Couples travel insurance can be cheaper than 2 single policies
It can cover you for medical expenses, cancellations, lost luggage and more.
Lots of brands will cover you for the same limits as a single travel insurance policy.
What does couples travel insurance cover?
Medical expenses
Delays and cancellations
COVID-19 expenses
Luggage and personal belongings
Accidental death
Overseas emergency dental expenses
Hospital cash allowance
Loss of income
Overseas emergency assistance
Overseas medical and hospital expenses
Permanent disability
Resumption of journey
Alternative transport for special events
Cancellation and amendment fees
Travel delay expenses
Daily delayed luggage allowance
Luggage and personal belongings
Theft of cash
Travel documents and bank cards
Personal liability
Rental car excess insurance
COVID-19 medical expenses
Rearrangement costs if you get COVID-19
You don't have to be a couple to get couples cover
A couples policy is essentially just a discount for having two people covered on one policy. Most insurers will allow you to book a couples policy with any other adult you are travelling with.
Is joint travel insurance worth it?
Joint travel insurance is convenient and it can sometimes be cheaper – a handful of insurers will offer you a discount when you purchase two plans together. For some, it's as little as 5%, but you can save as much as 10%.
*This table was updated on 2 April 2024 for a 30-year-old travelling to Bali for 7 days.
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Questions you might have about couples cover
This depends on the insurer and the plan type. Most insurers will treat each adult separately and offer both adults equal benefit limits across the board. A small number of insurers will offer each adult equal benefit limits on most items, but will impose a combined limit on certain items like rental vehicle excess and personal liability. However, in most cases, you are getting the equivalent of two individual policies with the discount in price being the only difference.
Most single-trip policies don't tell you how you need to spend your time together overseas. As long as you arrive and depart from the same destination on the same date, you can spend as much or as little time together as you want. But be careful, there are a few insurers who will require you to spend a certain percentage of the trip together. If you choose one of these insurers, you will need to ask them how they determine this.
If you or your travelling partner has a pre-existing condition that isn't listed in the insurers' "automatically covered" category, that person needs to declare it and may need to answer a questionnaire and/or undertake a medical assessment.
At that point, the insurer will say one of three things:
They'll cover the condition at no extra cost
They'll cover it for an additional premium
They won't cover it at all
If the insurer won't cover the pre-existing condition at all or you or your travel companion decides not to pay an additional premium, then you won't be able to claim for anything related to that condition. This will not impact the cost or benefits associated with the other traveller's policy in any way.
If you or your travelling partner fails to declare a pre-existing medical condition, any claim that person makes as a result of that condition could be refused. When in doubt, declare anything you are unsure of. The insurer will lead you in the right direction.
Even if your companion isn't insured but you are, your policy may offer benefits that will cover your expenses related to your travelling companion's hospitalisation or death. Your PDS will define what is meant by travelling companion in this scenario and describe any limitations and exclusions related to the claim. Don't get this confused with how they define who is eligible for couples travel insurance.
Couples travel insurance is not mean to cover dependents. A single adult travelling with one child would likely save money by buying a single policy and nominating one dependent. A couple travelling with children would be moved to a family policy. Couples policies are reserved for two adults who each need their own cover and are looking to save a little money.
You really can't judge the value of the policy based on the discount percentage alone. Every traveller has a unique set of needs, which is why each insurer offers a range of unique policies. It pays to shop around, compare a range of policies and read the PDS to find out what is and isn’t covered.
You and your travelling partner will each have your own policy that covers lost or stolen items up to a certain value. If you have joint ownership of a high-value item, only one of you can make a claim on it if it is lost or stolen, and you will only be reimbursed for the amount listed on that person's policy.
If the value of the item is higher than the one policy allows, you will not be able to claim the additional value using the second policy. If you are worried about one of your high-value items, you will need to make sure at least one of your policies can cover the full cost of the item.
There are a number of activities that standard policies do not cover, and this is no different for a couples policy. You may need to bolt on additional cover for activities like snow sports, adventure sports, cruises and golf outings. Most insurers will ask you about these activities as part of the quote process.
Yes. Many of the same providers who offer single-trip couples policies also offer annual multi-trip couples policies, and you may be eligible for a discount. The rules are a little stricter around the two people travelling separately.
Gary Ross Hunter is an editor at Finder, specialising in insurance. He’s been writing about life, travel, home, car, pet and health insurance for over 6 years and regularly appears as an insurance expert in publications including The Sydney Morning Herald, The Guardian and news.com.au. Gary holds a Kaplan Tier 2 General Advice General Insurance certification which meets the requirements of ASIC Regulatory Guide 146 (RG146).
Guide to high-risk travel insurance: What is and isn't covered.
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