Purchasing one-way travel insurance from Australia is expensive, but necessary when moving overseas. If you run into trouble, you could find yourself in thousands of dollars of debt without insurance. Chess Moving can point you in the right direction, when it comes to expat cover.
Right now, around one million Australians are living and working in another country.
Are you planning to join the swelling ranks of Aussies moving overseas to take advantage of enticing opportunities?
If so, do yourself a favour and get expat travel insurance before you leave Australia.
It can be tempting to skip this step, since one-way travel insurance is expensive. Pricing is determined by many factors, such as the length of your visit and where you're moving to.
But - we can't stress this enough - it's definitely worth it. You don't want to step onto the plane until you've signed up to a plan. The cost of running into trouble overseas without insurance far outweighs the hefty price tag!
Why is it so important to get one-way travel insurance (expat insurance) from Australia?
Rita* (22) was cycling during a visit with family in Malta when she was hit by a car. She suffered abrasions and a broken leg, but overall was not too badly hurt. Unfortunately she had decided against travel insurance, because she felt safe in Malta and was visiting family rather than staying in a hotel and travelling as a tourist. This left Rita, and family in both Malta and Australia, responsible for the costs of her medical treatment and recovery in hospital, totalling more than $4,000. - Smartraveller
If you're uninsured and something goes wrong, the Australian government won't help you financially. You or your family must cover costs for medical treatment, theft of valuables, cancellations and more. This can leave you in thousands of dollars of debt.
Expat insurance protects you from this possibility. There are different levels of cover and as with many services, you get what you pay for.
Comprehensive travel insurance is the best way to go, since it usually covers:
- All medical expenses from injury or illness
- Theft of valuables
- Damage to baggage
- Interruptions to flight plans
- Cancellations of flights
- Additional accommodation and travel expenses resulting from illness or injury
- Personal liability and legal liability
Consumer advocate Choice created this useful guide for buying travel insurance. They’ve also whipped up a shorter version, for those who are pressed for time.
How is one-way travel insurance different from standard overseas travel insurance?
You need to purchase cover for one-way journeys if you're not sure when you'll return to Australia.
Long-term travel insurance covers you for everything under a standard policy, but you don't need a return date. If anything goes wrong, you can also submit your claim from abroad, rather than first returning home.
Finder provides a useful list of companies that offer one-way travel insurance. These include:
- Travel Insurance Direct
- Budget Direct
- Cover-More Travel Insurance
- Easy Travel Insurance
- Go Insurance Travel
- Insure and Go
- Insure 4 less
- Travel Insuranz
The level of cover you get depends on the type of insurance you pay for, so it's worth researching. Make sure you read the product disclosure statement for each policy, while comparing. You can also check expat insurance reviews.
If you're going on a one-way trip, you must inform your insurer that you don't have a return ticket. Neglecting to do this could result in an invalid policy, which you definitely don't want! Keep in mind that one-way travel insurance eventually expires, so you need to extend it before it runs out.
If you're moving overseas for a year or less, it might be possible to get short-term insurance. It's worth checking out the Choice travel insurance review, which compares overseas plans.
Should I get one-way travel insurance if I'm moving to a country with a Reciprocal Health Care Agreement?
Some countries allow Australian travellers to access subsidised medical treatment, thanks to a Reciprocal Health Care Agreement.
These countries are:
- New Zealand
- the UK
- Republic of Ireland
- the Netherlands
- Slovenia
- Finland
- Sweden
- Malta
- Italy
- Belgium
- Norway
If you're moving to any of these countries, you still need to get your own overseas travel insurance. The RHCA cover is limited and only covers overseas medical emergencies. It doesn't assist with general medical expenses, protect your belongings or guard against trip delays or cancellations.
Moving overseas? Chess Moving can help you sort out your expat insurance and more ...
As members of the global Harmony Relocation Network, we're committed to helping you move overseas, minus the stress.
We go out of our way to make sure you have all the information you need to adjust to your new life. This includes navigating expat travel insurance, customs, pet relocation and other essentials.
We can also handle all your relocation needs, including packing, storage, unpacking, furniture removal and cleaning.
Please contact us if you would like to know more about our local, international and interstate moving services.