One-way travel insurance

Booked a flight with no return date? One-way travel insurance is ideal for you, but not all insurers offer it – we'll show you who.

A woman backpacking through Europe

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


By submitting this form, you agree to our Privacy & Cookies Policy and Terms of Service. By entering an email address you agree to create a Finder account. We will send you an email to setup your password.

Key takeaways

  • Some insurers need you to have a return date but a large number of travel insurance brands cover one-way trips.
  • One-way travel insurance can cover you for up to 24 months – after which it will expire.
  • It can cover flight cancellations, rearrangements, lost and delayed luggage, and more.

What is one-way travel insurance?

One-way travel insurance, as the name implies, cover you for trips where you don't have a return flight booked. It can usually cover you for 12-24 months or you can have it expire once you reach your destination and you've organised local health insurance. It works a lot like regular travel insurance, but you don't need to provide the exact end date of your trip.

Who needs one-way travel insurance?

If you've booked a flight overseas with no return date in mind, you probably want to get one-way travel insurance – for example, if you're moving to a different country and want covered for flight cancellations and medical expenses when you first get there.

Here are a few examples of folk that might need one-way travel insurance:

  • You have no set return dayte: If you're backpacking in Asia and haven't decided when to come home, you need one-way cover.
  • You're moving overseas: If you're moving to the USA for a new job, you'll want to make sure that you're covered until you're all set up.
  • You only need cover for the flight over. For example, if you're a UK citizen visitng home, one-way cover can help you and your stuff get home in one piece.
Tim Bennett's headshot
One-way travel insurance for a working holiday?

"I took out one-way travel insurance when I moved to Canada on a working holiday visa. It was a requirement from the Canadian government, but it was also good to have in case my flights were affected, or I had medical costs that weren't covered for non-citizens. I took out a one-way policy from fast cover, then extended it to the full 2 years I needed it for. Super easy."

Insurance expert

Who offers one-way travel insurance?

BrandOffers One-Way Travel Insurance?Maximum Trip LengthApply
insureandgo
12 months
Finder AwardBonus
Get quote
Tick Logo
12 months
Finder AwardBonus
Get quote
Zoom logo
12 months
Get quote
Fast Cover Logo
24 months
Finder AwardBonus
Get quote
Insure4Less Travel Insurance Logo
12 months
Get quote
Travel Insuranz Travel Insurance Logo
12 months
Get quote
World2Cover Logo
12 months
Get quote
Covermore logo
12 months
Bonus
Get quote
Southern Cross LogoSCTI
12 months
Finder Award
Get quote
Travel Insurance Saver
12 months/td>
Get quote
Easy Travel Insurance
18 months
Get quote
Qantas travel insurance
12 months
Bonus
Get quote

Note: This information was last updated August 2023

What's covered by one-way travel insurance?

One-way travel insurance offers similar coverage to standard policies, including:

  • Medical expenses: Unexpected medical bills during your trip.
  • Trip cancellation: Covers costs if you need to cancel your trip before departure.
  • Travel delays: Reimbursement for missed flights or connections.
  • Lost or damaged baggage: Coverage for lost or damaged belongings.
  • Personal liability: Covers accidental damage caused to others.
  • Emergency evacuation: Covers costs if you need to be medically evacuated home.

What isn't covered by one-way travel insurance?

While one-way travel insurance offers peace of mind, it has limitations:

  • Onward travel: Repatriation to Australia might be covered, but not a return flight from your final destination.
  • Pre-existing medical conditions: Be upfront about any pre-existing conditions to avoid claim rejection.
  • Extreme activities: Coverage might be excluded for high-risk activities (e.g., skydiving).
  • Change of mind: Cancelling for non-covered reasons won't be reimbursed.
  • Negligence: Losing valuables due to carelessness might not be covered.
  • Already overseas: Most one-way travel insurance requires purchase before departure.

Some of these limitations are common to travel insurance as a whole, and many of them will vary between travel insurance companies. The best way to learn more is to start comparing, then have a read of the PDS of the insurance company you're interested in.

Extending Your Travel Insurance While Overseas

So you fell in love with your new destination and want to extend your stay? Most insurers allow extending your travel insurance while overseas, but conditions apply. There'll also be a maximum length of time that you'll be able to extend it, so it's not a permament solution.

Getting Travel Insurance if You're Already Overseas

If you didn't get travel insurance before you left Australia, or you forgot to extend it before it ran out, fear not. Lots of travel insurers offer travel insurance for Australians already overseas. That said, you might have fewer options, and you'll need to wait a bit before you're able to make a claim, normally 2 or 3 days.

Questions you still might have

Tim Bennett's headshot
To make sure you get accurate and helpful information, this guide has been edited by Tim Bennett as part of our fact-checking process.
Gary Ross Hunter's headshot
Editor, Insurance

Gary Ross Hunter was 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

Gary Ross's expertise
Gary Ross has written 648 Finder guides across topics including:
  • Health, home, life, car, pet and travel insurance
  • Managing the cost of living

More guides on Finder

Ask a question

You are about to post a question on finder.com.au:

  • Do not enter personal information (eg. surname, phone number, bank details) as your question will be made public
  • finder.com.au is a financial comparison and information service, not a bank or product provider
  • We cannot provide you with personal advice or recommendations
  • Your answer might already be waiting – check previous questions below to see if yours has already been asked

Finder only provides general advice and factual information, so consider your own circumstances, or seek advice before you decide to act on our content. By submitting a question, you're accepting our Terms Of Service and Finder Group Privacy & Cookies Policy.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

24 Responses

    Default Gravatar
    ScottJune 15, 2018

    i am working in Indonesia and am travelling for holiday within Indonesia and then onto the UK , I am returning to work in Indonesia and my wife is travelling back to Australia. Is it easier to get 2 single policies? All the policies I have looked at indicate a return flight to Aus must be booked. Is there any policies that can start and end OS?

      Default Gravatar
      ArnoldJune 16, 2018

      Hi Scott,

      Thanks for your inquiry

      You’ll need to inform your insurer that you’re traveling on a one-way ticket when you apply for cover. Since some of the online enquiry does not allow that. You may need to contact the insurer directly to disclose this. If you fail to do so, your policy could be void. It’s always important to be upfront and honest with your insurance provider and disclose any relevant information about your travels.

      Hope this information helps

      Cheers,
      Arnold

    Default Gravatar
    ValAugust 7, 2017

    We have taken out travel insurance last Nov for a trip to Sth Africa in 3 weeks. We have now discovered they do not insure us for 4 days in Zimbabwe. They will not refund the policy. Can I get insurance from any another Company for these 4 days only? Could I get travel medical insurance only for this period. We are 72 and 75 years old and with only a few minor pre existing illness.

      Default Gravatar
      LiezlAugust 7, 2017

      Hi Val,

      Thanks for your question.

      You may get another policy from different insurance brand however, you have to disclose to them your existing insurance policy. You may find our guide on having multiple insurance policieshelpful.

      Since terms and conditions vary extensively among providers, it’s crucial that you declare any medical conditions that are not automatically covered at the time of application. You may find our page about travel insurance with pre-existing conditions helpful.

      Moreover, InsureandGo does not automatically exclude any conditions and claim to assess all conditions on a case-by-case basis. Also, CoverMore may be able to cover you for an additional premium, subject to the outcome of a short medical assessment.

      Cheers,
      Liezl

    Default Gravatar
    DeniseAugust 1, 2017

    I’m in ireland on holiday and need insurance to return to Australia one way. Is there a suitable policy given I’ve already commenced my trip.

      Default Gravatar
      LiezlAugust 1, 2017

      Hi Denise,

      Thanks for reaching out. Yes, you can check already overseas travel insurance and find the right one for you. So, you don’t have to worry as there are insurance brands who can still provide you with a policy even if you are already overseas.

      Please make sure to read the eligibility criteria, features and details, as well as the relevant Product Disclosure Statement of the policy before making a decision and consider whether the product is right for you.

      Cheers,
      Liezl

    Default Gravatar
    MadelineMay 6, 2017

    I am currently overseas and my policy has expired. I am not sure when I will be returning home, possibly in 10 months time. Is there a provider who will insure me from overseas without a return ticket? I think I saw somewhere that there is a company which will insure you and if something happens the cost of a return ticket will be taken from the money you would receive back. Is that the only option and if so do you know which company this might have been?

    Thanks,

    Madeline

      AvatarFinder
      ZubairMay 8, 2017Finder

      Hi Madeline,

      Thank you for your question.

      finder.com.au is a comparison and information service and we are not permitted to provide our users with personalised financial advice or product recommendations.

      There are various Australian travel insurance brands that offer cover to people who are already overseas. You may find our already overseas travel insurance page helpful.

      I hope this helps.

      Cheers,
      Zubair

    Default Gravatar
    JessApril 5, 2017

    If I am not an Australian citizen, will the one way insurance options above cover me?

      AvatarFinder
      ZubairApril 7, 2017Finder

      Hi Jess,

      Thank you for your question.

      I’m afraid no. Our one-way travel insurance guide is only for Australian residents. Eligibility of cover will depend on many factors based on your trip details. However, in our panel of travel insurers, DUInsure does cover one-way travel to your country of residence from Australia.

      You may find our Non-Resident Travel Insurance page helpful.

      All the best,
      Zubair

Go to site