Travel insurance can reimburse you for costs associated with returning home at short notice.
To be covered, the emergency must be unexpected.
There is generally no cover if you were aware of any pre-existing medical condition before the policy started.
Does travel insurance cover you for a death in the family?
Yes. If a family member falls ill or dies while you are travelling or before you depart, comprehensive travel insurance can help you recover your cancellation costs including pre-booked tickets and hotels, costs associated with returning home at short notice and costs associated with resuming your journey at a later date. Most insurers have the following conditions:
You are covered for the unexpected death, injury or hospitalisation of a relative in Australia or New Zealand.
If your relative is hospitalised or dies due to a pre-existing medical condition, you are only covered if you were unaware of the likelihood of hospitalisation or death when you purchased your policy.
You are covered for the unexpected death, sudden injury or illness of a relative who is in Australia at the time the event occurs.
You are not covered if you are aware of any pre-existing medical condition before the policy started or if during the 90 days before the policy they needed any treatments, consultation, required medication or had been diagnosed with a terminal condition.
You are covered for unexpected hospitalisation or death of a relative.
If your relative is hospitalised or dies due to a pre-existing medical condition, you are only covered if you were unaware of the likelihood of hospitalisation or death when you purchase your policy.
You are covered for the unexpected death or hospitalisation of a relative.
If your relative is hospitalised or dies due to a pre-existing medical condition, you are only covered if you were unaware of the likelihood of hospitalisation or death when you purchased your policy.
Note: This information was last updated August 2022
What do insurers consider as a ‘relative’?
In order to qualify for trip cancellation cover following the illness or death of a relative, your family member must meet the insurer’s definition of ‘relative’. The term normally refers to a:
Spouse, de facto partner, fiancé or a fiancée
Parent or parent-in-law
Son, daughter, son-in-law or daughter-in-law
Brother, sister, brother-in-law or sister-in-law
Grandchild or grandparent
Step-parent, step-son or step-daughter
The exact definition of a relative for each travel insurance policy will differ. It is best to check with your insurer if you're unsure.
Am I covered if my relative falls ill or dies from a pre-existing medical condition?
In most cases, you won't be covered if a relative falls ill or passes away due to a pre-existing condition. This is an exclusion with most insurers. However, if you were unaware of the condition at the time you took out the policy, then travel insurance can cover you.
What is considered as 'aware'
Travel insurers will typically exclude cover if your family member is on any sort of waiting list or if you were aware of any recent:
Treatments
Consultation
Diagnosis
Required medication
Upcoming surgery
Can I resume my trip and be covered for it?
Most trip cancellation policies will allow you to resume your journey at a later date after being forced to return home due to the illness or death of a relative. There are normally specific conditions surrounding this type of cover, including:
Your trip must have been for a minimum number of days
Your insurance must have had a minimum period left to run (usually at least 50%)
You must have had no knowledge that such an incident might occur prior to your departure
Your resumption expenses must be pre-approved by your insurer
You must resume your journey before your policy expires.
Example: John and Sue's trip re-arrangement
John and Sue were into the second week of their month-long European holiday when their son called and told them that his 9-year-old daughter, Emily (their granddaughter), was unwell and had been admitted to hospital. She had been diagnosed with a rare blood disease and would be undergoing life-saving treatment in the next few days.
This was completely unexpected news for John and Sue, and they immediately rang their airline and insurance company to arrange to cancel their trip and return home to be with their granddaughter.
Emily remained in hospital for several weeks, but soon began to make a full recovery. A relieved John and Sue were then able to resume their interrupted European holiday, thanks to their resumption of journey cover reimbursing them for the costs associated with rebooking their flights and accommodation.
Costs incurred
Fee for bringing the date of original return flight forward: $200
New round trip flights back to resume journey: $3,500
Fees for changes to accommodation dates: $150
Total costs covered by insurance
$3,700
Out-of-pocket costs
$150 in excess
Frequently asked questions
You may be eligible for a free change or refund with the airline, depending on their rules. However, travel insurance can cover you if you need to cancel your trip, including your flights, because of a family emergency such as the unexpected death of a relative.
Yes, it can. Most comprehensive travel insurance policies can cover cancellation if a close family member falls unexpectedly ill. In most cases, it can reimburse you for the cost of your flights home.
Age limits apply to many trip cancellation policies in terms of the illness or death of a relative. The age your relative can be will vary with insurers, but many set a maximum age of around 90, after which the illness or death is not deemed to be 'unexpected' and no cover is offered. Some travel insurance brands do not state an age limit, but the health of your relative is a condition many policies will consider.
If your relative is elderly and you are concerned about whether you will be covered if an incident occurs while you're away, you should read your product disclosure statement (PDS) carefully and contact your insurer for further information.
As with all forms of insurance, trip cancellation cover has certain exclusions or circumstances in which a claim will not be paid. These depend on the individual insurer, but they generally include:
Travelling despite suspecting that your relative might die or become hospitalised
Expenses that you incur while you're at home
The cost of a return flight home if you haven't already booked one (considered part of normal costs rather than emergency expenses)
Any expenses that you've already claimed for elsewhere in your travel insurance policy
Jessica Prasida is a travel insurance expert for Finder. She lives and breathes travel, having worked as a travel agent and branch manager at STA Travel for over 4 years, then writing about travel insurance with Finder for another 5 years. Jess has a Bachelor of Business from the University of Technology, Sydney and a Tier 1 General Insurance qualification. See full bio
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:
Plan to travel while pregnant? Read about the type of cover available for pregnant travellers of up to 32 weeks.
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