NIB Travel Insurance. What’s on offer and how does it work?

Travel insurance is an important part of planning an international or domestic trip as travel doesn’t always go smoothly. An insurance policy can provide financial support and some insurers might even offer medical assistance.

NIB is a travel insurance provider that offers different plans to suit the needs of the trip you’re taking.

This article will guide you through the NIB’s travel insurance packages, the benefits and exclusions, the payouts, the fees, and COVID-19 inclusions. You’ll also get an idea of how to purchase a policy and how to file a claim.

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What is travel insurance with NIB

NIB offers a range of travel insurance plans for international and domestic trips with different levels of coverage to suit your needs. You can find plans with coverage for medical assistance, lost luggage, cancelled or delayed trips, sports activities, and more.

NIB travel insurance package(s)

NIB offers a number of travel insurance packages with varying benefits and limits.

The international travel insurance packages are:

• Comprehensive plan
• Essentials plan

The domestic travel insurance packages are:

• Australian travel plan
• Australian cancellation and additional expenses travel plan

Additionally, NIB offers an annual multi-trip plan for domestic and international travel.

Who administers travel insurance on behalf of NIB

Pacific International Insurance Pty Ltd is the underwriter.¹

What are the main benefits of travel insurance with NIB

The benefits NIB travel insurance offers differ based on your chosen plan. Some general benefits are:

• Availability of NIB international assistance that provides emergency assistance to international policy holders and can be contacted by phone 24/7.
• Cover for more than 40 existing medical conditions, including asthma, diabetes, and common allergies.⁵
• Cover for loss, theft, or damage of luggage and personal effects, including new items bought on the trip, travel documents, medical prescriptions, and dentures.⁶
• Cover for cancelled trips, tours, and events, depending on the reason for cancellation.
• Some plans offer COVID-19-related overseas medical benefits and cover for travel costs.⁴
• Option to add cover for a range of sports and activities, along with sports gear, to some plans.
• Option to include additional rental vehicle insurance excess to some plans.
• The policies have a 21-day cooling-off period that allows you to cancel your policy within the period given you haven’t started the trip or made a claim.

Types of coverage offered by NIB travel insurance

NIB travel insurance offers a number of plans and covers for international and domestic travel. The Product Disclosure Statements will give you a detailed view of all the benefits offered. You can find some of the benefits mentioned below.³

Benefit/Plan	International comprehensive	International essentials	Annual multi-trip	Australian travel plan	Australian cancellation & additional expense
Cancellation or holiday deferment costs	Chosen limit	Chosen limit	Chosen limit	Chosen limit	Chosen limit
Emergency travel arrangements and accommodation expenses	Unlimited	AUD$15,000	Unlimited	AUD$10,000	AUD$2,000
Overseas medical expenses	Unlimited	Unlimited	Unlimited	NA	NA
Medical evacuation and repatriation	Unlimited	AUD$500,000	Unlimited	AUD$50,000	NA
Travel delay (after 6 hours)	AUD$2,000, with limit of AUD$250 per 24 hours	AUD$1,000, with limit of AUD$250 per 24 hours	AUD$2,000, with limit of AUD$250 per 24 hours	AUD$500, with limit of AUD$250 per 24 hours	NA
Rental vehicle insurance excess	AUD$5,000	AUD$2,000	AUD$5,000	AUD$5,000	NA
Luggage and personal effects	AUD$12,000	AUD$5,000	AUD$12,000	AUD$4,000	NA
Personal liability	AUD$2,500,000	AUD$1,000,000	AUD$2,500,000	AUD$300,000	NA
COVID-19 travel costs	AUD$10,000	NA	AUD$7,500	AUD$2,500	NA

As seen on 17 April 2024

NIB travel insurance main fees

The premium you’re charged for the policy will depend on a number of factors, including the level and type of cover you choose. The main factors are¹:

• The duration of your trip
• The destinations
• Your chosen travel plan
• The age of everyone included in the policy
• If you opt for additional cover such as cancellation limit, rental vehicle insurance excess, snow sports cover, specified items, and more

What’s not covered under this travel insurance

NIB travel insurance has a few exclusions. Following are some activities that might lead to losses and are not covered by the insurance¹:

• Change of plans due to the travelling party deciding to alter or discontinue the trip.
• Reckless behaviour or undertaking risky activities.
• Indirect losses such as loss of enjoyment, profit, revenue, or damage to reputation.
• Malicious, dishonest or criminal activities.
• Fraudulent behaviour.
• Travelling to a country or region subject to a ‘do not travel’ advisory by the Australian Government.
• Travelling against medical advice.
• Failure to follow a course of treatment.
• Elective or cosmetic surgery that is not medically necessary.

Eligibility for NIB travel insurance

The eligibility for NIB travel insurance differs with the plans. The general criteria are as follows¹:

• All the plans are available to Australian residents.
• Only the international essentials plan has an age limit of up to 69 years. All other plans have no age limits.
• For an international comprehensive plan, annual multi-trip plan, and Australian travel plan, you’ll need to get a medical assessment done for any existing conditions not automatically covered by the policy. International essentials plan, and cancellation and additional expenses plan only offer cover for existing medical conditions automatically covered under the policies.

How to get travel insurance with NIB

Here’s how you can get NIB travel insurance:

1. On the NIB travel insurance website, enter your destination country, departure and return dates, and the ages of adult travellers.
2. Choose the plan type that suits your needs the best.
3. Customise your policy by choosing the cancellation limit, variable excess, and cover for specified items such as personal electronics, sport and leisure equipment, and other luggage items.
4. Fill in your personal details and choose a password to create an account.
5. Follow the prompts to complete medical declarations and move forward to pay for the policy.

Making a claim with NIB travel insurance

You can make a claim with NIB travel insurance by following the steps below²:

1. Create a new account or log in to your existing account to make a claim.
2. Provide information on the incident and the expenses you’d like to claim.
3. Check your email for the supporting documents that need to be uploaded.
4. Submit your claim.
5. You’ll likely receive your claim number within 2 business days. The review usually takes up to 10 business days. The NIB travel insurance team will be in contact if they require any additional documents or information.

A word on NIB travel insurance and COVID-19

Depending on your chosen plan, you might find some COVID-19-related events covered. Cancellation and additional expenses plan offers no COVID-19 benefits. The following table gives an overview of the COVID-19 benefits under other plans⁴:

	International comprehensive	International essentials	Annual multi-trip	Australian travel plan
Overseas medical expenses	Unlimited	Unlimited	Unlimited	NA
Medical evacuation and repatriation	Unlimited	AUD$500,000	Unlimited	AUD$50,000
COVID-19 travel costs	AUD$10,000	Not insured	AUD$7,500	AUD$2,500

As seen on 17 April 2024

Additional things to keep in mind

• If you purchase a policy when you’re already travelling outside of Australia, there’s a 72-hour waiting period.
• The annual multi-trip plan offers cover for trips of up to 45 days each.⁷
• Since NIB travel insurance has many plans with varying benefits and limits, the information given in the Product Disclosure Statements for both international and domestic travel insurance should be considered before purchase.

Contacting NIB

You can contact NIB in the following ways:

• Call 1300410272 from within Australia or +61292343193 from outside of Australia with your general enquiries.
• For their 24-hour worldwide emergency service, you can call 1300555019 from within Australia and +61385232800 from outside of Australia.

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Sources:

1. NIB travel insurance Product Disclosure Statement
2. NIB travel insurance Claims
3. NIB travel insurance What We Cover
4. NIB travel insurance Travel insurance and Coronavirus
5. NIB travel insurance Existing medical conditions
6. NIB travel insurance Luggage and personal effects
7. NIB travel insurance Home

Sources checked on: 17 April 2024