Travel insurance for family - Guide to coverage, providers and more

Planning a family trip? No matter where you’re headed, getting travel insurance is a good decision. It offers protection against unexpected costs that can derail plans quickly, and when travelling with kids the risks can be even higher. That peace of mind you gain knowing you and your family are covered can be invaluable.

This guide will take a closer look at family travel insurance, breaking down what’s included, what’s not, and how to choose the right policy. We’ll also compare popular insurers in Australia. Plus, we’ll introduce you to Wise, an easy way to manage your travel spending and save when spending internationally.

What is family travel insurance?

Family travel insurance is designed to cover multiple family members under a single policy. Typically, it includes two adults and dependent children, though some insurers offer coverage for larger families, extended family members, or even grandchildren.

The main benefits of buying a family policy is convenience and cost savings. Instead of buying separate plans for each traveller, a family policy bundles everyone together, often at a lower price than individual policies. Many insurers also cover children for free when travelling with their parents, making it a budget friendly option for families.

What does family travel insurance cover?

As you might expect coverage does vary between providers, but this is what a comprehensive family travel insurance policy typically covers.

• Emergency medical expenses
• Emergency dental care
• Trip interruptions and cancellations
• Lost, stolen or damaged belongings
• Missed connections
• Rental car excess

Many insurers also offer option add-one which expand the coverage, including cruise cover if you're headed off on a family cruise and adventure sports cover if you’re planning some exciting and extreme family activities.

What’s not covered?

In the Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) you’ll find a complete description of the insurance coverage which includes what’s not covered. Some of the common general exclusions you can expect to see are:

• Pre-existing medical conditions like asthma and anaphylaxis unless pre-approved or covered by default
• Self-inflicted injuries or injuries resulting from reckless behaviour
• Travelling against medical advice or government travel warnings, like Smartraveller
• Pandemics, war and natural disaster
• Childbirth
• Scuba diving without a certified instructor or appropriate dive certificate
• Riding mopeds with the correct licensing and policy add on

Cost of family travel insurance

The cost for travel insurance varies depending on factors like destination, trip length, ages of the travellers, pre-existing conditions and optional add-ons. To give you an idea, here’s a few quotes for a family with two adults and two children under 18 to go on a 1 week holiday to Bali.

Some insurers offer free coverage for kids which can reduce costs significantly. To find out whether an insurer offers this you could get a quote or check the PDS. For example, Southern Cross Travel Insurance offers no extra cost for unmarried dependent children included on your policy who are aged under 21 and aren’t in full time employment.¹

Single trip vs. annual travel insurance – Which is better for families?

Most travel insurance providers offer their policies as single trip or annual multi-trip. Which one is better largely depends on how often your family travels and for how long.

Single trip insurance only covers one specific trip so is best for families who travel occasionally.

Annual multi-trip insurance covers multiple trips per year, often with a set limit for how long each trip can be. It’s a cost effective option for frequent travellers, and is usually offered for both the domestic and international policies.

Do you need travel insurance for domestic holidays in Australia?

Many travellers assume travel insurance is only for overseas trips, but it can be useful for domestic travel too. While Medicare covers medical emergencies within Australia, domestic travel insurance can still help with other expenses that may arise before or during your journey.

• Trip cancellations and delays
• Change in plans
• Luggage and personal items
• Pet care and childcare costs if there’s a delay coming home
• Rental car excess
• Personal accident and liability

If you’re taking a cruise within Australia keep in mind that domestic travel insurance may be required as Medicare doesn’t always cover medical costs on board.

How to choose the right family travel insurance

Picking the best policy comes down to your family’s travel plans and needs. Here’s some things to consider when you’re evaluating the different options.

• Ensure the medical and cancellation cover is high enough for your destination and plans
• Check if there are any age limits for dependent children and if they’re covered for free
• Find out if any pre-existing conditions your family members have are covered or require approval
• If your family plans to ski, scuba dive, or hike, look for a policy with the right coverage or add-ons
• Read the PDS to see how the benefit limits are calculated for families

Popular family travel insurance providers in Australia

To help you start your search, here are some well-known insurers offering family travel insurance in Australia.

Going on a family trip? Bring Wise along and save on foreign transaction fees

Travelling with your family with peace of mind starts with the right insurance. Once you’ve got your travel insurance lined up, it’s time to work out the best way to spend when you’re overseas. Meet the Wise account and card.

Open a Wise account online or in the Wise app, add money in AUD right from your bank account, and switch to any of the supported 40+ currencies with the mid-market exchange rate. That can mean you save significantly compared to using your bank, as you’ll avoid foreign transaction fees and rest assured you’re getting one of the fairest exchange rates out there along with low, transparent fees. You’ll also be able to get a linked Wise card to use for contactless payments, add your card to a wallet like Apple Pay, or make up to 2 free ATM cash withdrawals per month to a combined value of $350 AUD.

Wherever your family adventure takes you, Wise makes managing travel money easier. Take Wise with you, and save up to 7x when you spend internationally.

🚀 Get your Wise card

Savings claim based on our rates vs. selected Australian banks and other similar providers in Jan 2025. To learn more, please visit https://wise.com/au/compare

FAQs

Does family travel insurance cover infants, large families, or grandchildren?

This depends on the insurer so you will need to check each individual policy that you’re interested in to see what the provider allows. One thing to keep in mind is that childbirth and the newborn baby aren’t usually covered under a travel insurance policy.

Learn more about travel insurance for pregnancy

What about pre-existing conditions?

Most insurers don’t automatically cover pre-existing conditions unless it’s on their approved list. If it’s not, you’ll need to apply for the condition to be covered and if accepted, there’s usually an extra premium to pay.

Learn more about travel insurance for pre-exisiting consitions

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