International Travel Insurance

If you’re already overseas and find yourself without cover, it’s possible to buy a policy while you’re on the go.

Your options, however, may be limited and you may need to meet certain eligibility requirements. For instance, you may need to buy it sooner rather than later, whether that’s a few days after you got on the plane or after your other policy ran out. Similarly, if you do get Travel Insurance, it may come with a no-cover period so you may have to hold tight before it kicks in.

Ultimately, it’ll probably be easier and less stressful to sort out your Travel Insurance before you’re overseas. Plus, you won’t have to worry about racking up data roaming fees trying to find an insurer.

Australia’s far enough away from a lot of countries that it makes perfect sense to try and squeeze in as many as you can in a single trip. Thankfully, Travel Insurers get this.

In fact, you might find policies for certain regions rather than countries. For instance, you could pick a Europe policy and have cover for France, Italy, Norway and more all in one convenient package.

Which countries fall into what regions can vary between insurers though, so it’s a good idea to read the Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) to see if you need to look for additional cover.

Even if you’re just transiting through a country, it could be well worth your while to have it included on your policy.

As a rule of thumb, anywhere marked as a Level 3 or Level 4 by Smartraveller is unlikely to be fully covered or even at all. Travelling to these places could mean your health and safety are at extremely high risk, and high risk isn’t something insurers ever like to hear about.

As of June 2024, there’s a good handful of countries labelled as Level 3 or Level 4, including parts of Africa, the Middle East, Asia, Europe and the Americas. You can check if your desired destination is on the list by visiting the Smartraveller website.

Some people’s idea of a holiday is days on the beach with a good book or two. For others, there needs to be a little more action involved. If this sounds more like your cup of tea, you could still be covered by Travel Insurance. You may just need to get comfortable with looking through Product Disclosure Statements (PDS) and the idea that you might need to purchase additional cover, like a winter sports policy. 

As you’re going through the PDS, check the definition of any activities listed. For instance, while you might be covered for rock climbing, abseiling could be off the cards. Just because they’re similar doesn’t mean they’ll be covered. You can double-check if the policy covers your desired activity by speaking with the insurer.

Additionally, you may need to let your insurer know if you intend to do the activity. They mightn’t be your parents, but they need to know what you’re planning on getting up to. This is also a good time to confirm if there are any conditions that apply.

Speaking of conditions, your claim can be denied if you ignore or break conditions. That can include not following safety advice or instructions, or doing the activity while under the influence of drugs or alcohol. 

Your Travel Insurance can cover trip delays and missed connections but there tends to be restrictions and exclusions you’ll need to get your head around. For instance, the delays may need to be of a certain length before your cover is applicable.

You could check your Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) to see what conditions apply to your policy. Alternatively, you could speak with your insurer.

COVID-19 doesn’t care about your travel plans but your Travel Insurance does. You may be able to find a policy that includes cover for needing to interrupt your trip or cancel it altogether because you’ve become unwell.

However, it isn’t carte blanche to forget the hygiene rules the pandemic taught us. If anything, before your holiday is a good time to find your stash of masks and sanitiser to ensure you can get on that plane and enjoy your time away.