Travel Insurance Solved with Budget Direct

Comprehensive Travel Insurance

15%^ OFF

Our most extensive international travel insurance policy provides cover for our full list of benefits and entitles you to our maximum benefit amounts.

  • $Unlimited* overseas medical expenses benefit, including COVID-19 related medical expenses. Cover will not exceed 12 months from onset of the illness, condition or injury.
  • Overseas dental expenses – Up to $2,000
  • If you are diagnosed with COVID-19 self-isolation expenses if you are too sick to travel – up to $2,500^^
  • Amendment or cancellation costs (e.g. for non-refundable, prepaid travel and accommodation expenses) – Up to $10,000 (or the amount you choose) per policy
  • Luggage and personal effects – Up to $10,000 (sub-limits apply)

Essential Travel Insurance

15%^ OFF

Our critical level of protection at a cheaper price for international travel provides cover for essential benefits and entitles you to generous benefit amounts.

  • $Unlimited* overseas medical expenses benefit, including COVID-19 related medical expenses. Cover will not exceed 12 months from onset of the illness, condition or injury.
  • Overseas dental expenses – Up to $1,000
  • If you are diagnosed with COVID-19 self-isolation expenses if you are too sick to travel – up to $2,500^^
  • Amendment or cancellation costs (e.g. for non-refundable, prepaid travel and accommodation expenses) – Up to $5,000 (or the amount you choose) per policy
  • Luggage and personal effects – Up to $5,000 (sub limits apply)

*Where ‘$Unlimited’ is used here, it means that there is no capped dollar sum insured.
^^A special excess will apply.

Medical cover will not exceed 12 months from onset. Terms, conditions, limits, sub-limits and exclusions apply. Please check the Combined Financial Services Guide and Product Disclosure Statement for further details.

Basic Travel Insurance

15%^ OFF

Our basic level of cover at our cheapest price for international travel provides cover for an $unlimited amount of overseas emergency medical and hospital expenses.

  • $Unlimited* overseas medical expenses benefit, including COVID-19 related medical expenses. Cover will not exceed 12 months from onset of the illness, condition or injury.
  • Overseas dental expenses – Up to $500
  • If you are diagnosed with COVID-19 – self-isolation expenses if you are too sick to travel – Up to $2,500^^
  • Luggage and personal effects – Up to $2,000 (sub-limits apply)
  • Personal liability
  • Activities (e.g. surfing, bungee jumping, zip lining)

Domestic Travel Insurance

15%^ OFF

Our Domestic Travel Insurance policy covers you for your travel within Australia and includes cover for cancellation and amendment fees, and luggage and personal effects.

  • Amendment or cancellation costs (e.g. for non-refundable prepaid travel and accommodation expenses) Up to $10,000 (or the amount you choose) per policy
  • If you are diagnosed with COVID-19 self-isolation expenses if you are too sick to travel – up to $2,500^^
  • Luggage and personal effects – Up to $5,000 (sub-limits apply)
  • Travel delay and missed connections
  • Personal liability
  • Activities (e.g. surfing, bungee jumping, zip lining)

*Where ‘$Unlimited’ is used here, it means that there is no capped dollar sum insured.
^^A special excess will apply.

Medical cover will not exceed 12 months from onset. Terms, conditions, limits, sub-limits and exclusions apply. Please check the Combined Financial Services Guide and Product Disclosure Statement for further details.

Compare Our Travel Insurance Policies

Benefits Comprehensive Essential Basic Domestic
Annual Multi-Trip option     Not available  
Travel amendment or cancellation costs  Up to $10,000 (or the amount you choose) per policy  Up to $5,000 (or the amount you choose) per policy  No cover  Up to $10,000 (or the amount you choose) per policy
COVID-19 related amendment or cancellation costs Optional cover available to buy. Cover up to $5,000^^ Optional cover available to buy. Cover up to $5,000^^  No cover Optional cover available to buy. Cover up to $2,500^^
Overseas medical and dental expenses (cover will not exceed 12 months from onset of illness, injury or condition)  $Unlimited* medical expenses, including COVID-19 related medical expenses
Dental expenses up to $2,000
 $Unlimited* medical expenses, including COVID-19 related medical expenses
Dental expenses up to $1,000
 $Unlimited* medical expenses, including COVID-19 related medical expenses
Dental expenses up to $500
 No cover
Luggage and personal effects  Up to $10,000  Up to $5,000  Up to $2,000  Up to $5,000
Additional expenses  $Unlimited*  $Unlimited*  $Unlimited*  Up to $10,000
Additional expenses if diagnosed with COVID-19  $2,500^^  $2,500^^  $2,500^^  $2,500^^
Rental vehicle insurance excess  Up to $10,000  Up to $4,000  No cover  Up to $10,000

*Where ‘$Unlimited’ is used here, it means that there is no capped dollar sum insured.
^^A special excess will apply.

Medical cover will not exceed 12 months from onset. Terms, conditions, limits, sub-limits and exclusions apply. Please check the Combined Financial Services Guide and Product Disclosure Statement for further details.

More information on COVID-19 related benefits.

Compare Travel Insurance Cover Options

Cover Multiple Trips for Frequent Travellers

Our Comprehensive, Essential and Domestic Travel Insurance plans are available for you to buy as a Single Trip or Annual Multi-Trip policy. With an Annual Multi-Trip policy, you can choose a maximum trip duration and be covered for an unlimited number of trips within 12 months to your chosen destination/s, up to the chosen maximum trip duration for each trip.

What's covered by Travel Insurance?

^^A special excess will apply.

What's not covered by Travel Insurance?

  • Amendment or Cancellation Costs due to COVID-19**^^
  • 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
  • Incidents involving drugs or alcohol

**Cover is available to buy via Options to vary cover. Additional premium applies.

Medical cover will not exceed 12 months from onset. Terms, conditions, limits, sub-limits and exclusions apply. Please check the Combined Financial Services Guide and Product Disclosure Statement for further details.

Benefits Included in Travel Insurance

COVID-19 Benefits

We cover $unlimited overseas medical expenses if you are diagnosed with COVID-19 during your trip overseas. “$Unlimited” means no dollar capped sum insured. Cover will not exceed 12 months from onset of the illness. 

Additional expenses up to $2,500 are also covered during your trip if you're diagnosed with COVID-19 and required to self-isolate and incur additional transport and accommodation expenses after being diagnosed with COVID-19. Cover is $unlimited in the case where you require hospitalisation and cover will not exceed 12 months from onset of the illness.

Please note that COVID-19 Amendment or Cancellation Costs cover is NOT automatically included but is available for you to buy as a separate option if you wish.

For claims related to COVID-19, sub-limits and a special excess may apply.

Amendments or cancellations costs

This benefit provides cover for costs associated with rescheduling your trip or the cancellation of your non-refundable, non-recoverable prepaid travel tickets, hotels, tours or other travel related expenses so that you're not left out of pocket. Cover for rescheduling your trip is limited to the amount it would have cost to cancel your trip.

Please note that COVID-19 Amendment or Cancellation Costs cover is NOT automatically included but is available for you to buy as a separate option if you wish.

Existing medical conditions

You can still get cover for travel insurance, if you have an existing medical condition. 

Budget Direct travel insurance covers a range of existing medical conditions automatically (subject to the criteria).   

For others, you can complete a health assessment at the same time you get your quote. If approved, an additional premium may apply.

Check the Combined FSG & PDS for more information about existing medical conditions and what the policy covers.

Rental vehicle insurance excess

If you rent a car while you're travelling and it is damaged or stolen, you'll be covered for the lower rental vehicle excess or the repair costs for the vehicle, which you become liable to pay (excluded from our Basic policy).

Luggage and personal effects

We can cover the cost of repairing, replacing or reimbursing you for your belongings if they're lost, stolen or damaged (limits and sub-limits apply). Depreciation only applies to items more than 2 years old.

Personal liability

Personal legal liability provides cover if you accidentally damage someone else's property or injure someone else during your trip and as a result of your negligent act, you become unintentionally legally liable to pay compensation. For full details regarding Personal Liability cover, please read the Combined FGS/PDS. For example, there is no cover for personal liability claims arising from using a mechanically propelled vehicle such as a car or motorcycle.

Activities

We cover a range of adventure activities when you're travelling including surfing, bungee jumping and zip lining. This means you can experience the activities you love, while you're travelling overseas or interstate.

Some adventure activities and snow sports may not be automatically included in the cover. Cover is available to buy for certain adventure activities, snow sports and motorcycle/moped riding. Please read the Combined FGS/PDS to learn more about which activities you'll be covered for.  

Get cover for even more activities with Adventure Activities Cover, Snow Sports Cover and Motorcycle/moped riding Cover.

Cruise cover

If you're taking a cruise holiday, our Travel Insurance policies can cover you during your cruise overseas or outside Australian Coastal Waters with Cruise Cover available on our international Comprehensive plan. 

With Cruise Cover we cover $unlimited medical expenses (for up to 12 months from onset of the illness, condition or injury), and dental expenses (up to $2,000) when you receive treatment onboard a cruise ship outside Australia by or on the advice of a qualified medical practitioner. “$Unlimited” means no dollar capped sum insured.

You'll also be covered for ship to shore emergency transportation, sea sickness cover, missed ports and shore excursions and cabin confinement up to the specified policy limits.

And more

Compare all benefits, features and benefit limits.

Not all benefits apply to all levels of cover. Terms, conditions, limits, sub-limits and exclusions apply. For full details, please read the Combined FSG & PDS.

Overseas Medical Expenses and Emergency Assistance

With Budget Direct Travel Insurance Cover, you have 24/7 access to a network of doctors, nurses, case managers and travel agents.

Depending on your needs, we can help you:

  • Find a medical facility and monitor your medical care
  • Pay medical bills (if your claim is approved)
  • Keep travelling or get home
  • Deal with lost passports, travel documents and credit cards
  • Change your travel plans

Upgrade Your Travel Insurance Cover

For an additional premium, you can customise your insurance when you add one or more of the following covers to your Travel Insurance policy:

Snow Sports Cover

There are two levels of Snow Sports Cover:

  1. Snow Sports includes On-Piste snow skiing, snowboarding and snowmobiling, and cross-country skiing only.
  2. Snow Sports+ includes everything covered in Snow Sports, plus Off-Piste snow skiing and snowboarding (conditions apply) as well as heli-skiing/boarding.

See the full list of snow sports included in Snow Sports and Snow Sports+ cover.

Adventure Activities Cover

There are two levels of Adventure Cover:

  1. Adventure cover includes paragliding/parascending/parasailing (over land), sailing, water skiing and more.
  2. Adventure+ includes everything covered in Adventure, plus BMX riding, horse jumping, trekking the Kokoda track and more.

See the full list of activities included in Adventure and Adventure+ cover.

COVID-19 Amendment or Cancellation Costs

You can purchase the optional COVID-19 Amendment or Cancellation Costs cover to be covered for costs associated with rescheduling your trip or the cancellation of your non-refundable, non-recoverable prepaid travel tickets, hotels, tours or other travel related expenses of up to $5,000 per policy on the Comprehensive or Essential plans or up to $2,500 per policy on a Domestic plan:

  • if you or your travelling companion are diagnosed with COVID-19 before your trip and can't travel

If you include the optional COVID-19 Amendment or Cancellation Costs cover on your policy and it is purchased within 21 days of your scheduled trip departure date, we will only cover the travel costs you paid for:

  • in the 48 hours prior to buying the policy; and
  • after buying this policy.

(What that means is, for example, if you booked and paid for your trip in full 6 months ago and then bought this policy a week before your departure date, there will be no cover available if you cannot travel because you or your travelling companion are diagnosed in Australia with COVID-19.)

You’ll also receive Amendment or Cancellation Costs cover during your trip in case you or your travelling companion are diagnosed with COVID-19 and your trip is cancelled.

A special excess applies to the scenarios above only.

The following scenarios are also included:

  • If Your non-travelling Relative or business partner residing in Australia or New Zealand becomes sick due to COVID-19 and the condition is life threatening.
  • If you are a pharmacist, nurse, doctor, paramedic or other health care professional and your leave is revoked by your employer due to COVID-19 related reasons and that means you can’t go on your trip. 

In addition to your chosen excess on the International plans or the excess on the Domestic plan, a special excess will apply to:

  • SECTION 2: Additional Expenses if you are diagnosed with COVID-19 on your trip: All plans – $250.
  • SECTION 3: Amendment or Cancellation Costs if you or your travelling companion are diagnosed with COVID-19 on your trip (and you have added the COVID-19 Amendment or Cancellation Costs cover to your policy): International Comprehensive or Essential plans – $500, Domestic plan – $250.

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.

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.

Increase Cancellation Cover

Available on the International Comprehensive and Essential plans and the Domestic plan.

You can increase the amount of cancellation cover to suit your travel needs such as particularly expensive flights and/or travel arrangements. Select an 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.

For Amendment or cancellation costs due to COVID-19, cover is available to buy via options to vary cover. Additional premium applies.

How do I add these cover options to my policy?

You can add one or more of these cover options when you get a quote and buy a policy.

If you've already bought a policy and wish to add any of these covers, call us on 1300 792 001 (within Australia) or +61 2 8907 5079 (from overseas) to discuss the options available to you.

Get a Quote Online and Save 15%^

Get a quote online – it’s quick and easy. If you get a quote and buy a new policy online, you’ll receive a 15%^ discount.

Make a claim

If your trip didn't go entirely to plan and you need to make a claim on your 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 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.

If you have left home and are already on your trip when buying the policy, this 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, e.g. an unforeseen illness or injury.

Note: Basic plan cover does not include Amendment or Cancellation Costs benefit.

If you’re a frequent traveller, you could purchase an Annual Multi-Trip policy under our Comprehensive, Essential and Domestic Travel Insurance plans. With an Annual Multi-Trip policy, you can choose a maximum trip duration and be covered for an unlimited number of trips within 12 months to your chosen destination/s, up to the chosen maximum trip duration for each trip.

When you purchase the Annual Multi-Trip policy you can nominate your known destination/s.

Before each trip:

  • You won’t need to specify where you’re going – unless your destination is different to those you originally selected. 
  • Please consider if you have an existing medical condition or pregnancy and refer to the Combined FGS/PDS for more information.

You will need to contact us so we can help you make any required changes to your policy. Additional premium may apply.

What does travel insurance cover?

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:

  • Overseas medical expenses – $unlimited cover amount (for up to 12 months from onset of the illness, condition or injury) for the cost of unforeseen emergency medical and hospital treatment overseas if you become sick, ill or injured. “$Unlimited” means no dollar capped sum insured.
  • 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 (e.g. 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 item limits apply. Depreciation may apply.
  • Additional expenses – additional transport and accommodation expenses – over and above what you budgeted for – 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.

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 the period until you depart and the longer your trip duration, the higher the cost may be.
  • Age – higher risk age groups cost more.
  • Plan – International Comprehensive, which provides more cover, costs more than International Essential or Basic or Domestic.
  • Excess – the higher the excess the lower the cost may be.
  • Cruise cover – additional premium applies.
  • Cancellation cover – on some policies you can choose your own level of cancellation cover. The more cancellation cover you require, the higher the cost may be.
  • Adding cover for existing medical conditions and pregnancy (where available) – additional premium may apply if a medical assessment is completed and cover is accepted by us.
  • Options to vary cover (where available) – 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. Cover is available to buy for certain adventure activities, snow sports and motorcycle/moped riding. Please read the Combined FGS/PDS to learn more about which activities you'll be covered for.

~Leap Day Giveaway

This Promotion is only open to Eligible Entrants who hold an existing Eligible Budget Direct Policy that has passed its cooling-off period. Subject to these Terms and Conditions, Eligible Entrants who purchase an additional, new Eligible Budget Direct Policy receive one (1) entry for the chance to win 1 of 15 cash prizes equal to the value of their new policy’s first year’s premium capped at $2000 (Prize). The Promotion commences 12:01am AEST on 1st February 2024 and ends at 11:59pm AEST on 26th February 2024 (Promotion Period). The Policy must remain active, paid-up and valid for up to 30 days from purchase date of the policy, depending on the policy type (Cooling Off Period). The Prize will be drawn at 2.29 pm (AEST) on 29th February 2024. Prize winners will be notified within 7 days of the draw and their names will be published here within 28 days of the draw. The Prize will be paid by electronic transfer. The Prize winners must pass their new policy’s cooling-off period to be eligible to receive the Prize and continue to pay their premium for the Policy despite winning the Prize. Eligibility and participation criteria apply. The Promotion is not open to customers renewing or varying their existing policies with Budget Direct and excludes policies purchased through a third party aggregator platform. Employees and the immediate families of the promoter or service providers directly involved with the Promotion are ineligible to enter the promotion. See full terms and conditions. Promoter: Auto & General Services Pty Ltd (ABN 61 003 617 909), PO Box 342, Toowong QLD 4066. NSW Permit No. TP/01203, ACT Permit No. TP 24/00069, SA Licence No. T24/67.