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Student Travel Insurance
Student Travel Insurance
Written by
Rachel Gregg
Edited by
Laura Crowden
Reviewed by
Adrian BennettEasily compare Travel Insurance
Save time and effort by comparing a range of travel insurance policies with iSelect
What is student travel insurance?
Long story short
Student travel insurance can help cover the unexpected
From medical fees and repatriation costs to stolen items and public liability, travel insurance can help protect students from common travel surprises.
It’s not just for your time studying abroad
Whether you’re studying for a semester, on exchange for a year or volunteering overseas, student travel insurance might be able to help (depending on eligibility).
Coverage can depend on your uni and travel plans
Some policies may not cover volunteering activities or might have limits to the personal days covered when you want to go sightseeing, so make sure to check.
What is student travel insurance?
Australians love to travel, and students are no exception. Whether you’re heading overseas for a school trip or a long-term exchange program, student travel insurance could help protect against those ‘what if’ moments. If you have an accident during an adventure, your laptop gets stolen, or you become ill and have to head back home, travel insurance can help take the sting out of those surprising extra expenses.
While some students can score complimentary travel insurance through their university, these policies might only cover official study dates or include a limited number of personal travel days. But travel insurance from a separate provider can offer students more flexibility. That means you could look forward to those weekends away or semester breaks in a neighbouring country while still being covered for your study days in the library.
Who is eligible for student travel insurance?
Student travel insurance isn’t just for students on exchange or studying abroad. If you’re jetting off on a long-awaited gap year holiday, you could still be eligible for student travel insurance. Student travel insurance policies are generally open to a wide variety of students, ranging from apprentices, interns, and university students, to mature-age students and those booking a gap year. Just know that these policies might only be available to Australian citizens and permanent residents.
How could students studying abroad benefit from travel insurance?
Heading overseas to study is exciting, but it can also be a little scary. Student travel insurance can help cover a range of challenging situations where you could find yourself in a serious bind without it (but not your laundry pile, unfortunately). Here are some of the best reasons to get student travel insurance before you depart.
Cover for injury and sickness
You could face massive medical bills if you become sick or have an accident overseas. Even if you’re in a country that has a Reciprocal Health Care Agreement (RHCA) with Australia, a student travel insurance can assist with covering the gaps that your RHCA might leave out.
Repatriation costs
If you need to return home early because of an injury or sickness that needs treatment in Australia, your policy might help cover the costs to get you back home and looked after.
Lost luggage
Losing your suitcase could mean you’re without a laptop or smartphone for school (which is any student’s worst nightmare). Student travel insurance can help cover the cost of lost or stolen luggage and travel documents, so there’s nothing to stop you from studying.
Personal liability
If you accidentally damage property or injure someone, the personal liability cover included with many travel insurance policies can help foot the bill so you’re not paying it off for the next decade or longer, alongside all those higher education bills.
What does travel insurance not cover for students?
Even the highest coverage policy can have some exclusions. When it comes to student-specific worries, you might find that some restrictions apply if you’re planning to work while abroad. For example, standard travel insurance might not cover some volunteering activities.
For more general exclusions, here are a few things you might see across a handful of policies:
Belongings left unattended
If you leave your bags unattended in public, you most likely won’t be able to claim any costs in replacing them.
Breaking the law
If you break the law and try to claim any related damages or injuries, your claim most likely will be declined.
Being under the influence
Any claims resulting from being under the influence of drugs or alcohol at the time of the incident could be rejected by your insurer.
Travelling to a ‘do not travel’ country
If there are any travel warnings for countries you’re visiting, your policy might not be valid if you ignore the travel advice listed on Smartraveller.
Do students need travel insurance?
While it’s not usually mandatory for students studying abroad to have insurance, it’s highly recommended (arguably just as important as your passport!) While you might think that travel insurance is just an extra cost you don’t necessarily need, it can be a total game changer if something goes wrong on your trip. No one accounts for the unexpected, so travel insurance is there to give you a little bit of coverage for the things that can easily derail your trip, like unexpected medical treatments, cancellations, and lost luggage. While it’s generally not needed as a part of your international study application forms, it’s a smart thing to have in your back pocket.
Helpful tip
Make sure your student travel policy offers 24/7 emergency assistance. If you’re 12 hours behind Aussie time and something goes wrong at 2am, the last thing you want is to wait till morning to speak to someone. When you’re organising your policy, you might not think of this as an important feature, but you’ll be glad you can call someone for help straight away in an emergency.
Adrian Bennett
General Manager for General Insurance
How much does student travel insurance cost?
As every provider differs and the price of student travel insurance depends on the specifics of each policy, there’s no one-size-fits-all cost for student travel insurance. The final cost of your policy will be decided by your destination, your age and the length of your trip. If you need to add optional extras, such as winter sports cover, or declare a pre-existing medical condition, this could also see your premium increase.
While student travel insurance can have a similar cost to regular travel insurance, some providers offer students a discount on their policy (some eligibility requirements may apply). However, if you’re planning a few trips in the year, it could be worth considering other policies like annual multi-trip travel insurance to find a better fit for your budget.
Just remember that basic and comprehensive policies can also differ significantly in costs and benefits, so always read the Product Disclosure Statement to understand your policy and exactly what you’re getting.
What should students consider when looking at policies?
Your destination
Think about your destination and how certain travel insurance policies might be more relevant than others. Are you expecting to rent a car often for weekend getaways? Perhaps a policy featuring superior rental vehicle excess protection would be a wise choice.
Pre-existing medical conditions
You may have to declare pre-existing medical conditions when purchasing your policy. If you aren’t upfront about any health concerns, you risk your policy being deemed invalid if you have to make a claim or your claim being denied.
Adventure activities
All study and no play makes for a dull trip, so check the Product Disclosure Statement for covered activities. You may need to purchase extra cover for activities like skiing, snowboarding and rock climbing.
Striking the right excess
Would you be better off paying a higher premium and having a lower excess? This is often a good choice for longer study trips where you’re more likely to need medical treatment at some stage.
Policy limits
Does your policy still provide cover if you visit other countries during your exchange? Is the number of personal travel days limited during the exchange period? Stay mindful of restrictions when considering student travel insurance.
Additional travel
Planning to explore more after your exchange? Make sure your policy doesn’t cut off before you’re back home with your bags in hand.
Tips for purchasing student travel insurance
Choosing student travel insurance isn’t always straightforward. These tips can help you decide on a policy and potentially help you save.
Read the fine print
It’s not always fun. But reading the Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) for your policy is the easiest way to understand the inclusions, exclusions, emergency contacts, benefit limits and more.
Be honest
Truthfulness about your situation and travel plans is essential, as incorrect information could invalidate any future claims. Always declare pre-existing medical conditions and the countries you intend to visit.
Buy early
It’s a good idea to purchase your travel insurance as soon as you book your trip. This way, your pre-paid costs could be covered in case your itinerary has to change or fizzles out entirely.
Check for discounts
Many travel insurance providers offer discounts for students, so checking for student deals is a smart way to reduce expenses. Meanwhile, comparison services like iSelect can help you assess your policy options.
Increase your excess
If you’re worried about the upfront costs of a travel insurance policy, you can usually increase the excess. This can reduce the cost of the premium, but you’ll pay more later should you need to make a claim.
Frequently asked questions
Which companies offer student travel insurance?
There are plenty of travel insurers that cover students. Some insurers that iSelect can help you compare include:
- Fast Cover
- Huddle Insurance
- Insure4less
- InsureandGo
- ReadySet Travel Insurance
- Southern Cross Travel Insurance
- Tick Travel Insurance
- Travel Insurance Saver
- Travel Insuranz
- Travel Protect
- WAS Insurance
- World2Cover
- Zoom Travel Insurance
Other travel insurers in the market include:
- 1Cover
- Allianz
- Blue Insurance
- Budget Direct
- Bupa Travel Insurance
- Cover-More
- Everyday Travel Insurance
- Medibank
- Nib
- RACV Travel Insurance
- Travel Insurance Direct
Note: iSelect does not compare all travel insurance providers in the market, or all products offered by our partners in your area.
Can international students residing in Australia get travel insurance?
Yes, you can. Travel insurance is a smart choice for anyone, especially for international students. It can help cover things like medical coverage, damages to your belongings or unexpected changes to your plans. Your travel insurance can help keep you focused on your studies or enjoying your uni break without worries. And in a worst-case scenario, it can help send you back home without emptying your pockets.
Do I need student travel insurance if I have OSHC?
While Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) is mandatory for students studying abroad, having travel insurance on top of this isn’t a compulsory requirement. But since OSHC won’t cover all your medical needs, a student travel insurance policy can be a great way to help fill in the gaps (especially outside of medical benefits).
Find travel insurance to support your semester abroad
Excited to take your studies overseas? While iSelect can’t help you with travel insurance specifically tailored to students, you can compare a range of other travel insurance policies still suitable for students to see if you can save on your expenses.
Easily compare Travel insurance quotes
Save time and effort by comparing a range of travel insurance policies with iSelect
iSelect does not compare all travel insurers or policies in the market. Travel insurance is only available through our website and not all policies are available at all times or in all areas. Not all policies available from our partners are compared by iSelect and due to commercial arrangements and customer circumstances not all policies compared by iSelect will be available to all customers. Click here to view iSelect’s range of providers.
iSelect General Pty Limited ABN 90 131 798 126, AFS Licence Number: 334115. Any advice provided by iSelect is of a general nature and does not take into account your objectives, financial situation or needs. You need to consider the appropriateness of any information or general advice iSelect gives you, having regard to your personal situation, before acting on iSelect’s advice or purchasing any policy. You should consider iSelect’s Financial Services Guide which provides information about our services and your rights as a client of iSelect. iSelect receives commission for each policy sold.