Travel insurance for a death in the family

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:

• The person must meet the insurer’s definition of a relative
• The person must be under a specified age limit (according to the travel insurance policy)
• The death or illness must be unexpected

How am I covered by travel insurance for family emergency? Compare your options

Brand	Maximum age of relative	Conditions	Apply
	Not stated	You are covered for the unexpected death, sudden injury or illness of relative. No cover if you were aware of any pre-existing medical condition before the policy started.	Bonus Get quote
	Not stated	You are covered for the unexpected death, sudden injury or illness of relative. No cover if you were aware of any pre-existing medical condition before the policy started.	Bonus Get quote
	84	You are covered for the unexpected death, sudden injury or illness of relative. No cover if you were aware of any pre-existing medical condition before the policy started.	Get quote
	Not stated	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.	Finder AwardBonus Get quote
	90	You are covered for the unexpected death, sudden injury or illness of relative. No cover if you were aware of any pre-existing medical condition before the policy started.	Get quote
	84	You are covered for the unexpected death, sudden injury or illness of relative. No cover if you were aware of any pre-existing medical condition before the policy started.	Get quote
	Not stated	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 for any of your relative's medical conditions you knew about before the policy started.	Bonus Get quote
	Not stated	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.more info button	Bonus Get quote
	Not stated	You are covered for the unexpected death, sudden injury or illness of relative. No cover if you were aware of any pre-existing medical condition before the policy started.	Get quote
	Not stated	You are covered for the unexpected death, sudden injury or illness of relative. No cover if you were aware of any pre-existing medical condition before the policy started.	Bonus Get quote
	84	You are covered for the unexpected death, sudden injury or illness of relative. No cover if you were aware of any pre-existing medical condition before the policy started.	Finder Award Get quote
	Not stated	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.	More info
	Not stated	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.	More info
	Not stated	You are covered for the unexpected death, sudden injury or illness of relative. No cover if you were aware of any pre-existing medical condition before the policy started.	Get quote
	Not stated	You are covered for the unexpected death, sudden injury or illness of relative. No cover if you were aware of any pre-existing medical condition before the policy started.	Get quote
	84	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.	More info
	Not stated	You are covered for the unexpected death, sudden injury or illness of relative. No cover if you were aware of any pre-existing medical condition before the policy started.	Get quote
	Not stated	You are covered for the sudden disabling injury, sickness or disease or death of relative. You are not covered for any of your relative's medical conditions you knew about before the policy started.	Bonus Get quote
	Not stated	You are covered for the unexpected death, sudden injury or illness of relative. You are not covered for any of your relative's medical conditions you knew about before the policy started.	More info
	84	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.	More info

^{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:

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?

A pre-existing medical condition is a condition that is known about prior to an insurable event.

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:

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.

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Frequently asked questions

• Can you cancel a flight due to family emergency?

  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.

• Will travel insurance cover cancellation due to family illness?

  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.

• Am I still covered if my relative is over 90 years old?

  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.

• When won't I be covered?

  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

Written by

Jessica Prasida

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 profile

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