best international travel insurance in australia

• Join CHOICE

Travel insurance

International travel insurance comparison

Buy smarter with choice membership.

Or Learn more

Reviews and ratings you can trust

Based on intensive lab testing across 200+ product and service categories.

Easy side-by-side comparison

Sort, compare and filter to find the right product to match your needs.

Find the best product for you

Our expert advice outlines the best brands and ones to avoid.

Fact-checked

Checked for accuracy by our qualified fact-checkers and verifiers. Find out more about fact-checking at CHOICE .

If you're going overseas, travel insurance is just as essential as your passport. Use our free comparison tool to narrow down international single trip and annual multi-trip policies from 27 insurers, offering cover for COVID-19, existing medical conditions, car rental and more.

Travel insurance is a portable version of health, home, contents, life, public liability, and car rental excess insurance all packaged in one to take on holidays with you. But with all those insurances piled into one product, navigating your way through the terms and conditions to find the loopholes can be very challenging.

Use our travel insurance comparison to narrow down your options and make sure you're getting the best cover for your needs when on holiday.

List of brands we tested in this review.

• Battleface 2
• Cover-More 5
• FastCover 4
• Flight Centre 4
• Go Insurance 4
• InsureandGo 3
• Southern Cross Travel Insurance (SCTI) 3
• Tick Travel Insurance 4
• Travel Insurance Direct 3
• Virgin Australia 5
• WAS Insurance 2
• World Nomads 2
• World2Cover 4

The average cost of the policy compared to other policies of the same type (single trip or annual multi-trip). One $ sign is the cheapest through to five $$$$$ the most expensive. NA means the policy wasn't included in the price rating.

enter value/s in increments of 1 between 0 and 0

Policy type

• One trip 65
• Policy age limit

In years (up to and including the number stated). For policies listed as '100+', there is no age limit.

Does the policy cover international cruises?

• Optional 71

Medical expenses for COVID-19

Whether the policy covers you for medical and emergency evacuation and repatriation expenses for claims arising directly or indirectly from COVID-19. Cover is assessed on individual circumstances.

Cancellation expenses for mental health

Whether the policy covers you for cancellation expenses for claims arising directly from recognised mental health disorders experienced for the first time such as depression, anxiety, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder or PTSD. Cover is assessed on individual circumstances.

• Cancellation for insolvency of a travel services provider

Whether the policy covers you for losses arising out of insolvency of a travel services provider (e.g. airline, accomodation provider, bus line, shipping line, railway company, motor vehicle rental agency). Cover is assessed on individual circumstances.

Cancellation expenses for a natural disaster

Whether the policy covers you for cancellation expenses for claims arising directly or indirectly from a natural disaster. Cover is assessed on individual circumstances.

Cancellation expenses for civil unrest

Whether the policy covers you for cancellation expenses for claims arising directly or indirectly from civil unrest such as political protests, riots and strikes. Cover is assessed on individual circumstances.

• Baggage cover

Are stolen or damaged personal belongings covered

• Limit for baggage expenses

The overall limit for stolen or damaged personal belongings.

• Limit for a smartphone

Limit for a smartphone. Cover is assessed on individual circumstances.

• Limit for a laptop or tablet

Limit for a laptop or tablet. Cover is assessed on individual circumstances.

• Limit for rental car excess

Limit for collision damage excess for a hire car. Cover is assessed on individual circumstances.

• Scuba diving

Does the policy cover scuba diving if you are appropriately certified or diving with a qualified instructor?

Skiing and snowboarding on-piste

Does the policy cover skiing and snowboarding on-piste?

• Optional 82

Skiing and snowboarding off-piste

Does the policy cover skiing and snowboarding off-piste withing the resort boundaries?

• Optional 72

Tobogganing

Does the policy cover tobogganing on snow?

• Optional 50

Does the policy cover riding a moped with an engine capacity 50cc or below, with a helmet and driving license valid in the country the policy holder is in, but without an Australian motorcycle license

• Optional 32

Moped 125cc

Does the policy cover riding a moped with an engine capacity 125cc or below, with a helmet and driving license valid in the country the policy holder is in, but without an Australian motorcycle license

• Optional 28

Does the policy cover riding a motorcycle with an engine capacity above 125cc with an Australian motorcycle license and a helmet?

• Optional 34

Included in this comparison

• Price rating
• Dependant age limit
• Cancellation
• Pregnancy stage covered
• Childbirth costs
• Pre-existing conditions covered without application
• Pre-existing conditions covered on application
• Time period for existing conditions
• Medical expenses
• Expenses for a person to accompany a sick policyholder
• Daily hospital cash allowance
• Hours of hospitalisation before receiving allowance
• Dental expenses for accident or injury
• Dental expenses for acute pain
• Overseas funeral costs
• Additional travel expenses for injury or sickness
• Additional expenses for interrupted travel
• Travel insurance extension for a delayed trip
• Additional expenses for a lost passport
• Additional expenses for a sick relative
• Additional expenses for resumption of journey interrupted for a relative
• Cancellation covered
• Cancellation expenses
• Cancellation for frequent flyer points
• Cancellation expenses for travel agent fees
• Cancellation for insolvency of a travel agent
• Cancellation expenses for redundancy
• Cancellation expenses for defence and emergency workers
• Cancellation expenses for cancellation of work leave
• Cover for transport incidents
• Cover for strikes
• Cover for mental health
• Cover for COVID-19
• Cover for pandemics
• Cover for natural disasters
• Cover for civil unrest
• Cover for terrorism
• Cover for war
• Additional expenses for a special event
• Additional expenses for pre-paid travel arrangements
• Limit for travel delay expenses
• Hours before travel delay covered
• Limit per 24 hours for travel delay
• Limit for a single unspecified item
• Limit for a video or photo camera
• Limit for prescribed medications
• Overall limit for specified items
• Cover for baggage in a car during the day
• Cover for baggage in a car overnight
• Cover for valuables in a car
• Cover for lost or stolen cash
• Limit for baggage lost temporarily
• Hours before cover applies for baggage lost temporarily
• Rental car excess
• Snow sports
• Mopeds and motorcycles
• Bungee jumping
• Horse riding
• High altitude hiking
• White water rafting
• Paragliding
• Hot air ballooning
• Hang gliding

Displaying all 91 products

• Brand (A-Z)

Limit for additional meal and accommodation expenses if scheduled transport is delayed.

Your filters

This overall score is based on our expert assessment of what the policy covers, price and how easy it is to understand and buy. A higher score is better.

1Cover Comprehensive

1Cover Frequent Traveller

1Cover Medical Only

AANT Annual Multi-Trip

AANT Basics

AANT Essentials

AANT Premium

AHM Comprehensive

AHM Comprehensive Multi-Trip

AHM Medical Only

Battleface Covid Essentials

Battleface Discovery

Cover-More Basic

Cover-More Comprehensive

Cover-More Comprehensive Multi-Trip

Cover-More Comprehensive Plus

Cover-More Comprehensive Plus Multi-Trip

FastCover Basics

FastCover Comprehensive

FastCover Frequent Traveller Saver

FastCover Standard Saver

Flight Centre Multi-Trip YourCover Essentials

Flight Centre Multi-Trip YourCover Plus

Flight Centre YourCover Essentials

Flight Centre YourCover Plus

Go Insurance Go Basic

Go Insurance Go Basic Annual Multi-Trip

Go Insurance Go Plus

Go Insurance Go Plus Annual Multi-Trip

InsureandGo Bare Essentials

InsureandGo Gold

InsureandGo Silver

Jetstar Comprehensive

Medibank Comprehensive

Medibank Medical Only

Medibank Multi-Trip Comprehensive

NIB Annual Multi-Trip

NIB Comprehensive

NIB Essentials

NRMA Comprehensive

NRMA Comprehensive Multi-Trip

NRMA Essentials

Qantas Annual Multi-Trip

Qantas International Comprehensive

RAA Essentials

RAA Multi-Trip

RAA Premium

RAC Annual Multi-Trip

RAC Comprehensive

RAC Essentials

RAC Medical Only

RACQ Annual Multi-Trip

RACQ Premium

RACQ Standard

RACT Annual Multi-Trip

RACT Comprehensive

RACT Essentials

RACV Annual Multi-Trip

RACV Basics

RACV Comprehensive

RACV Essentials

Southern Cross Travel Insurance (SCTI) Annual Multi-Trip

Southern Cross Travel Insurance (SCTI) Comprehensive

Southern Cross Travel Insurance (SCTI) Medical Only

Tick Travel Insurance Basic

Tick Travel Insurance Budget

Tick Travel Insurance Standard

Tick Travel Insurance Top

Travel Insurance Direct Annual Multi-Trip

Travel Insurance Direct Basics

Travel Insurance Direct The Works

Virgin Australia International Plan (bought with flight purchase)

Virgin Australia Travel Safe International

Virgin Australia Travel Safe International Multi-Trip

Virgin Australia Travel Safe Plus International

Virgin Australia Travel Safe Plus International Multi-Trip

WAS Insurance Covid Essentials

WAS Insurance Discovery

Webjet Travel Safe International

Webjet Travel Safe International Multi-Trip

Webjet Travel Safe Plus International

Webjet Travel Safe Plus International Multi-Trip

World Nomads Explorer

World Nomads Standard

World2Cover Annual Multi-Trip

World2Cover Basics

World2Cover Essentials

World2Cover Top

• Insurance provider

Product selected for a detailed comparison

• Travel Insurance
• Best Comprehensive Travel Insurance Providers In Australia

The journalists on the editorial team at Forbes Advisor Australia base their research and opinions on objective, independent information-gathering.

When covering investment and personal finance stories, we aim to inform our readers rather than recommend specific financial product or asset classes. While we may highlight certain positives of a financial product or asset class, there is no guarantee that readers will benefit from the product or investment approach and may, in fact, make a loss if they acquire the product or adopt the approach.

To the extent any recommendations or statements of opinion or fact made in a story may constitute financial advice, they constitute general information and not personal financial advice in any form. As such, any recommendations or statements do not take into account the financial circumstances, investment objectives, tax implications, or any specific requirements of readers.

Readers of our stories should not act on any recommendation without first taking appropriate steps to verify the information in the stories consulting their independent financial adviser in order to ascertain whether the recommendation (if any) is appropriate, having regard to their investment objectives, financial situation and particular needs. Providing access to our stories should not be construed as investment advice or a solicitation to buy or sell any security or product, or to engage in or refrain from engaging in any transaction by Forbes Advisor Australia. In comparing various financial products and services, we are unable to compare every provider in the market so our rankings do not constitute a comprehensive review of a particular sector. While we do go to great lengths to ensure our ranking criteria matches the concerns of consumers, we cannot guarantee that every relevant feature of a financial product will be reviewed. We make every effort to provide accurate and up-to-date information. However, Forbes Advisor Australia cannot guarantee the accuracy, completeness or timeliness of this website. Forbes Advisor Australia accepts no responsibility to update any person regarding any inaccuracy, omission or change in information in our stories or any other information made available to a person, nor any obligation to furnish the person with any further information.

Our Pick Of The Best Comprehensive Travel Insurance Providers In Australia

Published: May 3, 2024, 8:30am

Editorial note: Forbes Advisor Australia may earn revenue from this story in the manner disclosed here . Read our advice disclaimer here .

Australians are well-known for their love of travel, with many of us eager to make up for years spent in lockdown with epic European vacations, winter breaks in Bali, or luxury cruises.

In fact, data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics’ (ABS) revealed that travel activity in December 2022 was at the same level as February 2019, before lockdowns and Covid restrictions, and this trend has continued at this pace for much of 2023 and the beginning of 2024. Most recently, the ABS recorded some 1.3 million departures in January, an increase of 294,990 compared with January of 2023.

The ABS also noted that the number of trips for January 2024 was at the pre-Covid level in January 2019, and that travel across the ditch remains popular, with New Zealand still the leading destination for Australians returning from a short-term trip overseas (13%).

Key to peace of mind when travelling is adequate insurance, and it’s also paramount to find an insurance provider who will cover not only Covid-19 related claims, such as being diagnosed with Covid-19 while travelling or cancellations and delays due to Covid-19, but all of the other potential mishaps that could go wrong while overseas—whether it be missing a connecting flight, falling ill, event cancellation, theft or luggage going missing. Alarmingly, a recent study by Smartraveller and Insurance Council of Australia (ICA) found that one in six Australians are still travelling overseas without travel insurance, with younger travellers, those from lower-income households, and culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds all more likely to travel without insurance.

To help Australians find the best option suitable for their needs, Forbes Advisor combed through the leading players to determine our pick of the best comprehensive travel insurance providers for those looking to travel overseas in 2024 and beyond. All insurers’ pds details have been fact-checked and are current as of April 2024.

Note: the below list represents a selection of our top category picks, as chosen by Forbes Advisor Australia’s editors and journalists. The information provided is purely factual and is not intended to imply any recommendation, opinion, or advice about a financial product. Not every product or provider in the marketplace has been reviewed, and the list below is not intended to be exhaustive nor replace your own research or independent financial advice. For more information on how Forbes Advisor ranks and reviews products, including how we identified our top category picks, read the methodology selection below. 

Related: How to Find the Best Travel Insurance for you

Our Pick of the Best Comprehensive Travel Insurance Providers 2024

• Travel Insurance Direct (Comprehensive)
• Allianz (Comprehensive)
• Bupa Travel Insurance (Comprehensive)
• InsureandGo (Comprehensive)
• insure4less (Comprehensive)
• Cover-More Travel Insurance (Comprehensive)
• 1Cover (Comprehensive)
• Fast Cover (Comprehensive)

Tick Travel Insurance

• Qantas Travel Insurance (Comprehensive)
• Australia Post (Comprehensive)

What Methodology Did We Use?

Covid-19 travel rules and restrictions, what if i have a pre-existing medical condition, types of travel insurance policies, what about seniors, frequently asked questions (faqs).

• Best Seniors Travel Insurance
• Best Domestic Travel Insurance
• Best Cruise Travel Insurance
• Best Family Travel Insurance
• Best Student Travel Insurance
• Travel Insurance Cost
• Pregnancy Travel Insurance
• Travel Insurance And Covid: Are You Covered?
• Travel Insurance For Bali
• Travel Insurance For Fiji
• Travel Insurance For The USA
• Travel Insurance For Thailand
• Travel Insurance For New Zealand
• Travel Insurance To India

Featured Partners

Fast Cover Travel Insurance

On Fast Cover’s Secure Website

Medical cover

Unlimited, 24/7 Emergency Assistance

Cancellations

Unlimited, (Trip Disruption $50,000)

Key Features

25-Day Cooling Off Period, Australian Based Call Centre, 4.6 Star Product Review Rating

Cover-More Travel Insurance

On Cover-more’s secure website

Unlimited, with a $2000 limit to dental

Yes, amount chosen by customer

Southern Cross Travel Insurance

Medical Cover

Including medical treatment, doctors’ visits, prescribed medication, specialist treatment & medical transport costs

$2,500 with option to increase to unlimited

Freely Travel Insurance

On Freely’s Secure Website

24/7 Emergency Assistance

Flexibility to adjust your coverage even when you’re away in real-time.

In-app travel safety alerts to keep you safe

Unlimited, with a $1000 limit to dental

Despite the WHO declaring the pandemic over, Covid continues to interrupt our travel plans, and compared with other policies, Travel Insurance Direct offers very thorough Covid-19 cover, including both medical expenses and trip cancellations. Furthermore, some 43 medical conditions are automatically covered, however, additional conditions are not considered.

Where the policy really stands out is in its coverage of a broad range of 93 activities, with travellers able to add on extra coverage for certain higher-risk activities, such as snow sports. Plus, there are more than 2,500 reviews of the policy on Product Review, with an average of 4.2 stars.

• 93 sports and activities are automatically covered
• Lost luggage coverage up to $12,000, with the ability to increase item limits
• Online discounts are only available for multiple policies or group policies
• Certain pre-existing medical conditions cannot be covered

Yes, overseas medical expenses related to Covid-19 are included in the unlimited medical cover, as well as additional travel expenses up to $2,500.

Cancellations due to Covid-19 are covered for you and travelling party.

Unlimited, including dental

$2,000 is included, with the option to increase at a higher premium

Allianz has a generous medical policy, and unlike many competitors, includes unlimited coverage for both hospital and dental. The top-tier policy also covers pre-existing medical conditions, however, assessments are required and conditions need to be met. Some 38 activities are included and listed in the PDS, and there is no age limit to coverage.

There’s also the option to increase certain limits (luggage, cancellations, etc) for higher levels of coverage depending on the individual traveller’s needs.

• All ages are covered
• Dental is included in unlimited medical expenses
• Personal liability cover does not include additional activity packs, such as snow.
• No cover for missed connecting flights

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. As this is less of an issue these days, this policy feature is likely to be less important to travellers.

Bupa travel insurance is underwritten by Allianz, and its comprehensive travel insurance policy is almost identical to Allianz’s branded offering.

Along with unlimited medical, hospital and dental cover, Bupa offers 24/7 emergency assistance with Australian-based doctors and nurses available. As with Allianz, credit card fraud is covered up to $5,000 and lost luggage tops out at $10,000 (sub-limits apply). It’s worth noting, however, that Bupa scores slightly lower on Product Review—an average of 3.9 stars compared to Allianz’s 4.

• 15% discount for Bupa health insurance policy holders
• All pre-existing conditions need to be assessed to determine if they will be covered
• Reviews state lengthy waits for claim payments

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. As this is less of an issue these days, this policy feature may not be as important to travellers.

Unlimited, with a $500 limit to dental

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 the age of 18 if they are travelling with parents or grandparents, and the maximum age for a policy-holder is 100 years old—although if you’re heading on a cruise the maximum age is 79.

Lost luggage is covered up to $15,000—sub limits apply—and there is unlimited cancellation cover.

The company’s comprehensive offering, known as Gold, was rated an average of 4 stars from more than 6,000 reviews.

• Regular discounts with promo codes on Facebook page
• Coverage up to 100 years
• No credit card fraud coverage
• Dental tops out at $500

Yes, overseas medical expenses related to Covid-19 are covered, as are cancellations for the policy holder and their travelling companions

Yes, up to $7500 per person

Insure4less offers policyholders coverage for a wide range of activities—more than 120 are listed in PDS—while additional, high-risk sports can also be added. The comprehensive policy, known as Excel Plus, covers medical expenses of Covid-19, along with any additional expenses required for you to return early to Australia if necessary.

It also covers lost luggage up to $5,000 (sub limits apply), cancellations up to $7,500 per person, connecting flights up to $1,000 and personal liability up to $7.5 million—the latter of which is at the higher end of what is generally offered. Coverage for pre-existing medical conditions are subject to the completion of an online medical questionnaire.

Read more:  insure4less Review: Pros and Cons

• More than 100 activities are included in the policy, with the option to add on additional cover for other high-risk activities such as snow cover for snowboarding and skiing
• Unlimited medical
• Luggage only covered up to $5,000

Mostly. Overseas medical expenses related to covid-19 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.

Cover-More’s travel insurance not only covers Covid-19 medical expenses overseas, but also provides $2,500 for additional related expenses. Lost luggage is also covered up to $15,000, as are dependent children up to 21 provided they are financially dependent and not in full-time employment.

Travellers up to 99 years of age can travel on the Cover-More policy, however senior travellers must meet certain criteria.

Despite these stand-out features, what prevented us from giving Cover-More a higher score was its negative reviews: it scored an average of 3.3 stars out of almost 3,000 reviews on Product Review. (Forbes Advisor pays little attention to reviews when there are fewer than 100, and always takes into account that reviews tend to skew negative).

• Pregnancy is automatically covered for single-child pregnancy
• $3,000 for connecting flights
• Senior travellers need to meet acceptance criteria
• No online discounts

Mostly. Covid-19 related medical expenses are covered, with additional expenses up to $2,500.

There is up to $5,000 for cancellations related to Covid-19, but only on the Comprehensive Plus policy.

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.

The comprehensive policy 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, allowing policyholders to add or increase cover to suit the traveller’s habits

Credit card fraud is covered up to $5,000, as is disruption of journey when the delay is for more than six hours.

• Flexibility to add and increase cover to suit individual travellers
• Pregnancy cover up to week 24 of the pregnancy
• Travellers over the age of 80 incur a $3,000 excess
• Dental limited to $1,000.

Partially. Medical expenses for Covid-19 are covered, but cancellations are not.

Unlimited, with a $1,000 limit to dental

Fast Cover offers unlimited cover for both medical expenses and cancellations, however, it no longer offers automatic coverage for a range of pre-existing conditions, but instead provides the option of online medical screening up to the age of 89. This means if you want to ensure you’re covered for your existing medical condition, you can complete an online form and your condition will be assessed to determine if Fast Cover will include it in your policy.

The policy offers good Covid-19 coverage, including listing Covid-19 as a medical expense and including it as a reason for cancellation, however dental is capped at $1,000. Additional add-ons such as adventure or snow packs   are not available to travellers over a certain age , and if you booked through a travel agent, cancellation cover for travel agent fees tops out at $1,500.

Read more:   Fast Cover Review: Features, Pros and Cons

• Discounts available for more than one person
• Online medical assessment
• Adventure pack not available to travellers over 74
• Snow pack not available to travellers over 69

Yes, overseas medical expenses due to Covid-19 are covered, as are cancellations for those named on the insurance certificate.

Yes, up to $20,000

Tick Travel Insurance’s Top plan includes unlimited medical coverage, emergency dental to the tune of $500 and is open to travellers up to the age of 100.

Missed connections are not insurable but there is cover for travel delay expenses resulting from poor weather, a strike, industrial action or mechanical breakdown. Cover is for up to $100 per completed hour with a total limit of $1,000.

Most impressive of all is Tick’s positive customer reviews, with the company receiving an average of four stars out of more than 2,800 reviews on Product Review. We also like the $20,000 cancellation cover, which is more than a lot of its competitors.

• High cancellation cover
• Positive reviews
• Covers elderly travellers up to 100
• Rental excess coverage is lower than competitors
• Credit card fraud not covered

The good news is that under Tick Travel Insurance’s Top Plan, you will be covered for covid-related cancellations, medical expenses or trip disruptions when overseas.

Qantas Comprehensive Travel Insurance offers unlimited medical expenses, including coverage for Covid-19 diagnoses. It also automatically covers 43 pre-existing medical conditions (pending certain criteria), but requires a medical assessment, in the form of an online form, for any conditions not listed.

There is unlimited cover for cancellations and missed connections, as well as coverage for emergency dental for acute pain of up to $2,500.  Note: the standard comprehensive policy is for those aged up to 69; there is a seperate policy for 70+ years.

Related: Our pick of the best travel insurance for seniors .

• Lost luggage covered up to $15,000
• Good Covid-19 cover
• Some poor reviews albeit from a small number (257)
• Fraudulent credit card activity is not covered

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).

Australia Post’s Comprehensive Travel Insurance offers coverage for credit card fraud of up to $5,000, lost luggage insurance up to $12,000 (sub-limits apply on certain items) and no age limit on policies. There is unlimited emergency medical, which we would expect for a comprehensive policy, with a $2,000 limit for dental, which is also pretty good. There is no cover specifically for missed connections but there is cover for travel delay up to $2,000

However, cruises of more than two nights will not be covered and need to be added as an additional pack to the policy.

• No age limit
• High coverage for dental
• Need to purchase an additional cruise pack if going on a cruise of longer than two nights
• Only 15 activities included, with additional packs required to be purchased for snow sports and motorcycling

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 our list of the top travel insurance providers, 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:

• Underwriter: an underwriter is the company which evaluates an applicant’s claim for approval and payment, and therefore should always be a reputable company;
• The average product review rating: found via Australia’s independent consumer review site, Product Review, where policyholders rate their experience with the specific travel provider;
• Conditions of age: including whether there is a maximum age cut-off to take out the policy, or whether children up to a certain age can be included with the main policy holder;
• Coverage of personal liability, credit card fraud, car hire excess and lost luggage: including any additional fees, conditions, and value limits;
• Medical cover, including dental, pregnancy and Covid-19: specifying what is included in the medical cover, any excess limits for dental, what weeks of pregnancy are covered (if any), and whether Covid-19 is included as a medical claim;
• Whether cancellations, delays or connecting flights were covered: including whether cancellations due to COVID-19 are claimable and any conditions with travel delay coverage or connecting flights;
• The inclusion of pre-existing medical conditions: from how many pre-existing medical conditions are included to whether there are conditions that need to be met, and any medication conditions that are automatically excluded;
• The inclusion of sports and activities: how many sports and activities were included in the policy; any sports and activities that are not covered; the availability of additional packages to cover certain sports and activities (such as winter sports or cruises);
• Emergency assistance and customer service: the availability of assistance and the level of customer service provided to a policyholder; and
• Discounts: whether there were any online discounts available from the provider.

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 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.

A Note on Star Rankings

You will note that we have included a star rating next to each product or provider. This rating was determined by the editorial team once all of the data points above were considered, and the pros and cons of each product attribute was reviewed. The star rating is solely the view of Forbes Advisor editorial staff. Commercial partners or advertisers have no bearing on the star rating or their inclusion on this list. Star ratings are only one factor to be considered, and Forbes Advisor encourages you to seek independent advice from an authorised financial adviser in relation to your own financial circumstances and investments before you decide to choose a particular financial product or service.

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:

• Single cover: cover for an individual traveller
• Family cover
• Single trip: providing cover for one trip, for a specific destination over a fixed time
• Annual multi-trip: designed for those planning to take more than two holidays or business trips a year to multiple destinations.
• Worldwide: allowing you to travel to destinations across the globe, however certain high-risk areas or those that are expensive for medical cover may not be included

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. You can read more in our pick of the best travel insurance for seniors.

Data Research:  Mia Dunn

What does most travel insurance cover?

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.

Which is the best travel insurance for over 70s?

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. You can read more in our pick of the best travel insurance providers for seniors .

Which is the best travel insurance for Covid-19?

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.

Who is the best company for travel insurance?

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:

Is it worth buying travel insurance at the moment?

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.

The Department of Foreign Affairs Trade (DFAT) and Insurance Council of Australia’s (ICA) joint Travel Insurance Survey of 2023 found that one in six Australians were not covered by insurance on their most recent trip. The most common reason given for travelling without insurance was “travelling somewhere I knew I’d be safe” (29%), followed by “I wasn’t sure if it was needed” (27%) and “I just didn’t think of it” (25%).

What doesn't travel insurance cover?

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.

Is Allianz good travel insurance?

In our assessment, we found Allianz to have many positive features as a travel insurance provider, not least of which is the generous unlimited medical and dental in its comprehensive offer. While the company covers travellers for lost luggage, there is no cover for missed connecting flights.

Is Bupa good for travel insurance?

In our Forbes Advisor Australia assessment, Bupa’s comprehensive travel insurance is a solid choice. It is underwritten by Allianz, so its comprehensive travel insurance policy is almost identical to Allianz’s branded offering.

Along with unlimited medical, hospital and dental cover, Bupa offers 24/7 emergency assistance with Australian-based doctors and nurses.

How many days before should you buy travel insurance?

You should buy travel insurance as soon as you purchase your tickets, that way you are covered if your trip is cancelled. While there is cover available once you have left Australia, it is much more limiting than had you purchased insurance beforehand.

The information provided by Forbes Advisor is general in nature and for educational purposes only. Any information provided does not consider the personal financial circumstances of readers, such as individual objectives, financial situation or needs. Forbes Advisor does not provide financial product advice and the information we provide is not intended to replace or be relied upon as independent financial advice. Your financial situation is unique and the products and services we review may not be right for your circumstances. Forbes Advisor encourages readers to seek independent expert advice from an authorised financial adviser in relation to their own financial circumstances and investments before making any financial decisions.

We do not offer financial advice, advisory or brokerage services, nor do we recommend or advise individuals to buy or sell particular stocks or securities. Performance information may have changed since the time of publication. Past performance is not indicative of future results. Forbes Advisor provides an information service. It is not a product issuer or provider. In giving you information about financial or credit products, Forbes Advisor is not making any suggestion or recommendation to you about a particular product. It is important to check any product information directly with the provider. Consider the Product Disclosure Statement (PDS), Target Market Determination (TMD) and other applicable product documentation before making a decision to purchase, acquire, invest in or apply for a financial or credit product. Contact the product issuer directly for a copy of the PDS, TMD and other documentation. Forbes Advisor adheres to strict editorial integrity standards. To the best of our knowledge, all content is accurate as of the date posted, though offers contained herein may no longer be available. The opinions expressed are the author’s alone and have not been provided, approved or otherwise endorsed by our partners. For more information, read our Advice Disclaimer here .

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, Sophie has worked closely with finance experts and columnists around Australia and internationally.

The best travel insurance – 3,000 PDS analysed (seriously…!)

It wasn't our idea of fun, but now your trip can be..

• Get an online quote in just a few minutes
• Free cover for dependent kids, under 21 travelling with you
• Optional add-on cover for your valuables

• Health members get 15% off
• Cheaper than average
• COVID cancellation

• Covers children up to age 25
• Kids travel for free
• COVID cover included

• Claim up to $5,000 for COVID cancellations
• Claim up to $50,000 for cancellation costs
• $7,500 rental car excess cover

In this guide

Compare quotes to find the best travel insurance for you

Get help finding the best travel insurance policies, why you can trust our research, great for value, great for covid cover, great for families, great for domestic travel, looking for the best travel insurance in australia, tips to find best travel insurance with covid cover, best travel insurance faqs.

Destinations

Add kids under the age of 1 by typing a “0” 0 traveller(s)

Include travel deals and helpful personal finance content from Finder

By submitting this form, you agree to our Privacy & Cookies Policy and Terms of Service

Our insurance specialists have gathered 300+ quotes for 50+ popular Australian travel insurance policies. We shortlisted 4 policies based on 2023 Finder Awards , customer reviews and expert analysis. Remember, there's no single best travel insurance policy that suits everyone's needs, since we all have different travel plans and needs.

Show summary

• Great for value: Southern Cross Travel Insurance
• Great for COVID cover: Medibank travel insurance
• Great for families: World2Cover
• Great for domestic travel: InsureandGo

Insurance plans analysed

PDS features analysed

Recent travelers surveyed

2.6 million

Quotes served since 2014

See how this score is calculated

Pros and cons

• It's affordable compared to other popular insurers including Cover-More and Allianz.
• Its PDS is much easier to understand compared to the other 28 other international policies we looked at.
• High customer ratings on Finder (4.16/5) and other popular review websites such as product review (4.7).
• Our awards data suggests Fast Cover and Medibank tend to be slightly cheaper.
• Customers rated Tick more highly in the Finder Customer Satisfaction Awards.
• $2,500 cap on cancellations is low and risky for expensive trips. For example, it's unlimited with Fast Cover.

How Southern Cross Travel Insurance compares

*Example quote based on a single 40-year-old travelling to Bali for 2 weeks. Comprehensive policies. Data collected in October 2023.

Why we picked it

SCTI has one of the best claims experiences and an easy-to-read PDS. It's not just us that thinks so. It earned a finalist spot for General Insurance Claims Team of the Year at The International Travel & Health Insurance Journal Awards and won the Best Plain English Legal Document at the most recent Plain Language Awards.

SCTI also received a mere 3 complaints to the Australian Financial Complaints Authority (AFCA) in the latest period. By comparison, Mitsui, which underwrites insurers including InsureandGo, received 47. Very large insurers such as Zurich and AWP (Allianz) received 325 and 95.

It's also consistently good value. On average, it's one of cheapest comprehensive travel insurers, according to our 2023 Finder Awards research. Out of 28 policies, only Fast Cover and Medibank were marginally cheaper.

The majority of comprehensive travel insurance policies cover COVID now but Medibank is a standout. Its $10,000 limit for COVID related trip cancellations is double the majority of insurers. Considering that 42% of Australians spend an average of $6,765 on holidays , Medibank is a safe choice. It also has a helpline that lets you chat to a doctor at any time.

• $10,000 cap for COVID cancellation costs and unlimited medical expenses.
• It's cheap – $233 less than average, according to 300+ quotes we gathered.
• 15% discount for health members (making it the cheapest out of 28 policies).
• ahm and Travel Insurance Saver also cover up to $10,000 for cancellations.
• Only Medibank and ahm health members can access discount.
• $15,000 cap for luggage. SCTI and Cover-More have a $25,000 cap.

How Medibank Travel Insurance compares

Out of 19 comprehensive travel insurance policies, Medibank was one of three to come with a $10,000 cap on COVID related cancellations. ahm and Travel Insurance Saver also cover COVID related cancellations. However, Medibank has a higher Finder Score.

Additionally, our research showed a Medibank international policy cost $353 on average for a 2-week trip overseas. That's $233 cheaper than average, according to our research of 28 policies. It's even cheaper if you're a Medibank or ahm member. It could knock $53 off a $353 policy.

World2Cover lets kids under 25 travel for free, so long as they're financially dependent on you. Most insurers including Cover-More and Southern Cross stop offering free cover when your children turn 20. It has a 9.4 Finder Score and out of the 50+ Product Disclosure Statements I looked at, it was one of the easiest to understand.

• Can cover kids up to the age of 25
• Up to $3,500 Covid cancellation cover per person – that's more than SCTI and Cover-More
• Unlimited cancellation cover
• Its underwriter received 43 complaints to AFCA – 21 more than Chubb and 40 more than SCTI (similar sized insurers)
• $5,000 rental car excess is lower than some e.g. Southern Cross ($10,000) and Allianz ($6,000)

How World2Cover Travel Insurance compares

*Example quote based on two 40-year-olds travelling to Bali for 2 weeks with 3 children aged 14, 12 and 7. Comprehensive policies selected. Data collected in October 2023.

Out of 20 travel insurers, World2Cover was one of the only brands to cover children up to the age of 25. It also doesn't have a limit on how many dependents can travel for free. Allianz can also cover kids on a family policy. However, it typically cost more in our research.

• It's very cheap. Out of 23 insurers, it's $180+ less than average.
• Get 10% off your travel insurance policy, using the code Finder10.
• Up to $7,500 towards car rental excess cover. That's $2,500 better than most.
• We found its PDS can be confusing and hard to understand.
• Cover-More, Fast Cover and SCTI also offer reasonably priced domestic policies.
• You absolutely need to read the PDS beforehand. There are lots of conditions attached to every benefit.

How InsureandGo Travel Insurance compares

*Example quote based on a single 40-year-old travelling in Australia for 1 week. All are domestic policies. Data collected in October 2023.

It's competitively-priced and won Finder's 2023 Best Domestic Travel Insurance Award. We looked at 23 domestic travel insurance policies as part of the awards and scored the same 14 features for every policy. These benefits included COVID rearrangement costs, theft or damage to luggage and rental car excess cover.

InsureandGo scored highly for a number of benefits including rental car excess cover, COVID cover, cancellation cover and luggage cover. You get up to $50,000 for cancellations, $25,000 for travel delays, $8,000 for lost luggage, $5,000 for COVID cancellation and rearrangement costs and $7,500 for rental car excess cover.

Similarly, it's good if you plan to rent a car while you're away. InsureandGo's top policy will cover the rental car excess for up to $7,500 if your car is damaged, stolen or involved in an accident. The average is $5,000. This sometimes isn't enough to cover the excess rental car companies charge.

It is also cheaper on average. Overall, it ranked in first place.

Top 5 policies in travel insurance – domestic

• InsureandGo Gold Domestic
• Australia Post Domestic Travel Insurance
• Cover-More Domestic Comprehensive Travel Insurance
• NRMA Domestic Comprehensive Travel Insurance
• Southern Cross Domestic Travel Insurance

Its main drawback is its Product Disclosure Statement which contains lots of conditions and could leave room for instances where you won't be covered. For example, it can cover cancelling your trip before departure but only for a specific number of reasons. These include: " your unforeseeable death, injury or illness; you have to go to court to be a witness or be on a jury (but not as an expert witness); there is an accident involving a vehicle you were planning to travel in, which happens within seven days before the date you planned to leave and means you cannot use the vehicle (This only applies to self-drive holidays). "

Keep in mind: there's no single best travel insurance policy that suits everyone, since we all have different travel plans and needs.

Over 2 million left Australian shores in December 2023, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics . That's an annual increase of 500,000+ people.

To help you figure out what travel insurance company is the best in 2023, we asked over 1,200 Australians for their opinion and got our insurance experts to rate some of Australia's well-known brands.

Most travel insurers offer COVID cover now and most will cover you for similar COVID-related travel expenses . However, there are still some things you can do to make sure you're getting the right policy for you:

Take out cover for all travellers

Whether you're travelling with your partner or the whole family, make sure that you add them to the insurance policy. That way, if someone catches COVID but you don't, you'll still be covered for expenses.

Get a policy as soon as you book your trip

That way, you're covered if you get sick and need to cancel. A few insurers including Cover-More and Easy Travel Insurance also won't accept COVID-related claims within 21 days of your trip, so make sure you take out cover at least 3 weeks before you jet off.

Check the exclusions

It can be tedious but make sure you give the exclusions in the PDS a read before you buy. For example, you won't be covered for costs related to border closures. It means that you might be out of pocket for prepaid accommodation or booked airline tickets if the government of that country imposes a lockdown.

Jillian, Kerry and Tyson travelled from Sydney to Dallas. 10 days in, Tyson (Jillian's son) caught COVID, a day before the family was supposed to leave for a ski trip in Colorado. As a result, they had to rearrange their travel plans.

Unfortunately, Jillian got COVID later and the family had to send Tyson and Kerry home to Sydney, while Jillian stayed another 4 days until she tested negative. She then rebooked her trip home.

Their insurer, Southern Cross Travel Insurance , covered just under $3,000 in costs . The family paid a $500 excess to claim on 2 events.

Get a free travel insurance quote

Why you can trust Finder's travel insurance experts

What's the best type of travel insurance?

There are two main levels of travel insurance; basic and comprehensive. A basic travel insurance policy can cover you for health and medical emergencies. A comprehensive policy can cover your possessions too as well as other things like cancellation.

What's the best travel insurance with COVID cover?

Most policies will include some level of COVID cover so what's best can depend on how much you've spent on your trip. For example, many policies include COVID cover for up to $5,000. If your trip is costing you $9,000 then this might not be good enough for you. We've found higher limits with Medbank; here you're covered for up to $10,000 if your trip is cancelled due to COVID related reasons.

How far in advance should I buy travel insurance?

It's worth getting travel insurance as soon as you book your trip. That way, you're covered straight away. If something happens – say you get sick or your flight is cancelled or delayed – you're covered.

Is it best to get a single trip or annual policy?

Single trip policies may be best if you don't plan on travelling much over the next year or, if you're going on a long trip ( annual policies cap the length you're allowed to travel per trip – typically 30, 45 or 60 days).

Annual (or multi-trip) policies may be better if you're a jet-setter who intends to travel several times a year. Generally speaking, an annual policy may work out cheaper than paying for 4 single-trip policies in a year.

But be aware, annual plans have been a little harder to come by since the pandemic.

What's considered a pre-existing condition for travel insurance?

Essentially, a pre-existing condition is any medical condition you've been diagnosed with, in a specified time period, prior to taking out cover. Such conditions include heart problems, high blood pressure and diabetes.

What's the best travel insurance for Bali?

There have been several flight cancellations and delays to Bali recently. Most travel insurance polices can reimburse you for flight cancellations. However, it's worth going with an insurer that will also cover additional travel expenses such as accommodation and pre-booked excursions. It can be very frustrating if something happens but if the cancellation is due to circumstances out of your control, your insurer is likely to cover you.

What's the best travel insurance for the US?

The US has a notoriously expensive healthcare system so it's worth getting a travel insurance policy that comes with unlimited medical expenses cover at the very least. Fortunately, most comprehensive policies offer this. Other important medical-related expenses worth considering are:

• Hospital cash allowance. An amount you'll be given per day if you're hospitalised to pay for additional expenses.
• Resumption of journey. This can help pay you to get home if you're very sick.

Gary Ross Hunter

Gary Ross Hunter is an editor at Finder, specialising in insurance. He’s been writing about life, travel, home, car, pet and health insurance for over 6 years and regularly appears as an insurance expert in publications including The Sydney Morning Herald, The Guardian and news.com.au. Gary holds a Kaplan Tier 2 General Advice General Insurance certification which meets the requirements of ASIC Regulatory Guide 146 (RG146). See full bio

• Health, home, life, car, pet and travel insurance
• Managing the cost of living

More guides on Finder

Compare Travel Insurance Direct policies online to save time and money. Travel Insurance Direct offers various policies including Annual multi-trip, The Works, The Basics and Domestic travel.

If time is valuable to you, Travel Insuranz may be suitable for you. With its fast online processing process, Travel Insurance provides easy access to protecting yourself for travel. Read its policy online.

Compare Travel Insurance Saver with other policies to see if they are right for you.

Beware when swimming at Byron, Ballina, Bondi and Bells.

Learn more about travel insurance brokers, how they are paid and the way they can help you find comprehensive travel cover.

Is travel insurance a worthy investment? Find out why travel insurance is an invaluable travel item.

Guide to high-risk travel insurance: What is and isn't covered.

Tick Travel Insurance offers competitive single trip insurance to suit a range of travellers with three levels of cover to choose from.

With a workforce in 2 countries, Easy Travel Insurances provides a range of policies combined with customer service 24/7/365.

Important information about this website

Advertiser disclosure.

finder.com.au is one of Australia's leading comparison websites. We are committed to our readers and stands by our editorial principles

We try to take an open and transparent approach and provide a broad-based comparison service. However, you should be aware that while we are an independently owned service, our comparison service does not include all providers or all products available in the market.

Some product issuers may provide products or offer services through multiple brands, associated companies or different labeling arrangements. This can make it difficult for consumers to compare alternatives or identify the companies behind the products. However, we aim to provide information to enable consumers to understand these issues.

How we make money

We make money by featuring products on our site. Compensation received from the providers featured on our site can influence which products we write about as well as where and how products appear on our page, but the order or placement of these products does not influence our assessment or opinions of them, nor is it an endorsement or recommendation for them.

Products marked as 'Top Pick', 'Promoted' or 'Advertisement' are prominently displayed either as a result of a commercial advertising arrangement or to highlight a particular product, provider or feature. Finder may receive remuneration from the Provider if you click on the related link, purchase or enquire about the product. Finder's decision to show a 'promoted' product is neither a recommendation that the product is appropriate for you nor an indication that the product is the best in its category. We encourage you to use the tools and information we provide to compare your options.

Where our site links to particular products or displays 'Go to site' buttons, we may receive a commission, referral fee or payment when you click on those buttons or apply for a product. You can learn more about how we make money .

Sorting and Ranking Products

When products are grouped in a table or list, the order in which they are initially sorted may be influenced by a range of factors including price, fees and discounts; commercial partnerships; product features; and brand popularity. We provide tools so you can sort and filter these lists to highlight features that matter to you.

Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

Please read our website terms of use and privacy policy for more information about our services and our approach to privacy.

We update our data regularly, but information can change between updates. Confirm details with the provider you're interested in before making a decision.

Learn how we maintain accuracy on our site.

Australia's Best Travel Insurance for July 2024

Whether in 2024 you’re planning a resort holiday in Fiji, voyaging on a cruise , or hopping on a plane to Europe , it’s important to consider packing travel insurance .

But how could you go about finding the best policy? What features and perks could your holiday need, and which providers stand out for amazing coverage? 

That’s where the Mozo Experts Choice Travel Insurance Awards come in. 

Every year, Mozo’s expert judges compare dozens of travel insurance providers to see which ones fly above and beyond in terms of quality and value. Providers offering the best coverage take home a Mozo Experts Choice Travel Insurance^ win. 

“Finding a policy may be a bit daunting, especially when policy features and costs can change depending on where you’re going and what you’re doing,” says Mozo Experts Choice Awards, Judge Peter Marshall. 

“We wanted to examine everything across a range of holidays, head-to-head, to help Australians find the best value cover, and award those providers offering the best travel insurance.”

So without further ado, here are the winners crowned in 2024, along with some of the latest deals for this month highlighted by our editor's – and some expert tips on how you could find the best policy for your trip.

Expert recommendations: Mozo Experts Choice Award-winning best travel insurance policies

Each year, the Mozo Experts Choice Awards recognise travel insurance providers for having the most outstanding performance to suit the needs of different types of travellers. 

Categories include Exceptional Value and Exceptional Quality for various policy types, from comprehensive, multi-trip, cruise, ski, and basic coverage. 

Policies ranked highly for their quality are those that boast the most generous coverage (i.e. comprehensive travel insurance). Policies with great value offer a minimum level of coverage for the lowest price. 

Our expert judges look at many factors when evaluating a travel insurance policy for an award, especially:

• Price , including any excesses and limits, and how premiums vary based on the holiday.
• Coverage , including benefits and exclusions.

The insurance company with the most standout wins for both quality and value will receive the prestigious Travel Insurance Company of the Year ^ award.

Judges also compare how well a policy travels for different popular destinations and kinds of trips so we can nail down the best picks for as many types of holidays as possible.

Check out the Mozo Experts Choice Travel Awards^ methodology report for 2024 to see how judges made their choices.

As always, every travel insurance policy will have its terms and conditions laid out in the product disclosure statement (PDS). Be sure to read the PDS properly and thoroughly before signing up!

• Freely - International Travel Insurance*
• Customisable, flexible coverage through the Freely app
• 10% off with a Mozo exclusive discount

Why it won:  For those looking for sheer convenience, it’s hard to beat Freely’s all-in-one travel app. Customise this flexible policy by adding or taking away extras and coverage as you need it to suit your holiday. Friends suddenly invite you whitewater rafting? Add adventure sports cover (with conditions). Optional extras include gadgets, snow sports, cruise, motorcycle cover, and more. For a limited time, you could also nab 10% off your policy with the Promo Code “MOZO10” (T&Cs). Freely's travel insurance policies won two Mozo Experts Choice Travel Insurance Awards^ in 2024.

• Zoom Comprehensive Travel Insurance*
• Unlimited 24/7 emergency assistance
• Optional extras for car rental or sports activities (T&Cs)

Why it won:  Zoom’s Comprehensive Travel Insurance provides 24/7 emergency assistance to help protect you from unexpected events on your holiday. It also covers you for medical emergencies, trip cancellation, lost luggage, family emergencies and even more. Zoom picked up an award for Exceptional Value Essential Travel Insurance making it a a great choice for travellers looking for a great value package.  Add optional cover for extras such as Rental Vehicle Excess if you are hiring a car or a Sports Activities Pack if you’re feeling adventurous.

• Travel Insurance Company of the Year - World2Cover*
• Multiple Mozo Experts Choice Awards^ winner in 2024
• Unlimited emergency, cancellation, and medical cover (T&Cs)

Why it won: World2Cover’s comprehensive Top policy picked up wins for both Exceptional Value and Exceptional Quality Travel Insurance for the second year in a row, making it the obvious candidate for this prestigious crown. With unlimited emergency, cancellation, and medical cover (with conditions), World2Cover makes an extremely competitive choice for travellers hunting the most inclusions for the best value. 

Standout perks include coverage for 38 pre-existing conditions (including migraines and sleep apnea), rental car excesses, and up to $2,000 for overseas dental treatment (all with T&Cs). Plus, many amateur and outdoor sports, like bungee jumping, can be covered at no extra cost (T&Cs).

• Southern Cross Travel Insurance - International Comprehensive Family*
• Unlimited medical and evacuation cover (T&Cs)
• Optional extras for snow sports and motorcycle cover (T&Cs)

Why it won:  Whether travelling alone or with your family, this single-trip comprehensive insurance policy aims to please with some great standard features. Unlimited medical and evacuation cover headline the policy, and you have the option to increase cancellation to unlimited (though this will add to your premium). Travelling solo overseas for less than two days? Southern Cross claims your premium could cost less than a meal. Unfortunately, pre-existing conditions aren’t automatically included, but you can apply to have them added with a medical assessment for an additional premium (with conditions). Southern Cross Travel Insurance also won two Mozo Experts Choice Travel Insurance Awards^ in 2024.

• Travel Insurance Saver - Bare Essentials*
• Unlimited overseas medical coverage (T&Cs)
• Up to $2,500 emergency cancellation and $2,000 lost luggage and effects coverage (T&Cs)

Why it won: Underwritten by NIB, this impressive essentials policy performed well in terms of Exceptional Value ^.

While limits apply, eligible expenses you could claim under this policy include emergency cancellation, lost luggage , and replacement passport and travel documents coverage (T&Cs).

• Cover-More - International Comprehensive+*
• Multiple Mozo Experts Choice Award^ winner in 2024
• On- and pre-trip cover if you’re diagnosed with COVID-19 (T&Cs)

Why it won: This ultra-comprehensive policy impressed judges enough to nab the same two wins in 2023 and 2024 – one for Exceptional Quality and another for Exceptional Quality Annual Multi-Trip. 

With generous coverage for a range of misadventures, including pre and on-trip COVID cover, up to $25,000 for lost or stolen luggage, unlimited overseas medical expenses, and special business trip benefits, Cover-More packs a punch for the holidays (T&Cs). You can also tailor your policy with optional extras like the Cancellations Extensions add-on to extend your coverage.

*Terms, conditions, exclusions, limits and sub-limits may apply to any of the insurance products shown on the Mozo website. These terms, conditions, exclusions, limits and sub-limits could affect the level of benefits and cover available under any of the insurance products shown on the Mozo website. Please refer to the relevant Product Disclosure Statement and the Target Market Determination on the provider's website for further information before making any decisions about an insurance product.

Editor’s Picks: Top travel insurance policies for July 2024

Jump to our top picks, butter international travel insurance*, fast cover - comprehensive policy*, australia post comprehensive travel insurance*, australia post - comprehensive travel insurance*.

• Unlimited medical cover
• 24/7 emergency assistance services

Be prepared for the unexpected on your adventures with Butter Travel Insurance. Get emergency medical and hospital cover. You’ll have COVID-19 cover and have the option of trip cancellation and interruption cover. 

Customise your cover and choose from an array of added extras like Motorcycle, ski cover and so much more (T&Cs apply) and holiday with peace of mind every time.

• Generous and flexible optional extras
• 43 pre-existing conditions automatically included (T&Cs)

Editor’s Pick: Looking for a solid all-rounder with amazing medical and COVID-19 benefits? Fast Cover’s comprehensive travel insurance policy makes a compelling option. Customers can select their cover based on region, activities, trip duration, and a host of optional extras like cruise, motorcycle, adventure, and rental vehicle excess insurance to tailor their plans for their holiday needs. Got any pre-existing medical conditions? Fast Cover offers cover for many pre-existing medical conditions, you just need complete a simple medical screening during the application process.

The comprehensive policy includes unlimited medical and cancellation cover, with unlimited medical cover if you’re diagnosed with COVID-19 and a 5,000 limit for cancellation fees if you contract the virus and need to pull out of a leg of your journey. Keep in mind sub-limits, exclusions, and conditions apply, so make sure to read the PDS before signing up.

• 24/7 emergency support
• Get a quote in minutes

Editor’s Pick:  If you’re looking for cover from a name you can trust, Australia Post International Comprehensive Travel Insurance covers overseas medical expenses, cancellation costs and more (T&Cs apply). You can also get optional extras like cover for existing medical conditions and winter sports to tailor cover to your needs. Plus, you can also reduce your premium with your choice of excess.

Customer favourites: Best travel insurance from Mozo People’s Choice Awards

Expert recommendations are amazing, but what do real travellers think is the best insurance? Thankfully, the 2024  Mozo People’s Choice Awards have landed.

Mozo asked 1,487 of your fellow Australians which travel insurance providers they rate highly across a range of categories, from customer satisfaction and service to trustworthiness, sign-up and claims experiences, and whether they’d recommend them to a friend.

Winners were then given a Mozo People’s Choice Award, making them some of the best providers around (and in the air).

Here's a look at which categories each of this year's Mozo People's Choice Travel Insurance Award-winners   won awards in:

• Australia Post:  Outstanding Customer Satisfaction,  Excellent Claims Experience,  Most Recommended
• InsureandGo:  Outstanding Customer Satisfaction,  Excellent Customer Service,  Highly Trusted,  Sign-Up Experience
• Commonwealth Bank:   Excellent Customer Service,  Highly Trusted,  Most Recommended
• Flight Centre:  Highly Trusted
• Medibank:  Most Recommended
• Won 3 Mozo People’s Choice Awards for 2024
• Flexible excess
• 10% off discount for a limited time

Why it won: Sending yourself overseas? Australia Post has developed a first-class comprehensive international travel insurance policy that took home three  Mozo People’s Choice wins in 2024. Aussies rates this provider highly for  Excellent Claims Experience,  Most Recommended and  Outstanding Customer Satisfaction.  And no wonder: Australia Post reckons you can get a quote in minutes. Tailor your policy by choosing your excess and level of coverage; the comprehensive plan comes with unlimited overseas medical and additional emergency expenses coverage, as well as benefits like money to resume your trip if cancelled for eligible reasons (T&Cs apply).

More best travel insurance winners

Here’s the full list of winners for the Mozo Experts Choice Travel Insurance Awards^ for 2024, broken down by category. 

BEST VALUE TRAVEL INSURANCE

If your travel budget is tight, weighing up the value you’re getting in a policy is crucial. This year, Mozo’s expert judges wanted to highlight great value plans to make the comparison process easier.

From medical-only and essentials cover to more comprehensive and annual multi-trip policies, these providers offered a required set of inclusions at the best prices. 

• Exceptional Medical Only coverage winners simply needed to have unlimited emergency overseas medical cover, including unlimited COVID-19 medical cover. 
• Essential coverage winners needed to have at least $2,000 coverage per traveller for personal items and $2,500 cancellation coverage, plus unlimited medical coverage. 
• Comprehensive, ski, cruise, and annual multi-trip coverage winners needed at least $7,500 of luggage cover per person, plus $15,000 cancellation cover per adult. Policies must also have unlimited COVID-19 coverage and at least $2,500 each for additional expenses and cancellations. Multi-trip policies were also assessed for a single traveller jet-setting for 30-day trips in a 12-month period.

Mozo’s expert judges also assessed some providers based on the value they offer vacation activities like snow sports or cruise travel . 

Check out the winners below.

Exceptional Value Medical Only Travel Insurance

These policies were the best value medical-only travel policies, based on the judges’ criteria.

• Australia Post – Basic policy
• Southern Cross Travel Insurance – International Medical Only policy

Exceptional Value Essential Travel Insurance

Want a little more coverage, such as lost luggage, on top of medical cover? Our expert judges thought these policies were winners.

• Freely – International Travel Insurance policy
• Tick Travel Insurance – Standard policy
• Travel Insurance Saver – Bare Essentials policy
• Travel Protect – Explorer policy
• WAS Insurance – Discovery Ultimate policy
• Zoom – Standard policy

Exceptional Value Comprehensive Travel Insurance

If you’re after the most coverage for the best value, these comprehensive policies are worth a look!

• Chubb Australia – Prestige Single Trip policy
• InsuranceandGo – Gold policy
• Tick Travel Insurance – Top policy
• World2Cover – Top policy

Exceptional Value Annual Multi-Trip Travel Insurance

Heading to a few destinations in 2024? These multi-trip policies nabbed best value crowns.

• ahm – Annual Multi-Trip policy
• Medibank – Annual Multi-Trip policy
• NRMA – Comprehensive Annual Multi-Trip policy
• Qantas – Annual Multi-Trip policy
• Southern Cross Travel Insurance – Multi-Trip policy

Exceptional Value Cruise Travel Insurance

Cruisin’ should be breezy! Mozo’s expert judges thought these winners earned their best value cruise wins. 

• AllClear – Gold Plus
• Chubb Australia – Prestige Single Trip
• Qantas – International Comprehensive policy
• World Nomads – Explorer Plan

Exceptional Value Ski Travel Insurance

Hittin’ the slopes? Mozo's expert judges say these policies shouldn’t hit the wallet. 

• Medibank – Single Trip policy

BEST QUALITY TRAVEL INSURANCE

Some travellers want the best possible insurance, no matter the cost. That’s why Mozo’s expert judges analysed policies with the broadest and most generous cover for the Exceptional Quality travel insurance awards for comprehensive and multi-trip policies.

Exceptional Quality Travel Insurance

• Cover-More – International Comprehensive+ policy
• Flight Centre – YourCover Plus policy
• Kogan – International Plus policy
• NRMA – Comprehensive Plan policy
• RAA – Premium policy policy
• RAC – Comprehensive policy
• RACQ – Premium policy
• RACT – Comprehensive policy
• RACV – Comprehensive policy
• Webjet – Top policy

Exceptional Quality Annual Multi-Trip Travel Insurance

• Cover-More – Multi-Trip International Comprehensive+ policy
• Webjet – Travel Safe Plus policy

What travel insurance do I need?

When finding the best travel insurance policy for yourself, it’s important to compare as many different policies as possible. But what if you’re not sure where to start? Let’s break down the tiers and types of travel insurance on offer. 

Travel insurance policies vary based on where you’re going and for how long. For example:

• Domestic travel insurance can be great if you’re just exploring Australia.
• International travel insurance can be great for a once-off trip abroad.
• Multi-trip travel insurance can be great if you’re making more than one trip, locally or abroad (usually within the same year).

Once you’ve picked the kind of travel insurance you’re after, providers will usually offer multiple tiers (or levels) of coverage, such as medical only, essentials, or comprehensive insurance.

You may also be able to get complimentary credit card travel insurance , which comes as a perk of your credit card.

Travel insurance policies can also include optional extras that tailor your coverage for specific holidays, like backpacker travel insurance or senior travel insurance .

Many clues can point to a travel insurance policy ranking among the best – exceptional price, excellent coverage, and a thumbs-up from fellow Aussie travellers . But the best indicator that a policy rocks? It’s the best for you. 

When comparing travel insurance policies, assess them like you’re giving out your own award: the win of your business! Read through the PDS, send for quotes, and ask yourself questions like:

• Does this policy cover my holiday needs?
• Is this within a price range I’m happy with? ( Cheap travel insurance has trade-offs). 
• Would I feel comfortable working with this provider when the worst happens?

If the answer is ‘yes’, you could be on to a winner.

Other considerations are important, too, however, especially the nitty-gritty details. For example:

• Do you have to meet any terms and conditions before they settle your travel claim ? 
• Is there an excess to pay? 
• Are there any other perks, too, like frequent flyer points? 
• Do you have pre-existing conditions that could impact your coverage? 

Because every situation is different, not every travel insurance policy is the best for everyone. Some people want an affordable price, while others want the most coverage, no matter the price. 

Comparing what’s on offer can help you determine which travel insurances offer you the best value and quality for your holiday.

FAQs about travel insurance

While not mandatory in Australia, travel insurance can be a useful financial tool to have in your back pocket. The right level of coverage could help your finances weather all kinds of unexpected emergencies, from medical treatment to flight cancellations.

Some overseas destinations have made basic travel insurance mandatory for entry at the border (usually to cover the costs associated with treating COVID-19). 

The best travel insurance coverage for you will depend on your needs and holiday. For instance, if you’re a relatively low-risk traveller who can pay for unexpected costs like flight cancellations or lost luggage out-of-pocket, a basic or essentials-only travel insurance policy could suit you. 

However, if you’re looking for the most protection possible, or you’re doing adventurous travel activities like skiing, comprehensive travel insurance might be a better option. Comparing multiple policies can give you an idea of the coverage and value available to your situation.

Travel insurance prices depend on the policy, provider, excess, level of coverage, and destination you choose. Your price may also vary if you’ve included optional extras or expanded your limits for personal items like an expensive smartphone or to cover a pre-existing medical condition. 

Mozo found the average cost for different travel insurance policies ranges from roughly $90 to well over $1,000, depending on the needs of the trip. Most settled between $200 - $400.

Forgetting to buy travel insurance before leaving  can be inconvenient, but there are options. Some policies may not cover trips already in progress: read the product disclosure statement (PDS) and get quotes to see what benefits, costs, and exclusions you could get. 

If you have a credit card, it’s also worthwhile investigating to see if you can get free travel insurance through your credit card company. Many will have activation requirements, like proving you’ve paid a certain amount of travel costs with your card.

Compare international travel insurance policies below.

Compare international travel insurance - last updated 10 July 2024

Mozo experts choice awards won:

• Exceptional Value Ski Travel Insurance - 2024
• Exceptional Value Essential Travel Insurance - 2024
• Exceptional Value Comprehensive Travel Insurance - 2024

International Travel Insurance

Covid medical cover, covid cancellation cover, overseas hospital, cancellation cover.

Get protection in a few simple steps with Freely travel insurance all in the palm of your hand. Freely Travel offers 24/7 emergency and medical support, 24/7 customer service. Plus, you can tailor your policy so you only pay for what you need, and adapt your cover in near real time. Add-ons such as car rental excess, snow sports or other activities also available. Receive 10% off your travel insurance policy with promo code: MOZO10. T&Cs apply, go to site for full detail.

Terms, conditions, exclusions, limits and sub-limits may apply to any of the insurance products shown on the Mozo website. These terms, conditions, exclusions, limits and sub-limits could affect the level of benefits and cover available under any of the insurance products shown on the Mozo website. Please refer to the relevant Product Disclosure Statement and the Target Market Determination on the provider's website for further information before making any decisions about an insurance product.

To see the Pre-existing Conditions and Activities covered by this policy please visit our detailed page about this product.

Comprehensive

Enjoy unlimited medical cover and 24/7 emergency assistance services when you travel. Get unlimited cover for cancellation fees and prepaid travel expenses. Cover for luggage and travel documents. $5,000,000 personal liability cover.

Backed by the NIB, one of Australia’s largest travel insurance providers, Travel Insurance Saver brings you peace of mind on your travels. Compare three tiers of insurance cover, featuring benefits like 24 hour emergency assistance, emergency medical cover, luggage cover, cancellation cover and more.

• Exceptional Value Annual Multi-Trip Travel Insurance - 2024

International Comprehensive Single

Enjoy the security of single trip cover on your next holiday with Southern Cross Travel Insurance. Get 24 hour emergency assistance, cover for cancelling or changing your journey before you leave, protection for lost, stolen or damaged goods as well as cover to replace lost or stolen cash, banks or travel documents. Be in to win 1 of 5 $1,000 cash prizes! T&Cs Apply. Offer ends 30 September 2023.

If you are overseas, this insurance provides access to 24-hour emergency assistance and unlimited cover for emergency medical and hospital expenses. It also includes 38 automatically included pre-existing medical conditions, plus river cruising, motorbikes and mopeds included at no extra cost (T&Cs apply). RACV Members receive 15% off RACV Travel Insurance. Winner of a Mozo Experts Choice 2024 Exceptional Quality Travel Insurance Award^

^See information about the Mozo Experts Choice Travel Insurance Awards

Mozo provides general product information. We don't consider your personal objectives, financial situation or needs and we aren't recommending any specific product to you. You should make your own decision after reading the PDS or offer documentation, or seeking independent advice.

While we pride ourselves on covering a wide range of products, we don't cover every product in the market. If you decide to apply for a product through our website, you will be dealing directly with the provider of that product and not with Mozo.

Sign up for the MoneyZone newsletter

By submitting your information you agree to the terms and conditions and privacy policy

Thanks for signing up!

Power up your money know-how

Join the 35K+ subscribers who receive our weekly Moneyzone newsletter, showcasing the latest rate movements, exclusive deals, money-saving hacks, and expert insights from Mozo.

Zero spam. Unsubscribe anytime.

Thanks for signing up, you will receive a welcome email shortly.

Who we are and how we get paid

Our goal at Mozo is to help you make smart financial decisions and our award-winning comparison tools and services are provided free of charge. As a marketplace business, we do earn money from advertising and this page features products with Go To Site links and/or other paid links where the provider pays us a fee if you go to their site from ours, or you take out a product with them. You do not pay any extra for using our service.

We are proud of the tools and information we provide and unlike some other comparison sites, we also include the option to search all the products in our database, regardless of whether we have a commercial relationship with the providers of those products or not.

'Sponsored', 'Hot deal' and 'Featured Product' labels denote products where the provider has paid to advertise more prominently.

'Mozo sort order' refers to the initial sort order and is not intended in any way to imply that particular products are better than others. You can easily change the sort order of the products displayed on the page.

Important information on terms, conditions and sub-limits

Terms, conditions, exclusions, limits and sub-limits may apply to any of the insurance products shown on the Mozo website. These terms, conditions, exclusions, limits and sub-limits could affect the level of benefits and cover available under any of the insurance products shown on the Mozo website. Please refer to the relevant Product Disclosure Statement and the Target Market Determination on the provider's website for further information before making any decisions about an insurance product.