Travel insurance can reimburse you for costs associated with returning home at short notice.
Cover can include the cost of flights, lost deposits, pre-paid accommodation & other pre-paid travel arrangements.
How your relative passes away matters, and things like drug overdose, suicide, and pre-existing conditions generally won't be covered.
Does travel insurance cover you for a death in the family?
Yes. If a family member falls ill or dies while you are travelling or before you depart, comprehensive travel insurance can help you recover your cancellation costs, including pre-booked tickets and hotels, costs associated with returning home at short notice and costs associated with resuming your journey at a later date. Most insurers have the following conditions:
Many policies include this type of cover as part of a 'family emergency benefit' or 'cancellation cover'. It's handy to look out for these terms in the Product Disclosure Description (PDS) when you're comparing your different travel insurance options.
How am I covered by travel insurance for family emergency? Compare your options
Brand
Maximum age of relative
Conditions
Not stated
You are covered for the sudden disabling injury, sickness or disease or death of relative.
No cover if you were aware of any pre-existing medical condition before the policy started.
84
You are covered for the unexpected death, injury or hospitalisation of a relative in Australia or New Zealand.
If your relative is hospitalised or dies due to a pre-existing medical condition, you are only covered if you were unaware of the likelihood of hospitalisation or death when you purchased your policy.
Not stated
You are covered for the unexpected death, sudden injury or illness of relative.
No cover if you were aware of any pre-existing medical condition before the policy started.
Not stated
You are covered for the unexpected death, sudden injury or illness of a relative who is in Australia at the time the event occurs.
You are not covered for any of your relative's medical conditions you knew about before the policy started.
Not stated
You are covered for the sudden disabling injury, sickness or disease or death of relative.
No cover if you were aware of any pre-existing medical condition before the policy started.
Not stated
You are covered if you are unable to start or finish the trip because of the death, sudden serious illness or serious injury that occurs before or during the trip.
No cover if you were aware of any pre-existing medical condition before the policy started.
Not stated
You are covered for the unexpected death, sudden injury or illness of relative.
No cover if you were aware of any pre-existing medical condition before the policy started.
Not stated
You are covered for serious illness, injury or death of relative.
No cover if you were aware of any pre-existing medical condition before the policy started.
Not stated
You are covered for the unexpected death, sudden injury or illness of a relative who is in Australia at the time the event occurs.
You are not covered if you are aware of any pre-existing medical condition before the policy started or if during the 90 days before the policy they needed any treatments, consultation, required medication or had been diagnosed with a terminal condition.
Not stated
YYou are covered for the death, sudden serious illness or serious injury that occurs before or during the trip.
No cover if you were aware of any pre-existing medical condition before the policy started.
Not stated
You are covered for the unexpected death, sudden injury or illness of relative.
No cover if you were aware of any pre-existing medical condition before the policy started.
Not stated
You are covered for the hospitalisation or death of a close relative as a direct result of sudden serious illness or serious injury.
For cover to apply there must be more than five days of the trip, or 25 percent of its length (whichever is the greater) remaining when you return to Australia.
Not stated
You are covered for the hospitalisation or death of a close relative as a direct result of sudden serious illness or serious injury.
For cover to apply there must be more than five days of the trip, or 25 percent of its length (whichever is the greater) remaining when you return to Australia.
Note: This information was last updated Janaury 2025
What do insurers consider as a ‘relative’?
In order to qualify for trip cancellation cover following the illness or death of a relative, your family member must meet the insurer’s definition of ‘relative’. The term normally refers to a:
In most cases, you won't be covered if a relative falls ill or passes away due to a pre-existing condition. This is an exclusion with most insurers. However, if you were unaware of the condition at the time you took out the policy, then travel insurance can cover you.
This is not a hard and fast rule, however. Some insurers like 1Cover, Fastcover and Zoom Travel Insurance provide limited cover if you were not aware of the likelihood of hospitalisation or death when you bought your policy.
What is considered as 'aware'
Travel insurers will typically exclude cover if your family member is on any sort of waiting list or if you were aware of any recent:
Treatments
Consultation
Diagnosis
Required medication
Upcoming surgery
Can I resume my trip and be covered for it?
Most trip cancellation policies will allow you to resume your journey at a later date after being forced to return home due to the illness or death of a relative. There are normally specific conditions surrounding this type of cover, including:
Your trip must have been for a minimum number of days
Your insurance must have had a minimum period left to run (usually at least 50%)
You must have had no knowledge that such an incident might occur prior to your departure
Your resumption expenses must be pre-approved by your insurer
You must resume your journey before your policy expires.
Example: John and Sue's trip re-arrangement
John and Sue were into the second week of their month-long European holiday when their son called and told them that his 9-year-old daughter, Emily (their granddaughter), was unwell and had been admitted to hospital. She had been diagnosed with a rare blood disease and would be undergoing life-saving treatment in the next few days.
This was completely unexpected news for John and Sue, and they immediately rang their airline and insurance company to arrange to cancel their trip and return home to be with their granddaughter.
Emily remained in hospital for several weeks, but soon began to make a full recovery. A relieved John and Sue were then able to resume their interrupted European holiday, thanks to their resumption of journey cover reimbursing them for the costs associated with rebooking their flights and accommodation.
Costs incurred
Fee for bringing the date of original return flight forward: $200
New round trip flights back to resume journey: $3,500
Fees for changes to accommodation dates: $150
Total costs covered by insurance
$3,700
Out-of-pocket costs
$150 in excess
Frequently asked questions
You may be eligible for a free change or refund with the airline, depending on their rules. However, travel insurance can cover you if you need to cancel your trip, including your flights, because of a family emergency such as the unexpected death of a relative.
Yes, it can. Most comprehensive travel insurance policies can cover cancellation if a close family member falls unexpectedly ill. In most cases, it can reimburse you for the cost of your flights home.
Age limits apply to many trip cancellation policies in terms of the illness or death of a relative. The age your relative can be will vary with insurers, but many set a maximum age of around 90, after which the illness or death is not deemed to be 'unexpected' and no cover is offered. Some travel insurance brands do not state an age limit, but the health of your relative is a condition many policies will consider.
If your relative is elderly and you are concerned about whether you will be covered if an incident occurs while you're away, you should read your product disclosure statement (PDS) carefully and contact your insurer for further information.
As with all forms of insurance, trip cancellation cover has certain exclusions or circumstances in which a claim will not be paid. These depend on the individual insurer, but they generally include:
Travelling despite suspecting that your relative might die or become hospitalised
Expenses that you incur while you're at home
The cost of a return flight home if you haven't already booked one (considered part of normal costs rather than emergency expenses)
Any expenses that you've already claimed for elsewhere in your travel insurance policy
Some providers will cover you for cancellation costs if your pet cat or dog suffers a life threatening injury or illness or dies unexpectedly.
In our experience, this isn't a common feature of travel insurance. From our research online Cover-More is the only provider we've seen so far.
Jessica Prasida brings a decade of experience in the travel industry, including over four years as a travel agent and branch manager at STA Travel. She holds a Bachelor of Business and a Master of Marketing from the University of Technology, Sydney, as well as a Tier 1 General Insurance qualification that complies with ASIC guidelines. An avid traveller herself, Jessica combines her professional expertise with a passion for ensuring safe and enjoyable journeys for all travellers. Jessica was a Travel Insurance Publisher at Finder from 2019 to 2024. See full bio
Gary Ross Hunter has over 6 years of expertise writing about insurance, including life, health, home, and car insurance. Having reviewed hundreds of product disclosure statements and published over 800 articles, he loves simplifying complex insurance topics for everyday readers. Gary has contributed to major outlets like Yahoo Finance, The Sydney Morning Herald, and news.com.au, and holds a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in English Literature from the University of Glasgow, along with a Tier 2 General Advice certification, ensuring his work adheres to ASIC’s RG146 standards. See full bio
Gary Ross's expertise
Gary Ross has written 631 Finder guides across topics including:
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