Travel insurance for Australians already overseas
Forgot travel insurance before you left home? While you can get travel insurance when you're already overseas, there are some limitations.
Key takeaways
- A handful of Australian travel insurers let you buy a policy if you are already overseas.
- It won't cover you for events that have already happened.
- You'll also have a waiting period of a few days before you will be covered.
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 Period | Journey Must End in Australia? | Enquire |
|---|---|---|---|
 | 3 days for all claims | Bonus | |
 | 3 days for all claims | Bonus | |
 | 72 hours for Covid related claims 48 hours for other claims | Finder AwardBonus | |
 | 48 hours for all claims | ||
 | 48 hours for all claims | ||
 | 3 days for all claims | Bonus | |
 | 48 hours for all claims | ||
 | 3 days for all claims | ||
 | 3 days for all claims | ||
 | 72 hours for all claims |
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
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My daughter has just moved to Japan to teach English for 12 months. Her current travel insurance expires on 2nd Sept. Can she obtain personal travel insurance to cover her 12 month stay in Japan,(even though she has not purchased a return ticket as yet)?
If so, what would the premium cost be?
Thank you.
Hi Michelle,
Thanks for your question. Your daughter may be able to extend her policy with her current provider. If her current provider does not extend policies, kindly check on more information about having travel insurance while overseas.
I hope this was helpful,
Richard
I booked an insurance policy yesterday and payed for it and I am yet to receive any verification of the sale
Hi Andrew,
Thanks for your comment. finder.com.au is a comparison service and not an insurer. Have you received confirmation yet? Could you tell me which provider you took cover out with?
Thanks,
Richard
i wish to get my daughter travel insurance while she visits multi countries for the next 2 months = she’s in spain now without cover
Hi Neil,
Thanks for your question.
If you would like to compare policies from the providers in our panel, you may check a review the already overseas cover from our table.
Also, you may enter your daughter’s travel details into the quote form on the travel insurance homepage.
Please make sure to read the eligibility criteria, features, and details of the policy, as well as the relevant Product Disclosure Statement of the policy before making a decision and consider whether the product is right for you. If necessary, speak to the insurance brand to verify any details.
I hope this was helpful,
Richard
A member of my family has been working overseas since November 2009. She completes work in that position in July and her residency of that country residency also ends then. She is taking a break to travel in Europe before starting a course of study on a student visa in the UK. The UK visa comes into force one month before her course officially starts. She has an Australian passport, but has not been a resident of Australia since late 2009. From July 16th her residency permit in her current country of employment ceases. How can she get travel insurance for the period July 17th to September 21st (date when her course in the UK starts??
Hi Granny,
Thanks for your question.
She may be able to apply for one-way travel insurance. This cover does sometimes require that the journey either begin or end in Australia. For more information, please consult our one-way travel insurance page. She may also be able to get cover through a UK provider or even through a credit card provider if she pays for a portion of the trip with the card. You can find out their differences between travel insurance from credit cards and standard travel insurance.
Please make sure to read the eligibility criteria, features, and details of the policy, as well as the relevant Product Disclosure Statement of the policy before making a decision and consider whether the product is right for you. If necessary, speak to the insurance brand to verify any details.
I hope this was helpful,
Richard
Hello,
I am an Australian citizen, currently living and working in the UK. My visa expires at the end of April and then I’m planning on moving to Canada to work and live there for a year.
My travel insurance expires at the end of April. Is it possible to get covered with 1Cover?
Thanks,
Jess
Hi Jess,
Thanks for your question.
You can apply for Plan H with 1Cover. However, the conditions of that policy are:
– You need to be a resident of Australia
– Be overseas when you purchase the policy
– Your one-way journey commences overseas and ends in Australia.
If at the end of the 12 months you are planning to return home, this may be a suitable option for you.
For more information, you may wish to go to the 1Cover website. Once there, you can apply for cover or speak online with one of their sales assistants for more information. Please make sure to read the eligibility criteria, features, and details of the policy, as well as the relevant Product Disclosure Statement of the policy before making a decision and consider whether the product is right for you. If necessary, speak to the insurance brand to verify any details.
I hope this was helpful,
Richard