Can I get travel insurance just for a child?
You can usually get travel insurance for kids only. But if you’re travelling together, you might also be able to cover children under your policy at no additional cost.
If your child is going on a trip with school or a sports club, group travel insurance could be another option. This type of insurance is generally for groups of up to 25 people who are travelling together.
Are there differences between travel insurance for children and adults?
Travel insurance for kids and adults should function the same if they’re each taking out a single policy. However, the premiums you pay and the exclusions that apply may be different. Other factors that could affect your premium include:
- The level of cover you choose
- The destination
- Whether the child is covered for one or multiple trips
- Additional cover for activities like kayaking and white water rafting or skiing and snowboarding.
Premiums may also be higher if you’re considering family travel insurance. A family travel insurance policy (two adults and two children) can cost around twice that of a policy for one person, according to Canstar Research. However, this could still work out cheaper than purchasing four separate policies.
In the end, the arrangement that works best for you will largely depend on your particular circumstances, including the ages of your children and whether they’ll be travelling with you throughout the trip.
What age is considered a ‘child’ for travel insurance purposes?
Most travellers under the age of 18 are considered to be children by most travel insurers. That said, your children may still be covered by your policy if they’re a ‘dependant’. To be classified as a dependant, your child will usually need to be one of the following:
- A full-time student
- Living at home
- Disabled
- Not employed full-time
- Financially dependent on you.
If a child is classed as a dependant, this generally means they can be included as part of a family policy. In some cases, it could also mean they can be listed on your single policy and receive cover at no extra cost when you travel together. The most common maximum age for dependent children is 24 years of age, but our database shows providers with age limits ranging from 17 to 25.
What should my child’s travel insurance include?
This will depend on the destination of your child’s trip, as well as activities planned. For example, if they’re travelling within Australia, they’re unlikely to need cover for medical expenses, as this is covered by Medicare or your own private health insurance.
Some coverage options to consider are:
- Medical expenses including emergency evacuation
- Trip cancellation or delay
- Lost or stolen luggage and belongings
- Cover for certain adventurous activities that they plan on participating in, such as skiing and snowboarding, rock climbing or white water rafting. These can often be covered at an additional cost.
What a policy covers, as well as claim limits and sub-limits should be outlined in its Product Disclosure Statement (PDS), otherwise contact the provider directly for more information.
What if my child has a pre-existing medical condition?
Depending on the policy, your child’s pre-existing medical conditions may be covered automatically. In some cases, you may need to pay an extra premium in order for their conditions to be covered. It’s important to be truthful with your insurer about your child’s medical history, as failure to do so may lead to claims being rejected.
What else should you consider with travel insurance for kids?
When you take out a travel insurance policy for your child, your provider may ask you to disclose the age/s of those on the policy at the time of purchase, rather than the age they will be on their travel dates.
The health of each person is also important. It can be a good idea to disclose any pre-existing medical conditions that you want them to be covered for. This can help reduce the likelihood of a claim being denied, even if it leads to a higher premium. It’s a good idea to read the fine print in the PDS for any policy you’re considering.
Does your child need group travel insurance?
Depending on the type of trip you and/or your child is going on, you may want to take out group travel insurance. Group travel insurance can cover up to 25 people on the same policy, meaning you won’t have to take out individual policies.
Whether this works out cheaper will depend on the policy and the things you want covered. This type of insurance can be helpful if you’re travelling as part of a school or business trip, tour group, or as a sporting club.
Do babies need travel insurance?
If you choose to take out a family travel insurance policy, it will usually cover any children and babies travelling with you. Exceptions may be if you exceed any limits under the policy for the maximum number of dependant children, or fail to meet other policy requirements.
While flying with children under two years old can be cheaper, keep in mind that some airlines, such as Qantas, do not recommend flying with a baby within seven days of their birth. If you need or want to fly with a new arrival in your family (and congratulations too!), you may need to complete a medical travel clearance form.
What happens if something goes wrong during your child’s trip?
Life can be unpredictable and your child’s trip may be affected by unforeseen circumstances like flight cancellations, natural disasters, or injury and illness. Therefore it’s important to send a copy of their travel insurance policy with them. That way it can be passed on to a trusted adult, which could help you gather the right information if you need to make a claim.
Most travel insurance providers also have 24/7 global assistance hotlines, which can guide you through the claims process if something goes wrong.
