Travel insurance for Australian travellers
Travel insurance should reflect where you are going, who is travelling and what you have planned. RMA Insurance Brokers reviews the trip, the people travelling and the cover options available so the insurance suits the journey ahead.
Cover shaped around your trip, travellers and plans.
Overview
Travel insurance at a glance
Travel insurance can help protect the cost of a personal trip when something unexpected happens before you leave or while you are away. Depending on the policy, cover can include overseas medical and evacuation expenses, cancellation, travel disruption, baggage, rental vehicle excess, personal liability and personal accident benefits.
The right cover depends on where you are going, how long you are away, who is travelling and what you plan to do. Medical conditions, cruises, winter sports, rental vehicles and higher-value items can all need closer attention.
Domestic travel insurance works differently from overseas cover. Travel insurance generally does not cover medical treatment received in Australia, but domestic policies may still respond to eligible cancellation, baggage, travel delay, rental vehicle excess and other travel costs.
Who it is for
Who is this cover for?
Travel insurance is relevant for individuals and families taking private trips within Australia or overseas, including:
- families taking holidays together
- couples and solo travellers
- retirees and frequent travellers
- travellers visiting family or friends
- people with prepaid fares or deposits
- travellers with medical conditions that need consideration
- people planning cruises, winter sports or other activities
Single-trip cover may suit an individual journey, while an annual multi-trip arrangement may be worth considering for people who travel several times during the year. Eligibility, trip length and benefits differ between insurers.
Travel insurance on this page is intended for private travel. If the journey is being taken for work or on behalf of a business, Corporate Travel Insurance may be more appropriate.
Cover
What can it cover?
Travel insurance can bring together several types of protection around one trip, from medical emergencies and cancellation through to baggage, rental vehicles and other unexpected disruption.
The areas below are a guide. Benefits, limits, optional extensions and eligibility differ between insurers, so it is worth comparing the cover against the trip you are taking.
Overseas medical, hospital & evacuation
Depending on the policy, cover can include eligible overseas medical, hospital and emergency dental expenses if you become unexpectedly ill or injured while travelling.
Cover may also include medically necessary evacuation or repatriation. Some trips and activities, including cruises and winter sports, can require specific cover before relevant medical benefits apply, so these should be checked separately.
Cancellation & travel disruption
Cover can respond to eligible unrecoverable prepaid costs if a trip has to be cancelled or cut short because of an insured event.
Policies may also respond to certain additional accommodation or transport costs when travel is delayed, cancelled or disrupted. Refunds, credits or vouchers already available from an airline, accommodation provider or other travel supplier can reduce the amount of a claim.
Baggage, valuables & travel documents
Cover may respond to loss, theft or damage to baggage, personal items and travel documents during the trip, subject to policy limits and security conditions.
Higher-value items such as jewellery, cameras, phones and computers can have lower item limits or may need to be specified separately. Unattended-item and vehicle-storage conditions are also worth checking.
Rental vehicle excess & personal liability
Travel insurance may reimburse an eligible excess you become liable to pay under a separate rental vehicle agreement if the rental vehicle is damaged or stolen.
Rental vehicle excess cover does not replace comprehensive rental vehicle insurance. Personal liability cover may also respond to certain claims involving injury to another person or damage to their property, but liability arising from driving a motor vehicle generally needs to be considered separately.
Personal accident benefits
Some travel policies or plan levels include a lump-sum benefit for accidental death or defined permanent disablement arising from an accident during the trip.
This benefit is not included in every travel policy, so its availability and scope are worth checking when policies are compared.
Emergency assistance & additional expenses
Many travel policies provide access to a 24-hour emergency assistance service for help coordinating medical care and other urgent issues while you are away.
Separate policy benefits may also respond to eligible additional accommodation, meals or transport when a trip is disrupted. Where an emergency occurs, contacting the insurer or assistance provider promptly can be important.
Worth checking
What should you review?
A few details are especially important when comparing travel insurance:
destinations and current Australian Government travel advice
travel dates and total trip duration
whether single-trip or annual multi-trip cover suits your travel pattern
who is travelling and their ages
pre-existing medical conditions affecting travellers or relevant close relatives
whether a cruise forms part of the itinerary
planned sports, winter activities, adventure activities or rental vehicles
the value of prepaid fares, accommodation and other non-refundable bookings
Government travel advice can affect cover differently between insurers. Check current advice through Smartraveller and review the relevant policy if advice changes before or during the trip.
Limits
What may not be covered?
Travel policies do not cover every circumstance. Areas worth checking include:
- pre-existing medical conditions that are not covered or accepted where assessment is required
- travel undertaken against medical advice
- events or circumstances already known when the insurance is arranged
- claims arising from alcohol or drug use where the policy restricts or excludes that circumstance
- sports, activities or vehicle use outside the cover arranged
- baggage or valuables left unattended or not secured as required by the policy
- costs that are refundable or recoverable from an airline, accommodation provider or another party
- pandemic, epidemic or destination-related losses where the policy does not provide cover
This is not a complete list. Pregnancy, provider insolvency, government travel advice, specific activities and other travel risks can also be treated differently between insurers. RMA Insurance Brokers helps explain the areas that need closer review when comparing or arranging cover.
When is it worth reviewing your cover?
Travel plans can change between booking and departure. It is worth reviewing the insurance when:
- you book a trip and begin paying non-refundable deposits
- your destination changes or government travel advice for it changes
- your travel dates or trip duration change
- your health, or the health of someone your trip depends on, changes
- another traveller joins or leaves the trip
- you add a cruise, winter sport or other activity
- you book a rental vehicle or add higher-value items you want covered
- you begin travelling several times a year and an annual multi-trip arrangement may be worth considering
Broker support
Why RMA Insurance Brokers?
Travel insurance can look straightforward until the details of a particular trip are considered together. RMA Insurance Brokers reviews the journey, the people travelling and the options available, then explains the differences that matter.
We pay closer attention where a trip includes a cruise, winter sports, a rental vehicle or a medical condition, and we review changes before departure so the insurance continues to suit the trip.
If a claim occurs, we assist with notification, supporting information and communication with the insurer. For an overseas emergency, the insurer's assistance service may also need to be contacted promptly so urgent medical or travel arrangements can be coordinated.
What happens after you enquire?
We contact you
A broker from RMA Insurance Brokers will contact you to understand the trip, who is travelling and the insurance you would like reviewed.
We confirm what is needed
We will explain what information is needed, answer your questions and confirm the next step before approaching insurers.
Useful information to have available
- who is travelling and their ages
- destinations and travel dates
- whether you need single-trip or annual multi-trip cover
- any pre-existing medical conditions that may need assessment
- planned cruises, sports, activities or rental vehicles
- the value of prepaid, non-refundable fares and bookings
FAQs
What does travel insurance cover?
Depending on the policy, travel insurance can include overseas medical and evacuation expenses, cancellation and travel disruption, baggage and travel documents, rental vehicle excess, personal liability and personal accident benefits.
Limits, excesses, optional cover and exclusions vary between insurers, so the policy should be reviewed against the trip you are taking.
Do I need travel insurance for domestic trips within Australia?
Travel insurance generally does not cover medical treatment received in Australia. Medicare and, where applicable, private health insurance usually remain the relevant arrangements for Australian medical costs.
Domestic travel insurance may still provide cover for eligible cancellation, baggage, travel delay, rental vehicle excess, personal accident and other travel-related costs.
Do I need travel insurance for a cruise?
Cruise travel often needs specific consideration. Medical treatment provided on board a cruise ship may not be covered by Medicare or private health insurance, including on some Australian coastal cruises.
Cruise medical and other cruise-related benefits are not automatically included in every travel policy, so check that the insurance being arranged specifically covers the cruise you are taking.
Are pre-existing medical conditions covered by travel insurance?
Sometimes. Some medical conditions may be automatically covered, others may need to be assessed and accepted, sometimes with an additional premium, and some may be excluded.
The health of a travelling companion or, in some circumstances, a close relative who is not travelling can also affect cancellation or other cover. Medical conditions should be disclosed or assessed where the insurer requires it.
When should I arrange travel insurance?
It is worth considering travel insurance when you start making non-refundable bookings or paying deposits.
Some cancellation benefits may begin when the policy is issued, while other sections of cover begin when the trip starts. An event that is already known or unfolding when the insurance is arranged may not be covered.
Explore
Related insurance
Corporate Travel Insurance
For businesses arranging cover for directors and employees travelling on authorised business journeys.
Home & Contents Insurance
For household contents and portable items that may also travel away from home.
Private Motor Insurance
For private vehicles and the motor risks that sit outside travel insurance.
Caravan Insurance
For towable caravans and camper trailers used for touring or kept at a nominated site.
Watercraft Insurance
For boats and other eligible pleasure craft, including the vessel, motor, trailer and equipment.
Review your travel insurance
RMA Insurance Brokers reviews the trip, the people travelling and any current insurance so you can see whether the cover suits the journey ahead.
The information on this page is general information only and does not take into account your objectives, financial situation or needs. Cover is subject to the terms, conditions, limits and exclusions of the relevant policy. Insurance products and available cover vary between insurers. Please review the relevant policy documentation and obtain advice appropriate to your circumstances before making a decision.