HCF Travel Insurance

Our verdict: HCF has a wide range of customisable options so travellers can tailor their cover to suit their specific needs. However, cover for COVID-19 isn’t the strongest.

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Nicola Middlemiss

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HCF

Key takeaways

  • HCF offers varied customisable policies and has no age limit on some plans.
  • Limited COVID-19 cover means claims mostly need a virus diagnosis.
  • Customer satisfaction is 4.08/5, which is below the average of 4.26.

Pros

  • HCF's Comprehensive, Domestic and Non-Medical Plans are available to travellers of all ages, whereas some brands won't cover anyone over 79.
  • You can set your own limit for cancellation costs, which means budget holidays will see cheaper premiums but more luxe trips can be fully covered.

Cons

  • HCF doesn't cover any pre-existing medical conditions as standard, whereas many insurers cover a limited number at no extra cost.
  • Cover for claims related to COVID-19 is limited. In most cases, you or your travelling companion would need to be diagnosed with COVID-19 to claim anything.
HCF Travel Insurance is not currently available via Finder. You can head to HCF's website or compare alternative options available below.

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Summary of HCF International Comprehensive policy

Overseas Medical and Hospital ExpensesUp to $20 million
Cancellation and Amendment FeesCover chosen
Luggage and Personal Effects$10,000
Maximum Age LimitNo age limit

Table updated October 2026

How does HCF Travel Insurance cover COVID-19?

HCF offers some cover if you're diagnosed with COVID-19 before you head on holiday or while you're away. Here's what you can expect:

  • Overseas emergency assistance, medical care and hospital expenses if you're diagnosed with COVID-19.
  • Cancellation or amendment costs if you or your travelling companion are diagnosed with COVID-19.
  • Additional expenses if you or a travelling companion are diagnosed with COVID-19.
  • Costs to return home if you are given medical advice that you should do so.
  • Costs to return home if a relative or business partner is hospitalised or dies due to COVID-19.

There are some scenarios that are not covered by HCF including costs incurred as a result of mandatory quarantine or isolation, border closures or government travel bans.

Also, if you were diagnosed with COVID-19 before heading on your trip but you went anyway, you won't be covered for any COVID-related overseas medical expenses.

What policies does HCF offer?

HCF offers four main travel insurance plans: Comprehensive, Essentials, Domestic and Multi-Trip. If cover for a pre-existing medical condition is declined, you may be able to buy its Non-Medical Plan instead, which doesn't cover overseas medical and hospital expenses.

Travel plane luggage passport

Comprehensive

Passport

Essentials

Australian Map Icon

Domestic

Hiking

Multi-Trip

Map

Non-Medical

The insurer of this product is Allianz Australia Insurance Limited. It comes with a cooling-off period of 14 days and choice of $200 standard excess for international plans.

Here's a breakdown of HCF Travel Insurance features

Standard features
Optional add-ons
Exclusions

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Standard features

These are some of the main insured events that HCF will cover. Some of these benefits may only apply on the Comprehensive international plan.

  • Overseas medical treatment
  • Overseas emergency assistance
  • Lost, damaged or stolen property
  • Trip cancellation or amendment
  • Additional accommodation and transport
  • Theft of money and travel documents
  • Luggage and travel delay
  • Emergency dental costs
  • Kidnap and hijack
  • Personal liability
  • Permanent disability
  • Accidental death

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Optional add-ons

HCF also offers four add-ons that provide cover for a wider range of risks.

  • Adventure Pack.Cover for a wider range of activities that are considered high-risk, including deep sea fishing, outdoor rock climbing, or riding a motorbike with an appropriate licence.
  • Cruise Pack. Extends your insurance policy to cover cruises and a range of cruise-specific risks including ship to shore evacuation, marine rescue, and cabin confinement.
  • Snow Pack.Extends your insurance policy to cover accidents on the slopes, plus specific risks such as piste closure, avalanches, and equipment hire. .
  • Increased Item Limits Cover. Increase or specify the limit of particular items if your base policy doesn't offer enough protection.

You can also vary your excess, paying an additional premium to drop the excess or enjoying cheaper premiums if you increase the excess.

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Exclusions

Unfortunately, travel insurance doesn't cover everything. Generally, HCF will not pay your claim if it relates to:

  • Unlawful, reckless 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 if it is not listed on your policy
  • 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
  • If you travel against medical advice
  • Childbirth or pregnancy complications after the 24th 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 HCF PDS for a detailed breakdown of what won't be covered, found under its list of general exclusions.

How to make an HCF Travel Insurance claim

You can submit your claim online, through the Allianz travel insurance claim portal.

Before lodging a claim, you should have your policy number, personal details, any supporting documentation or evidence, and bank account details for the payment of your claim.

Here's the bottom line about HCF Travel Insurance

HCF Travel Insurance offers a broad range of optional add-ons, making it easy for travellers to customise their policies to suit their specific needs.

However, cover for expenses related to COVID-19 is limited and, in most cases, you or your travelling partner would need to be diagnosed with COVID-19 to make any claims.

If you're still not sure about HCF, you can compare other travel insurance companies here.

Frequently asked questions

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Nicola Middlemiss is a journalist with nearly a decade of experience in personal finance and insurance. She has contributed to Domain, Yahoo Finance, Money Magazine and Insurance Business Australia, offering in-depth insights into commercial insurance in the Australian market. Nicola holds a Bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Leeds and a Tier 1 General Insurance (General Advice) certification, which complies with ASIC standards. See full bio

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6 Responses

    Andrew Moloney's avatar
    AndrewNovember 11, 2025

    If, having paid airfares, accommodation and tour costs, something happens to prevent my travelling, eg broken leg, hospitalisation, are the costs already incurred refunded? If so, fully or on part?

      Ceyda Erem's headshotFinder
      CeydaNovember 19, 2025Finder

      Hi Andrew, in HBF’s travel insurance PDS it states the insurer will cover the “non-refundable portion of unused travel and accommodation arrangements scheduled to be used by you during your journey, that you have paid in advance of cancellation and cannot recover in any other way.” This means that you could receive a partial refund for these expenses if you cannot be reimbursed in any other way (like the airline issuing you a refund). It’s also important to note that HCF has a cancellation benefit limit, which customers can select when they take out a policy. If you don’t, the insurer will offer you the default limit, which may not be enough to cover all these costs. I hope this helps.

    Merv's avatar
    MervApril 14, 2019

    Where do I find cheap basic insurance for over 80s overseas (Thailand) from Sydney?

      Mai's avatarFinder
      MaiApril 15, 2019Finder

      Hi Merv,

      Thanks for reaching out.

      I’m afraid HCF travel insurance only provides coverage for those below 75 years old. You can check our comparison page on travel insurance for over 80s. There’s a table on the page where you can compare the conditions for travellers over 80 years of age so you’ll have an overview of who might be the right insurer for you. You can fill out the online form from the page and put in your personal details and some information relevant to the travel to receive some quotes that will be suitable for you.

      Hope this helped.

      Kind Regards,
      Mai

    pamela's avatar
    pamelaMarch 15, 2016

    How do I actually get an HCF quote?

      Richard Laycock's headshotFinder
      RichardMarch 15, 2016Finder

      Hi Pamela,

      Thanks for your question. finder.com.au is a does not currently have access to HCF Travel Insurance policies. You will need to visit the HCF website for a quote.

      All the best,
      Richard

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