Nothing beats enjoying an overseas adventure with the family in tow. Whether it be a tour of USA’s best theme parks, or a school holiday escape to a distant tropical shore, experiencing new things with the ones you love the most is unforgettable.

With the right travel insurance, it can be unforgettable for all the right reasons.

There are several things to consider when researching the best policy for your family, like whether the kids are covered for free, what activities they’re allowed to enjoy, and what benefits apply to each of you.

What does SCTI family travel insurance include?

We know how important it is for families to travel with the confidence that they’re insured when the unexpected happens. That’s why our International Comprehensive policy includes a broad range of benefits, including cover for*:

• Unlimited medical and evacuation expenses
• Cancellation fees and lost deposits – with the option to increase your cover depending on the cost of your journey
• Damaged or lost baggage
• Personal items if they are stolen or damaged
• Rental vehicle excess
• Emergency dental treatment
• Funeral costs

When you protect your family with Southern Cross Travel Insurance, you also gain access to our worldwide emergency assistance team, who are available for advice and assistance 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Kids go free

We know that with flights, accommodation, tours and transport, the costs of a family holiday can really add up. That’s why we offer free travel insurance for your dependent children who are included on your policy.

For a child to be dependent, they can be any of the following: 

• Your children, stepchildren, foster children, and grandchildren who are under 21 years old at the date your insurance was issued.
• They must also:
  • be unmarried
  • not be in full-time employment
  • be financially dependent on at least one adult listed on your Certificate of Insurance (a child is not financially dependent if you're only covering their finances while on the journey). 

Pre-existing medical conditions and high value items aren’t automatically covered by this policy. This means if your kids need cover for these, you may need to pay an additional premium. To find out if we’re able to offer you cover, you’ll need to let us know about any pre-existing medical conditions and high value items during the application process.

Is there a different level of cover for kids?

Your kids share the benefits of the adult(s) they are dependent on under our International Comprehensive policy.

What activities are covered for kids?

Kids can be an adventurous bunch, which is why it’s so important that they’re insured in case of any unexpected bumps and scrapes. We know that adventure is all part of the fun, which is why our International Comprehensive policy includes medical and evacuation cover for things like:

• Snorkelling
• Surfing
• Hot air ballooning
• Scuba diving (with a qualified instructor or if you hold an open water diving certificate)
• Skateboarding
• Zip lining

We also offer cover for many adventure sports such as abseiling, bungee jumping, and white water rafting when you’re taking part with a licensed operator, following their safety instructions, and wearing all required safety equipment.

There are some activities that we don’t cover under our International Comprehensive policy, including:

• Kitesurfing
• Off-piste winter sport
• Outdoor rock climbing
• Sky diving
• Hunting
• Rodeo

Unfortunately, we’ve seen some serious claims for unlucky children who have been injured while participating in all kinds of activities. So it's important that you protect your family with a travel insurance policy that includes comprehensive medical and evacuation cover.

Travel insurance while pregnant

It’s becoming increasingly common for expectant mothers to take a short holiday before the birth of their child - referred to as a ‘babymoon’.

Travelling while pregnant can be a great way to unwind and take some much-needed ‘me time’, however babymoon holidays do require some more careful planning. First of all, you need to research whether or not you are even permitted to fly, as airline carriers each have rules about travelling while pregnant.

Our International Comprehensive policy automatically provides cover for up to and including the 24th week (the first 23 weeks and 6 days), as long as there were not complications before your start date of insurance. Cover includes:

• Single pregnancy
• Multiple pregnancy, such as twins or triplets
• Pregnancy through fertility treatment

We’ll pay for emergency medical treatment if:

• There were no pregnancy related complications prior to your start date of insurance
• The claim is for a medical treatment related to an emergency pregnancy complication. Common pregnancy symptoms including breast tenderness, constipation, fatigue, frequent urination, heartburn and morning sickness are not covered.
• The claim is for the early childbirth costs associated with a person named on the policy.

Tips for travelling as a family

Whether it be a relaxing family holiday to Fiji or a cruising adventure, your trip has the potential to be a blast for everyone involved. However, like most things in travel, a large part of this success depends on your research, planning and preparation. Our Travel Advice is a great resource of travel tips and hacks to help you start planning your family adventure.

*Terms, conditions and exclusions apply. Please refer to our International Comprehensive Financial Services Guide and Product Disclosure Statement or contact us at info@scti.com.au for further information.

What you need to know

This page includes some information about our products but, as with all insurance policies, terms and conditions apply. For our terms and conditions (including information about exclusions, excesses and sub limits) we recommend you read the relevant Financial Services Guide (FSG), Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) and Target Market Determination (TMD) to ensure our travel insurance products are right for you.  

You can find the relevant documents here: International Comprehensive, Annual Multi-trip, International Medical Only, Working Overseas, Domestic.

Need some help?

If you would like to get in touch, we’re here to help. Please feel free to email us at any time, or speak to one of our friendly insurance experts on 1800 196 484. Our office hours are Monday – Friday, 10am – 4pm (AEST).