A travel ban is in place for all Australians effective 25 March 2020. Most travel insurance brands will not cover you if you travel against a government warning. If you already have a policy, please contact your insurer directly for more information. We are currently updating our site to reflect the Australian government’s advice. Some travel insurance policies will be temporarily unavailable.
Most travel insurance companies charge more for policies or change the coverage limits for older travellers. We can help you find one that will get you the right amount of cover for you.
Annual policies often have a different age cut-off than single trip policies. We've laid out seniors policies that are available on Finder.
Some pre-existing conditions are more common in seniors, like arthritis, heart disease and diabetes. We can help you find the right cover for your needs if you have any condition.
Why compare seniors travel insurance with Finder?
We've helped more than 59,000 seniors aged 65 years or older compare travel insurance policies.
Our oldest quote recipient was 105 years old and travelling to Japan, followed by a 103-year-old going to New Zealand.
The most popular policies we've referred seniors to are comprehensive plans.
Seniors tend to choose Tick Travel Insurance more than any other brand, but we work with more than 15 if you want to compare options.
40% of seniors book just one or two weeks before departure, leaving any time between trip booking and policy purchasing at risk to unexpected events that could ruin their plans.
Here's how to find the best seniors travel insurance
We recommend getting a policy that offers comprehensive coverage and includes the following as part of your travel insurance plan when you're elderly.
Unlimited medical assistance: For if something happens to you while you're away requiring you to go to local doctors or hospitals.
Unlimited cancellation: For if something happens to you or a family member before you leave requiring you to cancel your trip.
Coverage for delays: For if you require an additional night's hotel, for example, if you have change in your schedule.
Looking for the most comprehensive cover is easy when you use our search tool, thanks to the finder rating. Just enter the destination where you're going, for how long and your age and we'll sort out our top rated products. The higher the rating, the more comprehensive the policy.
We clearly label each policy with the finder rating right along with the inclusions with each policy (which you can see by clicking the "More info+" tab. Here's what you can expect to see.
*Note that the prices will change depending on where you're going, your age and how long. The prices, captured on 27 May 2019, on this screenshot are based on a 65-year-old traveller going to Bali for eight days.
Age limits for pensioners travel insurance
No matter how old you are, you will be able to find travel insurance. However, as you get older your options for travel insurers does get a little smaller, which is why we've broken down who offers cover and to what age below.
Travel insurance for seniors with pre existing conditions
If you want your pre-existing conditions to be covered in your policy, you'll need to disclose them during the application process, as this could affect whether or not you can get cover and the price of your premium.
If you don't claim it at the beginning and something does happen while you're travelling, you may not be covered.
When it comes to pre-existing conditions for seniors, there are a few important things to remember:
Some conditions are automatically covered.
Certain conditions that are covered have an age limit (For example, they may only cover asthma if you're younger than 70)
You can choose not to get covered for your condition if you don't want to pay a premium (Just remember that it's not going to be covered if something happens!)
Which conditions are usually excluded?
There are some very serious medical conditions that are more challenging to cover, and many policies will exclude them outright (but still cover you for everything else), while others will decline your insurance application altogether.
It's not impossible to find cover for the following conditions, but they will make your search a bit more challenging:
It's a terminal illness
It requires an organ transplant
Serious lung conditions (such as those that require oxygen therapy)
Kidney failure that requires dialysis
HIV or AIDS
Cancer
Dementia
You require a full-time carer
Serious heart conditions like congestive heart failure
You may also find that insurers may not explicitly say whether a medication is covered, so make sure you declare the condition you're taking it for rather than just the actual medication.
All Clear Travel Insurance specialises in medical travel insurance and cover many conditions not typically covered by other travel insurance brands including a range of cancer types at various stages and even terminal illnesses so long as you've got a prognosis of more than six months and a doctor has certified that you're "fit" to travel.
While not a specialist medical travel insurer, InsureandGo claims to consider all conditions. In either case, you can expect to complete a medical screening and if you're approved, pay an additional premium for your condition.
Can seniors get annual travel insurance?
Yes, however the policies may change slightly depending on your age - including an upper age limit with most brands. Refer to the table on our annual multi-trip travel insurance page for a list of our partner brands and the conditions for trip length and age.
For an example, we requested a quote from InsureandGo for a traveller who is after a worldwide policy for two weeks, starting from the age of 50, for the Gold policy. We used the same data to get a quote for an annual policy.
Can I get annual travel insurance if I have a pre-existing condition?
One of the possible drawbacks of annual multi-trip policies is that many insurers do not cover the same pre-existing medical conditions that they often do in single-trip policies, regardless of age.
Insurers may be reluctant to cover pre-existing medical conditions in their annual policies due to the additional risk. The likelihood of you suffering an illness or injury due to a pre-existing condition increases the longer you have cover and the more trips you take, so they may deem a 12-month period of unlimited trips to be an unacceptable risk when compared with providing cover for a single one-off trip.
On-board treatment and medical evacuations at sea are two of the most costly and, unfortunately, most claimed expenses. If you don't have the right cruise cover they could end up costing you your life savings. Some travel insurance plans automatically cover cruise with their policies, while other companies offer cruise protection as an additional premium and may charge slightly more for the cover.
We've highlighted which brands offer cruise cover on our cruise travel insurance page, many of which offer cover for seniors as well.
Can I get cruise travel insurance for pre-existing medical conditions?
As with all travel insurance, cover for pre-existing medical conditions will depend on the type of condition you have, how old you are (some conditions have age limitations), how severe your condition is and whether it's being successfully controlled by medication or other means.
All insurers have a list of conditions they will cover automatically. If your condition is not listed in the product disclosure statement (PDS), you may need to undergo a medical assessment and pay a higher premium to obtain cover.
There are also some conditions that insurers will not cover under any circumstances, such as cancers and terminal illnesses. If you fall into this category, you may have to consider purchasing cruise travel insurance for seniors that excludes cover for your pre-existing medical condition.
How much does travel insurance for the elderly cost?
Cover does get more expensive as you get older it doesn't always to break the bank, with cover starting from as little as $4 per day.
We got this rate when we quoted a single 65 year old going to Bali for one week, with no preexisting conditions. (Quote ref: 2C7BE01A)
There are many factors that affect the cost of a travel insurance policy for elderly people, including:
Your age. As a general rule, the older you are, the more you'll have to pay for a policy.
Your pre-existing conditions. If you have a pre-existing condition that isn't automatically covered, the insurer may agree to cover it if you provide further medical information and pay an additional fee.
Your travel plans. Where you're travelling and how long you'll be going for can influence the cost of cover. You may also need to purchase additional cover for your specific trip, for example if you want golf travel insurance or cruise travel insurance.
The level of cover you choose. Comprehensive cover costs more than policies that only cover the essentials, but it also covers a lot more.
Any discounts that apply. Many insurers offer discounted cover to seniors. You may also be able to access discounts for buying online, for using special promo codes and coupons, or for holding multiple policies (e.g. car insurance, home and contents insurance and travel insurance) with the same provider.
To give you an idea of how much a policy will cost, check out the examples below.
*Rates are subject to change based on your personal details. Quotes were gathered using the finder.com.au travel insurance quote engine for a 65 year old traveller holidaying for 14 days with the destination set to Bali. The quote was retrieved on 27-May-2019. For current pricing, please use the quote engine above.
FastCover
Online Travel Insurance
Policy
Basics
Basic
Overseas emergency medical assistance
Unlimited
Unlimited
Cancellation fee cover
No cover
No cover
Luggage and personal effects
No cover
No cover
Total cost of cover
$72.90
$73.26
Tick Travel Insurance
Zoom Travel Insurance
Policy
Budget
Medical Only
Overseas emergency medical assistance
Unlimited
Unlimited
Cancellation fee cover
$5,000
No cover
Luggage and personal effects
$2,500
No cover
Total cost of cover
$58.49
$103.19
*Rates are subject to change based on your personal details. Quotes were gathered using the finder.com.au travel insurance quote engine for a 70 year old traveller holidaying for 14 days with the destination set to Bali. The quote was retrieved on 27-May-2019. For current pricing, please use the quote engine above.
Fast Cover
American Express
Policy
Basics
Basic
Overseas emergency medical assistance
Unlimited
Unlimited
Cancellation fee cover
No cover
No cover
Luggage and personal effects
No cover
$2,500
Total cost of cover
$107.90
$172.00
Zoom Travel Insurance
Tick Travel Insurance
Policy
Medical Only
Budget
Overseas emergency medical assistance
Unlimited
Unlimited
Cancellation fee cover
No cover
$5,000
Luggage and personal effects
No cover
$2,500
Total cost of cover
$154.79
$80.76
*Rates are subject to change based on your personal details. Quotes were gathered using the finder.com.au travel insurance quote engine for a 75 year old traveller holidaying for 14 days with the destination set to Bali. The quote was retrieved on 27-May-2019. For current pricing, please use the quote engine above.
Tick Travel Insurance
1Cover
Policy
Standard
Comprehensive
Overseas emergency medical assistance
Unlimited
Unlimited
Cancellation fee cover
$5,000
Unlimited
Luggage and personal effects
$4,000
$15,000
Total cost of cover
$265.30
$342.69
Fast Cover
Zoom Travel Insurance
Policy
Basics
Comprehensive
Overseas emergency medical assistance
Unlimited
Unlimited
Cancellation fee cover
No cover
Unlimited
Luggage and personal effects
No cover
$7,500
Total cost of cover
$175.90
$364.86
*Rates are subject to change based on your personal details. Quotes were gathered using the finder.com.au travel insurance quote engine for a 80+ year old traveller holidaying for 14 days with the destination set to Bali. The quote was retrieved on 27-May-2019. For current pricing, please use the quote engine above.
Cheapest seniors travel insurance
If price is a concern, you can filter the results from lowest to most expensive using the finder.com.au search tool.
However, while the cheapest policy may save you in the short term, it might end up costing you more in the long term if you need to make a claim.
If finding a cheap policy is important to you, make sure it provides you with at least a high level of cover for overseas medical and some cover for the other items outlined in the best section.
You can also use the finder rating as a guide to how comprehensive a policy is when trying to decide on which policy is right for you.
Travel insurance discounts to help you save
The following travel insurance brands offer cover for seniors, and an exclusive discount on finder.com.au.
It looks like we don't have any coupons at the moment. Take a look at our most recent deals
Yes, many insurers will automatically include cover for grandkids travelling with you provided that they're under the age of 21, are listed on your policy and are not working full-time.Some will even cover grandchildren up to 25, like Boomers.
It looks like we don't have any coupons at the moment. Take a look at our most recent deals
You can access a full range of policies including international and domestic travel insurance, comprehensive or basic cover, and single-trip or annual multi-trip cover. However, you should be aware that stricter age caps apply to some policies, for example annual multi-trip travel insurance.
Specialist seniors insurance providers are specifically set up to meet the needs of older travellers, so you may find the application process with these providers runs more smoothly than with other companies. Just remember that these brands have the same underwriters and the same terms and conditions as other travel insurance brands, so there will often be no real difference in the cover provided.
Many insurers add a loading to your premium based on your age bracket, so living an active and healthy lifestyle won't necessarily lower your premium with these insurers.
We recommend that you buy cover as soon as you book your trip, as this way you can take advantage of trip cancellation cover from the moment you purchase your policy.
Yes. Cover is available for trip cancellation costs and non-refundable deposits in these circumstances.
An expensive set of golf clubs can cost more than your policy's "lost, stolen or damaged items" cover will allow for. In this situation, you'd have two choices:
Take out high-value items cover. This is an additional add-on that allows you to cover specific items that have a value higher than you policy's standard benefit limits. It will cover lost, stolen or damaged golf clubs or anything else you decide to have covered.
Take out a golf trip add-on. This covers your clubs in the same way the high-value items cover would, but it also covers missed greens fees and lost or stolen hire equipment. It may even have "hole-in-one" cover. This entitles you to a round of drinks if you sink your first shot. But remember... no mulligans!
Similar packages exist for cruises, ski trips and adventure trips (like skydiving); however, the last two will probably have some age limits on them.
*The products compared on this page are chosen from a range of offers available to us and are not representative of all the products available in the market. There is no perfect order or perfect ranking system for the products we list on our Site, so we provide you with the functionality to self-select, re-order and compare products. The initial display order is influenced by a range of factors including conversion rates, product costs and commercial arrangements, so please don't interpret the listing order as an endorsement or recommendation from us. We're happy to provide you with the tools you need to make better decisions, but we'd like you to make your own decisions and compare and assess products based on your own preferences, circumstances and needs.
As head of publishing and editorial for Finder in Australia, Zahra Campbell-Avenell leads a team of experts to deliver on Finder's mission to help people make better decisions with their money. She has spent the last 10 years working on words that help mobilise people into action. Zahra has a Bachelor of Arts (Anthropology and English) from Georgetown University in Washington DC.
How likely would you be to recommend finder to a friend or colleague?
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Very UnlikelyExtremely Likely
Required
Thank you for your feedback.
Our goal is to create the best possible product, and your thoughts, ideas and suggestions play a major role in helping us identify opportunities to improve.
Important information about this website
finder.com.au is one of Australia's leading comparison websites. We compare from a wide set of banks, insurers and product issuers. We value our editorial independence and follow editorial guidelines.
finder.com.au has access to track details from the product issuers listed on our sites. Although we provide information on the products offered by a wide range of issuers, we don't cover every available product or service.
Please note that the information published on our site should not be construed as personal advice and does not consider your personal needs and circumstances. While our site will provide you with factual information and general advice to help you make better decisions, it isn't a substitute for professional advice. You should consider whether the products or services featured on our site are appropriate for your needs. If you're unsure about anything, seek professional advice before you apply for any product or commit to any plan.
Products marked as 'Promoted' or 'Advertisement' are prominently displayed either as a result of a commercial advertising arrangement or to highlight a particular product, provider or feature. Finder may receive remuneration from the Provider if you click on the related link, purchase or enquire about the product. Finder's decision to show a 'promoted' product is neither a recommendation that the product is appropriate for you nor an indication that the product is the best in its category. We encourage you to use the tools and information we provide to compare your options.
Where our site links to particular products or displays 'Go to site' buttons, we may receive a commission, referral fee or payment when you click on those buttons or apply for a product. You can learn more about how we make money here.
When products are grouped in a table or list, the order in which they are initially sorted may be influenced by a range of factors including price, fees and discounts; commercial partnerships; product features; and brand popularity. We provide tools so you can sort and filter these lists to highlight features that matter to you.
We try to take an open and transparent approach and provide a broad-based comparison service. However, you should be aware that while we are an independently owned service, our comparison service does not include all providers or all products available in the market.
Some product issuers may provide products or offer services through multiple brands, associated companies or different labelling arrangements. This can make it difficult for consumers to compare alternatives or identify the companies behind the products. However, we aim to provide information to enable consumers to understand these issues.
Providing or obtaining an estimated insurance quote through us does not guarantee you can get the insurance. Acceptance by insurance companies is based on things like occupation, health and lifestyle. By providing you with the ability to apply for a credit card or loan, we are not guaranteeing that your application will be approved. Your application for credit products is subject to the Provider's terms and conditions as well as their application and lending criteria.
Please read our website terms of use and privacy policy for more information about our services and our approach to privacy.
A travel ban is in place for all Australians effective 25 March 2020. Most travel insurance brands will not cover you if you travel against a government warning. If you already have a policy, please contact your insurer directly for more information. 
