Vero Voice Blog
Travelling to Australia? You may have cover you didn't know about
By Richard Godman
Manager Technical Underwriting, Consumer Insurance
21 January 2019
There’s plenty to think about when you are getting ready for a trip overseas.
Between packing, planning the itinerary and organising an airport drop off, organising travel insurance can often fall to the wayside, particularly when you are just popping over the ditch.
The good news is that if you didn’t think about getting travel insurance before a trip to Australia or the Pacific Islands, your contents insurance might have some cover you didn’t know about.
Vero will cover your contents in Australia and the Pacific Islands
Although most contents insurance policies will restrict your cover to while you are in New Zealand, some might offer limited cover for your personal belongings if you take them on an overseas trip.
For example, if you have a contents policy with Vero, you won’t need to worry about your luggage if you are visiting Australia or anywhere in the Pacific Islands for less than 30 days. If something gets lost, stolen or broken, we’ll cover the personal items you take with you up to $5000 in total.
This applies throughout your trip, even when you are travelling to and from your destination, and it doesn’t matter whether you are travelling for a holiday or work either.
If you’re not covered with Vero, check with your current insurer whether they offer you cover while you travel to Australia or the Pacific.
You probably won’t have medical cover
Most travel insurance customers are not just looking for cover for their belongings – they want cover for any unexpected medical expenses as well.
While we do offer cover for your stuff, Vero’s contents policy doesn’t include cover for any medical expenses incurred on your trip – for that cover you would need to take out a proper travel insurance policy.
So do you need travel insurance?
As well as cover for your belongings, most travel insurance policies will provide protection if you suffer an injury or illness overseas, including for medical treatment and the cost of returning home in an emergency.
Travel insurance can also offer cover for a variety of other scenarios, including some types of cancellation and personal liability. ACC also sometimes helps Kiwis to cover the cost of returning home if they are injured overseas.
The information in this article has been compiled from various sources and is intended to be factual information only. Full details of policy terms and conditions are available from Vero Insurance New Zealand Limited or your financial adviser. For advice on product suitability, please contact your financial adviser. While we take reasonable steps to ensure that the information contained in this article is accurate and up-to-date, it is subject to change without notice. Vero Insurance New Zealand and its related companies does/do not accept any responsibility or liability in connection with your use of or reliance on this article.
