What is the difference between medical evacuation and medical repatriation?

Medical evacuation is when you are transported from your current location to the nearest appropriate medical facility for urgent treatment. This could be within the same country or to a neighbouring country. Medical repatriation is the process of safely returning you to your home country, Australia, when you are seriously ill or injured and require ongoing medical care that cannot be adequately provided overseas or when you are deemed medically stable enough for the journey home but unfit for regular commercial travel.

How much does medical repatriation cost if I do not have insurance?

Medical repatriation can be extremely expensive often costing hundreds of thousands of dollars. The exact cost depends on several factors, including your location the severity of your medical condition the type of transport required for example air ambulance or commercial flight with medical escort and the distance to Australia. Without travel insurance to cover these costs, you or your family would be responsible for the entire bill.

What should I do if I need medical evacuation or repatriation overseas?

If you experience a medical emergency overseas and believe you may need medical evacuation or repatriation you must contact your travel insurer's emergency assistance team immediately. They are available 24 hours a day 7 days a week. They will assess your medical situation arrange appropriate medical care including any necessary transport to a hospital or back to Australia and coordinate all logistics. Your insurer typically requires prior approval for any medical evacuation or repatriation expenses to be covered.

Are pre-existing medical conditions covered by repatriation insurance?

Pre-existing medical conditions are not covered by repatriation insurance unless you declared them to your insurer when purchasing the policy and they were explicitly approved for cover. If you do not declare a pre-existing medical condition and it contributes to the need for medical evacuation or repatriation, your policy may be void and you will be responsible for all associated costs.

Does my travel insurance cover repatriation of remains if I die overseas?

Yes, most comprehensive travel insurance policies that include repatriation benefits will cover the costs associated with returning your body or ashes to Australia if you die while overseas. This coverage typically includes the necessary local arrangements preparation of remains and transport.

Repatriation insurance: Cover medical evacuations

Medical repatriation can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars, making comprehensive travel insurance essential.
Repatriation cover includes emergency medical transport, family reunion and repatriation of remains.
Always check policy details for conditions, exclusions and pre-existing medical conditions cover.

What is repatriation insurance?

Simply, repatriation is returning you home. For travel insurance, it means getting someone back to their home country after they have been injured or killed overseas. Repatriation insurance typically covers:

Emergency evacuation or repatriation. This covers you for emergency medical transportation, either to get you to your home country or to the nearest overseas medical facility (eg being airlifted out of the mountains).
Emergency reunion. This pays for a loved one to be with you if you're evacuated. It normally pays for them to fly to you and covers their expenses.
Repatriation of remains. This services pays for getting your body to your home country if you die overseas.

Do I need repatriation travel insurance?

Yes, you really should get repatriation insurance when you travel. Medical repatriation can be crazy expensive, potentially into the hundreds of thousands of dollars. If you were to die overseas, that cost would be passed onto your family, as well as the effort of getting you home. Not a vibe.

The good news is that repatriation insurance is very easy to get. Adequate repat cover will come with most travel insurance policies with comprehensive medical cover. You can compare travel insurance products with the tool below.

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Travel insurance brands offering repatriation and medical evacuation cover for overseas trips

Brand	Conditions	Apply
	In all cases the cost of evacuation or to bring You back to Australia will only be met if Your claim is approved by Medibank and it was arranged by and deemed necessary by their emergency assistance network.	Get quote
	In all cases the cost of evacuation or to bring You back to Australia will only be met if Your claim is approved by ahm and it was arranged by and deemed necessary by their emergency assistance network.	Get quote
	In all cases the cost of evacuation or to bring You back to Australia will only be met if Your claim is approved by Freely and it was arranged by and deemed necessary by their emergency assistance network.	Get quote
	Depending on your specific needs, EUROP ASSISTANCE (emergency assistance provider for InsureandGo) can coordinate evacuation or repatriation where you are located to a suitable medical facility or back home to Australia, subject to assessment and approval.	Get quote
	In all cases the cost of evacuation or to bring You back to Australia will only be met if Your claim is approved by Kogan and it was arranged by and deemed necessary by their emergency assistance network.	Get quote
	Wise and Silent will pay travelling costs to repatriate you to Australia where this is medically necessary.	Get quote
	Travel Protect will pay travelling costs to repatriate you to Australia where this is medically necessary.	Get quote
	Depending on your specific needs, EUROP ASSISTANCE (emergency assistance provider for Tick) can coordinate evacuation or repatriation where you are located to a suitable medical facility or back home to Australia, subject to assessment and approval.	Get quote
	You're covered for your medical transfer or evacuation if you must be transported to the nearest hospital for emergency medical treatment overseas, or be brought back to Australia with appropriate medical supervision.	Get quote
	You're covered for your medical transfer or evacuation if you must be transported to the nearest hospital for emergency medical treatment overseas, or be brought back to Australia with appropriate medical supervision.	Get quote
	The expenses may include, but are not limited to, medical and hospital expenses, ambulance costs, evacuation, repatriation and other transport costs.	Get quote
	The expenses may include, but are not limited to, medical and hospital expenses, ambulance costs, evacuation, repatriation and other transport costs.	Get quote
	Only approved or arranged medical expenses or any evacuation/repatriation or airfares by World2Cover.	More info
	In all cases the cost of evacuation or to bring You back to Australia will only be met if Your claim is approved by Covermore and it was arranged by and deemed necessary by their emergency assistance network.	Get quote
	Cover for your actual and reasonable medical expenses if you need medical treatment because of an unexpected event during your journey. If SCTI have confirmed that your medical expenses are covered, and you are deemed medically fit to travel by Southern Cross Emergency Assistance, they wil pay to: Repatriate you to Australia Evacuate you to another country that we choose for further treatment. If you need medical evacuation, or repatriation to Australia, because of an unexpected event during your journey, they,ll cover: Your medical evacuation costs if we need to move you to another location for necessarymedical treatment Your repatriation costs to bring you back to Australia
	We will cover you if you have to interrupt your trip after it has begun because you have suffered an illness or injury while you are on your trip, and based on the reasonable recommendation of a medical practitioner appointed by us, you need to be evacuated or repatriated. We will pay transport and accommodation expenses which we believe are reasonable and necessary to bring you back to your home in Australia, or to another destination of our choice. The decision to evacuate or repatriate you is ours, and we will not pay for any evacuation or repatriation expenses unless you have received our consent. Consider the PDS and TMD from TIS and if the product is right for you.	More info
	In all cases the cost of evacuation or to bring You back to Australia will only be met if Your claim is approved by Easy and it was arranged by and deemed necessary by their emergency assistance network.	Get quote
	Qantas will pay reasonable and necessary costs for transportation and medical support services incurred in evacuating or repatriating you, using the means that they and your treating medical practitioner agree is the most appropriate based on strict medical necessity and the medical constraints of your condition.	Get quote
	If You are advised that You need medical transfer or evacuation to Australia, You or a member of Your travelling party MUST contact First Assistance as soon as possible and obtain their prior approval for any expenses.	More info
	Cover for Repatriation/ Evacuation, cost of overseas emergency medical Treatment, emergency dental Treatment and reasonable extra accommodation costs in the event of a Medical Emergency whilst on Your Overseas Trip (except when You are in Australia)	More info
	You're covered for your medical transfer or evacuation if you must be transported to the nearest hospital for emergency medical treatment overseas, or be brought back to Australia with appropriate medical supervision.	More info
	In all cases the cost of evacuation or to bring You back to Australia will only be met if Your claim is approved by Webjet and it was arranged by and deemed necessary by their emergency assistance network.	More info
	If you are taken into hospital or you think that you may have to come home early (be repatriated) or extend your journey because of illness, the emergency assistance company must be told immediately.	Get quote
	Stella will pay travelling costs to repatriate you to Australia where this is medically necessary.	Get quote
	In all cases the cost of evacuation or to bring You back to Australia will only be met if Your claim is approved by Australia Post and it was arranged by and deemed necessary by their emergency assistance network.	Get quote
	You're covered for your medical transfer or evacuation if you must be transported to the nearest hospital for emergency medical treatment overseas, or be brought back to Australia with appropriate medical supervision.

Note: This information was last updated May 2025

What does repatriation travel insurance actually cover?

Repatriation cover is for serious and life-threatening illnesses and injuries, while emergency medical evacuation is for transporting you to the nearest suitable medical facility. Repatriation to your country of origin is reserved for situations where you are suffering from a long-term illness or injury and have been deemed unfit to travel by a doctor. Medical evacuation and repatriation insurance covers the cost of traveling for medical treatment if it is not available locally. Coverage and eligibility requirements for this benefit differ by policy. Here are some of the things repatriation travel insurance will and will not cover:

Access to emergency medical treatment
Transport to the nearest overseas hospital or back to Australia with appropriate medical supervision
A guarantee of payment for emergency hospital expenses
Assistance with contacting friends and family back home
Assistance with returning unaccompanied dependents to Australia

Your return flight to Australia – the insurer will use your return ticket to help recover costs. If you don’t have a return ticket, you will be charged for a one-way economy ticket.
Costs you incur by continuing your trip after being declared unfit to travel and refusing to be repatriated
Costs associated with an undeclared or unapproved pre-existing medical condition
Costs you incur once you arrive back home in Australia

Repatriation from a cruise

Cruising is a type of travel where repatriation cover is particularly important to have. Your cruise ship has only limited medical facilities onboard and the nearest hospital may be many hundreds of kilometres away. This means that if you have a heart attack or fall seriously ill, you will have to be airlifted to the nearest land hospital, and this can be an extremely costly service that isn’t covered by any kind of health insurance.

Having repatriation and medical evacuation cover will give you the peace of mind knowing that if something happens to you at sea, you’ll get the best attention in the fastest time and won’t be faced with a bill for tens or even hundreds of thousands of dollars when you get back home.

Frequently asked questions

Medical evacuation is when you are transported from your current location to the nearest appropriate medical facility for urgent treatment. This could be within the same country or to a neighbouring country. Medical repatriation is the process of safely returning you to your home country, Australia, when you are seriously ill or injured and require ongoing medical care that cannot be adequately provided overseas or when you are deemed medically stable enough for the journey home but unfit for regular commercial travel.
Medical repatriation can be extremely expensive often costing hundreds of thousands of dollars. The exact cost depends on several factors, including your location the severity of your medical condition the type of transport required for example air ambulance or commercial flight with medical escort and the distance to Australia. Without travel insurance to cover these costs, you or your family would be responsible for the entire bill.
If you experience a medical emergency overseas and believe you may need medical evacuation or repatriation you must contact your travel insurer's emergency assistance team immediately. They are available 24 hours a day 7 days a week. They will assess your medical situation arrange appropriate medical care including any necessary transport to a hospital or back to Australia and coordinate all logistics. Your insurer typically requires prior approval for any medical evacuation or repatriation expenses to be covered.
Pre-existing medical conditions are not covered by repatriation insurance unless you declared them to your insurer when purchasing the policy and they were explicitly approved for cover. If you do not declare a pre-existing medical condition and it contributes to the need for medical evacuation or repatriation, your policy may be void and you will be responsible for all associated costs.

Sources

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To make sure you get accurate and helpful information, this guide has been reviewed by Gary Ross Hunter, a member of Finder's Editorial Review Board.

Written by

Tim Bennett

Insurance expert

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A seasoned journalist with over 10 years of experience in news, politics and finance reporting, Tim has previously held roles at the ABC, SBS and Fairfax Media. Tim’s expert insights have been quoted in The Australian, The Daily Telegraph, The Courier Mail and more. He regularly appears on TV and radio, and has been interviewed on 7 News, Sunrise, SBS News, ABC Local, 3AW and 5AA. Tim is passionate about simplifying complex insurance topics for Australian consumers. He holds a Bachelor of Arts (Politics) from Macquarie University and a Tier 1 General Insurance (General Advice) certification, which meets the requirements of ASIC Regulatory Guide 146 (RG146). If you’re interested in a media interview with Tim, please reach out to our PR team at aupr@finder.com. See full bio

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Travel insurance for repatriation and medical evacuation

With medical evacuation and repatriation insurance under your belt, you’ll be covered to get back to Australia if medical assistance isn’t available locally.