Our Pick Of The Best Comprehensive Travel Insurance Providers In Australia

Although the pandemic is well and truly behind us, Covid continues to interrupt our travel plans, and compared with other policies, Travel Insurance Direct offers very thorough Covid-19 cover, including both medical expenses and trip cancellations. Furthermore, some 43 medical conditions are automatically covered, however, additional conditions are not considered.

Where the policy really stands out is in its coverage of a broad range of activities—some 93—with travellers able to add on extra coverage for certain higher-risk activities, such as snow sports. Plus, there are more than 2,500 reviews of the policy on Product Review, with an average of 4.2 stars.

Yes, overseas medical expenses related to Covid-19 are included in the unlimited medical cover, as well as additional travel expenses up to $2,500.

Cancellations due to Covid-19 are covered for you and travelling party.

Bupa travel insurance is underwritten by Allianz, and its comprehensive travel insurance policy is similar to Allianz’s branded offering.

Along with unlimited medical, hospital and $2,000 in dental cover, Bupa offers 24/7 emergency assistance with Australian-based doctors and nurses. It’s more generous than Allianz on the medical front, which has a $20 million limit to medical cover. With Bupa, credit card fraud is covered up to $5,000, and lost luggage is insured at $12,000 (sub-limits apply). The policy is open to all ages.

Yes, Covid-19 is covered under medical expenses.

Cancellations due to Covid-19 are covered if the cancellation is due to a government-enforced border closure or due to the policy holder having to complete a quarantine. As this is less of an issue these days, this policy feature may not be as important to travellers.

InsureandGo may appeal to families, with 90 activities included and the option to add additional extras, such as snow cover. Children are covered up to the age of 18 if they are travelling with parents or grandparents, and the maximum age for a policy-holder is 100 years old—although if you’re heading on a cruise the maximum age is 79.

Lost luggage is covered up to $15,000—sub limits apply—and there is unlimited cancellation cover.

The company’s comprehensive offering, known as Gold, was rated an average of 4 stars from more than 6,000 reviews.

Yes, overseas medical expenses related to Covid-19 are covered, as are cancellations for the policy holder and their travelling companions.

insure4less covers a wide range of activities—more than 120 are listed in PDS—while additional, high-risk sports can also be added. The comprehensive policy, known as Excel Plus, covers medical expenses of Covid-19, along with any additional expenses required for you to return to Australia. However, dental tops out at $500.

It covers lost luggage up to $5,000 (sub limits apply), which is admittedly a lower amount than most. Cancellations are insured up to $7,500 per person, connecting flights up to $1,000 and personal liability up to $7.5 million—the higher end of what is typically offered. Coverage for pre-existing medical conditions are subject to the completion of an online medical questionnaire.

Read more: insure4less Review: Pros and Cons

Mostly. Overseas medical expenses related to covid-19 are covered, as well as additional expenses for you to return early due to Covid if necessary. However, cancellations due to Covid are not covered.

Allianz’s top-tier policy covers a range of pre-existing medical conditions, however, online assessments are required and conditions need to be met. Some 38 activities are included and listed in the pds, and there is no age limit to coverage, which is a plus.

There’s also the option to increase certain limits (luggage, cancellations, etc) for higher levels of coverage depending on the your needs. Nevertheless, its luggage starts at $10,000 as standard, whereas some competitors offer higher entry-level luggage cover.

Allianz is popular among its customers, scoring an average of 4 stars from more than 3,100 stars on ProductReview.

However, whereas previously Allianz offered unlimited medical and dental, it is now capped at $20 million, with dental included in this amount.

Yes, Covid-19 is covered under medical expenses.

Cancellations due to Covid-19 are covered if the cancellation is due to a government-enforced border closure or due to the policy holder having to complete a quarantine due to Covid-19. As quarantine is less of an issue these days, this may be not as important to travellers.

Cover-More’s travel insurance not only covers Covid-19 medical expenses overseas, but also provides $2,500 for additional expenses. Lost luggage is also covered up to $15,000, as are dependent children up to 21 provided they are financially dependent and not in full-time employment.

Travellers up to 99 years of age can travel on the Cover-More policy, however, senior travellers must meet certain criteria.

What prevented us from giving Cover-More a higher score was its average reviews: it scored an average of 3.4 stars out of more than 3,000 reviews on ProductReview. (Forbes Advisor pays little attention to reviews when there are fewer than 100, and always takes into account that reviews tend to skew negative).

Mostly. Covid-19 related medical expenses are covered, with additional expenses of up to $2,500.

There is up to $5,000 for cancellations related to Covid-19, but only on the comprehensive policy.

From more than 4500 reviews on ProductReview, 1Cover has received a high average rating of 4.3 stars.

The comprehensive policy covers more than 100 sports and activities, and includes the option to add additional packs for high-risk activities. The rest of the policy can also be personalised, allowing policyholders to add or increase cover to suit their trip.

Credit card fraud is covered up to $5,000, as is disruption of journey when the delay is for more than six hours.

Partially. Medical expenses for Covid-19 are covered, but cancellations are not.

Fast Cover offers unlimited cover for both medical expenses and cancellations, however, it no longer includes automatic coverage for a range of pre-existing conditions but instead offers online medical screening up to the age of 89. This means if you want to ensure you’re covered for a specific condition, you need to complete an online form beforehand.

The policy offers good Covid-19 coverage, including listing Covid-19 as a medical expense and including it as a reason for cancellation, however dental is capped at $1,000. Additional add-ons such as adventure or snow packs  are not available to travellers over a certain age, and if you booked through a travel agent, cancellation cover for travel agent fees tops out at $1,500.

Read more: Fast Cover Review: Features, Pros and Cons

Yes, overseas medical expenses due to Covid-19 are covered, as are cancellations for those named on the insurance certificate.

Tick Travel Insurance’s Top plan includes unlimited medical coverage, emergency dental to the tune of $500 and is open to travellers up to the age of 100.

Missed connections are not insurable but there is cover for travel delay expenses resulting from poor weather, a strike, industrial action or mechanical breakdown. Cover is for up to $100 per completed hour with a total limit of $1,000.

Most impressive of all is Tick’s positive customer reviews, with the company receiving an average of four stars out of more than 2,900 reviews on Product Review. We also like the $20,000 cancellation cover, which is more than a lot of its competitors.

The good news is that under Tick Travel Insurance’s Top Plan, you will be covered for covid-related cancellations, medical expenses or trip disruptions when overseas.

Qantas Comprehensive Travel Insurance offers unlimited medical expenses, including coverage for Covid-19 diagnoses. It also automatically covers 43 pre-existing medical conditions (pending certain criteria), but requires a medical assessment, in the form of an online form, for any conditions not listed.

Cover for lost, stolen or damaged travel documents and personal items is capped at a generous $15,000, as well as coverage for emergency dental for acute pain of up to $2,500. However, there is no cover for credit card fraud, and Qantas insurance receives poor reviews on ProductReview with an average of 1.2 from an admittedly small pool of just 48 reviews.

Note: the standard comprehensive policy is for those aged up to 69; there is a seperate policy for 70+ years.

Yes, overseas medical expenses includes if you are diagnosed with Covid-19. Cancellations due to a positive Covid-19 diagnosis are also covered, as well as ‘reasonable’ additional expenses (such as if you are required to quarantine).

Australia Post’s comprehensive travel insurance covers credit card fraud up to $5,000, lost luggage insurance up to $12,000 (sub-limits apply on certain items) and no age limit on policies. There is unlimited emergency medical cover, with a $2,000 limit for dental, which is also decent. There is no cover specifically for missed connections but there is cover for travel delay of six hours or more, up to a total of $2,000. Car hire excess is covered to the tune of $10,000, which is among the highest in the market.

However, cruises of more than two nights will not be covered and need to be added as an additional pack to the policy. Reviews on ProductReview are average: 2.8 stars from 150-plus reviews.

Partially. Covid-19 related medical expenses and additional expenses are are covered, but an additional excess applies. Cancellations due to Covid-19 are not covered, and there is no cover for claims arising from Covid-19 while travelling on a cruise.