How travel insurance could help if your passport is stolen or lost while traveling.
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This content is for Australian travellers.
It's just about the ultimate travel nightmare. You reach for your passport... and it's gone! It happens a lot. Sometimes it's a deliberately targeted item, sometimes it's just something in a bag that got snatched. Either way, you need help, and quickly.
After you've spoken to the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) to notify them that the passport's been stolen, lost or damaged, you'll probably need to make your way to the nearest consulate or embassy.
Keep your receipt for that taxi fare – you can claim it. Worst case scenario, the nearest embassy isn't in the same city as you. You can claim the cost of travelling to where you need to be to replace the passport.
If you have to cancel other bookings because you're waiting for a new passport to be issued, you can claim that too. We'll also cover the cost of a temporary replacement passport. If you need a full replacement of your passport, our cover will be based off the amount of time remaining on your original passport (e.g. you paid $480 for your passport 5 years ago. It's valid for 10 years, so we'd pay you $240).
All the exclusions that apply to other pieces of luggage also apply to passports. Leaving it somewhere by accident or leaving it unattended means it won't be covered. If we don't cover the passport itself, then we won't cover the costs relating to getting a new one.
We also won't cover it without the report from DFAT or the embassy/consulate – you must report a lost or stolen passport under Australian law, so you'll want to do that anyway... not to mention that they probably won't let you leave the country without a valid passport!
Travel insurance isn’t designed to cover everything, so make sure you’re careful with your planning and you read the PDS to make sure you understand what’s included and what’s not, as well as the terms, conditions, limitations and exclusions. If you have any questions get in touch.
It’s essential that you get in contact with our Emergency Assistance Team as soon as possible so that our teams can help you navigate local laws and advise you on how to get your replacement passport.
So that our Emergency Assistance team can assist you quickly, please be ready with the following:
My handbag was stolen when I was having dinner with friends. In my bag was my passport, and as I had to apply for an emergency passport, and then another visa, in order to leave China. I had to cancel the flight I had booked.
Protect your trip from unexpected cancellation.
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Take the pain out of medical costs.
We’ve got your back.
We'll get you to hospital lickety-split
Help starts here.
Cover your stolen or damaged gear and tech.
Help starts here.
If you need medical assistance or emergency medical evacuation our team is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year before and during your trip.
Are you in need of emergency assistance right now?
Phone: +61 2 8263 0470 or Phone: +61 2 8292 1470 (reverse charges via an operator from anywhere in the world)
Contact the teamHere are our most frequently asked questions about overseas medical insurance. You can also find the answers to other questions in our Helpdesk or you can ask our customer service team.
Before your trip, check the latest government advice for any travel alerts for your destination.