Seniors travel insurance

Can seniors get travel insurance?

Yup, senior citizens can get travel insurance from most of the Australian travel insurance brands. There are maximum age limits, but they are mostly 99+ years. That means the large majority of seniors can get cover from any travel insurance provider.

Is senior travel insurance more expensive?

Travel insurance will be more expensive for seniors, because older Australians are considered riskier travellers. In particular, older folks are more likely to claim on their medical coverage when they travel overseas, This could be as a result of falling ill, getting accidentally hurt, or having a pre-existing condition flare up. Because of this, travel insurance providers charge a higher premium for older travellers.

Is senior-specific travel insurance worth it?

In Australia there are 2 companies that specifically market to seniors: Boomers and Australian Seniors. While there may be some part of their cover that appeal to you specifically because you're an older person, they are generally as competitive as any other provider.

In fact, providers that offer policies to young, lower risk travellers as well as seniors may actually end up cheaper. Insurers generally love low risk policies because they lower their overall risk profile. Some providers might use this as a way to reduce premiums for older travellers.

As with all financial products, smart money is on comparing products from as many providers as possible. Finder makes this easy, using the tools on this page!

Who offers travel insurance to seniors?

Brand	Age limit
ahm	99 and under
Cover-More	99 and under
Easy	125 and under
Fast Cover	89 and under
Freely	99 and under
InsureandGo	100 and under
Kogan	125 and under
Medibank	99 and under
Southern Cross	118 and under
Stella	99 and under
Tick	100 and under
Travel Insurance Saver	90 and under
Wise and Silent	99 and under
Travel Protect	99 and under
Zoom	85 and under
1cover	130 and under
AllClear	99 and under
Australia Post	99 and under
Australian Seniors	120 and under
Boomers	120 and under
NRMA	99 and under
Worldcare	120 and under

_{Note: This information was last updated April 2024}

What should seniors travel insurance cover?

Medical expenses

Most comprehensive travel insurance policies cover you for unlimited medical expenses if you need to go to hospital. They also typically cover medical evacuations.

Delays and cancellations

29% of Australians, equivalent to around 5.8 million people, have had their flight delayed or cancelled in the last 12 months, according to Finder research. Travel insurance can cover you for cancelled or delayed flights.

COVID-19 expenses

Many travel insurance policies now cover COVID-related expenses. This includes if you need to cancel or rearrange your trip due to COVID.

Luggage and personal belongings

A good travel insurance policy should cover you for lost and delayed luggage, credit cards, traveller's cheques and personal items. This could be really helpful as according to Finder's latest 2023 research, almost 8% of Australians have lost personal items when travelling.

• See a full list of what travel insurance can cover

  • Accidental death
  • Overseas emergency dental expenses
  • Hospital cash allowance
  • Loss of income
  • Overseas emergency assistance
  • Overseas medical and hospital expenses
  • Permanent disability
  • Resumption of journey
  • Alternative transport for special events
  • Cancellation and amendment fees
  • Travel delay expenses
  • Daily delayed luggage allowance
  • Luggage and personal belongings
  • Theft of cash
  • Travel documents and bank cards
  • Personal liability
  • Rental car excess insurance
  • COVID-19 medical expenses
  • Rearrangement costs if you get COVID-19

How do travel insurers cover pre-existing conditions?

Once you reach a certain age, you'll have had some things...well, break. Or not work right. Or just less good. Point is, you've got pre-existing conditions. The good news is you can probably still get travel insurance coverage.

Several travel insurers will cover you for certain pre-existing medical conditions like diabetes, hypertension and skin cancer at no extra cost.

However, if you have any pre-existing conditions, you must let your insurer know when you sign up. Declaring pre-existing conditions is super easy when you take out a policy, it takes a matter of minutes.

Once declared, your travel insurer may be able to offer you cover for your pre-existing medical condition. Sometimes this will be free, sometimes it will cost you extra. Alternatively, it may agree to cover you in general, but not for claims related to your pre-existing condition.

While it may be tempting to not declare pre-existing conditions, it's not worth the risk. If you don't tell your insurer, it could deny any future claim you may make!

How much does travel insurance cost for seniors?

How much does travel insurance cost is one of those 'how long is a piece of string' problems. The longer you're travelling, and the more risky the places you're travelling, the more you'll pay. That being said, we've done some some numbers to give you a bit of an idea.

As part of the 2023 Finder Awards, we collected data on almost 200 quotes for seniors. We had a look at a single 79-year-old travelling for 2 weeks in Australia (domestic) and a few other destinations like New Zealand, Bali, Europe and the US (international).

We found the average cost of a seniors domestic policy was $510 and an international policy was steeper at $786. Use the comparison tools on this page to get a free quote for your next trip.

Senior travel insurance tips

• Book early: Your cancellation cover starts as soon as you take out a policy. This means if something goes wrong and you need to cancel or rearrange your trip, you'll be covered.
• Get COVID cover: "COVID still makes up 11% of all claims paid to customers," CEO of Southern Cross Travel Insurance, Jo McCauley, says. "On average we are paying out claims for cancellation and travel disruption due to COVID to the value of $1,500."
• Disclose any pre-existing medical conditions: You can do this when you apply for a policy. Travel insurers have made this process much simpler these days. In most cases, you just need to fill out a short questionnaire.
• Take documents with you: Keep a copy of your travel insurance policy as well as any medication you may take. This can make claiming simpler while you're overseas.

Frequently asked questions

• Can you get travel insurance over 70?

  Yes. Lots of travel insurers have no age limit. Even the ones that do typically cover you up to the age of 80.

• Is there a travel insurance that covers COVID 19?

  Yes. Most comprehensive travel insurance policies can cover you for COVID-related expenses now. This includes medical expenses and cancellation and rearrangement costs. Before 2020, travel insurance didn't typically cover anything related to pandemics. Happily, this has since changed.

• What pre-existing conditions are not covered by travel insurance?

  Though this can vary depending on the insurer, travel insurance usually doesn't cover the following pre-existing conditions:

  • Alcohol or drug dependency
  • Terminal illnesses
  • If you require oxygen therapy or home oxygen for the journey
  • If you're awaiting any type of treatment or medical procedure
  • If you've recently received medical treatment that required hospitalisation
  • Certain diseases such as cardiovascular disease
  • Certain types of cancer
  • Congestive heart failure

• Is high blood pressure considered a pre-existing condition for travel insurance?

  High blood pressure (hypertension) is considered a pre-existing condition for travel insurance but it's possible to get cover, typically if you haven't been hospitalised for that condition within a certain period of time (typically between 12 and 24 months).

• Does blood pressure medication affect travel insurance?

  You should tell your insurer if you have high blood pressure, including if you take medication for it. Even if it's being well-managed through medication, it may still charge you more for a policy.

• Does travel insurance cover diabetes?

  Yes. Many insurers automatically cover type 1 and type 2 diabetes if you were diagnosed more than 12 months ago and you haven't had any recent health issues.

• Can I get travel insurance for cruises?

  Yes, most travel insurance can cover you for cruises. When you take out a policy, you usually have the option to add on cruise cover. It can cover you for on-board medical expenses and emergency evacuation.

To make sure you get accurate and helpful information, this guide has been edited by Tim Bennett as part of our fact-checking process.

Written by

Gary Ross Hunter

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 644 Finder guides across topics including:

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