Finder makes money from featured partners, but editorial opinions are our own.

Southern Cross Travel Insurance

Our verdict: Generous benefit limits, no restrictive age limits and free cover for kids all make SCTI an attractive option.

No reviews yet. Write a review

Pros

  • Southern Cross Travel Insurance have won the 2023 Finder Award across a few categories.
  • SCTI's cover limit of $25,000 for theft or damage to your luggage and personal items is one of the highest we've seen.
  • SCTI has an age limit of 118 – a welcome option for senior travellers.

Cons

  • Its personal liability cover of up to $1,000,000 could meet the needs of most, but competitors such as Fast Cover and Medibank offer 5 times as much.

Get a quote from Southern Cross Travel Insurance

Name Product AUFTI COVID-19 medical expenses Theft or damage to luggage Rental car excess insurance Standard excess
Southern Cross International Comprehensive - Single Trip
$25,000
$10,000
$250
Southern Cross International Medical Only Travel Insurance
No Cover
No Cover
$250
Southern Cross Domestic Travel Insurance
$15,000
$6,000
$100
loading

Summary of Southern Cross's International Comprehensive policy

Overseas medical and hospital expensesUnlimited
Cancellation and amendment feesCover chosen (options to increase up to unlimited)
Luggage and personal effects$25,000
Maximum age limit118

Table updated June 2024

Finder Awards badge

Congratulations, Southern Cross!

Southern Cross received the following highly commended awards in the 2024 Customer Satisfaction Awards:

  • Travel Insurance - Loved Brand
  • Travel Insurance - Trusted Brand
  • Travel Insurance - Quality Service Brand
Full list of 2024 winners

How does Southern Cross Travel Insurance cover COVID-19?

Southern Cross Travel Insurance is one of only a few insurers we've found that offer some cover for COVID-related claims. 3 key benefits are as follows:

  • Medical expenses if you are diagnosed while on your journey (overseas policies only).
  • Pre-trip cancellation and amendment costs to change your travel arrangements if you or a relevant person are diagnosed prior to your travel.
  • On-trip cancellation and amendment costs if you or a relevant person are diagnosed during your trip and it's interrupted or cut short.

There are some scenarios that are not covered and you should review the Southern Cross Travel Insurance product disclosure statement (PDS) before making a decision on whether this cover meets your needs. A major exclusion to be aware of is that you must be fully vaccinated to be covered for COVID-19 expenses.

Other COVID-19 exclusions include:

  • Travel to a destination that Smartraveller has rated a "Level 3" or "Level 4".
  • Costs related to lockdowns or government restrictions.
  • Costs related to any pause to quarantine-free travel.
  • Repatriation to Australia.

If Southern Cross's COVID-19 cover isn't quite hitting the mark, we've compared all the providers that offer cover for COVID-19 here.

What do Australians think of Southern Cross Travel Insurance travel insurance?

  • 4.44/5 overall for Customer Satisfaction — higher than the average of 4.26
  • 4.75/5 for Trust — higher than the average of 4.57
  • 4.33/5 for Customer Service — higher than the average of 4.2

Based on Southern Cross Travel Insurance travel insurance scores in Finder's 2024 Customer Satisfaction Awards.

What policies does Southern Cross offer?

In total, Southern Cross offers 5 travel insurance policies. These are: Domestic, International Medical Only, International Comprehensive (Single Trip),International Comprehensive (Annual Multi-trip) and Working overseas. Here are some of the main insured events a policy can cover you for:

Australian Map Icon

Domestic

Hospital

International Medical Only

Travel plane luggage passport

International Comprehensive Single Trip

Hiking

International Comprehensive Annual Multi-trip

Picture not described

Working Overseas

The insurance is issued by Southern Cross Benefits Limited, trading as Southern Cross Travel Insurance.

The cooling-off period is 14 days which means you can change your policy or cancel within this period, and Southern Cross will refund your premium in full. The excess is the amount you usually need to pay when you make a claim, but with Southern Cross, you can choose to remove your excess for a higher premium.

Here's a breakdown of Southern Cross Travel Insurance features

Check icon

Standard features

Here are some of the main policy benefits to help you find out if Southern Cross Travel Insurance can provide the right cover for you.

  • Baggage and personal items
  • Cancelling or changing your journey before you leave
  • Cash, bank cards, travel documents and passports
  • Changes to your journey once you have left
  • Delayed journey to a special event
  • Emergency dental treatment
  • Medical and evacuation
  • Personal accident
  • Personal liability
  • Rental vehicle excess

plus icon

Optional add-on

For more flexibility, Southern Cross Travel Insurance gives you the option to add extra cover to your policy. This can be done after you select your level of cover.

  • Taking any valuables? If the value of any items you're taking exceeds the limits of your policy, you can opt for specified items cover.
  • Going skiing or snowboarding? Get additional cover to be protected for gear damage or the medical expenses incurred if you injure yourself on the slopes. You'll need to wear a helmet or you might void your policy.
  • Taking a cruise? If you're taking a cruise, select additional cover to protect yourself. You'll need to make sure you've included all the destinations your cruise is visiting on your policy.
  • Riding a moped or motorbike? Get additional cover to protect yourself and your bike in case the unexpected happens. SCTI will only cover incidents involving bikes under 200cc.

cross icon

Exclusions

Like all insurers, there are a few situations you won't be covered for under your travel insurance policy. Southern Cross Travel Insurance will not generally provide any cover in the following situations:

Other exclusions which could apply to a COVID-19 claim include:

  • Medical evacuation because of COVID-19
  • Travel to a destination that Smartraveller has rated a "Level 3" or "Level 4" due to COVID-19
  • Costs related to lockdowns or government restrictions owing to COVID-19

Make sure you read Southern Cross Travel Insurance's PDS for a full list of situations that won't be covered.

How to make a Southern Cross Travel Insurance claim

Making a claim with Southern Cross Travel Insurance is easy and the whole process can be done online. Remember to keep any supporting documents such as receipts, medical notes or police reports to help your claim go through smoothly.

  1. Head to https://www.scti.com.au/claims/make-a-claim
  2. Enter your policy number, email, full name and date of birth to log in
  3. Complete your claim details by answering all sections
  4. Upload any supporting documents relevant to your claim
  5. Submit, then your claim should be processed within 10 business days

Here's the bottom line about Southern Cross Travel Insurance

Southern Cross offers 4 straightforward policies with enough customisation and flexibility to suit most travellers. You'll find generous limits for theft or damage to your belongings, dependent children up to the age of 21 covered for free and the ability to extend your cover if you decide to stay overseas longer. All features that you don't find every day with other insurers.

Where Southern Cross Travel Insurance falls short is with certain exclusions in its policies. There is no cover for cruises that stay in Australian waters or pregnancy after 24 weeks. While Southern Cross does have COVID-19 cover, it comes with more restrictions than other insurers, including the need to be fully vaccinated.

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

Frequently asked questions

Jason Loewenthal's headshot
To make sure you get accurate and helpful information, this guide has been edited by Jason Loewenthal as part of our fact-checking process.
Gary Ross Hunter's headshot
Editor, Insurance

Gary Ross Hunter was an editor at Finder, specialising in insurance. He’s been writing about life, travel, home, car, pet and health insurance for over 6 years and regularly appears as an insurance expert in publications including The Sydney Morning Herald, The Guardian and news.com.au. Gary holds a Kaplan Tier 2 General Advice General Insurance certification which meets the requirements of ASIC Regulatory Guide 146 (RG146). See full bio

Gary Ross's expertise
Gary Ross has written 654 Finder guides across topics including:
  • Health, home, life, car, pet and travel insurance
  • Managing the cost of living

More guides on Finder

Ask a question

You are about to post a question on finder.com.au:

  • Do not enter personal information (eg. surname, phone number, bank details) as your question will be made public
  • finder.com.au is a financial comparison and information service, not a bank or product provider
  • We cannot provide you with personal advice or recommendations
  • Your answer might already be waiting – check previous questions below to see if yours has already been asked

Finder only provides general advice and factual information, so consider your own circumstances, or seek advice before you decide to act on our content. By submitting a question, you're accepting our Terms Of Service and Finder Group Privacy & Cookies Policy.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

39 Responses

    Default Gravatar
    AnneMay 13, 2024

    I would like to speak with someone as I tried to apply for a quote on line but had difficulty when it came to trying to put info about medication down

      AvatarFinder
      SarahMay 13, 2024Finder

      Hi Anne,

      We are a review and comparison site and we don’t operate a call centre. But you can call Southern Cross Travel Insurance on 1800 196 484. Hope this helps!

    AvatarFinder
    GarySeptember 29, 2023Finder

    Hi John,

    You may be covered for trip cancellations if you need to cancel due to sickness, so long as you took out cover before you became sick. It’s likely that you will need to provide evidence that you’re unfit to travel from a doctor.

    I’d suggest contacting the insurer directly.

    Thanks,
    Gary

    Default Gravatar
    grahamJune 4, 2023

    i am considering the medical only international insurance cover but i have not been vaccinated against covid 19. can i still buy this policy

      AvatarFinder
      JamesJune 6, 2023Finder

      Hi Graham,

      Thanks for your message. While I can’t see anything in Southern Cross’ Eligibility criteria that specifically mentions the need to be vaccinated against COVID, it’s best to reach out to the insurer directly to confirm this.

      Best,

      James

    AvatarFinder
    GaryMarch 31, 2023Finder

    Hi Penny,

    Yes you should still inform them of your pre-existing condition.

    Kind regards,
    Gary

    Default Gravatar
    DFebruary 24, 2023

    bought a policy no 13086815 . have recieved no email.

      AvatarFinder
      SarahMarch 2, 2023Finder

      Hi Dave,

      This is a Finder review page about Southern Cross Travel insurance. We are not directly affiliated with Southern Cross, so you’ll need to contact them directly about your policy.

      Hope this helps!

Go to site