What's covered by Comprehensive Travel Insurance?
- 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
- $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^^
- Luggage and personal effects – Up to $10,000 (sub-limits apply)
- Personal liability
- Cruise cover (Must be added if doing a multi-night cruise outside Australia)
- Activities (e.g. surfing, bungee jumping, zip lining)
- Travel delay and missed connections
*Where ‘$Unlimited’ is used here, it means that there is no capped dollar sum insured.
^^A special excess will apply.
What's not covered by Comprehensive Travel Insurance?
- Amendment or cancellation costs due to COVID-19**^^
- Adventure activities (e.g. skydiving, water skiing)**
- Snow sports (e.g. skiing, snowboarding)**
- Motorcycle/moped riding**
**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.
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.
Learn more about our Annual Multi-Trip Travel Insurance.
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 $unlimited in the case where you require hospitalisation. "$Unlimited" means no dollar capped sum insured. 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 for Amendment or Cancellation Costs and Additional Expenses, sub-limits and a special excess may apply.
Amendment or cancellation 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.
Overseas medical and dental expenses
If you need medical treatment, you'll have $unlimited cover (for up to 12 months from onset of the illness, condition or injury) for the cost of emergency overseas hospital and medical treatment. “$Unlimited” means no dollar capped sum insured.
You’ll also have cover for emergency dental treatment up to $2,000. This means you can focus on staying healthy while you're away from home.
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 of the rental vehicle excess or the repair costs for the vehicle, which you become liable to pay (excluded from our Basic plan).
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 FSG/PDS. For example, there is no cover for personal liability claims arising from using a mechanically propelled vehicle such as a car or motorcycle.
Adventure 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 FSG/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 get 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 Comprehensive Travel Insurance policy:
Snow Sports Cover
There are two levels of Snow Sports Cover:
- Snow Sports includes On-Piste snow skiing, snowboarding and snowmobiling, and cross-country skiing only.
- 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:
- Adventure cover includes paragliding/parascending/parasailing (over land), sailing, water skiing and more.
- 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 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 COVID-19 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.
Find Out More
The information on this page is a summary only. For more details about Budget Direct Travel Insurance, including the terms, conditions, limits, sub-limits and exclusions that apply, please read the Combined FSG & PDS.
Travel Insurance FAQs
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 sub-limits apply. Depreciation only applies to items more than 2 years old.
- 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.
See all Budget Direct travel insurance benefits and features.
Can I buy travel insurance after booking my trip?
Yes – you can buy a Budget Direct travel insurance policy after booking your trip – but 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 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 prepaid travel and accommodation if you’re forced to cancel your trip due to an insured event (e.g. an unforeseen injury).
(This is unless you have a Basic plan policy, which does not include cancellation cover.)
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.
Do the benefit amount limits apply to each family member (or travelling party member) or the family (or travelling party) as a whole?
The benefit amount limits are the most we’ll pay each insured person per trip but this does not include the Amendment or Cancellation limit which is per policy.
For example, if a family of five has Comprehensive cover and all five of them have their luggage stolen in one event, we’ll pay them up to $10,000 each (minus the applicable policy excess and taking into account limits and sub-limits where applicable).
