According to Austbrokers, Australians are generally large consumers of travel insurance, with about 90% of travellers heading overseas taking out a policy. Australia Post is keen for this figure to reach even higher levels, recommending Aussies purchase a travel insurance policy that covers you for an unexpected event you could face while travelling.

Travel insurance for India can be a vital resource, covering the cost of emergency treatment while away, and in the most severe cases, repatriation. Cover for trip cancellation and lost or stolen baggage and belongings are also key policy components. A policy should also include personal liability, should you injure someone else or damage another’s property and face legal proceedings and the threat of being sued.

Policies differ on the level of cover they provide as well as their limitations and restrictions on cover. However, many policies accept bereavement or illness as a valid reason to claim for a cancelled trip, and extend cover to Covid-related emergencies.

Policies may also offer various other types of cover as standard or at an extra cost, including:

• Travel delay: provides an inconvenience benefit up to a pre-specified amount if the booked outward or return journey is delayed for a set period of time (typically 12 hours) after checking-in.
• Missed departure: covers the cost of additional accommodation and travel should an emergency cause the policyholder to miss their journey.
• Insolvency: pays out if a company, such as an airline or a hotel goes broke.
• Personal money: the amount that can be claimed if the policyholder’s money is lost or stolen.

Exclusions for Travel Insurance to India

A travel insurance policy for India is unlikely to cover holidays to regions where the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) has advised not to travel, which can also be found via the DFAT-owned website Smarttraveller. Smarttraveller offers advice to Australia on where they can travel, and what safety precautions should be in place.

It’s therefore important to check the latest advice before taking out travel insurance and again before the planned departure date, especially as travel warnings can change. However, if Smarttraveller upgrades its advice to ‘do not travel’  after you have purchased a ticket (and insurance), you should be able to claim it on travel insurance.

On the other hand, travellers who simply decide they do not want to go on holiday anymore are unlikely to be covered for cancellation.

Claims resulting from being under the influence of alcohol or drugs are also usually not accepted.