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Cheap Travel Insurance Guide

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1Cover show you how to find the right travel insurance, at the right price, no matter where you're going.   

1. About This Guide

We believe travel insurance should be simple, affordable and provide you with the coverage you need so you can enjoy your trip. In this guide we’ll show you how to find the right cover, at the right price, no matter where you’re going. If you want to compare credit card travel insurance, check out our comprehensive guide.

 

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  • ThumbKeep It Simple

    Buying insurance can seem intimidating, but it shouldn’t be! We want to make buying travel insurance as breezy and hassle free as possible. 

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  • Piggy bank Save You Money

    We want to help you save money on your insurance, so you can spend it on the good stuff, like enjoying your trip!

 

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  • YogaPeace Of Mind

    When you’re travelling you want to feel secure in the knowledge that you’ll be looked after if something goes wrong.

     

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  • About usAbout Us

    At 1Cover, we’ve been in the travel insurance industry for over 15 years. We’ve been trusted by over 1.5 million travellers worldwide to look after them on their trips, so if there’s one thing we know, its travel insurance.

 

2. How To Get Cheap Travel Insurance

You can’t put a price on your safety, but there are a few tricks to help you save some serious dollars on your travel insurance, without compromising the quality of your cover.

A little know-how can go a long way to help save you money, so we’ve put together a list of the easiest ways you can save on your travel insurance.

Next time you’re purchasing travel insurance, ask yourself;

 

Scales

Am I using a competitively priced provider?

Learn More

Group of people

Do I need a single, family or group policy?

Learn More

Annual policy

Should I get an annual policy? 


Learn More

 

 

2.1 Go To A Competitively Priced Provider

 

This seems obvious, but the simplest way to save money on your travel insurance is to go with a competitively priced provider. But don’t be fooled, being competitive means more than having the lowest premiums.

Have you considered these important questions?

 

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What Are The Different Cover Levels?

Companies that provide different cover levels allow you to be insured for the things you need, without paying extra for things you don’t. 1Cover gives you the choice of Medical Only and Comprehensive cover levels for overseas policies.

 

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What Are The Cover Limits?

Policies with the lowest premiums may also have the lowest cover limits. If you’re on the hunt for the cheapest insurance, be sure that the cover limits are adequate for you. All 1Cover policies provide unlimited cover for overseas medical assistance.

 

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What Is The Excess When Making A Claim?

Be sure to take into account the cost of your excess when looking at the cover limits, it’s easy to get caught out. If your policy has a cover limit of $1000 for theft of cash, but the excess on this is $500, the maximum you will get back from your claim is $500. 

 

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Are You Taking Any Dependants?

Travelling with kids can increase the cost of your travel insurance. 1Cover provides cover for dependants under 19 years and not working full time who travel with a parent or grandparent for 100% of the journey at no additional cost on single and family policies.

 

 

2.2 Do I Need An Annual Policy Or A Single Trip?

 

Annual policies are a great way to save money on your travel insurance, especially if you are a frequent traveller. Annual policies are not for long term travel, but provide you with cover for multiple short terms trips over the space of a year. Depending on the destination, 1Cover’s annual policies cost only slightly more than a single trip policy, but cover you for an unlimited number of trips during a 12 month period. We offer two different Frequent Traveller policies - Frequent Traveller 21 Days, or Frequent Traveller 45 Days. Each individual trip you take during the year can be no longer than the duration stated in your policy type.

Take our test and find out what type of policy is right for you. 

 

Overseas Flowchart

Domestic Flowchart

 

 

3. Where Can I Find Cheap Travel Insurance?

Where you can get cheap travel insurance from depends on two main considerations;

  1. Your chosen destination
  2. Your chosen provider

 The cost of travel to certain destinations varies greatly, and the same can be said of the cost of insurance. We show you what regions are the most expensive to be insured for, and which are the cheapest.

Which provider you choose will also affect the cost of your travel insurance. And while it’s easy to price match between companies, we show you what else you should look for when purchasing a policy to ensure you have peace of mind on your next trip. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3.1 Who Is A Good Travel Insurance Provider?

 

Umbrella

Reliable Underwriter

Check to see that your insurer is underwritten by a company you know and trust. 
 

Claims team

In-House Claims Team

You want to know the same people who sold you your policy will be looking after your claims as well. 
 

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Customer Reviews

Check the quality of your provider's online customer reviews, these can tell you a lot about their claims and customer service. 

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24 Hour Emergency Assistance

Your insurer should have a 24-hour emergency helpline for when you need them most. 

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Experienced And Specialist

How long has the provider been operating for? And is travel insurance the primary focus of their business?
 

 

 

 

4. Cover For Pre-Existing Medical Conditions

Travel insurance generally only provides cover for unforeseen medical events, so if you have pre-existing conditions these may not be covered.

Insurers have different ways of assessing the cost of covering your pre-existing condition. Be sure to raise this issue with your chosen provider when purchasing a policy.

 

At 1Cover, some pre-existing medical conditions are automatically covered, but certain criteria must be met. 

If you don't meet the criteria, you can still get travel insurance. It might just mean that: 

 

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      You can obtain travel insurance, but if you want your medical condition to be covered, you'll need to pay; or 

 

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      you can obtain travel insurance but it will be mandatory to purchase coverage for your medical condition; or

 

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      your medical condition won't be covered at all, but you can still purchase travel insurance. 

 

Please note, there's a possibility we might not be able to cover you at all, but we will tell you this during your medical assessment. 

 

4.1 What Is A Pre-Existing Medical Condition?

Different insurers will have different rules about what is and isn’t a pre-existing condition, and this can get really, really complicated. At 1Cover we want to make this as simple and cheap as possible, so you can get on with enjoying your trip!

Applying for cover for pre-existing conditions can add to the price of your premium, so it’s important to know what insurers consider to be pre-existing, and what conditions will cost you more to cover.

1Cover considers the following to be pre-existing conditions; 

 

MedicationA condition that you have received treatment, advice or medication for in the last 90 days

 

 

Stethoscope A chronic or ongoing illness

 


 

Multiple pregnancyMultiple pregnancy later than 19 weeks

 

 

SurgeryAny surgery you have had in the last 12 months

 


 

PregnancySingle pregnancy later than 24 weeks

 


 

Magnifying glassAny condition currently being investigated

 

 

4.2 Medical Conditions That Are Automatically Covered   

 

Some conditions are automatically covered, which means that these will be covered for no extra cost under your policy without you having to disclose them or fill in any forms.

1Cover automatically provides cover for the following pre-existing medical conditions; 

Acne

Acne

Allergies

Allergies*

Coeliac Disease

Coeliac Disease

Cataracts

Cataracts

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Bunions

Bunions
Benign Position Vertigo
Benign Position Vertigo

Impaired Glucose Tolerance

Impaired Glucose Tolerance

Glaucoma

Glaucoma

Graves' Disease

Graves' Disease

Dry Eye Syndrome

Dry Eye Syndrome
Trigeminal Neuralgia
Trigeminal Neuralgia
Epilepsy
Epilepsy*
Folate Deficiency
Folate Deficiency

Gastric Reflux

Gastric Reflux

Goitre

Goitre
Congenital Blindness
Congenital Blindness
Vitamin B12 Deficiency
Vitamin B12 Deficiency
Hiatus Hernia
Hiatus Hernia
Trigger Finger
Trigger Finger
Hyperlipidaemia (high blood lipids)*
Hyperlipidaemia (high blood lipids)*
Bell's Palsy
Bell's Palsy
Incontinence
Incontinence
Insulin Resistance
Insulin Resistance
Nocturnal Cramps
Nocturnal Cramps
Congenital Deafness

Congenital Deafness

Pernicious Anaemia
Pernicious Anaemia
Raynaud's Disease
Raynaud's Disease
Hypothyroidism
Hypothyroidism
High Cholesterol
High Cholesterol

*Terms and conditions apply see Policy Wording for full details. 

5. How Can I Get Cheap Travel Insurance for Seniors?

It’s no secret that as you get older, the price of your travel insurance can start to really skyrocket. At 1Cover, we believe that age should never stop you from travelling, after all, you’re only as young as you feel! Check out our top tips for how seniors can save money on your travel insurance.

 

Tips For Senior Travellers 

 

Calendar

Book In Advance

We use the age of a traveller at the date of purchase, not the date of departure to detirmine the cost of insurance. This means that you could purchase a policy a policy up until the day before your birthday and be quoted at a lower rate. 

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Stopovers

You need to include all destinations you're travelling to, apart from stopovers of less than 2 night - except the USA. If you're travelling to the USA for any part of your journey then you need to include it in the destinations you are traveling to.

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Adding Dependants

If your children or grandchildren are travelling with you for 100% of the journey and are under 19 and not in full-time employment, they can be added to your policy at no additional cost. 
 

 

 

5.1 FAQs for Cheap Travel Insurance for Seniors

 

  • How can I be covered for cancellation fees and lost deposits?
  • Unlimited cover for cancellations fees and lost deposits is included in all comprehensive policies.

6. How Can I Get Cheap Travel Insurance for Students?

No matter whether you’re travelling during your semester break, going on a gap year or setting off on an exchange, we can help you save money on your travel insurance. We understand that most students have to work on tight budgets, so check out our Medical Only policy.

Our basic policy has been designed especially with students and budget-conscious travellers in mind. We’ve included all of the medical assistance and expenses cover of our comprehensive policies, without any extras to keep your premium as low as possible. 

Check out the coverage offered by our Medical Only policy below; 

 

Medical Only Policy Cover Limits

Benefit Benefit Limit
Overseas Emergency Medical Assistance^ Unlimited
Overseas Emergency Medical & Hospital Expenses^* Unlimited
Dental Expenses (per adult)^ $500
Personal Liability# $5 million 

 

 

 

6.1 FAQs For Cheap Student Travel Insurance

 

  • Will my complimentary university travel insurance cover me if I’m on an exchange?
  • Your complimentary university travel insurance may cover you for travel during the semester, but if you plan to do any travelling outside of term time, or to countries other than where your exchange is taking place, then you may not be covered.

  • Do I need travel insurance for a Schengen Visa?
  • As specified by European Law since June 2004, it is compulsory to have travel insurance for visa application for Schengencountries. This includes at the time of application, the applicant must have a valid travel insurance policy which covers for repatriation and medical evacuation. 

    See the Schengen Visa Info site for up to date information. 

  • I’m taking my laptop with me, will a 1Cover Medical Only policy cover this?
  • Medical Only policies do not provide cover for luggage, so you will need to purchase a comprehensive policy. Our comprehensive policies provide cover for up to $3000 for laptops, handheld computers, cameras and video cameras. 

 

Where are you Going?


Find out everything you need to know about travel insurance for the following destinations:
 

 

 

1Cover Travel Insurance Guides

We want our customers to travel safe and have an enjoyable holiday. Please read our travel safety guides and get helpful tips!