Travel insurance underwriters

Find out who is behind Australian travel insurance policies.

Travel Insurance

If you’re hunting for travel insurance, you will have noticed the huge range of policies out there. What you may not have noticed is that these policies are issued by a handful of insurers, who are also known as the underwriter. Knowing who underwrites your travel insurance policy is an important consideration when choosing your policy, as it may help you save time when you shop around.

BrandUnderwriterWho handles general claims?24/7 emergency assistance providersApply
Medibank Travel Insurance
Zurich Australian Insurance Limited
Travel Insurance Partners Pty Limited
Travel Insurance Partners Pty Limited
Bonus
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Freely Travel Insurance
Zurich Australian Insurance Limited
Freely c/o Cover-More
Cover-More
Bonus
Get quote
Zoom logo
HDI Global Specialty SE – Australia
Zoom Travel Insurance
First Assistance
Fast Cover Logo
Lloyd's
Fast Cover
Fast Cover Emergency Assistance
Finder AwardBonus
Get quote
Insure4Less Travel Insurance Logo
Chase Underwriting Pty Ltd
Gallagher Bassett Services
Fullerton Health Emergency Assistance
Travel Insuranz Travel Insurance Logo
Chase Underwriting Pty Ltd
Gallagher Bassett Services
Fullerton Health Emergency Assistance
insureandgo
Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance Company
InsureandGo
EUROP ASSISTANCE
Bonus
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Tick Logo
Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance Company, Limited
Tick Travel Insurance
EUROP ASSISTANCE
Finder AwardBonus
Get quote
World2Cover Logo
Tokio Marine Management (Australasia) Pty. Ltd
World2Cover
World2Cover
Covermore logo
Zurich Australian Insurance Limited
Cover-More
Cover-More Emergency Assistance
Bonus
Get quote
Southern Cross LogoSCTI
Southern Cross Benefits Limited
Southern Cross Travel Insurance
Southern Cross Emergency Assistance
Finder Award
Get quote
Travel Insurance Saver
Pacific International Insurance Pty Ltd
nib Travel Services (Australia) Pty Ltd
nib International Assistance
Easy Travel Insurance
Zurich Australian Insurance Limited (ZAIL)
Cover-More
Cover-More
ahm life insurance
Zurich Australian Insurance Limited
Travel Insurance Partners Pty Limited
Travel Insurance Partners Pty Limited
Bonus
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Kogan travel insurance logo
Zurich Australian Insurance Limited (ZAIL)
Travel Insurance Partners Pty Limited
Travel Insurance Partners Pty Limited
Bonus
Get quote
WAS Logo
Pacific International Insurance Pty Ltd
battleface Insurance Services Pty Ltd
battleface Insurance Services Pty Ltd
Finder AwardBonus
Get quote
Travel Protect
Pacific International Insurance Pty Ltd
battleface Insurance Services Pty Ltd
battleface Insurance Services Pty Ltd
Stella travel insurance logo
Pacific International Insurance Pty Ltd
battleface Insurance Services Pty Ltd
Stella’s specialist Emergency Assistance team Robin Assist
Australia Post
Zurich Australian Insurance Limited
Travel Insurance Partners Pty Limited
Travel Insurance Partners Pty Limited

Note: This information was last updated March 2024

Who underwrites the policies compared on finder.com.au?

At finder.com.au, we aim to provide you with all the information you need to make an informed purchase decision. The table above will help you figure out who you are buying from and who you need to deal with if you have to make a claim circumstances or have an emergency.

How it all works

  1. You purchase a policy. When you purchase a policy from an insurance provider or a travel insurance brand, you’ll need to pay a premium.
  2. Underwriter is paid. The premium goes to the underwriter of the policy.
  3. Provider takes a cut. The underwriter then pays a commission to the travel insurance provider or brand.

Must read

Joe shops online for travel insurance and decides 1Cover Comprehensive Travel Insurance is suitable for his trip to Italy. Joe buys the policy and the premium he pays goes to Lloyd's, the underwriter of 1Cover travel insurance. Lloyd's then pays a portion of that premium to 1Cover as a commission for selling the travel insurance policy to Joe.

Why does it concern me?

If something goes wrong on your holiday and you need to make a claim, you need to know that your travel insurance policy is backed by a reliable underwriter with a simple and efficient claims handling process. A reputable underwriter can ensure you don’t end up out of pocket for unexpected travel disasters and will also offer a 24/7 emergency hotline.

You’ll need to consider the following factors when choosing your underwriter and the service being offered:

  • Reputation. You can gauge a company’s standing in the industry through recommendations from industry experts, online reviews and financial comparison websites.
  • Experience with the Australian market. Consider how long the underwriter been issuing policies to Australians and if it has a good grasp of the ins and outs of the Australian insurance industry.
  • The claims process. Consider what you need to do when you make a claim, how long it takes for claims to be processed, and whether the company has a good reputation for paying out claims.
  • The emergency response team. Check to see if the underwriter runs a 24/7 emergency hotline that you can contact from anywhere in the world. An emergency response team that can help you find a doctor, a police station or whatever help you may need in a foreign country can be handy.
  • The benefits. The benefits and limitations of a policy can usually be associated with the underwriter.
  • The exclusions. Check if the underwriter excludes certain activities and incidents from its policies, such as participation in sports and adventure activities while on holiday. Cross-check that with another underwriter.

Save time by comparing underwriters first

You can save time if you compare underwriters instead of insurance policies first. Policies issued by the same underwriter will generally be similar to one another, whereas you’re likely to find bigger differences between a policy issued by underwriter A and underwriter B. You can then look at different policies from the same underwriter to further refine your choice.

Do I make claims through my provider, the underwriter or someone else?

Who handles your claim will vary depending on:

  • Your policy
  • The type of claim

Read your product disclosure statement (PDS) for instructions on who you need to contact in the event of a claim.

Must read: Different policy, different process

Columbus Direct Travel Insurance is underwritten by Lloyd’s, but you would need to make a claim for a stolen laptop with Columbus Direct. If you require medical treatment at a hospital overseas, you will need to contact its medical assistance provider, Specialty Group Ltd. On the other hand, if you have a 1Cover policy, you would direct any claim (regardless of its nature) to the underwriter, Allianz.

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Jessica Prasida's headshot
Travel Insurance Expert

Jessica Prasida brings a decade of experience in the travel industry, including over four years as a travel agent and branch manager at STA Travel. She holds a Bachelor of Business and a Master of Marketing from the University of Technology, Sydney, as well as a Tier 1 General Insurance qualification that complies with ASIC guidelines. An avid traveller herself, Jessica combines her professional expertise with a passion for ensuring safe and enjoyable journeys for all travellers. Jessica was a Travel Insurance Publisher at Finder from 2019 to 2024. See full bio

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2 Responses

    Default Gravatar
    richardJuly 24, 2017

    HI I am Australian on a holiday in Europe, 71 years old and have travel insurance for Europe with AXA. I decided on the spot to go to Cuba with friends for 8 days, leaving Frankfurt on 26 July. Not easy now to find travel insurance for that trip!!! I searched the web and asked AXA and others, all negative. I am sure some company will cover me but which one? Can you help. Thanks richard

      Default Gravatar
      ArnoldAugust 3, 2017

      Hi Richard,

      Thanks for your inquiry.

      Please note finder is a comparison and information service and not an insurer. We are not permitted to provide our users with personalized financial advice or product recommendations.

      If you would like to compare policies from the travel insurance brands in our panel, please enter your travel details like destination, age and dates of the trip into the comparison form.

      Once you have done you can click on ‘Go to site’ button to head over to the Insurer website.

      Hope this information helped.

      Cheers,
      Arnold

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