Travel Insurance Australia
Get flexible travel insurance for Australia, with options for surfing, scuba diving, road trips, medical cover, cancellation and 24/7 emergency assistance.
Planning a trip to Australia? All of our policies can include cover for holidays to Australia, whether you’re heading to Sydney for a city break, snorkelling the Great Barrier Reef, or road-tripping your way along the coast.
With Rise & Shield, you can get Australia travel insurance in a few clicks, then add the right upgrades if your plans include higher-risk water sports, deeper scuba dives, or pricey kit.
Our Australia cover at a glance
Here’s how our travel insurance for Australia works:
- Australia is covered on all of our policies (single-trip, annual multi-trip and family plans).
- You’ll get emergency medical cover, cancellation, baggage, and delay cover, plus 24/7 assistance as standard.
- Surfing in Australia? Recreational surfing and SUP/paddle surfing are typically covered as standard (within policy terms).
- Scuba diving in Australia? Diving up to 18m is typically included; add Adventure Plus if you’ll be diving 18m–30m (we don’t cover deeper than 30m).
- Kite surfing, deeper scuba, shark cage dives, liveaboards, or other higher-risk adventure plans? Adventure Plus is usually the right upgrade.
- Travelling with expensive gear (camera, laptop, dive kit, boards)? Consider adding High-Value Items.
- Buy online in minutes and get your documents by email.
Rise & Shield is trusted by reputable tour operators and adventure companies
Planning a surf or beach trip in Australia?
If your Australia trip includes surfing lessons, surf camps, SUP-surfing, or classic beach time, you’ll usually be covered on our standard policy (as long as what you’re doing is recreational and within the policy terms).
If you’re planning kite surfing, add Adventure Plus during the quote process so we can cover those extra risks properly.
If you’re travelling with an expensive board, action cam, or a full quiver of kit, add High-Value Items for extra protection.
Planning scuba diving or reef adventures in Australia?
Australia is a scuba dream! Reefs, wrecks, whale sharks, turtles… and the occasional “why does my ear feel like that?” moment.
With Rise & Shield:
- Scuba diving up to 18m is typically included as standard (within the terms).
- Add Adventure Plus for dives between 18m and 30m.
- We don’t cover dives deeper than 30m.
Planning a road trip, campervan holiday, or the Outback?
Australia is huge. That’s the charm… and also the reason small issues can become expensive when you’re far from major services.
If you’re doing a coastal road trip, a campervan loop, or heading into remote national parks, your travel insurance is there to help with the big stuff.
This is especially helpful if you need emergency medical treatment, evacuation (when medically necessary), and disruption costs that can follow an injury or illness.
What’s included as standard on trips to Australia
Every Rise & Shield policy that covers Australia includes core benefits to help protect your trip, such as:
- Emergency medical treatment abroad.
- Medical evacuation and repatriation back home if medically necessary.
- Trip cancellation and curtailment.
- Baggage and personal belongings cover (within limits).
- Travel delay and missed departure (for covered reasons).
- 24/7 emergency assistance wherever you are in Australia.
The exact benefit limits depend on the level of coverage you choose, but every policy is designed to handle the most important “what ifs” during an Australian trip. Curious about our benefit limits? You can compare our plans here.
What’s not covered by our Australia travel insurance
Like every insurer, there are situations we can’t cover, and it’s important to know about them upfront.
In general, we won’t cover:
- Trips or activities that fall outside your policy terms or chosen add-ons.
- Certain high-risk or unsupported solo adventures.
- Claims that arise while you’re over the legal alcohol limit or under the influence of drugs.
- Illegal or deliberately reckless behaviour.
- Travel against official government “do not travel” advice.
- Known events or circumstances that existed before you bought your policy.
- Claims linked to a pre-existing medical condition. You can learn more about how we handle pre-existing medical conditions here.
Always read your policy wording so you know exactly what’s included before you travel.
Why you need travel insurance for Australia
Australia is an incredible destination! But it’s not a place you want to gamble on going without travel insurance. Here’s why:
Long-haul trips have more ways to go sideways
Australia often means long flights, stopovers, and tight connections. The more moving parts, the more chance of delays, missed flights, and baggage issues.
Healthcare can be excellent… and still expensive
If you need treatment in Australia, costs can add up quickly, especially if you need private care, specialist treatment, or any kind of evacuation.
The UK–Australia reciprocal healthcare agreement isn’t “full cover”
Many UK travellers can access limited medically necessary treatment under Australia’s system, but that agreement does not replace travel insurance.
It won’t cover things like repatriation, cancellations, baggage, and often excludes costs like ambulances and medical evacuations.
Remote travel changes the risk
From the Red Centre to remote coasts and national parks, distance matters. If you need help far from a major hospital, getting you to the right place can be complicated and expensive.
Some travellers may be asked to show proof of cover
Certain tour operators (especially for organised adventure activities) may ask for proof of insurance. It’s also just a sensible thing to have ready if plans change suddenly.
What your Australia travel insurance does in real life
It’s one thing to read a list of benefits. It’s more helpful to see how travel insurance for Australia actually works on your trip. Here are a few examples:
City breaks like Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane
You get sick on day two and need a doctor, medication, and extra nights in your hotel. Or your phone and wallet vanish during a night out, and suddenly replacing essentials becomes a headache.
Your policy can help with emergency medical treatment, replacements for lost items (within your cover limits), and additional accommodation costs if you can’t travel home as planned.
Great Barrier Reef trips, snorkelling and boat days
You get injured on a boat day and need treatment onshore, plus changes to flights and accommodation.
Travel insurance can help cover emergency medical costs, and certain disruption costs depending on the level of cover you’ve chosen and the reason for the change.
Cover your trip today
Planning a trip to Australia? Get comprehensive travel insurance for medical needs, trip interruptions, and more with Rise & Shield. Quick & easy.
Surf trips and beach holidays
You wipe out, slice yourself on a reef, or break something awkward. Or your board bag takes a beating in transit and arrives looking like it lost a fight with a forklift.
Your policy can help with emergency medical care and, within policy limits, cover for baggage and personal belongings.
Scuba diving and liveaboards
A dive injury, a suspected DCI issue, or a cancelled diving day can quickly turn into medical appointments, missed transport, and unexpected costs.
If you’re diving beyond standard limits, the right add-on matters (and so does following the safety rules in the policy terms).
Road trips, campervans and remote national parks
You get injured on a hike, or a medical issue forces you to change your route and book extra accommodation. Or travel disruption means you miss a flight and need to reroute.
Here, your insurance is there to step in with medical cover and certain travel disruption benefits when the cause is covered under your policy.
In short: when something unexpected cuts across your Australia plans (from a lost bag in Sydney to an injury on a reef trip) your Rise & Shield policy is designed to help you recover costs, get the right treatment, and get home safely.
Is Australia covered under Worldwide travel insurance?
Yes, for travel insurance purposes, Australia is normally treated as a Worldwide destination, not Europe.
With Rise & Shield:
- If you’re only visiting Australia (and routing via places like Asia or the Middle East), you’ll usually choose Worldwide (excluding North America).
- If your itinerary includes the USA or Canada (even a stopover), you’ll usually need Worldwide (including North America).
Choosing the right level of cover for your Australia trip
Once you know Australia is covered under the right Worldwide region, the next step is choosing the right level of cover. Here’s how we recommend doing it.
First, get a free quote here: https://go.riseandshield.com/
Step 1: Pick the trip type that fits your plans
Think about how you’ll be travelling:
- Single-trip: best for a one-off holiday to Australia.
- Annual multi-trip: if you’re planning several trips in a year (to Australia or elsewhere).
Step 2: Match your cover to your trip cost & health needs
Make sure your policy fits the real-world value of your trip:
- Cancellation cover: add up your non-refundable flights, accommodation, tours, and activities. Choose a level that would realistically protect most of that spend if you had to cancel for a covered reason.
- Medical cover: Australia is a long-haul destination, and you might be travelling in remote areas. Pick a policy level that gives you comfortable headroom for emergency medical care and getting you home if needed.
Step 3: Add the right extras for what you’ll actually do
This is where your Australia plans really matter:
- Adventure Plus if you’ll be: diving 18–30m, kite surfing, doing shark cage dives, joining certain boat-based or more remote adventure activities, or anything that sits outside standard activity limits.
- High-Value Items if you’re packing: laptops, camera gear, specialist sports equipment, or anything expensive enough to make you wince if it disappeared.
Step 4: Check the details, then buy online
Before you buy:
- Double-check Australia is listed under your chosen region.
- Make sure your travel dates, travellers’ details, and trip value are correct.
- Confirm that any add-ons you need are selected.
Once you’re happy, you can buy online in a few clicks. Your documents will be emailed to you, ready if airlines, tour operators, or activity providers ask for proof of cover.
Before you go: Australia health & safety checklist
A bit of prep goes a long way. Before you travel to Australia, we recommend you:
- Check the latest official travel advice for Australia (entry rules, local safety info, regional alerts).
- Understand your healthcare position: if you’re eligible, look up the UK–Australia reciprocal healthcare arrangement and how Medicare access works for visitors, but don’t treat that as travel insurance.
- Make sure your routine vaccinations are up to date, and you have enough prescription medication for the whole trip (plus extra in case of delays).
- Take sun protection seriously: Australia’s UV can be intense. Sunscreen, hat, sunglasses, and the boring-but-life-saving stuff.
- Be sensible around water and wildlife: swim where it’s safe, follow local warnings, and don’t treat the ocean like a theme park.
- Save important numbers: Australia’s emergency number is 000 (and 112 from mobiles), plus our 24/7 assistance line from your policy documents.
- Keep your documents handy: passport, policy documents, and proof of insurance in your hand luggage.
With the basics covered and travel insurance for Australia in place, you’ll be in a much better position if anything unexpected crops up.
Travel insurance for Australia FAQs
Do I really need travel insurance for Australia?
Yes. Australia is generally very safe, but treatment, transport, and disruption can be expensive, especially on a long-haul trip. Travel insurance helps protect you from financial shocks if something goes wrong.
Does the UK–Australia reciprocal healthcare agreement mean I don’t need insurance?
No. Reciprocal healthcare can help with limited medically necessary treatment for eligible travellers, but it doesn’t replace travel insurance. It won’t cover repatriation, cancellations, baggage issues, or many other costs travellers actually face.
Cover your trip today
Planning a trip to Australia? Get comprehensive travel insurance for medical needs, trip interruptions, and more with Rise & Shield. Quick & easy.
What region do I select for Australia on the quote engine?
Australia is usually covered under a Worldwide region. If you’re not visiting or transiting the USA/Canada, you’ll typically choose Worldwide (excluding North America). If you are, choose Worldwide (including North America).
Is surfing covered on your Australia travel insurance?
Recreational surfing (plus SUP/paddle surfing) is usually covered as standard, within the terms of the policy. Competitive/pro surfing is a different beast and may not be covered.
Do I need Adventure Plus for scuba diving in Australia?
If you’re scuba diving up to 18m, that’s typically covered as standard. Add Adventure Plus for dives between 18m and 30m. We don’t cover deeper than 30m.
Will travel insurance cover me if my flight to Australia is delayed or cancelled?
It depends on the cause and the level of cover you choose. Many policies include benefits for travel delay, missed departure, and cancellation where the cause is a covered event (for example, serious illness, certain strikes, or severe weather that disrupts flights). Always check your policy wording.
Can I buy cover if I’m already travelling?
In many cases, yes. We offer options for travellers who are already abroad. The key is to buy as soon as possible, because anything that happened before the policy's start date won’t be covered.
You might also like
If you’re planning a trip to Australia, you might also be looking at these resources and activity guides:
- Surf travel insurance (useful if surfing is a big part of your trip)
- Scuba diving travel insurance (for depth limits, add-ons, and common exclusions)
- Backpacking travel insurance (perfect for longer Australia trips and multi-stop itineraries)
- Travel insurance already abroad (if you’ve already left home)
- Trekking insurance (for hiking-heavy itineraries)
- Travel insurance New Zealand (if you’re doing Australia + NZ in one trip)
- Fiji travel insurance (hopping over to the islands after Australia? You'll need this.)
Cover your trip today
Planning a trip to Australia? Get comprehensive travel insurance for medical needs, trip interruptions, and more with Rise & Shield. Quick & easy.
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