Why do I need travel insurance for India?
With any holiday, there’s always a risk of crises occurring. India’s geography spans across six climate zones, ranging from temperate to tropical. If you find yourself travelling from one territory to the next, the country’s diversity elevates those risks.
- Sickness: The extreme population density of India’s megacities increases the transmission of sicknesses like the common cold. Foodborne and waterborne infectious diseases requiring medical attention are also common in India.
- Injury: The country’s diverse environments, from mountain ranges to dirt roads, expose you to an increased risk of injury.
- Natural disasters: Severe weather is also common in India. This can include heat waves and dust storms in hotter months and flooding during monsoon season (June to September).
Unfortunately, Australia doesn’t have a Reciprocal Health Care Arrangement (RHCA) with India. That means if you become injured or sick while overseas without travel insurance, you'll be responsible for paying your own medical costs.
Likewise, if you fall ill or hurt yourself in a rural area, treatment can be limited or unavailable, which could require medical evacuation to medical facilities in major cities. And if your travel documents or luggage are lost, stolen, or damaged, you’ll have to foot the bill yourself if you aren’t insured.
It’s also important to note that most natives speak Hindi; not everyone in India can speak English. Having a travel insurance policy with a 24/7 support helpline may give you some peace of mind.
How to choose the right travel insurance for India?
There is no one ‘right’ travel insurance policy for all trips to India. When planning a trip, the cheapest travel insurance option may not always give you the right level of cover for your needs. Instead, it is important to buy the policy that suits your particular situation and covers you for what you plan to do on your trip.
When comparing travel insurance with Canstar, you can search for policies that cover you for travel to India, and see the limits that each policy provides for overseas medical and hospital cover, as well as cancellations and lost luggage.
Policies with higher limits for cancellation and lost luggage may be more expensive, but may also provide more peace of mind, depending on how much you have paid for your trip. You can also filter your results to show policies that cover a range of options that may apply to your trip.
What does travel insurance for India cover?
The list of things generally covered by travel insurance policies for India includes:
- Medical or dental emergency: Hospital admission, emergency care and medical evacuation.
- Lost or stolen luggage, passport, or other items: Replacing luggage and travel documents is the most common claim for travel insurance.
- Cancelling your trip unexpectedly: Cancellation due to illness, accident, holiday leave being revoked, or a natural disaster at home or at your intended destination.
- Legal liability: If you break a local law and need a lawyer or interpreter.
- Optional extras: Some policies offer a variety of useful extras depending on which one you get, such as rental vehicle excesses, cover for kennels and catteries for your pets at home, and even cover if you suffer a loss of income or a permanent disability while overseas.
- Repatriation: Repatriation covers the cost of flying your body and belongings back home to Australia. Some policies also include a separate sum for funeral expenses.
What is and isn’t covered will also be influenced by the type of policy you’ve taken out, be it basic, standard, or comprehensive.
What does isn't covered by travel insurance for India?
Your travel insurance policy won’t cover everything that happens to you while travelling in India. There are common exclusions, as well as things that could void your cover, such as:
- Riding without a helmet: If you ride a bicycle, scooter, or motorcycle without a helmet in India, your travel insurance will not cover you. This may also apply to rock climbing or bouldering.
- Being under the influence: Claims for situations where you were under the influence of drugs or alcohol automatically disqualify any cover for them.
- Pre-existing conditions: If you have a known pre-existing medical condition but didn’t disclose it at the time of taking out the policy, you may not be eligible for cover for that condition. However, some policies may cover them for an extra fee (provided they were disclosed).
- Unattended items: Belongings stolen or lost while unattended typically void your cover. Travelling to unsafe regions, such as the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, may also void your insurance. Advice on which regions to avoid can be found on the Smartraveller website.
As mentioned above, not all policies are made equal, each with a different list of inclusions and exclusions. Always study each policy’s PDS closely before making a decision.
How much does travel insurance cost for India?
At the time of writing, the average cost of travel insurance premiums is $158 for a traveller aged 30, on a 14-day trip to India (based on a selection of international policies rated in Canstar's 2025 Travel Insurance Star Ratings & Awards, November 2025, calculated October 2026).
Prices for policies will vary depending on the provider and level of cover and inclusions that you need. You can compare travel insurance with Canstar to find cover that suits your particular needs and budget.
