Worldwide travel insurance

Worldwide travel! Wow! You've finally made it in your career, in your life and in your world! And when you purchase worldwide travel insurance, you get to see it all if you wish.

At Mozo, we're just a little (ok, a lot) envious of you right now. But excitement aside, there's a whole lot of things you need to take care of before you even leave Australia. We've done a lot of the thinking for you, so you can get on with planning your awesome trip.

Worldwide travel insurance is usually required when you intend on traveling for up to 12 months, continuous. That's only a one, single-trip overseas travel insurance policy.

A multi-travel insurance policy is required if you intend on travelling in and out of Australia more than once in 12 months.

If you're not covered by travel insurance when traveling on a worldwide holiday, you may as well not travel at all. At Mozo, we can't stress enough at how important it is to not only purchase overseas travel insurance, but to purchase the right one - one that fits your needs.

Even when going on holiday and buying a single-trip travel insurance policy, it's easy to assume that every country in the entire world is covered – unfortunately, no. Make a list of the countries you'd like to visit and check with your insurance provider to see if they qualify for worldwide travel insurance.

Double-check if not triple-check that you've purchased the right policy. The last thing you want to do is find out while you're seeking treatment for the Delhi-bug that your overseas travel insurance policy only covers you for your trip to South America and Europe.

Quite often, countries that may be excluded are usually countries that are in a state of political unrest so do check the small print.

Time limit

So you thought traveling the world could be your new career choice. Well it could very well be, but in terms of purchasing worldwide travel insurance, your insurance company may only cover you for a certain amount of time.

Single trip insurance policies can be limited to anything between 30 and 60 days. Some insurance companies may have the facility to cover you for longer, but you'll need to check with them. If you overstay your trip, your policy may become invalid.

Does that make me a backpacker?

Well, not necessarily, but for worldwide trips that are longer than 60 days, you may need to consider a more specialised travel insurance policy. Sometimes referred to as a ‘backpackers' or 'gap year' insurance policies. It doesn't mean you're restricted to backpacker's hostels either! These are covers that are designed to cover you for an extensive trip.

Remember to read the fine print about what it will and won't cover you for. If in doubt, contact your overseas travel insurance providers for some clarity.

The teeny tiny small print

While it feels like a continuous worldwide trip travel is going to give you unlimited freedom to travel as you wish and where you like, you need to understand that there are restrictions and exclusions. So as teeny as the small print may seem to be, it in fact holds quite a large important role in understanding your travel insurance cover.

Activities. Some insurance providers have single trip policies that may not cover winter sports such as skiing, or water sports. Whatever the exclusions, you need to be aware in case you have an accident while participating in one of these activities.

Pre-existing medical conditions. You need to know that not every worldwide travel insurance policy will cover you for your pre-existing medical condition. But some will, so it's always good to be transparent with your personal circumstance and needs.

Senior cover. Although your seniors travel insurance cover may cost a little more, at least you're getting the right policy! Bear in mind that not every worldwide travel insurance policy will cover seniors, or go up to a certain age. You may even be asked to obtain a medical certificate that says what your pre-existing conditions are, if any and/or a medical certificate that deems you fit to travel for a long period of time.

While purchasing the appropriate travel cover is integral before leaving Australia, there are a whole lot of other things you need to prepare and consider before leaving home.

Get your vaccinations: Planning your trip is just the first part of the fun. But to making sure you get all the right jabs will mean your fun during your holiday will be measured by the wonderful people around you, not the nasty bugs and diseases. So protect yourself well in advance and get vaccinated according to the countries you're visiting.

Apply for your visas early: Spontaneity can be fun when traveling, but if you don't obtain the right tourist visas with plenty of time to spare, you could be wasting up to two weeks in some countries for approval to enter and explore. Keep your mind at ease and open to the best parts of your journey to come by preparing for your trip well in advance.

Your money: These days, you can access your money in so many ways, so you don't have to be carrying wads of cash with you. Talk to your bank about a travel money card, which is usually capped and sometimes safer to travel with than using a credit card. A money-belt (daggy, but who cares!) is tucked away from prying eyes and a great way to keep anything from your cash, cards to passports - safe and close.

Wardrobe options: Pack lightly is key here. Extra clothing options are fun for prancing the streets of Paris, but the extra weight in your luggage could be a heavy burden, especially if you choose to backpack it. If there are a few things you can't resist at the markets, a fashion boutique or tourist shop, consider posting them home to Australia rather than taking them along on your journey.

At Mozo, we're always interested in uncomplicating tricky information so you can get what you need as fast as you can.

To make an insurance claim you'll need to:

• know your travel insurance policy number
• complete a claim form. Sometime you can submit an online claim form.
• make copies of receipts, police reports, medical certificates or hospital discharge papers.
• include witness statements (if relevant)
• be clear and concise, detailing the incident or reason for the claim
• pay an excess

NB: Always keep a copy of the claim and all receipts in case you (or the provider) loses them or need to post the originals.

After lodging a form, when will I hear back?

From 2 – 10 working days is expected. This could be by phone, email or post.

When can I make a claim?

This is up to you. But the sooner you lodge your claim form the better, Especially if you have receipts and reports lying around. If you take too long to lodge, you may lose them, eliminating your chances of a successful claim.

Mozo is obsessed with small print. And so should you be. Read everything. Cover to cover. And every tiny word. The small print will tell you exactly what you are or are not covered for during your worldwide single trip.

Where are you heading? Remember to double check that you are visiting countries that are included in your worldwide travel policy. If a country is on the Government's “Do not travel” list then it's also likely to be excluded by your travel insurance provider. And if you're planning on travelling for a long period of time, don't just assume the countries that are in the list when you take off will be the same ones while on the road. Always check before you book travel to an unknown destination to ensure you don't run into any issues when you arrive.

Excess fees Excess fees vary from policy to policy. So Mozo's advice is avoid choosing the cheapest policy as they attract the highest excess fees.

Pre-existing conditions Don't let any pre-existing medical conditions bring you down. Telling your insurance provider exactly what conditions you're traveling with will determine what kind of travel insurance is suited to you. That way there are no hidden surprises at the end of the trip for you or your insurance company. After all, if something happens, you want to be covered for some if not all of the bill. If you don't reveal at the time of purchase any pre-existing medical condition your policy may become null and void.

Report incidents quickly Inform either federal or medical authorities in whichever country you're in regarding injury, property damage or medical emergency. Make sure you don't leave without a report! You can't make a travel insurance claim without one.

Hiring unregistered vehicles Whether hiring an unregistered vehicle or driving without the correct license is likely to be frowned upon by your insurance provider. The best thing you can do is not drive. Hire a cab or other forms of public transport to get from A to B.

Drinking overseas Drinking alcohol is a risk you the individual take. Whether in excess or just a glass, if there's alcohol in your system and you're in an accident or need medical assistance, there is the likelihood your insurance will not cover you.

What's the cost of a worldwide insurance policy? Just because you are travelling to multiple continents the same things that change the price of a standard policy will also stand. This means how long you will be away from Australia and your age. Here's a look at some examples, based on the cheapest cost basic policy at the time of writing :

Get a travel insurance quote now for your worldwide trip now, Mozo compares more than 40 insurance providers, start the quote form now.

Hearing about other people's direct experience may influence the type of cover you take for your overseas trip. Mozo collects travel insurance reviews from real customers and you can read them here to help you make a better decision when choosing which insurance company to go with. Have a read about the different scenarios that you could come across.