How to Make a Claim
If your trip didn't go entirely to plan and you need to make a claim on your Budget Direct Travel Insurance, we're here to help. Having your details, receipts and documents from the trip on hand can also make it easier to claim.
Travel Insurance Solved® with Budget Direct
Travel Insurance can cover the financial costs of a wide range of unforeseen accidents or incidents on your trip.
Among the most important benefits provided by Budget Direct Travel Insurance are:
COVID-19 Expenses
$Unlimited* overseas medical expenses and the cost of additional expenses if you are diagnosed with COVID-19. Cover will not exceed 12 months from onset of illness, injury or condition.
Cancellation and Amendment Fees
Choose your cancellation and amendment limit to cover the cost of pre-paid travel such as flights or accommodation, hotel transfers, and more in case you’re forced to call off or reschedule your trip due to an insured event (for example, an unforeseen illness or injury). (Does not apply to Basic plan.)
Luggage and Personal Effects
The cost of repairing, replacing or reimbursing you for your belongings if they are lost, stolen or damaged (sub-limits apply). Depreciation only applies to items more than 2 years old.
Additional Expenses
Extra travel and accommodation – over and above what you budgeted for – if your trip is disrupted or cut short due to an insured event.
$Unlimited* Overseas Medical and Hospital Expenses
You can travel with confidence, with Budget Direct Travel Insurance. If a medical emergency strikes, our cover can handle the big costs of doctor visits, hospital treatment, and other urgent medical care you may need.
And for specific illnesses, injuries, or conditions, our cover may also apply to these emergency medical expenses for a maximum of 12 months from the initial onset.
Rental Vehicle Insurance Excess
If you rent a car and are listed as the main driver on the car’s rental papers, and that car gets damaged or stolen while you’re using it on your trip, we can help cover certain costs. We’ll either cover the excess for an accident or damage, or the actual cost to fix the car (whichever is the lesser amount).
This benefit is excluded from our Basic policy.
For full details, including the terms, conditions, limits and exclusions that apply, please read the Combined Financial Services Guide and Product Disclosure Statement.
See all Budget Direct Travel Insurance Benefits and Features
*Where ‘$Unlimited’ is used here, it means that there is no capped dollar sum insured. Medical cover will not exceed 12 months from onset.
Terms, conditions, limits, sub-limits and exclusions apply. Please check the Combined FSG/PDS for further details.
What's not covered by Travel Insurance?
- Mandatory quarantine or isolation order related to cross-area, border, region or territory travel
- Any medical, dental or hospital expenses in Australia
- Loss of luggage or personal effects left unattended in a public place
- Childbirth or costs relating to the health or care of a newborn child are not covered, irrespective of the stage of pregnancy when the child is born
- Errors or omissions in your travel bookings
For full details, including the terms, conditions, limits and exclusions that apply, please read the Combined Financial Services Guide and Product Disclosure Statement.
See all Budget Direct Travel Insurance Benefits and Features
*Where ‘$Unlimited’ is used here, it means that there is no capped dollar sum insured. Medical cover will not exceed 12 months from onset.
Terms, conditions, limits, sub-limits and exclusions apply. Please check the Combined FSG/PDS for further details.
Travel Insurance Options with Budget Direct
International Travel Insurance
Comprehensive Travel Insurance
Our most extensive international Travel Insurance policy can provide cover for our full list of benefits and entitles you to our maximum benefit limits.
Our essential international travel policy provides cover for fundamental benefits and entitles you to substantial benefit limits.
Our basic level of cover for international travel provides cover for an $Unlimited* amount of overseas emergency medical and hospital expenses. Cover will not exceed 12 months from onset of illness, injury or condition.
Domestic Travel Insurance
Our Domestic travel Insurance policy covers you for your travel within Australia and includes cover for luggage and personal effects, for up to $5,000.
In addition to this, you are covered for amendment or cancellation costs if something unexpected happens, like if you get sick or a natural disaster occurs, up to the amount you chose for your policy.
We also cover additional travel and accommodation expenses if you lose your passport.
And for those who love to hit the road when travelling around Australia, our Domestic Travel Insurance policy also covers you for the excess for rental vehicles, for up to $10,000.
If you are travelling outside Australian Coastal Waters for over 2 nights you need to select Australia - Domestic Cruise in your quote journey.
Australian Cruise Cover is available with International Comprehensive, Essential and Basic plans.
*Where ‘$Unlimited’ is used here, it means that there is no capped dollar sum insured. Cover will not exceed 12 months from onset of illness, injury or condition.
ΔLimits, sub-limits, conditions and exclusions apply.
Medical cover will not exceed 12 months from onset. Terms, conditions, limits, sub-limits and exclusions apply. Please check the Combined FSG/PDS for further details.
Compare All CoverGet a Quote Online and Save 15%^
Get a quote online – it's quick and easy. If you get a quote and buy a new Budget Direct Travel Insurance policy online, you'll receive a 15%^ discount
Get a Quote
Optional Upgrades for Your Travel Insurance
Explore our range of optional cover (available for additional cost) to find a travel insurance policy that's right for you.
Annual Multi-Trip
Our Comprehensive, Essential and Domestic Travel Insurance plans are available for you to buy as an Annual Multi-Trip policy.
With an Annual Multi-Trip, you can choose a maximum trip duration and be covered for an unlimited number of trips within 12 months to your chosen destinations, up to the chosen maximum trip duration for each trip.
Cruise
Our Cruise Travel Insurance can cover cruises overseas or outside Australian Coastal Waters.
Cruise Cover is available on international Comprehensive, Essential and Basic plans.
We cover $Unlimited* medical expenses and up to $2,000 in dental expenses when you receive treatment onboard a cruise ship outside Australia by or on the advice of a qualified medical practitioner.
Additional premium applies.
Snow Sports
Our Snow Sports Travel Insurance can cover you against loss or injury when you participate in amateur and recreational winter sports and activities including snowboarding and skiing. Additional premium applies.
- Snow Sports cover includes On-Piste snow skiing, snowboarding and snowmobiling, and cross-country skiing only.
- Snow Sports+ cover includes everything covered in Snow Sports, plus Off-Piste snow skiing and snowboarding as well as heli-skiing/boarding.
Additional premium applies.
Adventure
Insure yourself against loss or injury when you participate in a wide range of adventure activities and add Adventure or Adventure+ Cover to your travel insurance policy.
- Adventure cover includes quad biking, sailing, water skiing and more.
- Adventure+ cover includes everything covered in Adventure, plus BMX riding, horse jumping, trekking the Kokoda track and more.
See the full list included in Adventure Activities Insurance .
COVID-19 Amendment or Cancellation Costs
If you or your travelling companion are diagnosed with COVID-19 before your trip and can't travel, optional COVID-19 Amendment or Cancellation Costs can cover costs associated with rescheduling your trip or cancelling non-refundable, non-recoverable prepaid travel tickets, hotels, tours or other travel related expenses of up to a limit based on your policy.
You’ll also receive Amendment or Cancellation Costs cover during your trip if you or your travelling companion are diagnosed with COVID-19 and your trip is cancelled.
Additional scenarios are also included. Please read the Combined FSG/PDS to learn more about what you'll be covered for.
This benefit is excluded from our Basic policy.
Increase Cancellation Cover
You can increase the amount of your cancellation cover to cover things like particularly expensive flights or luxury travel arrangements.
Select an increased amount from the options available when you get a quote.
Typically, people look to choose an amount that will, in total, cover all prepaid travel tickets, hotels, tours or other travel-related expenses, that are non-refundable in any other way, for all travellers on the policy.
This benefit is excluded from our Basic policy.
Please note that COVID-19 Amendment or Cancellation Costs cover is available for you to buy as a separate option if you wish.
Increase Luggage Item Limit
You can increase your luggage item limit on your travel insurance policy if you're carrying a valuable item that you want to insure for more (maximum limits apply). Make sure you also have receipts or valuations of that item on hand. If you bought the item more than two years ago, you’ll need to provide a valuation dated within the last two years, or depreciation applies per the PDS.
Motorcycle/Moped Riding Cover
With two levels of cover available, Motorcycle/Moped Riding covers riding a motorcycle or moped with an engine capacity of 250cc or less while Motorcycle/Moped Riding+ insures unlimited engine capacity.
Conditions apply.
Medical cover will not exceed 12 months from onset. Terms, conditions, limits, sub-limits and exclusions apply. Please check the Combined FSG/PDS for further details.
What Do I Need to Prepare for a Quote?
- Know your trip details. This helps us better prepare a quote for you. Have the details such as your exact travel dates, your specific destination(s) and the total duration of your trip ready.
- Have all travellers’ details up to date. This includes full names and dates of birth.
- Existing medical conditions. If you or anyone travelling on your policy has an existing medical condition, this will need to be disclosed to us. This involves the individual completing a confidential online health assessment or calling us, which allows us to determine if we can provide cover for their specific condition.
- Outline your activities. Depending on your travel plans, some activities may require an additional level of cover, while others have specific conditions or are excluded. For example, leisure snowboarding and skiing require you to purchase our optional Snow Sports Cover. For a full list of covered sports and activities and their specific conditions, please refer to the Combined FSG and PDS.
24/7 Claims
With Budget Direct, you can conveniently make a claim online at any time of the day or night, 365 days a year no matter where in the world you are.
Or you can call us at 1300 792 001 within Australia or +61 2 8907 5079 overseas.
Top Travel Destinations
Are you ready to start planning your next big adventure? Check out our range of travel guides to make the most of your upcoming holiday.
See More Destinations
Travel Insurance FAQs
When should I buy travel insurance?
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.
How much does travel insurance cost?
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 – on some policies you can choose the excess amount.
- 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.
Which sports and activities does travel insurance cover?
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.
