Travel insurance for Australia

Get the right travel insurance for your trip to Australia

How long you plan to stay, and wht activities you plan to do on your trip might impact the type of travel insurance you need:

Medical cover

There’s a reciprocal healthcare agreement in place with Australia that means you’ll be treated for free at public hospitals. But it’s not a substitute for travel insurance with adequate medical cover.

Under the agreement, you’re still liable for the cost of ambulance travel and treatment at doctors’ surgeries. It also won’t pay for repatriation if you’re seriously hurt.

The costs of these could run to many thousands of pounds, but the right travel insurance will cover them.

Find out more about medical cover

Adventurous sports cover

If you’re planning to do a bungee jump or ride a few waves while in Australia, these kinds of activities might not be covered under a standard travel insurance policy, so you’ll need extra extreme sports cover.

Always check what sporting activities are covered on your policy. You might not regard surfing or diving as particularly ‘extreme’, but each insurer will have its own list of activities it covers as standard and some will need you to take out extended cover for water sports.

Find out more about extreme sports cover

Backpacker insurance

If you’re visiting Australia as part of a backpacking adventure, compare specialist backpackers’ travel insurance. Backpacker cover varies enormously, so make sure you choose a policy that’s suitable for all parts of your trip.

Backpacker cover includes everything you would expect to find in a standard travel policy, plus cover for some activities commonly associated with backpacking.

Don’t assume your policy will cover adventure sports - not all do, so you need to check in your policy wording that any activities you plan on are covered.

Find out more about backpacker insurance

Extended-stay insurance

If you’re planning on a long-term stint in Australia, extended-stay policies can offer cover for continuous trips of more than 31 days.

If you plan to work to fund your trip, get the right visa. The Australia Working Holiday (WHM) visa allows you a working holiday of up to 24 months if you’re aged 18-30.

Make sure your travel insurance offers a working trip and consider cash cover if you’re earning money in Australia.

Find out more about long-stay insurance

Single-trip or annual cover?

Whether to take out a single-trip policy or annual multi-trip cover depends on how many holidays abroad you’re planning in the next 12 months.

If you’re going on holiday more than once, multi-trip might be cheaper. But if Australia’s your only trip abroad this year, a single-trip policy will cost you less.

Do I need a visa to visit Australia

Yes. British tourists can get an eVisitor visa direct from the Department of Immigration & Border Protection or an Electronic Travel Authority (ETA) from their travel agent or airline.

Travel advice for Australia

Australia’s considered modern and safe, but you’ll be expected to take reasonable care of your health and personal safety for a travel insurance claim to be valid.

Natural disasters

Bushfires are a risk at the height of the Australian summer (November to February). You can find bushfire information on MyFireWatch. Tropical Cyclones are also a threat in some parts of Australia, mainly Queensland, Northern Territory and Western Australia.

Wildlife

Australia is home to some of the world’s most dangerous wildlife including spiders, snakes and crocodiles. Medical cover on your travel insurance will cover you for treatment for a bite or sting. If you’re not covered under the reciprocal healthcare arrangements which exist between Australia and the UK, the cost of treatment can be high.