Travel Insurance for Expatriates
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The Covid 19 pandemic effectively closed down access to international travel insurance in Australia. Currently, some travel insurance policies available internationally may cover Covid 19 claims, but these policies aren't widely available in Australia yet. Some domestic travel insurers are starting to sell international travel insurance to Australians, but they may not cover Covid 19 related or there may be restrictions applicable, for example you may need to be travelling to a country with which Australia has a Reciprocal Healthcare Agreement. So particular care and attention must be paid to cover in this situation. Read the CHOICE travel insurance buying guide: COVID-19 edition for more information. |
It is very unlikely that you will find the best “value for money” in travel insurance at your travel agent – this is regardless of whether your agency is based in Australia or if you are an expatriate and using a “local” travel agency.
Simple economics means that the travel insurance is usually best purchased over the internet and this is particularly the case if you are over 70 years of age or have a pre-existing condition which you need covered.
In the past, expats have sometimes been limited to taking travel from “local” insurers in their host country, but this is rarely the case now with online travel insurance cover on a very competitive basis now available for expatriates in almost all countries.
There are three principal issues that should drive your selection of travel insurance:
- The adequacy of cover, particularly in the “high cost” areas such as medical cover and repatriation, cancellation, loss of baggage and personal liability.
- The cost of cover, and
- The bona fides of the insurance underwriter; the size and reputation of the insurance company which stands behind the policy.
If you are not resident in Australia, we would suggest you consider World Nomads in any comparison. Available not just to Australian expatriates but to people resident in over 150 countries, with online claims and the ability to extend coverage while overseas, cover extends to adventure activities such as skiing and snowboarding.