Is there any travel insurance that covers COVID-19?

With international travel resuming after the pandemic, Canstar has taken a look at the travel insurance providers on our database who currently offer some COVID-19 related cover, as well as some exclusions to be aware of.

Throughout the early stages of the pandemic, Australia was closed to international travel, and most of us were unable to enter or leave the country without applying for special exceptions. This situation has since changed, with international travel now possible for Australian citizens.

If you have travel plans locked in or are contemplating travel at some point down the line, you may be wondering which travel insurance providers offer some COVID-19 related cover, and what you might – or might not – be covered for. We took a look at the providers on our database to find out which ones may offer this type of coverage.

Which travel insurance providers cover COVID-19 related claims?

Over half of the travel insurance providers in Canstar’s database cover COVID-19 related claims in certain circumstances. If you are considering taking out travel insurance, it is important to read the product disclosure statement (PDS), target market determination (TMD) and your policy wording to find out exactly what you will and won’t be covered for, but below is what some of the providers on our database are offering at the time of writing.

1Cover

• For policies effective from: 19 November 2021
• Domestic travel? No
• International travel? Yes
• Important notes: Includes overseas medical coverage if you test positive for COVID-19 and require medical treatment overseas. Does not cover cancellation costs or additional costs relating to COVID-19 such as mandatory quarantine or self-isolation requirements. An exclusion also applies if your claim is associated with travel to countries for which a ‘Do Not Travel’ warning has been issued by the Australian Government.

ahm

• For policies effective from: 2 February 2022
• Domestic travel? Yes
• International travel? Yes, but note some benefits only apply in Australia and New Zealand.
• Important notes: Includes cover for overseas medical costs and domestic or overseas amendment or cancellation costs (a COVID-19 waiting period and benefit limits may apply). Some benefits do not apply to claims involving travel on a multi-night cruise. For trips outside Australia and New Zealand, does not provide COVID-19 cover if the country was subject to a Smartraveller ‘Do not travel’ warning at the time you entered.

Allianz

• For policies effective from: 3 November 2021
• Domestic travel? Yes
• International travel? Yes
• Important notes: Allianz travel insurance has a general exclusion, with limited exceptions, against epidemics and pandemics. Allianz says there is also no cover if you travel somewhere against the advice or warnings of the Australian Government “or a reliable mass media source”. However, you may be covered under certain circumstances if, during your period of cover, you are positively diagnosed as suffering a sickness recognised as an epidemic or pandemic, such as COVID-19. Refer to the product disclosure statement to see which benefits apply, as well as the limits and exclusions.

Cover-More

• For policies effective from: 20 April 2022
• Domestic travel? Yes
• International travel? Yes, but note some benefits only apply in Australia and New Zealand.
• Important notes: Some aspects of the COVID-19 cover available depend on the policy you choose. For example, at the time of writing the Basic and Comprehensive international plans don’t offer cancellation cover for people unable to travel due to contracting COVID-19, whereas the Comprehensive+ policy may offer up to $5,000 provided you bought the policy more than three weeks before your scheduled departure. Some benefits do not apply to claims involving travel on a multi-night cruise. Does not cover claims relating to border closures and associated mandatory quarantine or self-isolation requirements.

Easy Travel Insurance

• For policies effective from: 2 February 2022
• Domestic travel? Yes
• International travel? Yes, but note some benefits only apply in Australia and New Zealand.
• Important notes: Some benefits do not apply to claims involving travel on a multi-night cruise. For trips outside Australia and New Zealand, many COVID-19 benefits do not apply if the country was subject to a Smartraveller ‘Do not travel’ warning at the time you entered.

Fast Cover

• For policies effective from: 12 February 2022
• Domestic travel? Yes
• International travel? Yes
• Important notes: Does not cover claims relating to border closures and associated mandatory quarantine, or if your claim is associated with travel to countries for which a ‘Do Not Travel’ warning had been issued by the Australian Government prior to travel. Does not provide cover for large or international cruises.

Flight Centre

• For policies effective from: 6 April 2022
• Domestic travel? Yes
• International travel? Yes, but note some benefits only apply in Australia and New Zealand.
• Important notes: Some aspects of the COVID-19 cover available depend on the policy you choose. For example, at the time of writing the International Essentials policy doesn’t offer cancellation cover for people unable to travel due to contracting COVID-19, whereas the International Plus policy may offer up to $5,000 provided you bought the policy more than three weeks before your scheduled departure. Some benefits do not apply to claims involving travel on a multi-night cruise. Does not cover claims relating to ‘Do not travel’ warnings or border closures and associated mandatory quarantine or self-isolation requirements. Some benefits do not apply to claims involving travel on a multi-night cruise.

Go Insurance

• For policies effective from: 1 September 2021
• Domestic travel? Yes
• International travel? Yes
• Important notes: No cover for travel to places subject to an Australian Government ‘Do not travel’ or ‘Reconsider your need to travel’ warning due to COVID-19. Does not cover claims relating to border closures and associated mandatory quarantine or self-isolation requirements. No cover if you fail to observe government preventative and precautionary measures, including any official rules or guidelines around vaccination and social distancing.

InsureandGo

• For policies effective from: 20 April 2022
• Domestic travel? Yes
• International travel? Yes
• Important notes: No COVID-19 cover for claims arising from border closures, or any other claims relating to government travel bans. No cover for places with ‘Do not travel’ warnings, or mandatory quarantine or self-isolation requirements related to cross-border travel.

Jetstar

• For policies effective from: 15 November 2021
• Domestic travel? Yes
• International travel? Yes
• Important notes: Limited cover available in some cases if you or your relative contracts COVID-19. Other COVID-19 cover is generally not available.

Medibank

• For policies effective from: 2 February 2022
• Domestic travel? Yes
• International travel? Yes, but note some benefits only apply in Australia and New Zealand.
• Important notes: Some benefits do not apply to claims involving travel on a multi-night cruise. Does not cover claims relating to government travel bans, ‘Do not travel warnings’, border closures or associated mandatory quarantine or self-isolation requirements.

nib

• For policies effective from: 10 November 2021
• Domestic travel? Yes
• International travel? Yes
• Important notes: Some aspects of the COVID-19 cover available depend on the policy you choose. For example, at the time of writing the Essentials policy doesn’t offer cover for coronavirus travel costs on an international trip, whereas the Comprehensive policy may offer up to $2,500 depending on your circumstances. Does not cover losses due to any quarantine that is broadly imposed (i.e. not as a result of your diagnosis or close contact with COVID-19) or travel taken against medical or government advice. No cover if you do not observe appropriate government, health department and WHO preventative measures (such as vaccination, hygiene and social distancing guidelines).

Qantas

• For policies effective from: 10 November 2021
• Domestic travel? Yes
• International travel? Yes
• Important notes: Does not cover losses due to any quarantine that is broadly imposed (i.e. not as a result of your diagnosis or close contact with COVID-19) or travel restrictions due to government orders or border closures. Does not cover travel taken against medical or government advice. No cover if you do not observe appropriate government, health department and WHO preventative measures (such as vaccination, hygiene and social distancing guidelines). The policies and cover available may vary depending on if you are aged 0 to 69 or 70+ years old, with Qantas selling different policies to these two age groups.

RAA, RACQ & RAC

• For policies effective from: 17 November 2021
• Domestic travel? Yes
• International travel? Yes, but note some benefits only apply in Australia and New Zealand.
• Important notes: Some aspects of the COVID-19 cover available may depend on the policy you choose. Some benefits do not apply to claims involving travel on a multi-night cruise. Does not cover claims relating to border closures and associated mandatory quarantine or self-isolation requirements.

Tick Insurance

• For policies effective from: 20 April 2022
• Domestic travel? Yes
• International travel? Yes
• Important notes: Some aspects of the COVID-19 cover available may depend on the policy you choose. For example, at the time of writing there is no cover for cancellation or trip disruption due to COVID-19 in the Basic or Budget policies but up to $2,500 cover in the Standard and Top policies. No cover for claims arising from or relating to any government travel bans, ‘Do not travel’ warnings, government-directed border closures, or mandatory quarantine or self-isolation requirements.

Travel Insurance Direct

• For policies effective from: 20 December 2021
• Domestic travel? Yes
• International travel? Yes
• Important notes: Some aspects of the COVID-19 cover available may depend on the policy you choose. For example, at the time of writing there is no cover for coronavirus travel costs on the Basics Plan but up to $2,500 on the Works Plan. Does not cover losses due to any quarantine that is broadly imposed (i.e. not as a result of your diagnosis or close contact with COVID-19) or travel restrictions due to government orders or border closures. No cover if you do not observe appropriate government, health department and WHO preventative measures (such as vaccination, hygiene and social distancing guidelines).

Webjet

• For policies effective from: 2 February 2022
• Domestic travel? Yes
• International travel? Yes, but note some benefits only apply in Australia and New Zealand.
• Important notes: The COVID-19 cover available may depend on the policy you choose. For example, at the time of writing there is no cover for amendment or cancellation costs on the International Travel Safe policy but up to $5,000 on the International Travel Safe Plus one. Some benefits do not apply to claims involving travel on a multi-night cruise. Does not cover claims relating to border closures and associated mandatory quarantine or self-isolation requirements. No cover for COVID-19 risks if the place you travelled to was subject to a Smartraveller ‘Do not travel’ warning at the time you arrived and this warning was at least partly due to COVID-19.

World2Cover

• For policies effective from: 1 March 2022
• Domestic travel? Yes
• International travel? Yes, but note some benefits only apply in Australia and New Zealand.
• Important notes: The COVID-19 cover available will likely depend on the policy you choose. For example, at the time of writing the Top Cover product is the only international World2Cover product to include any cover for many COVID-19 risks. Some benefits do not apply to claims involving travel on a multi-night cruise.

Worldcare

• For policies effective from: 3 November 2021
• Domestic travel? Yes
• International travel? Yes, but note some benefits only apply in Australia and New Zealand.
• Important exclusions: This product has a general exclusion, with limited exceptions, against epidemics and pandemics. Worldcare says there is also no cover if you travel somewhere subject to a Smartraveller ‘Do not travel’ or ‘Reconsider your need to travel’ warning, or where “a reliable mass media source” had warned against travel. However, you may be covered under certain circumstances if, during your period of cover, you are positively diagnosed as suffering a sickness recognised as an epidemic or pandemic, such as COVID-19. Refer to the product disclosure statement to see which benefits apply, as well as the limits and exclusions.

Source: www.canstar.com.au and providers’ websites – 9 May 2022. List is not comprehensive; there may be other travel insurance providers offering cover for COVID-19-related claims. Other exclusions may apply. Read the PDS and other terms and conditions for all COVID-19 related cover and exclusions before purchasing a policy.

What are the current rules for Australians travelling overseas?

The Australian Government’s Smartraveller website provides advice on leaving Australia. Per Smartraveller, from 11:59 pm AEST on 17 April 2022, you’ll no longer need an exemption to leave Australia if you don’t meet the definition of fully vaccinated.

The Australian Government recommends passengers departing Australia be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and travel with proof of vaccination status documentation.  Unvaccinated travellers are discouraged from international travel due to possible health risks, and warned that transport options may be limited for the unvaccinated.

You are not required to wear a mask to depart Australia, however, Australians are warned that your transport provider may refuse to allow you on board if:

• you’re showing symptoms of COVID-19,
• you don’t meet their vaccination requirements, or
• you don’t meet the vaccination requirements of your destination.

Smartraveller also provides advice on returning to Australia. Per their website, you can travel to Australia if you are:

• an Australian citizen,
• an Australian permanent resident,
• a New Zealand citizen who’s normally resident in Australia, or
• a fully vaccinated visa holder.

Australian permanent residents and citizens can travel to Australia regardless of vaccination status, but all other travellers must apply for an exemption to enter the country.

Cover image source: Hananeko_Studio/Shutterstock.com