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Updated: Mar 2, 2023, 9:53am
Travel has well and truly resumed across the world, with Australians eager to cross our re-opened border and head to other destinations.
In fact, data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics’ (ABS) shows that travel activity in December 2022 was at the same level as February 2019, before lockdowns and Covid restrictions.
Furthermore, a recent survey by industry safety provider Airservices Australia highlights the importance Australians place on travel: one-third of respondents said that flying was critical to their sense of wellbeing. CEO of Airservices Australia Jason Harfield noted that: “The lockdowns appear to have reignited a passion for travel, with 35% of respondents expecting to fly more for holiday and leisure than they did pre-pandemic. Fewer than 5% of the population expect to fly less.”
Key to peace of mind when resuming travel is adequate insurance, and it’s also paramount as we move into the post-pandemic phase to find an insurance provider who will cover Covid-19 related claims, such as being diagnosed with Covid-19 while travelling or cancellations and delays due to Covid-19.
Thankfully, the past two years have proven to insurance providers that including Covid-19 in their product disclosure statements is absolutely necessary. However, with nearly everyone on the market now offering updated policies to cover coronavirus-related claims, it’s hard to know which is best.
To help Australians find the best option suitable for their needs, Forbes Advisor combed through the leading players to determine the best comprehensive travel insurance providers for those looking to travel overseas post-pandemic.
Related: How to Find the Best Travel Insurance for you
Featured Partners
1
Cover-More Travel Insurance
On Cover-more’s secure website
Medical cover
Unlimited, with a $2000 limit to dental
Cancellations
Yes, amount chosen by customer
2
Travel Insurance Saver
On Travel Insurance Saver’s Secure Website
What’s Included?
Medical cover, emergency dental, additional expenses & more
Customer Support
24/7 emergency assistance
Unlimited, with a $1000 limit to dental
Yes, amount chosen by customer
Unlimited, with a $1000 limit to dental
Yes, amount chosen by customer
Compared with other policies, Travel Insurance Direct has a very throrough COVID-19 cover, including both medical expenses and trip cancellations due to the coronavirus pandemic.
There are also 93 activities covered, provided that certain conditions are met, and the ability to add on extra coverage for certain activities such as snow sports.
Yes, overseas medical expenses related to COVID-19 are included in the unlimited medical cover, as well as additional travel expenses up to $2500.
Cancellations due to COVID-19 are covered for you and travelling party.
Unlimited, including dental
$2000 is included, with the option to increase at a higher premium
Unlimited, including dental
$2000 is included, with the option to increase at a higher premium
Allianz has a generous unlimited medical policy, which includes hospital expenses and unlimited dental, unlike many other insurance providers. It also covers pre-existing medical conditions; however, assessments are required and conditions need to be met.
There’s also the option to increase certain limits (luggage, cancellations, etc) for higher levels of coverage depending on the individual traveller’s needs.
Yes, COVID-19 is covered under medical expenses.
Cancellations due to COVID-19 are covered if the cancellation is due to a government enforced border closure or due to the policy holder having to complete a quarantine due to COVID-19.
Unlimited, including dental
Yes, amount chosen by customer
Unlimited, including dental
Yes, amount chosen by customer
Bupa travel insurance is underwritten by Allianz, with its comprehensive travel insurance policy being almost identical to Allianz’s offering.
Along with unlimited medical, hospital and dental cover, Bupa offers 24/7 emergency assistance with Australian based doctors and nurses available.
Yes, COVID-19 is covered under medical expenses.
Cancellations due to COVID-19 are covered if the cancellation is due to a government enforced border closure or due to the policy holder having to complete a quarantine due to COVID-19.
Unlimited, with a $500 limit to dental
Unlimited
Unlimited, with a $500 limit to dental
Unlimited
InsureandGo is an ideal choice for families, with 90 activities included and the option to add additional extras such as snow cover. Children are covered up to age 18 are also covered if they are travelling with parents or grandparents, with the maximum policy age being 100 years old.
Yes, overseas medical expenses related to COVID-19 are covered, as are cancellations for the policy holder and their travelling companions
Unlimited, with a $500 limit to dental
Yes, up to $7500 per person
Unlimited, with a $500 limit to dental
Yes, up to $7500 per person
insure4less covers medical expenses of COVID-19, along with any additional expenses required for you to return early to Australia due to COVID-19 if necessary.
It covers lost luggage up to $5000 (sub limits apply), cancellations up to $7500 per person, connecting flights up to $1000 and personal liability up to $7.5 million.
Mostly. Overseas medical expenses related to covid19 are covered as well as additional expenses for you to return early due to COVID if necessary.
However, cancellations due to covid are not covered.
Unlimited, with a $2000 limit to dental
Yes, amount chosen by customer
Unlimited, with a $2000 limit to dental
Yes, amount chosen by customer
Covermore’s travel insurance not only covers COVID-19 medical expenses overseas, but also provides $2500 for additional related expenses. Unlike many other providers, cancellations are also covered up to $5000-however, this is only on the Comprehensive Plus plan, which does incur a higher premium.
Travellers up to 99 years of age can travel on the Covermore policy, however there is acceptance criteria required for senior travellers.
Mostly. COVID-19 related medical expenses are covered, with additional expenses up to $2500.
There is up to $5000 for cancellations related to COVID-19, but only on the Comprehensive Plus policy
Unlimited
Unlimited, but dependent on conditions
Unlimited
Unlimited, but dependent on conditions
From more than 4500 reviews on Product Review, 1Cover has received an average rating of 4.3 stars by consumers.
It covers more than 100 sports and activities, and includes the option to add additional packs for high-risk activities. The rest of the policy can also be personalised quite thoroughly, allowing policyholders to add or increase cover to suit the individual traveller.
Partially. Medical expenses for COVID-19 are covered, but cancellations are not.
Unlimited, including dental
Unlimited
Unlimited, including dental
Unlimited
Qantas Comprehensive Travel Insurance offers unlimited medical expenses, including dental and COVID-19 diagnoses. It also automatically covers 43 pre-existing medical conditions (pending certain criteria), and allows for a medical assessment for any conditions not listed.
There is unlimited cancellation cover and cover for missed connection for special events up to $2500. There is also cover for travel delays more than six hours, at a maximum of $250 per 24 hours and a total maximum of $1500.
Yes, overseas medical expenses includes if you are diagnosed with COVID-19. Cancellations due to a positive COVID-19 diagnosis are also covered, as well as ‘reasonable’ additional expenses (such as if you are required to quarantine)
Unlimited, with a $1000 limit to dental
Unlimited, but travel agent fees are capped at $1500
Unlimited, with a $1000 limit to dental
Unlimited, but travel agent fees are capped at $1500
FastCover offers unlimited cover for both medical expenses and cancellations, however it does require certain conditions to be met and has limits on specific factors.
While it has good COVID-19 coverage, including listing COVID-19 as a medical expense and including it as a cancellation reason, the policy is only available to travellers with two vaccinations, despite this no longer being a government-mandated requirement for travel.
Yes, overseas medical expenses due to COVID-19 are covered, as are cancellations for those named on the insurance certificate
Unlimited, with a $2000 limit to dental
Yes, amount chosen by customer
Unlimited, with a $2000 limit to dental
Yes, amount chosen by customer
Australia Post’s Comprehensive Travel Insurance is best placed for travellers who will not be travelling by cruise. It has great coverage for medical needs (including those related to COVID-19), however these claims are considered void if the passenger is on a cruise. Cruises of more than two nights also need to be added as an additional pack on the policy, thereby incurring an additional premium.
Partially. COVID-19 related medical expenses and additional expenses are are covered, but an additional excess applies.
Cancellations due to COVID-19 are not covered, and there is no cover for claims arising from COVID-19 while travelling on a cruise
To find the best comprehensive travel insurance for Australians, we performed an in-depth analysis of more than 30 of the most popular local travel insurance providers. This included an evaluation of their current product ratings online and reviews from previous customers; a comparison of necessary offerings; and in-depth research into their individual product disclosure statements (PDS).
Through the analysis, the following coverage offerings and conditions were compared:
In all, there were 19 different variables we compared and considered to find the overall ranking of each comprehensive travel insurance provider. Rankings were then made between 1-5, with the leading providers–all ranked 3.5 and above–included in the best-of list.
You will note that we did not evaluate policies on the metric of price: this is because the cost of travel insurance is highly dependent on the circumstances, health, age and destination of the person travelling.
The rules surrounding travel are ever-changing as the COVID-19 pandemic continues. At the time of writing, you do not need to provide proof of a negative COVID-19 test to meet Australia’s travel requirements, nor do you need proof of a COVID-19 vaccination to travel to and from Australia.
Masks are also no longer necessary on international flights. However, as per the Australian government’s health and aged care department, Australians are still encouraged to consider wearing a mask to reduce potential risk.
The rules and regulations surrounding Covid-19 travel overseas vary by country and region. Before you travel, be sure to check your destination country’s local public health orders for Covid-19 vaccination requirements, and to see if there are any isolation or quarantine orders to abide by upon your arrival.
You can check the government’s Smartraveller Destination guide to find the latest updates for your destination, along with the Australian government’s advice for travelling to that destination.
The advice levels are: exercise normal safety precautions; exercise a high degree of caution; reconsider your need to travel; and do not travel. Smartraveller explains the level of advice in attribution to each destination and the reason for such, which could include terrorist threats, high levels of violent crime, security risks and/or health measures.
If you have, or have had, a medical condition, you may need to ensure your travel insurance has specialist coverage for pre-existing medical conditions. The same applies if you are recovering from serious injury.
Most Australian travel insurance providers do include a wide range of pre-existing medical conditions in their policies, such as cancer, heart problems, respiratory ailments, Crohn’s disease and diabetes. They can also include more common complaints such as asthma and hay-fever, as well as Covid-19.
For pre-existing medical conditions that aren’t automatically included, you may need to purchase extra coverage. To find out whether your condition is listed on the policy, you will need to read the travel insurance provider’s product disclosure statement. If your condition is not automatically included, it may still be covered upon meeting certain conditions or by undertaking a medical assessment.
Some conditions may never be covered by some providers and are excluded, even pending a medical assessment. Most often, these are pre-existing medical conditions that are the result of alcohol or drug dependency.
When comparing travel insurance providers, you’ll see many different policy types and therefore need to consider which best suits your needs. These policy types include:
There are often ‘packs’ or ‘additional extras’ that can be added on to these standard policy types, to include specific activities or travel types. This includes cruise coverage, designed to provide cover for the activities and risks associated with cruise holidays; winter sports packs, designed to provide cover if you plan to take part in high-risk activities, such as skiing and snowboarding; or backpacker coverage, which covers individuals on longer trips overseas that may span numerous countries.
Those over 55 years old need to ensure the travel provider and insurance policy they choose includes their age. Some policies have a maximum age cut off, while others do not. Meanwhile, some policies may include all ages, but incur a higher premium for those aged over specific cut offs.
Seniors should also consider the level of cover provided for medical and hospital expenses. While accidents and illnesses can happen at any age, it is a fact of life that seniors are more susceptible.
When taking out an insurance policy–at any age–it is essential that you read the insurance provider’s PDS and ask to clarify any questions that you have, so that you can ensure you are covered in the way you expect to be if a claim does arise.
Data research by Mia Dunn.
When searching for travel insurance, it’s important to find a policy that suits your individual needs. Ideally a travel insurance policy will include medical cover, lost luggage cover, and other emergencies or accidents that may occur while you are overseas.
Insurance providers may have different limits or higher excess required for certain coverage, so it’s essential that you read the product disclosure statement before taking out a policy.
Travel insurances often have a maximum age that they are willing to cover, largely due to the high-risk of elderly individuals. These cut-off ages vary by policy provider, and through our analysis, we found the providers that offered travel insurance for over 70s that was also highly regarded in other factors were Australia Post, Allianz, and InsureandGo.
According to our analysis, the best Australian travel insurance with COVID-19 cover is Cover-More’s Comprehensive Travel Insurance Plan. The policy covers COVID-19- related medical expenses as included in its unlimited medical expenses cover, additional expenses up to $2500, and up to $5000 for cancellations related to COVID-19. Of course, this is a guide only, and we did not analyse all of the providers on the market, so you may find another Covid policy that is better suited to your needs.
It’s important to remember that rather than one travel insurance company being better than the other, you need to find the perfect match for you: if you’re over 65, then you will want a company that caters to seniors, if you are an adrenaline junky then you will want a company that offers generous activity coverage. In our analysis the following companies scored above-average ratings:
It’s always worth buying travel insurance, even if you don’t intend on undertaking any extreme sports or risky activities. Travel insurance will protect you if your flight is delayed or cancelled, you experience a medical emergency overseas or you lose your belongings. With so many providers on the market these days, competition is fierce so you can find reasonably priced travel insurance for as little as $2 a day in some cases.
Each policy is different so make sure that you read the product disclosure statement to determine whether you’re covered for Covid-related incidents or delays. As a general rule, however, you won’t be covered for mental health emergencies overseas or for incidents that occur when you are under the influence of drugs or heavy intoxication.
Sophie Venz is an experienced editor and features reporter, and has previously worked in the small business and start-up reporting space. Previously the Associate Editor of SmartCompany site, Sophie has worked closely with finance experts and columnists around Australia and internationally. Sophie grew up on the Gold Coast and now lives in Melbourne.