can buy? - You must be an Australian citizen or resident in order to buy a policy. You can also normally buy it if you are on a 457 working visa, a spousal visa or skilled working visa. However cover is not available to those in Australia on working holiday visas.
Homeward bound – You must have a booked return trip and be travelling back to Australia in order to buy this type of cover.
Waiting periods - You may not be able to claim for any medical incidents in the first few days of your cover - this is known as a waiting period. A waiting period exists to protect insurers from those who've not bought insurance and then decide they need it later. Usually due to accident or illness and not wanting to pay the expensive overseas medical fees that they incur.
Age limits – Just like a standard policy, already overseas policies have age restrictions saying who can and cannot buy. Check out the age limits in the table above.
Pre-exiting medical conditions - Conditions that exist before you departed for your holiday are unlikely to be covered. Always read your insurer's policy documentation to see what conditions they cover for free. You should always tell your insurer of any pre-existing conditions when you first purchase your policy – however trivial they may seem.
Extending cover - If you’ve already bought a policy and then want to extend your trip - it’s much easier to extend your existing policy than it is to get new cover when you’re already abroad. If you’re already overseas and you either forgot to take out cover, or your previous policy has expired, know that there are options out there for you. It's not too late to take out already overseas travel insurance cover!

already overseas travel insurance
faqs

Can non residents buy already overseas cover?

What if I have an accident - does a waiting period still apply?

Does already overseas cover have age limits?

Does already overseas travel insurance cover repatriation if I need to be brought back to Australia?

Natalie Smith

Having travelled to over 40 countries, studied tourism management and worked as a flight attendant for over three years, Natalie knows more than a thing or two about travel! She’s an adventure-lover, whose favourite trips have been trekking Machu Picchu and volunteering in an animal shelter in the Amazon. Qualified in Tier 2 General Insurance General Advice and specialising in travel insurance for the last five years, she in passionate about helping travellers get the most out of their holiday.