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Does travel insurance cover theft?

It definitely can, and it’s a big reason why you want to take out travel insurance. It protects you from theft and robbery.

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By

Jessica Prasida

Updated

Fact checked

What you need to know

  • Travel insurance can cover you for theft and robbery while you are travelling.
  • Insurers have limits on specific items like cash, phones and jewellery.
  • Having documentation like receipts and tax invoices for your items can help during the claim process.

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Limits for cash and other belongings

BrandCash coverItem coverApply
Medibank Travel Insurance

Medibank

$250Maximum total cover of $15,000. The maximum amount covered for any item is:
  • Camera or video camera and Laptop (limit per item) $4,000
  • Tablet computer (limit per item) $3,000
  • Phone or smartwatch (limit per item) $1,500
  • Any other item (limit per item) $1,200
Bonus
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ahm Travel Insurance

ahm

$250Maximum total cover of $8,000. The maximum amount covered for any item is:
  • Camera or video camera (sub limit) $3,500
  • Laptop or tablet computer (sub limit) $3,000
  • Any other item (sub limit) $1,000
Bonus
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Freely Logo

Freely

$500Maximum total cover of $10,000. The maximum amount covered for any item is:
  • Laptop, tablet computer and camera (sub limit) $4,000
  • Smartphones and drones $2,000(sub limit)
  • Other electronic gadgets (sub limit) $1,000
  • Any other item (sub limit) $750
Bonus
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InsureandGo Logo

InsureandGo

$500Maximum total cover of $15,000. The maximum amount covered for any item is:
  • Sub-limit for laptops, tablets, cameras, video cameras and mobile phones only $3,000
  • Single article limit/pair or set of items $750
  • Valuables limit $750
  • Any property (including specified items) which is lost or stolen from an unattended motor vehicle) $500
Bonus
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Kogan logo

Kogan

$250Maximum total cover of $8,000. The maximum amount covered for any item is:
  • Camera or video camera (sub limit) $3,500
  • Laptop or tablet computer (sub limit) $3,000
  • Any other item (sub limit) $1,000
Bonus
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Tick Logo

Tick

$300Maximum total cover of $7,500. The maximum amount covered for any item is:
  • Sub-limit for laptops, tablets, mobile phones, cameras and video cameras only $3,000
  • Single article limit/pair or set of items limit $750
  • Valuables limit $750
  • Any property (including specified items) which is lost or stolen from an unattended motor vehicle) $500
Bonus
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Zoom logo

Zoom

$250Maximum total cover of $7,500. The maximum amount covered for any item is:
  • Personal computers, laptops or cameras (sub limit) $3,000
  • Mobile phones and tables (sub limit) $1,000
  • (sub limit)
  • All other items (sub limit) $750$
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Fast Cover Logo

Fast Cover

$250Maximum total cover of $15,000. The maximum amount covered for any item is:
  • Personal computers, video recorders or cameras $3,000
  • Mobile phones and other portable communication equipment $1,500
  • Small mobile hand-held computers including tablet devices like iPads $1,000
  • Unspecified items $750
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Insure4Less Travel Insurance Logo

Insure4Less

$500Maximum total cover of $5,000. The maximum amount covered for any item is:
  • Camera, laptop or hand held computer (sub limit) $2,000
  • Any other item (sub limit) $750
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Travel Insuranz Travel Insurance Logo

Travel Insuranz

$400Maximum total cover of $7,500. The maximum amount covered for any item is:
  • Total limit for valuables per item, pair or set $1,000
Get quote
World2Cover Logo

World2cover

$500Maximum total cover of $15,000. The maximum amount covered for any item is:
  • Camera, laptops, tablets and golf clubs (sub limit) $3,000
  • Smart and mobile phones, dental prostheses (sub limit) $1,000
  • Any other item (sub limit) $1,000
Get quote
Covermore logo

Cover-More

$500Maximum total cover of $25,000. The maximum amount covered for any item is:
  • Camera of video camera (limit per item) $6,000
  • Laptop computer (limit per item) $5,000
  • Tablet computer (limit per item) $3,000
  • Phone or smartwatch (limit per item) $2,500
  • Drone(limit per item) $2,000
  • Any other item (limit per item) $1,500
Bonus
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Southern Cross LogoSCTI

Southern Cross

$500Maximum total cover of $15,000. The maximum amount covered for any item is:
  • Laptops, personal computers, tablets and cameras (sub limit) $3,000
  • Jewellery and traditional watches (sub limit) $2,500
  • Phones and other items (sub limit) $1,500
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Travel Insurance Saver

Travel Insurance Saver

$250Luggage, personal effects and travel documents maximum cover of $12,000. The maximum amount covered for any item (i.e. the item limit) is:
  • Personal computer and camera(sub limit) $4,000
  • Smartphones (sub limit) $1,000
  • Any other item (sub limit) $700
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Easy Travel Insurance

Easy

$250Maximum total cover of $15,000. The maximum amount covered for any item is:
  • Camera (sub limit) $4,000
  • Laptop or tablet computer (sub limit) $3,000
  • Phone or smartwatch (sub limit) $1,500
  • Any other item (sub limit) $1,200
Get quote

1cover

$250Maximum total cover of $15,000. The maximum amount covered for any item is:
  • Personal computers, video recorders or cameras $3,000
  • Mobile phones (including PDAs and any items with phone capabilities) $1,000
  • Unspecified items $750
More info
AMEX Travel Insurance

American Express

$250Maximum total cover of $15,000. The maximum amount covered for any item is:
  • Laptop, camera including lenses and accessories(sub limit) $3,000
  • Smartphone (sub limit) $1,250
  • Single item or Pair or Set of items (sub limit) $1,000
More info
Skiinsurance.com.au

Ski-insurance

$250Maximum total cover of $5,000. The maximum amount covered for any item is:
  • Personal computers, video recorders or cameras $3,000
  • Mobile phones (including PDAs and any items with phone capabilities) $1,000
  • Unspecified items $750
More info
worldcare travel insurance logo

Worldcare

$250Maximum total cover of $10,000. The maximum amount covered for any item is:
  • Personal computers, video recorders or cameras $3,000
  • Mobile phones (including PDAs and any items with phone capabilities) $1,000
  • Unspecified items $750
More info

Note: This information was last updated August 2023

Common exclusions of theft cover

Before you depart on your holiday, make sure you're aware of the situations when travel insurance will not provide cover for robbery. These include:

  • If you are under the influence of drugs or alcohol when the robbery occurs
  • If you leave your items unsupervised in a public place and they are stolen
  • If you fail to take reasonable care to protect your cash, luggage and personal belongings and prevent yourself becoming a victim of theft
  • Some policies will exclude lost or stolen credit cards (and any resulting credit card fraud) from cover

It's essential that you read the product disclosure statement (PDS) before you leave home so you know exactly when you will and won't be covered.

What should I do if I'm robbed?

Being robbed or having your valuables stolen overseas can be an upsetting and stressful experience. Here's what you should do if you ever find yourself in this unpleasant situation:

Number 1
Health and safety first
If you're hurt or injured, make sure you seek immediate medical attention. Get in touch with your travel insurance policies emergency response team as soon as possible as some hospitals may require a guarantee of payment.
Number 2
Reach out to the relevant authorities
Contact the police for a written report of the incident. This will be helpful when you make a claim on your travel insurance policy. If your passport was stolen, contact the nearest Australian embassy or consulate to get a new passport, organise an interpreter if required and ask for any advice you may need.
Number 3
Make alternative arrangements
If the thieves took your hotel room key, inform your hotel's staff. If your wallet was taken, cancel your credit cards straight away.
Number 4
Make a claim
When it comes to making a claim on your travel insurance, contact your insurer to report that you've been robbed. You will usually have to fill out a claim form with details of the incident and submit supporting documents such as police reports, receipts and proof of ownership.

Helpful documents if you need to make a claim

Make sure you have any information that your insurer requires after a robbery. This could include:

  • Police reports. Make sure you get this within 24 hours.
  • Medical reports. This is essential if you have been harmed.
  • Receipts of your stolen items. Without this, you might not be able to claim anything back.
  • Credit card statement. If your credit card has been stolen, then you will need this to prove any fraud.
  • General paper trails. Copies of correspondence like emails or letters from hotels or other businesses that can confirm the incident.

Follow these tips to avoid being robbed

  • Avoid high-crime areas. While it's not always possible to avoid tourist hotspots where petty crime is rife, do your research ahead of time and steer clear of dangerous neighbourhoods.
  • Don't keep all your money in one place. Separate your funds throughout different pockets and different items of luggage. Carry a backup credit card so that you will still have access to funds if you are a victim of theft.
  • Keep a record. Before you leave home, make a list of everything you're taking with you on your trip, especially valuables such as jewellery and electronic items. Take photos of each item as well so that you have a record of everything if something goes missing.
  • Photo ID. It's also a good idea to keep photo backups of your licence, passport and visa in case they are ever stolen.
  • Make use of hotel safes. Your passport and money will be much better off in a safe than in your pockets or hidden under your socks in your suitcase. Some claims have been denied for not securing property in hotel safes

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FAQs

  1. United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime
  2. The Global Economy.com
  3. Theft and Robbery
  4. I've been robbed or mugged overseas
  5. Tick Travel Insurance PDS (accessed November 2023)

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