Travel Insurance for Australia

Travel insurance is a risk management tool specially designed to protect individuals, families, and groups when travelling. These policies provide financial protection from dozens of covered risks, enabling travellers to explore the world with confidence and peace of mind. Foreign travel is expensive, and any unexpected expense can lead to financial loss and a negative travel experience. This is where having the backing of travel insurance can protect travellers.

It is not mandatory for Indian travellers to have insurance for Australia travel when visiting Australia. However, tourists must understand that while not compulsory, it is highly recommended by the Australian tourist department and is necessary when travelling outside one’s country. This is because while Indians can avail themselves of medical facilities at a preferential price in India, they might have to pay a significant upcharge when getting treated outside India. Not only this, but several non-medical risks can also lead to financial loss and a negative travel experience, which need to be addressed and accounted for.

Here are a few key benefits you can look out for when purchasing the best travel insurance Australia:

• Niva Bupa offers travellers a simple, convenient and affordable way to secure their Australia trip.
• Niva Bupa’s Australia travel insurance provides 24/7 assistance in any emergency.
• The policy covers policyholders from expenses incurred due to medical emergencies, personal accidents, COVID-19, medical evacuation, repatriation, pre-existing diseases during emergencies, and more.
• Student travellers with student travel insurance Australia are also covered for several additional risks, including 100% pre-existing disease coverage, study interruption coverage, sponsor protection, dental treatment, maternity expenses, and more.
• Travellers are also covered for non-medical risks like lost checked-in baggage or essential documents like passports and visas, missed connecting flights, trip delays, interruptions and cancellations, and personal liability.

Travellers going outside India are often exposed to several medical and non-medical risks. With its TravelAssure policy, Niva Bupa covers dozens of these risks, allowing travellers to explore Australia and over 190 destinations worldwide with confidence and peace of mind. Here are a few key coverage options which Niva Bupa provides to travellers:

• Delay or loss of checked-in baggage: This coverage offers partial or complete reimbursement for significant delay or loss of checked-in baggage.
• Missed connecting flight: This coverage reimburses you for the extra accommodation and travel costs to reach the next destination if you miss a pre-booked connecting flight due to the original flight running late.
• Loss of passport: This coverage reimburses you for the cost of applying for a new passport if the original is lost.
• Dental treatment: This coverage reimburses a pain-relieving dental treatment availed under anaesthesia.
• Trip delay, cancellation, interruption: These three separate coverages offer reimbursement for part of the travel and accommodation costs if your travel is delayed, cancelled, or interrupted due to certain conditions mentioned in the policy document.
• Medical emergency (hospitalisation): This coverage offers reimbursement for the cost of medical treatment.
• Emergency outpatient treatment: This coverage reimburses any emergency treatment under OPD.
• Medical evacuation: This coverage reimburses the transfer cost from one hospital to another if the primary hospital does not offer appropriate care.
• Emergency trip extension: If the trip is extended due to certain exceptional circumstances, this coverage offers an extension of the policy up to 7 days.
• Personal accident: This coverage offers a payout of up to the sum insured for accidental death or disability.
• Repatriation of mortal remains: This coverage reimburses you for transporting the mortal remains of the traveller or the cost of cremation in the city/country of death.

While travellers need to consider what is covered, it is equally important to consider what is not covered to make an informed decision when travelling. For example, going on adventure sports without coverage and getting injured can result in non-payment of a claim. This is why travellers must always consider these exclusions when planning their trip.

• Treatment for any injury or illness resulting from nuclear or radiological emissions, war or rebellion, and specific acts of terrorism.
• Active participation in military exercises, war games, or engagement with the enemy.
• Any loss or injury due to committing or attempting to breach the law with criminal intent.
• Expenses for cosmetic or plastic surgery or any treatment to change appearance, including obesity or weight control programs. Unless in certain circumstances as listed in the policy document.
• Maternity expenses.
• Non-prescription or unproven drugs or treatments.
• The provision of fitting of hearing aids, spectacles, or contact lenses, including optometric therapy, any treatment, and associated expenses for alopecia, baldness, wigs, or toupees, medical supplies including elastic stockings, diabetic test strips, and similar products.
• If the insured person is travelling against the advice of a doctor or is receiving or on a waiting list for specified medical treatment.
• Death, injury, medical condition, or disability resulting from suicide or attempted suicide, self-inflicted wound or illness, consumption of alcohol or drugs, and depression.
• Countries with travel restrictions for Indians.
• Medical tourism.
• Damages due to adventure sports unless part of coverage.
• Expenses related to any admission specifically for diagnostics and evaluation purposes that are not related or incidental to the current diagnosis and treatment.

Travellers must also remember that this list is just a summary of the exclusions. It is beneficial to refer to the policy document for a complete list of all specific exclusions and to protect yourself and your loved ones from financial loss or a negative travel experience.

While there are no particular eligibility criteria for travellers to opt for travel insurance in Australia, travellers must consider these requirements when purchasing an insurance policy.

• Adults should be between the ages of 18 and 70.
• Dependent children can be up to the age of 25.
• Travellers must possess and furnish mandatory documents like copies of passports, visas, income proof, and other relevant papers.

Travellers looking to buy one of the best Australian travel insurance online can visit the Niva Bupa website and follow the given steps.

1. Visit the Niva Bupa website and click Travel Insurance in the header.
2. Use the drop-down menu on that page to select Australia, the departure and return dates, and the phone number.
3. After clicking on view plans, you can check the destination-specific plans for Australia.
4. There, you can select your needs, such as whether you are going alone or with family, whether it is an independent trip or a corporate visit; there are also plans for students and senior citizens.
5. Review and select the appropriate plans, change the sum insured to the amount you want to insure for your trip and choose any add-ons.
6. After this, click “Next” and fill out the relevant information and medical declaration to purchase the plan of your choice.
7. Once the payment is complete, the Australia travel insurance policy will be emailed to you.

The above steps should take you just a few minutes to buy travel insurance India to Australia from one of the leading providers of travel insurance in India.

While travellers can purchase travel insurance for Australia trips anytime before starting their journey, buying a policy as soon as they book their flight tickets is still highly recommended.

This is because Niva Bupa’s Australia travel insurance comes with trip cancellation coverage, which provides financial protection to travellers when they have to cancel their trip due to certain circumstances. Travellers with this coverage can be compensated for unrecoverable travel and accommodation costs.

However, it is vital to note that this coverage is only valid from the start of the policy date. If the traveller has not purchased the travel health insurance Australia policy before the trip cancellation, they cannot claim settlement and might lose the money. 

When faced with unexpected travel expenses due to emergencies, travellers need to get a simple and hassle-free claim experience. By following the given steps, travellers can request a claim for their Australia travel insurance with Niva Bupa:

1. To file a travel insurance claim, you first need to contact your insurer, Niva Bupa.
2. You may also contact the global third-party administrator if you are travelling overseas.
3. You can raise a claim for travel insurance online, through mail, or even physically. You can do so both while overseas or when you return to India.
4. You must submit a duly filled claim form along with the required documents based on the type of claim—for example, loss of baggage, trip cancellation, medical emergency, or death.

Besides this, one can make two types of claims in the case of a medical emergency. 

Cashless claim:

Niva Bupa is partnered with Europ Assistance, a global third-party administrator, to provide cashless claims to hospitals and healthcare centres worldwide.

• The customer intimates the claim to Europ Assistance via a toll-free number or email.
• The TPA - Europ Assistance will contact the customer and provide them with the required travel insurance for Australia details.
• Europ Assistance will then initiate the GOP (Guarantee of payment) process with the hospital where the customer will receive treatment.
• Europ Assistance will ask for the documents from the hospital or the customer and, after assessing the claim, will send them to Niva Bupa for approval/rejection/query/investigation.
• Our medical team will approve the claim by e-mail.
• The GOP will be released to the hospital as per the amount claimed.
• The hospital will contact the Europ Assistance team if any additional amount is required.
• At discharge, documents will be sent to Europ assistance and approved accordingly.
• After discharge, the hospital will send the documents to Europe Assistance for settlement to the hospital.

Reimbursement Claim 

Travellers planning a visit to Australia must know that Australia currently accepts five broad categories of Visas, with a sixth category for several miscellaneous types of visas.

• Visitor visa
• Studying and training visas
• Family and partner visas
• Working and skilled visas
• Refugee and humanitarian visas
• Other/miscellaneous visas

Travellers must apply for a visa well in advance of the travel date. The Australian Government recommends that travellers make their travel plans after getting a visa.

All travellers visiting Australia must ensure to carry and present the following documents to Australian border officers during immigration clearance:

• A valid passport with at least six months of validity post the date of return
• A valid visa or authority to enter Australia (including electronic visas)
• A filled and signed incoming passenger card, including health and character declaration.