Travel insurance for Australians already overseas

Can you get travel insurance when you're already overseas?

Yup, you can still get travel insurance if you've already left Australia, or your home city if you're travelling domestically. However, there are some limitations to what and when you'll be able to claim, which will vary by insurer. These could include:

• Not all travel insurers offer cover if you're already overseas/have started a domestic trip.
• Those that do won't cover anything that's already happened.
• There'll be a waiting period where you won't be able to make a claim - typically 2 or 3 days.
• Your trip will need to end in Australia for you to be able to get cover.
• You'll probably need to be an Aussie resident.

When should you take out travel insurance?

You should get travel insurance as soon as you can - as soon as you've committed to the trip basically. This is because travel insurance can cover costs associated with your trip even before the trip starts, but only if you've already taken out cover.

For example, lets say you book flights and accomodation in February for a trip in April. Then let's say an insurable event forces you to cancel your trip in March. If you took out travel insurance when you booked your trip, you should be covered for any losses. However, if you'd waited until April to buy a policy, then you wouldn't be covered, and would need to cover the costs yourself.

It won't cost you any more to buy travel insurance in advance, but it can save you tonnes of cash if something goes wrong.

Already overseas travel insurance: Conditions for each insurer

Brand	Waiting Periodmore info button	Journey Must End in Australia?	Enquire
	3 days for all claims		Bonus Get quote
	3 days for all claims		Bonus Get quote
	72 hours for Covid related claims 48 hours for other claims		Finder AwardBonus Get quote
	48 hours for all claims		Get quote
	48 hours for all claims		Get quote
	3 days for all claims		Bonus Get quote
	48 hours for all claims		More info
	3 days for all claims		Get quote
	3 days for all claims		Get quote
	72 hours for all claims		More info

Note: This information was last updated August 2023

What does already overseas travel insurance cover?

Already overseas travel insurance policies will generally offer the same level of cover as any other plan. This includes:

• Overseas medical assistance and hospital expenses.
• Medical evacuation and repatriation
• COVID-related losses
• Hire car excess
• Cancellation or amendment to your trip (e.g if you suffer a serious illness and are unable to travel home as planned)
• Theft, damage or loss of your belongings.
• Theft of cash, valuables and belongings
• Family emergencies

Tips for comparing travel insurance policies if you are already overseas

There are a number of tips you should be aware of to help ensure you end up with the best already overseas travel insurance policy to suit your needs.

• What is the waiting period? Most insurers will apply a waiting period of about 3 days before cover will commence.
• What excess will you pay? Some insurers will apply an increased excess for already overseas policies.
• What activities will you be covered for? Then you can consider the activities and experiences you plan on enjoying while travelling. Will you be just relaxing beside the pool most of the time or are you planning on engaging in higher-risk activities like skydiving? Some policies will exclude certain activities, so make sure you know what is and isn’t covered.
• Will you be covered for medical repatriation to Australia? If taking out travel insurance while overseas, it's important to find a policy that will cover the cost of medical repatriation to Australia where necessary.
• Need cover for the family? Most insurance companies offer Family cover so that you can cover your spouse and children under the one policy. Cover for dependents under the age of 21 is generally provided free of charge.

Frequently asked questions

• Can I buy travel insurance after my departure?

  Yes. Some Australian travel insurers will allow you to buy travel insurance after you've left the country. They won't cover you for anything related to the portion of your trip that has passed but they will cover you for the remainder of your stay.

• Can you add countries to your travel insurance?

  Yes, when you take out travel insurance, you will be asked what countries you are travelling to. If you have changed plans and will be visiting more countries, call your insurer to add them on to your policy for an additional charge. Alternatively, take out another travel insurance policy for the countries you will be visiting.

• Can I get travel insurance if I am already overseas and don’t plan on returning home?

  No. Typically, Australian travel insurers usually require you to have an end date for your trip. If you’re living in another country and have no plans to return home in the foreseeable future, you might want to consider taking out cover with an international provider instead, or look into health insurance options.

• Can I extend my policy if I am still travelling overseas?

  Yes, most insurers will allow you to extend your period of cover but the request will usually have to be made within a certain number of days before the policy expiry date. The general process for extending your cover is:

  • Call the providers call centre or email the provider directly
  • Provider will assess your reason for extending cover and provide you with a quote
  • Pay for the extension of cover either online or on the phone

  When will I not be able to extend my cover?

  • For any pre-existing conditions unless specified by the insurer
  • For medical conditions that you suffered during the first period of cover on your original policy
  • If you have not notified your insurer of events that may lead to a claim under your original policy
  • If you are over the maximum age eligible to apply for an extension under your insurers policy

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

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