One-way travel insurance

What is one-way travel insurance?

One-way travel insurance, as the name implies, cover you for trips where you don't have a return flight booked. It can usually cover you for 12-24 months or you can have it expire once you reach your destination and you've organised local health insurance. It works a lot like regular travel insurance, but you don't need to provide the exact end date of your trip.

Who needs one-way travel insurance?

If you've booked a flight overseas with no return date in mind, you probably want to get one-way travel insurance – for example, if you're moving to a different country and want covered for flight cancellations and medical expenses when you first get there.

Here are a few examples of folk that might need one-way travel insurance:

• You have no set return dayte: If you're backpacking in Asia and haven't decided when to come home, you need one-way cover.
• You're moving overseas: If you're moving to the USA for a new job, you'll want to make sure that you're covered until you're all set up.
• You only need cover for the flight over. For example, if you're a UK citizen visitng home, one-way cover can help you and your stuff get home in one piece.

One-way travel insurance for a working holiday?

"I took out one-way travel insurance when I moved to Canada on a working holiday visa. It was a requirement from the Canadian government, but it was also good to have in case my flights were affected, or I had medical costs that weren't covered for non-citizens. I took out a one-way policy from fast cover, then extended it to the full 2 years I needed it for. Super easy."

Tim Bennett

Insurance expert

Who offers one-way travel insurance?

Brand	Offers One-Way Travel Insurance?	Maximum Trip Length	Apply
		12 months	Finder AwardBonus Get quote
		12 months	Finder AwardBonus Get quote
		12 months	Get quote
		24 months	Finder AwardBonus Get quote
		12 months	Get quote
		12 months	Get quote
		12 months	Get quote
		12 months	Bonus Get quote
		12 months	Finder Award Get quote
		12 months/td>	More info
		18 months	Get quote
		12 months	Bonus Get quote

Note: This information was last updated August 2023

What's covered by one-way travel insurance?

One-way travel insurance offers similar coverage to standard policies, including:

• Medical expenses: Unexpected medical bills during your trip.
• Trip cancellation: Covers costs if you need to cancel your trip before departure.
• Travel delays: Reimbursement for missed flights or connections.
• Lost or damaged baggage: Coverage for lost or damaged belongings.
• Personal liability: Covers accidental damage caused to others.
• Emergency evacuation: Covers costs if you need to be medically evacuated home.

What isn't covered by one-way travel insurance?

While one-way travel insurance offers peace of mind, it has limitations:

• Onward travel: Repatriation to Australia might be covered, but not a return flight from your final destination.
• Pre-existing medical conditions: Be upfront about any pre-existing conditions to avoid claim rejection.
• Extreme activities: Coverage might be excluded for high-risk activities (e.g., skydiving).
• Change of mind: Cancelling for non-covered reasons won't be reimbursed.
• Negligence: Losing valuables due to carelessness might not be covered.
• Already overseas: Most one-way travel insurance requires purchase before departure.

Some of these limitations are common to travel insurance as a whole, and many of them will vary between travel insurance companies. The best way to learn more is to start comparing, then have a read of the PDS of the insurance company you're interested in.

Extending Your Travel Insurance While Overseas

So you fell in love with your new destination and want to extend your stay? Most insurers allow extending your travel insurance while overseas, but conditions apply. There'll also be a maximum length of time that you'll be able to extend it, so it's not a permament solution.

Getting Travel Insurance if You're Already Overseas

If you didn't get travel insurance before you left Australia, or you forgot to extend it before it ran out, fear not. Lots of travel insurers offer travel insurance for Australians already overseas. That said, you might have fewer options, and you'll need to wait a bit before you're able to make a claim, normally 2 or 3 days.

Questions you still might have

• Can I get travel insurance for a one-way trip?

  Yes. Some providers offer one-way travel insurance, ideal if you're leaving Australia and are not sure exactly when you'll be heading back home. It can cover you for up to 24 months.

• How to get travel insurance with no return date?

  If you're going overseas and haven't booked a return flight, some but not all insurers will allow you to take out travel insurance.

• What if I'm moving to a country indefinitely?

  If you're moving to another country, some insurers will end your cover between 24 hours to 7 days from leaving immigration control at the airport. This is for those who don't have a return date to Australia at all. This is because if you're relocating to another country, you're no longer "travelling" as such, so it's expected that some form of local health insurance will kick in.

• Am I covered for one-way trips back to Australia?

  You'll need insurance for Australians that are already overseas. Most insurers offering this will need you to already have a return ticket booked to Australia.

• What's not covered by one-way travel insurance?

  There are certain circumstances under which travel insurance claims will not be paid. These are similar to those you'll find with standard travel insurance and include:

  • If your claim is the result of attempted suicide or an attempted self-inflicted act
  • If your claim is a result of you acting unlawfully or recklessly
  • If your claim results from you being under the influence of drugs, except for those prescribed by a medical practitioner
  • If your claim results from you being excessively under the influence of alcohol
  • If you ride a motorcycle on your trip (unless you are wearing a helmet and are licensed to ride a motorcycle in Australia)
  • If your claim results from you leaving your belongings unattended in a public place and they are lost or stolen
  • If you participate in high-risk adventure sports and activities like skydiving (unless you have added this to your policy)
  • If you are more than 26 weeks pregnant and you suffer any pregnancy-related complications.

• How do I cancel my travel insurance after I arrive?

  Your travel insurance will automatically cancel after the expiry date. You can't cancel the remaining unused portion of a policy for a refund after the cooling-off period.

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