Pros
- Budget Direct offers cover for high-risk activities that many other brands don’t, including trekking to Everest Base Camp and trekking the Kokoda Trail.
- There are a broad range of customisations available so you can tailor cover to suit your specific needs.
Cons
- Even if you choose to add COVID-19 cover to your policy, it doesn’t offer the most comprehensive protection.
- Cover for pregnancy complications is only available up until the 24th week, but there are many brands that extend cover for longer.
| Overseas Medical and Hospital Expenses | Unlimited |
|---|
| Cancellation and Amendment Fees | Cover chosen |
|---|
| Luggage and Personal Effects | $10,000 |
|---|
| Maximum Age Limit | 125 |
|---|
Table updated October 2023
Budget Direct is one of the few travel insurers that lets you customise your cover for COVID-19.
As standard, you will receive cover for overseas medical expenses, including emergency evacuation or repatriation if you’re diagnosed with COVID-19. You’ll also be able to claim up to $2,500 for additional expense if you’re diagnosed with COVID-19 while overseas.
However, if you want cover for amendment or cancellation costs, you’ll have to add that to your policy. If you add the benefit to your policy, you’ll be covered for amendment or cancellation costs if you or your travelling companion are diagnosed with COVID-19.
There are many scenarios that are not covered by Budget Direct, even if you add on the policy. For example, you won’t be covered if your tour or accommodation cancels due to COVID-19.
There is also no cover if you were diagnosed with COVID-19 before heading on your trip but you went anyway.
Budget Direct offers four insurance policies to travellers. Comprehensive, Essential, Basic and Domestic. All of these policies can be taken out as a single or multi-trip policy, with the exception of basic which is only available as a single-trip policy.
Comprehensive
Essential
Basic
Domestic
The insurer of this product is Zurich Australian Insurance Limited. It comes with a cooling-off period of 21 days and choice of $200 standard excess for international plans.
Standard features
These are some of the main insured events that Budget Direct will cover. Some of these benefits may only apply on the comprehensive international policy.
- Overseas medical treatment
- Emergency dental costs
- Trip cancellation or amendment costs
- Lost, damaged or stolen property
- Luggage and travel delay
- Additional accommodation and transport
- Theft of money
- Rental car excess
- Permanent disability
- Kidnap and hijack
- Personal liability
- Accidental death
Optional add-ons
Budget Direct also offers six add-on options that provide cover for a wider range of risks or activities while you’re on holiday.
- Cruise Cover Extends your insurance policy to cover cruises and a range of cruise-specific risks such as missed ports, sea sickness, and cabin confinement.
- Adventure Covers you for participation in a range of activities such as risky activities such as quad biking, rock climbing, and horse trekking.
- Adventure+ Extends your cover to even higher risk activities, such as trekking to Everest Base Camp or the Kokoda Track.
- Snow sports Covers you for on-piste snow skiing, snowboarding, snowmobiling and cross-country skiing.
- Snow sports+ Extends your snow sports cover to include skiing and snowboarding off-piste as well as heli-skiing and heli-boarding.
- COVID-19 cover. Protection for cancellations and amendment costs if you or a travelling companion are diagnosed with COVID-19.
Exclusions
Unfortunately, travel insurance doesn’t cover everything. Generally, Budget Direct will not pay your claim if it relates to:
- Unlawful, wreckless or unreasonably unsafe behaviour by you
- Behaviour while you were drunk or under the influence of drugs
- Expenses related to a pre-existing medical condition
- An act of war, invasion or revolution
- Insolvency of a travel agent, tour operator or accommodation provider
- Mandatory quarantines or isolations
-
- An act of war, invasion or revolution
- You being unfit to travel or travelling against medical advice
- Childbirth or pregnancy complications after the 23rd week of gestation or if you have had previous pregnancy complications
- A multiple pregnancy or one where the conception was medically assisted
- An elective medical or dental treatment, cosmetic procedure or body modification (including tattoos or piercing)
- Self-inflicted injury or illness, suicide or attempted suicide
Make sure you review the Budget Direct PDS for a detailed breakdown of what won't be covered, found under its list of general exclusions.
To lodge your claim online, visit claims.travelinsurancepartners.com.au/budgetdirect and follow the prompts.
Alternatively, you can download, print and complete a claim form from budgetdirect.com.au/travel-insurance/claims.html and then send it to the following address.
Budget Direct Travel Insurance
C/o-Travel Insurance Partners Claims Department
PO Box 168,
North Sydney
NSW 2060
Budget Direct could be a good option for high-adrenaline travellers as it was one of the few brands we found to offer cover for risky activities such as trekking the Kokoda Trail or heli-skiing.
Don’t forget to add the optional adventure or snow sports packs if you want cover for these activities though.
If you're still not sure about Budget Direct, you can compare other travel insurance companies here.
Request travel insurance quotes and compare policies
How do i cancel my Basic Travel Insurance within the prescribed period
Hi Vernon,
You’ll need to contact Budget Direct to cancel your policy. You can reach them on 1800 182 310.
We are trekking in Nepal to 4500m. Will we be covered for this please and does it cover emergency evacuation by helicopter in case of injury or illness?
Hi Jacqui,
Thanks for getting in touch!
You can request a quote for trekking travel insurance for Nepal. Normally, cancellations, medical expenses, and helicopter evacuation are covered if you become ill or if you’re injured while trekking to Everest base camp or on other guided treks in Nepal which can be provided by your insurer’s medical assistance team.
While Budget Direct is not on the list of brands who can cover you for the Everest Base Camp or Nepal trekking, use the online form on top of the page, enter the information needed in the fields provided and click “Get my quote”. This will show a full list of providers for your trip.
As a friendly reminder, carefully review the Product Disclosure Statement of the product before applying. You may also contact the insurance provider should you have any questions about their policy.
Hope this helps!
Best,
Nikki
Hi! I require 12 months travel insurance for Germany. The consul requires 30,00 euro for medical evacuation/ repatriation of body in case of death. Can you please advise if the unlimited medical covers this?
Hi Jo-anne,
Thank you for reaching out to Finder.
Budget Direct will cover for medical evacuation or repatriation based on your specific needs. You may need to check with your specific policy it the 30,000 EU so covered by your policy as the approval is still subject to an assessment and approval by Budget Direct.
You can reach out to Budget Direct to verify so they can check on your policy coverage too.
Hope this helps! 😊
Kind Regards,
Mai
Hi, on a 7 month trip to the UK, how can we make sure we’re covered for countries that we suddenly decide to visit? Or, can we add to our insurance whilst away, i.e. If we decide to go to Canada for 2 weeks, can we pay the extra prior to departure?
Hi Deb,
Thanks for contacting Finder and for leaving a question about Budget Direct Travel Insurance.
Once you are on a trip in the UK and decided to go to another country that is not supported by the region that you purchased, you can log in to your Budget Direct account and purchase a policy to add a new country, say Canada for instance. You can also head to Budget Direct’s website and chat with one of their representatives who can add add a cover for you. It can be done anytime even if you are already on a trip.
Hope this helps and please feel free to contact us back should you require further assistance.
Kind Regards,
Mai
I have a 125cc motorcycle in Philippines am I coverd if im riding it there
Hi Brett,
Thanks for reaching out! As it says on our page, Budget Direct covers overseas emergency medical assistance – it offers unlimited cover for all plans excluding the domestic plan. For further information, you can check the part on the page that says “Budget Direct Travel Insurance benefits.”
Hope this was helpful. Don’t hesitate to message us back if you have more questions.
Best,
Nikki