Did you know, most travel insurers require you to have a start and return date in Australia in order to buy a policy? So if you’re going overseas and not planning on returning, finding cover can be a tad tricky!
One way travel insurance will cover you for any unforeseen events that could happen during your one way flight and trip away, however, in most cases cover typically ends when you reach your final destination and have passed immigration. This varies from insurer to insurer, some will cover you for a period in your final destination, so make sure you check this before purchasing.
Typical Conditions Of Cover:
- You must tell your insurer you’ve only bought a one way ticket otherwise your cover could be invalid
- You must be an Australian citizen
- A waiting period may apply to claims for illness or injury
- In many cases your trip must originate in Australia (but not always)
- Like any policy there might be age restrictions (listed below)
- You must tell your insurer about any pre-existing medical conditions you have
- One way insurance might expire between 24 hours to 7 days after you arrive at your destination
It’s important to note that should you require repatriation to Australia, travel insurance would normally use your return ticket to get you home. However, on a one-way journey (with no return ticket) you will need to contribute the equivalent of an economy ticket for the return journey.
Who Covers One-Way Journeys?
Show comparison table
| Insurer | Underwriter | Conditions | Buy Now |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Zurich Australian Insurance Limited | Cover for one-way trips provided you are not staying for longer than 12 months. | |
 | Certain underwriters at Lloyd | Cover for one-way trips provided you depart from Australia and intend to return to Australia. You must specify a nominal Return Date, which you can extend once you have confirmed your actual return date. The maximum duration for a policy is 24 months | |
 | Zurich Australian Insurance Limited | Cover for a one-way trip is a trip where no return ticket is booked. Cover is provided for one-way trips for up to 12 months in the USA, Canada or Africa, and no longer than 18 months for all other destinations. | |
 | Chase Underwriting Solutions Pty Ltd | Cover for a one-way trip where there is no expected date of return to Australia and/or there is no return ticket booked. You will be required to nominate your final destination, which will be used as the destination for any medical repatriation or curtailment. In respect of one-way travel, cover ceases on the nominated expiry date shown on your Certificate of Insurance. | |
 | Pacific International Insurance Pty Ltd | To purchase one-way cover you must choose your end date. This will be the date your policy and any associated cover finishes. Note, that to be eligible for cover, your trip must start or end at your home in Australia. | |
 | Chase Underwriting Solutions Pty Ltd | Cover for a one-way trip where there is no expected date of return to Australia and/or there is no return ticket booked. You will be required to nominate Your final destination, which will be used as the destination for any medical repatriation or Curtailment. In respect of one-way travel, cover ceases on the nominated expiry date shown on Your Certificate of Insurance | |
 | Chase Underwriting Solutions Pty Ltd | Designed for travellers focusing on a single destination without a return ticket. Coverage ends at the specified duration on the Certificate of Insurance. If you do not have a return ticket booked to your country of residence, the insurer reserves the right to deduct the cost of a one-way ticket per traveller to their ultimate destination. | |
 | Pacific International Insurance Pty Ltd | You can purchase a policy without a return date booked. However, in the event that you need to return to Australia due to an insured event, the cost of a ticket home is not covered under this policy. If you must return home and you don’t have a return ticket, the cost to get you home will be deduct from your claim. |
Keep Your Insurer Up-To-Date
If you’ve purchased a single trip policy but decide to extend your trip but forget to extend your insurance, you will find yourself without cover. If you do not return home on the date that’s specified on your certificate of insurance, and you do not tell your insurer, your policy could be cancelled.
Read The Small Print
We know it’s not particularly exciting, but each insurers’ policy will vary, especially when it comes to their one-way insurance policies. Because of this make sure you read the small print to understand your cover. You don’t want to find yourself in a situation when you thought you were covered when in fact you weren’t!!
Do you need a return ticket to get travel insurance?
Most Australian insurers offer Australian residents cover even if you don’t have a return ticket, just so long as you intend to buy a return ticket to come home to Australia before your policy expires. If you’re a non-resident going on holiday from Australia to another country, many insures will require you to have a return ticket at time of purchase as a condition. If you’re leaving Australia with no intention to return home in the next 12-18 months, because you’re holiday, working overseas or moving for the foreseeable future, most standard travel insurance policies won’t cover you, and you’ll need to look into a one-way travel insurance policy (like the ones on this page), or you’ll may wish to consider coverage from your overseas country. Find out who covers pregnancy and learn more on the conditions of cover for each travel insurer using our table above.
Can you get travel insurance with a one-way ticket?
Yes, the insurers in the table above offer coverage to travellers who are only travelling one-way, and do not require you to have a return ticket for their one-way policies.
Does my Bupa cover travel insurance?
Bupa’s health insurance generally does not cover you while travelling, however they do offer a separate travel insurance product. If you’re a non-resident, many insurers will ask if you have private health insurance in Australia if you don’t have access to Medicare, and your Bupa health insurance may fulfil their criteria - but check the documents of both policies to be sure.
