QBE Travel Insurance

QBE is a provider of travel insurance, car insurance, home & contents insurance and business insurance.

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The table below displays a snapshot of QBE’s travel insurance policies on Canstar’s database, sorted by Star Rating (highest to lowest). Please note the products and Star Ratings displayed are based on a couple travelling to the USA aged under 70.

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What types of travel insurance does QBE offer?

QBE offers both domestic and international travel insurance. If you’re unsure as to which kind of travel insurance is most appropriate for you, or would like to better understand the differences between the different types of cover, check out our comprehensive guide on travel insurance.

What does QBE domestic travel insurance cover?

QBE’s domestic travel insurance policy will cover you for lost or stolen luggage, cancelling your trip unexpectedly, emergency travel/accommodation, rental car expenses and legal liability.

For more details about what is and isn’t covered, check out the Product Disclosure Statement on QBE’s website.

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What does QBE international travel insurance cover?

QBE’s International Comprehensive policy will cover you for:

  • Medical cover: QBE offers unlimited medical, dental and hospital cover. You must provide a medical practitioner’s report confirming you’re unfit to travel.
  • Loss/theft of personal items: QBE also covers the loss or theft of personal items, including trip delays or damage. It will pay up to $7,500.
  • Travel delays/cancellation: QBE does offer cancellation cover; however, you must add the amount of cover that best suits you. It offers up to $1,500 in additional travel and accommodation due to strikes, natural disasters, riots or other severe weather conditions that may delay your trip.
  • Rental car excess: If, as a result of an unexpected event, the rental vehicle you have hired is stolen or damaged during your journey, QBE comprehensive will reimburse you for any non-refundable excess payable to the rental vehicle company of up to $5,000.
  • 24/7 assistance: QBE’s emergency worldwide assistance team is available 24 hours a day via phone.
  • Lost or stolen documents: QBE will cover the cost involved in replacing important documents that have been lost or stolen.

Please note that exclusions may apply. For example, your medical cover may not pay claims for medical or dental treatment received in Australia, while it will only cover losses related pregnancy up to and including the twentieth week. Another example of an exclusion is not being covered for any delays caused by a natural disaster occurring before the start date of your insurance.

For more details about what is and isn’t covered, check out the Product Disclosure Statement on QBE’s website.

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Does QBE travel insurance have overseas hospital cover?

Yes, QBE’s international travel insurance policy has unlimited cover for overseas medical, dental and hospital expenses under the following circumstances:

  • You need medical assistance for an unexpected illness
  • You’re seriously injured in an accident
  • You need to be evacuated for an unexpected injury

As always, various conditions and exclusions will apply. It’s highly unlikely that you will be covered if the injury you suffer is classified as a ‘pre-existing condition’, for example.

For more information, read QBE’s Product Disclosure Statement.

Yes, QBE will cover you up to a certain amount for replacing or reimbursing luggage and personal effects that are lost, stolen or damaged while travelling.

Under QBE’s international policy, up to $7,500 worth of your belongings will be covered. QBE will also cover the cost of essential medication if lost or destroyed as well as sub-limits for items such as laptops, tablets, cameras, etc.

Again, there are exclusions that come with QBE’s travel insurance policies. For personal items and jewellery, you must specify them before applying, and all items must be approved by QBE; otherwise they will not be covered. Ensure you check the PDS to find out more about what items and luggage are and aren’t covered.

If you’re not sure what to do when your luggage goes missing, check out our guide on travel mishaps and how to avoid them.

Yes, QBE travel insurance will cover up to a certain amount for lost deposits and cancellation fees for pre-paid travel arrangements due to unforeseen circumstances outside the traveller’s control on a policy. Read the Product Disclosure Statement for more information.

You can purchase a QBE travel insurance policy by first comparing your options with Canstar and then generating a quote online.  The generator should ask questions such as travel dates, the age of the travellers and the destination, as well as optional extras including snow sport and sub-limits on valuables. It should take around 10 minutes.

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There are three main ways you can lodge a travel insurance claim with QBE, including:

  1. Calling its 24/7 claims line on 1300 555 017 (domestic enquiries) or +61 3 8523 2777 (international enquiries) and talking to one of its qualified customer service representatives.
  2. Downloading a claim form and emailing to claims@qbe.com, or submitting a claim online.
  3. Posting a claims form to:

QBE Claims Department

P.O. Box 12090,

Melbourne VIC 8006

Make sure you have the following documents (and details) ready:

  • Policy number
  • Personal details
  • Supporting documentation (flight details, itinerary, receipts, etc.)
  • Bank account details

Check out our guide on how to make claiming for travel insurance easier.

QBE began because of the ambition of two young Scotsmen named James Burns and Robert Philp, who were partners in a shipping business. They founded the North Queensland Insurance Company Ltd (QI) in 1886 and then the Bankers’ and Traders’ Insurance Company (B&T) in 1921.

Sound investment strategies saw both companies weather the storms of The Great Depression and WWII. The two companies merged in 1973 to become QBE Insurance Group, in what The Australian Financial Review at the time called “one of the largest mergers in Australian history”.

Today, QBE has been in operation for 130 years and is one of the world’s top 20 general insurance and reinsurance companies. It employs more than 14,500 people in 37 countries.

QBE supports the community in a number of ways. The QBE Foundation directly supports charities to help people overcome disadvantage and live independently, such as Assistance Dogs Australia, Foodbank, The Kids’ Cancer Project, Camp Quality and The Big Issue.

Employees of QBE receive one day of leave each year to volunteer for the cause of their choice. They can also apply for a local grant for the charity of their choice, or have their donations matched dollar for dollar by QBE in the workplace giving program.

QBE is also committed to promoting sustainable opportunities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, organisations and businesses.

Source: QBE Insurance

The company has also sponsored the Taronga Conservation Society Australia since 2005, supporting its two zoos, environmental advocacy campaigns and other conservation projects.

Written by: Regina Collins | Last updated: