Travel Destination Guides

Travel Insurance FAQs

It’s up to you exactly when to buy travel insurance. However, it should be purchased before your trip commences.

Otherwise, if you’ve left home and are already on your trip when buying the policy, your cover is subject to a 3-day no-cover period. This means the Period of Insurance will not commence until 3 days after the travel start date/policy issue date shown on your Certificate of Insurance.

By getting Budget Direct Travel Insurance as soon as you’ve booked and paid for some or all of your trip, you can be covered for things like your non-refundable, non-recoverable prepaid travel tickets, hotels, tours or other travel-related expenses if you’re forced to cancel your trip due to an insured event such as an unforeseen illness or injury.

Note: Our Basic Travel Insurance plan does not include the Amendment or Cancellation Costs benefit.

Travel insurance can cover the financial costs of a wide range of unforeseen accidents or incidents on your trip.

Budget Direct Travel Insurance covers:

  • Overseas medical expenses – $Unlimited cover amount (for up to 12 months from onset of the illness, condition or injury) for the cost of unforeseen emergency medical and hospital treatment overseas if you become sick, ill or injured.
  • Amendment or cancellation costs (up to the policy limit or cover chosen, whichever is the higher) – the cost of prepaid travel tickets, hotels, tours or other travel-related expenses which are non-refundable in case you’re forced to call off or reschedule your trip due to an insured event (such as an unforeseen illness or injury). Does not apply to the Basic plan.
  • Luggage and personal effects – the cost of repairing, replacing or reimbursing you for your belongings if they are lost, stolen or damaged. Limits and sub-limits apply. Depreciation only applies to items more than 2 years old.
  • Additional expenses – additional transport and accommodation expenses if your trip is disrupted or cut short due to an insured event.

For full details, including the terms, conditions, limits, sub-limits and exclusions that apply, please read the Combined FSG/PDS.

*Where ‘$Unlimited’ is used here, it means that there is no capped dollar sum insured.

The cost of travel insurance depends on a number of factors, including your:

  • Area of travel - higher risk areas cost more 

  • Departure date and trip duration – the longer until you depart and the longer your trip duration, the higher the cost may be

  • Age – higher risk age groups cost more

  • Travel Insurance Plan – an international Comprehensive policy, which provides more cover, costs more than an international Essential or Basic policy or a Domestic policy

  • Excess – the higher the excess you choose, the lower the cost may be

  • Cruise cover – an additional premium applies

  • Cancellation cover – as an optional cover, you can choose your own level of cancellation cover and the more cancellation cover you require, the higher the cost may be

  • Cover for existing medical conditions and pregnancy (where available) – an additional premium may apply if a medical assessment is completed and we accept your cover

  • Upgrading to optional cover (where available) – an additional premium applies

Get a quote and see how much it would cost to insure your next trip.

All Budget Direct Travel Insurance includes cover for a range of sports and activities. Some adventure activities and snow sports may not be automatically included in the cover.

For other more adventurous activities, we have options for you: Adventure and Adventure+ Cover.

Adventurous spirits can obtain cover with our Adventure and Adventure+ Cover which help protect you against loss or injury while doing the adventure sports and activities that you love. Insure yourself and your travel companions against costly mishaps if you plan to take part in any adventure activities on your overseas holiday, or trip around Australia.

Please read the Combined FSG/PDS to learn more about which activities you'll be covered for.