Photo © Turnervisual/IStock

Travel insurance for Australia

Essential travel insurance tips when going down under

    As featured in:

  • As featured in:

Spanning nearly 8 million km2 and with crystal-clear water, red deserts, tropical rainforests, and bustling cities, Australia is fascinatingly diverse. Whether you’re road-tripping the East Coast, hiking on Kangaroo Island or scuba diving the Great Barrier Reef, World Nomads has you covered.

What am I covered for?

World Nomads offers cover (up to the policy limits) for:

  • Overseas medical expenses: if you become sick or injured during your trip.
  • Medical evacuation and repatriation: if you need emergency transport home due to a serious illness or injury.
  • Travel delays/interruption: if your trip is interrupted due to an insured event.
  • Trip cancellation: if your trip is cancelled due to an insured event.
  • Baggage and valuables: if your belongings are stolen, accidentally damaged, delayed or lost.
  • Family plans: add your children and grandchildren to our policies at no extra cost.
  • Activities cover: we cover more than 150 activities so you can have fun adventuring your way around Australia’s outback, coasts, cities and skies.

Note: our travel insurance plans are different. Cover will vary, depending on your country of residence, what you are claiming for, the plan you choose and any options or upgrades you buy.

With World Nomads, you can buy travel insurance as soon as your trip is locked in or while you're traveling (waiting periods apply); it’s entirely up to you.

Bondi beach, Sydney, Australia
Bondi beach, Sydney, Australia. Photo credit: Getty images / Christine Wehrmeier

What should I look out for when travelling to Australia?

There are a few key things to consider when visiting Australia. Our travel insurance may help if you land in Melbourne, but your baggage doesn’t, or you suffer an injury whilst hiking Cradle Mountain.

To make it easier for you to choose a plan that’s right for you we offer two plans – Standard and Explorer. Each one provides different levels of coverage depending on what you need and your country of residence:

  • The Standard Plan –covers a range of benefits and certain adventure activities but has lower coverage limits.
  • The Explorer Plan – covers all the benefits of the Standard plan, with larger coverage limits, more benefits and covers more sports and activities.

Essential travel cover options when you need them the most

Depending on the level of cover you choose and your country of residence, our policies may cover you for:

Lost, stolen or delayed baggage cover

If your luggage or personal items are stolen, lost or accidentally damaged, you may be able to claim to replace or repair the item. If your luggage is delayed for more than 24 hours, you may be able to claim for essential clothing and toiletries while you wait for your bag to be returned.

Travel insurance for accidents or injuries

If you become sick or injured in Australia with anything from food poisoning to an injury while participating in an activity, our policies may cover you for medical treatment including hospitalisation, prescribed medicines and prescribed physiotherapy treatments. Terms and conditions apply.

Coronavirus cover for some events

If you catch COVID-19 while travelling in Australia we may cover you for medical expenses and hospital assistance, as well as repatriation. Our Explorer Plan offers extra cover for Coronavirus-related events such as cancellation, trip interruption expenses and some quarantine costs. To find out what cover applies to you, read our Coronavirus cover article, which has all the details, including benefit limits, conditions, and exclusions.

Adventure sports & activities cover

There’s no shortage of adventures and activities to do in Australia and depending on what plan you choose and your country of residence, you can be covered for hiking adventures in the Snowy Mountains, road trips along the East Coast, surfing at Bondi Beach, snorkelling with Whale Sharks on Ningaloo Reef and much more. You can find the full list of covered activities in the Policy Wording.

Rental car coverage and road safety

Australia is the perfect place for a road trip. With such vast distances between destinations, it can be a good idea to make sure you are covered if something goes wrong when you’re on the road.

Available on our Explorer Plan, we may cover your rental vehicle insurance excess, or the cost of repairing the rental vehicle if you’re involved in a motor accident or your rental vehicle is damaged or stolen.

Tourist at Cathedral Gorge
Purnululu National Park, Western Australia. Tourist at Cathedral Gorge. Photo credit: Getty images / Francesco Riccardo Iacomino

What’s not covered?

Our policies aren’t designed to cover everything and there are some important general exclusions you should be aware of, including:

  • Pre-existing medical conditions – see the policy wording for details.
  • Traveling to, planning to travel to, or choosing to remain in a country or region that is subject to a ‘Do Not Travel’ warning issued by the U.S Department of State.
  • Neglecting to observe applicable preventative measures for the travel region, as outlined by the World Health Organization, including obtaining relevant vaccinations and hygiene measures.
  • Participation in a sport or activity not listed or failing to adhere to the terms of coverage for listed sports or activities.
  • Our policy doesn’t replace the need for you to purchase rental vehicle insurance through the rental vehicle company covering physical damage and theft of the rental vehicle and your liability to third parties for injury or property damage while the rental vehicle is in your care or control.
  • Being intoxicated by alcohol or drugs.

Be sure to read the Policy Wording and General Exclusions for other scenarios and expenses we don’t cover so there’ll be no surprises if you need to use your cover.

Sydney Harbour
Sydney Harbour. Photo credit: Getty images / Mohd Ezairi Mohd Amiruddin / EyeEm

Handy tips for travelling in Australia

  • If you’re planning a road trip, be aware of the distances involved between destinations. Sometimes it can be hundreds of kilometres between towns and petrol stations.
  • The sun is very strong in Australia so be sure to wear sunblock, even on a cloudy day. Temperatures in Outback areas can be very high.
  • Pick your season – the weather can vary tremendously in parts of Australia even in the same season.
  • Swim between the flags at the beach. They show the safest point on the beach for swimming and can help you avoid dangerous rips.

Are you looking for more travel inspiration for Australia? World Nomads has various articles that cover a range of fun topics on Australia, here are just a few:

You can also check out our articles if you need the latest safety travel alerts.

This is only a summary of cover and does not include the full terms, conditions, limits, and exclusions of the policy. You should read your policy wording in full, so you understand what is and isn’t covered. If you are unsure about your level of travel cover, please contact us for help.

Travel Insurance Benefits: how we can take care of you

Trip Protection

Protect your hard earned vacation from unexpected cancellation before you leave home.

  • Explorer Plan: USD $10,000
  • Standard Plan: USD $5,000
Trip Protection
  • Unexpectedly hospitalised?
  • Travel buddy unfit to travel?
  • Close relative suddenly dies?

We’ve got your back.

Emergency Overseas Medical Insurance

Take the pain out of medical costs while traveling overseas.

  • Explorer Plan: Unlimited, up to 12 months
  • Standard Plan: USD $5,000,000
Emergency Medical Insurance
  • Need meds quick?
  • Accidentally injured?
  • Suddenly sick?

We’ve got your back.

Emergency Medical Transportation

We'll get you to hospital quickly.

  • Explorer Plan: USD $500,000
  • Standard Plan: USD $500,000
Evacuation and Repatriation
  • Banged up abroad?
  • Need a hospital urgently?
  • Medivac home?

Help starts here.

Protect your gear

Cover your stolen or damaged gear and tech.

  • Explorer Plan: USD $3,500
  • Standard Plan: USD $2,500
Protect your gear
  • Passport or tech stolen?
  • Airline lost your gear?
  • Bags delayed?

Help starts here.

  • Overseas Medical & Dental Expenses
  • 24 hour Emergency Assistance
  • Emergency Medical Transport
  • Repatriation & Travel Expenses
  • Pre-Trip Cancellation
  • Trip Interruption
  • Resumption of Trip
  • Travel Delay
  • Missed connection (Explorer)
  • Hijacking (Explorer)
  • Baggage & Personal Items
  • Passport & Travel Documents
  • Personal Liability
  • Rental vehicle insurance excess (Explorer)
  • Personal accident (Explorer)
*This is a general summary for all residents except from USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Europe, Brazil, China and Philippines. Restrictions, exclusions and limitations will apply. Coverage may not be available for all countries, states or provinces. Benefit limits may vary depending on the plan chosen. Get a quote for full details.

24/7 emergency assistance

Whether you need medical assistance or emergency evacuation, our teams are 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:+353 21 237 8008 or +353 21 237 8003 (calls are not toll free. You can claim your itemised call costs)

Contact the team