Frequently Asked Questions

These FAQ's should be read in conjunction with the RACV Travel Insurance Combined Financial Services Guide and Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) available from RACV and attached  here .  You should consider the PDS before making a decision about whether to acquire or to continue to hold this insurance.

RACV Travel Insurance is issued by Tokio Marine & Nichido Fire Insurance Co. Ltd. (Tokio Marine & Nichido) ABN 80 000 438 291, AFSL 246 548. The Royal Automobile Club of Victoria (ABN 44 004 060 833, AR 001243563) (RACV 'our', 'us' and 'we') is an Authorised Representative of Tokio Marine & Nichido. Where we provide financial services in relation to RACV Travel Insurance (such as financial advice or arranging for the issue of insurance), RACV is acting as an Authorised Representative of the issuer of the insurance, Tokio Marine & Nichido.

Travel Insurance can provide some protection when unforeseen events occur whilst you are travelling and can help cover unexpected expenses. Travel Insurance can provide some cover for things like theft, accidents, or medical problems. To find out more about the benefits of travel insurance, visit the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade website .

All of our RACV International policies provide 24-hour medical emergency assistance and unlimited reasonable overseas medical treatment (conditions, sub-limits and exclusions apply). We offer a number of policy options with varying benefits and limits for both International travel and Domestic travel, as well as a domestic rental car excess only policy. The policy also covers your Dependents such as children, grandchildren, step-children and foster children at no extra cost, provided they are travelling with you, are up to the age of 25, are financially dependent on their parents, are not working full time, and do not require medical assessment. Please refer to the table of benefits in the Product Disclosure Statement for further details.

RACV Travel Insurance is issued by Tokio Marine & Nichido Fire Insurance Co., Ltd (Tokio Marine & Nichido) ABN 80 000 438 291, AFSL 246548. Its managing agent, Tokio Marine Management (Australasia) Pty. Ltd. ABN 69 004 488 455 (TMMA) is authorised under a binder to act on behalf of Tokio Marine & Nichido to issue its policies and handle and settle claims in relation to those policies, subject to the terms of the authority. The Royal Automobile Club of Victoria ABN 44 004 060 833, AR 001243563 (RACV) is an authorised representative of Tokio Marine & Nichido.

As well as travel insurance, Tokio Marine & Nichido also work with the general insurance market through insurance brokers and provide insurance for commercial and corporate businesses in Australia. Tokio Marine & Nichido was founded in 1879 in Japan, operates in multiple countries and employs thousands of people worldwide.

For all customer service enquiries including medical assessments please call us on 131 329, visit RACV or any RACV shop.

Cover is available to Australian citizens and Australian permanent residents up to 110 years of age for Single Trip policies and up to 75 years of age for the Annual Multi-Trip policy, provided:

  • You purchase Your Policy before you begin Your Trip; and
  • for International cover Your Trip begins and ends in Australia; or
  • for Domestic cover Your trip must be wholly within Australia.

Australian temporary residents up to 110 years of age for Single Trip policies and up to 75 years of age for Annual Multi-Trip policies, provided:

  • you hold a current Australian Visa that will remain valid beyond the period of your return from Your Trip; and
  • you hold a return ticket; and
  • you have a primary place of residence in Australia that you intend to return to; and
  • you purchase your policy before you begin your Trip; and
  • for International cover your Trip begins and ends in Australia; or
  • for Domestic cover your Trip must be wholly within Australia.

This is an online set of medical questions (assessment) which you will need to complete if you wish to apply for travel insurance but have Medical Conditions which are not automatically covered under the policy. You can complete this as part of your travel insurance quote at www.racv.com.au/travel , call 131 329 or visit an RACV shop for additional assistance. Upon completion of this assessment we will inform you if the Medical Condition is covered and any additional premium payable.

A Medical Condition means any medical or physical condition, disorder, disease, disability or illness, including any Mental Illness, which at the Relevant Time, You were aware of, or a reasonable person in the circumstances could be expected to have been aware of, and at the Relevant Time:

  1. is chronic, ongoing, terminal, or has affected or involved one or more of the following:
    1. heart, circulatory system, lungs or respiratory system, brain, kidneys, liver, or cancer;
    2. surgery involving the back, neck, joints, or abdomen; or
  2. in the last 24 months had:
    1. presented symptoms which would have caused an ordinarily prudent person to seek medical opinion or treatment;
    2. become exacerbated or complicated; or
    3. been diagnosed, treated or treatment was recommended by a Treating Doctor.

Capitalised terms used above are defined in the PDS which can be viewed here .

This section outlines those Medical Conditions automatically included, where You at the Relevant Time:

  • have not required hospitalisation or treatment by any Treating Doctor within the last 24 months (unless a different time-period is specifically listed in the list below) for the Medical Condition;
  • are not awaiting the outcome of any investigation, tests, surgery or other treatment for the Medical Condition; and
  • meet any additional criteria set out in the Medical Conditions we automatically cover list below.

If the criteria above are satisfied, cover is automatically included for the following Medical Conditions:

  • Acne
  • Allergies limited to Rhinitis, Chronic Sinusitis, Eczema, Food Intolerance, Hay Fever, however this excludes any Anaphylaxis as part of any such condition
  • Asthma providing You:
    1. have no other lung disease; and
    2. are less than 60 years of age at the time You purchase the policy
  • Bell's Palsy
  • Benign Positional Vertigo
  • Bunions
  • Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
  • Cataracts
  • Coeliac Disease
  • Congenital Blindness
  • Congenital Deafness
  • Diabetes  Mellitus (Type I) providing You:
    1. were diagnosed over 24 months ago; and
    2. have no eye, kidney, nerve or vascular complications; and
    3. do not suffer from a known cardiovascular disease, hypertension, or hypercholesterolemia; and
    4. are under 50 years of age at the date of policy purchase
  • Diabetes Mellitus (Type II) providing You:
    1. were diagnosed over 24 months ago; and
    2. have no eye, kidney, nerve or vascular complications; and
    3. do not suffer from a known cardiovascular disease, hypertension, or hypercholesterolemia; and
    4. are under 50 years of age at the date of policy purchase
  • Dry Eye Syndrome
  • Epilepsy providing:
    1. there has been no change to Your medication regime in the past 24 months; and
    2. You are on no more than one anticonvulsant medication
  • Gastric reflux
  • Gastric/Peptic ulcer
  • Glaucoma
  • Gout
  • Graves' Disease
  • Hiatus Hernia
  • Hip/Knee replacement if performed more than 24 months ago but less than 10 years ago
  • Hypercholesterolemia (High Cholesterol) providing You do not also suffer from a known cardiovascular disease and/or Diabetes
  • Hyperlipidemia (High Blood Lipids) providing You do not also suffer from a known cardiovascular disease and/or Diabetes
  • Hypertension (High Blood Pressure) providing You do not also suffer from a known cardiovascular disease and/or Diabetes
  • Hypothyroidism, including Hashimoto’s Disease
  • Incontinence
  • Insulin Resistance
  • Macular Degeneration
  • Meniere's Disease
  • Migraine
  • Nocturnal cramps
  • Plantar Fasciitis
  • Raynaud's Disease
  • Sleep Apnoea
  • Solar Keratosis
  • Trigeminal Neuralgia
  • Trigger Finger

If You require cover for Medical Conditions that are not automatically covered above, You may apply for additional cover for that condition.

If your condition meets the automatically covered conditions criteria, there is nothing further you need to do in order to be covered for that condition.

If your condition does not meet the the automatically covered conditions criteria, and you want cover for this, you must complete a medical assessment to assess whether we can accept this risk and what, if any additional premium is payable by you, to have that condition specified on your policy. 

Please also read the “General Exclusions” section of the PDS which can be viewed here .

If You have a Medical Condition that is not automatically covered above and You want cover for this Medical Condition, You will need to complete Our online medical assessment so that We can assess whether:

  1. We can cover the Medical Condition – in which case additional premium may be payable and the Medical Condition will be listed on Your Certificate of Insurance; or
  2. We can’t cover the Medical Condition – in which case, the Medical Condition that has not been accepted will be listed on Your Certificate of Insurance.

Please also read the General Exclusions which apply in addition to any limitations set out above.

You can complete the online medical assessment as part of your travel insurance quote at www.racv.com.au/travel , call 131 329 or visit an RACV shop for additional assistance.

This is an online set of medical questions (assessment) which you will need to complete if you wish to apply for travel insurance but have Medical Conditions which are not automatically covered under the policy. Upon completion of this assessment we will inform you if the Medical Condition can be covered and any additional premium that would be applicable.

Our policies provide cover for pregnancy in limited circumstances.

What is covered

Cover is included automatically up to the end of the 25th week of pregnancy for:

  1. single non-complicated pregnancies;
  2. unexpected pregnancy complications; and
  3. childbirth which was accelerated by accidental injury in limited circumstances.

Please see further information below.

You will need to apply for cover if at the Relevant Time, You know You are pregnant and are aware of, or a reasonable person in the circumstances could be expected to have been aware of, any of the following:

  1. there have been complications with this or a previous pregnancy,
  2. You are expecting a multiple pregnancy (such as triplets or twins), or
  3. You have a Medical Condition which could have an adverse impact on Your health.

Pregnancy complications are considered Medical Conditions and need to be disclosed and assessed if You want cover for these conditions whilst on Your Trip. Pregnancy complications include those that occur during pregnancy or may be caused by Medical Conditions that already existed prior to the pregnancy, such as previous high risk of miscarriage, gestational diabetes, hyperemesis (severe morning sickness) or pre-eclampsia. Please refer to the Medical Conditions We need to assess section above.

What is not covered

There is no cover for:

  1. pregnancy complications occurring from the 26th week of gestation or as described in the section above (Pregnancy Complications) unless such complications are specifically accepted by Us and noted on your Certificate of Insurance;
  2. childbirth at any stage of the pregnancy, other than as a result of an accident occurring prior to the end of the 25th week of Your pregnancy which causes You to give birth prematurely;
  3. the health or care of a newborn child, irrespective of the stage of pregnancy when the child is born; or
  4. regular antenatal care.

We recommend that You contact Your Treating Doctor and obtain written confirmation that You are fit to travel before commencing Your planned Trip. Please see the Changes in Your health section above, which outlines conditions to Our cover.

If You are unsure whether You need to complete a medical assessment for Your pregnancy, please call 131 329 for additional assistance.

Please refer to ‘General Exclusions’ in the PDS which apply to all sections of cover.

If before starting Your Trip You become aware of, or a reasonable person in the circumstances could be expected to have become aware of, a change in Your health, that:

  • has, or is likely to have, an effect on the diagnosis, severity, or management of a Medical Condition, such as a change in treatment, medication or dosage, a new symptom or change of a condition of a Medical Condition, that We have accepted on Your Certificate of Insurance; or
  • a Medical Condition manifests itself, that is not otherwise covered under the ‘Medical Conditions We automatically cover’ section;

You must tell Us as soon as reasonably practicable and prior to starting Your Trip.

We will then assess the condition to determine if We can offer You cover, as outlined in the ‘Medical Conditions We need to assess’ section above. If We consider any change in health no longer satisfies the criteria We offer under the policy because it substantially increases the risk of loss, damage, illness, injury or liability, then We will let you know and decline or withdraw coverage, as applicable, by issuing You an updated Certificate of Insurance with any applicable changes to Medical Conditions that are or are not covered by the policy.

If We withdraw or decline cover and You decide to cancel Your Trip as a result, cover may still be available under ‘Section 1 Cancellation Fees and Lost Deposits’. If You do not claim and want to alternatively cancel Your policy prior to starting Your Trip as a result of this decision, We will refund your premium in full, even if this is outside the cooling off period.

If You fail to tell Us about a change in Your health as set out above, We may refuse coverage or refuse to pay Your claim, in whole or in part, subject to our rights under section 54 of the Insurance Contracts Act 1984 (Clth) to the extent that We have been prejudiced as a result of your failure to notify Us. We may also be entitled to cancel Your policy under section 60 of the Insurance Contracts Act (Clth).

Your Dependents such as children, grandchildren, step-children and foster children are covered at no extra cost if they have not disclosed a medical condition and they meet the following criteria:

  • aged 25 years or younger at the time You buy Your policy;
  • financially dependent on their parents or grandparents and not working full time;
  • travelling with You for Your entire Trip;
  • listed on the Certificate of Insurance as Your Dependant; and
  • whilst on Your Trip, is dependent on an Adult listed on Your Certificate of Insurance.

If they meet the above criteria and you choose our Ski and Winter Sports or Cruise option, they’ll be covered for this as well. If you have omitted to list them, please contact us as soon as possible.

Dependents such as children, grandchildren, step-children and foster children will be covered at no extra cost if they have not disclosed a medical condition and they meet the following criteria:

  • aged 25 years or younger at the time You buy Your policy;
  • financially dependent on their parents or grandparents and not working full time;
  • travelling with You for Your entire Trip;
  • listed on the Certificate of Insurance as Your Dependant; and
  • whilst on Your Trip, is dependent on an Adult listed on Your Certificate of Insurance.

The limit for any benefit payable for Dependents is included in the insured adult's sum insured. For example, if an adult has Total Travel Care cover on a single policy and a claim is made under Section 13 Travel Delay, the maximum amount that may be paid for 1 adult and their children combined is $3,000. Please note there are other sections of the policy whereby the limits are itemised per person which includes Dependents individually eg. Funeral expenses in section 2G. Please refer to the Product Disclosure Statement for further details.

Yes, you should list all countries to confirm that cover is available for the countries you are travelling to. You should also check www.smarttraveller.gov.au as the insurer does not provide cover for any country or region which is the subject of a “Do Not Travel“ advisory issued by DFAT prior to or after you purchasing your policy.

Cover for international and domestic river cruising is included automatically in the policy and you do not need to select the Cruise option to be covered.

If you are going on an ocean Cruise which stops at other countries, you will need to select International Cover and select each country where the cruise stops.

All Australian waters and international ocean cruising will require you to select the Cruise option to be covered while you are on your cruise. An extra premium is payable for cruise cover.

If you are going on an ocean cruise which is only in Australian waters or calling into ports in Australia and you still require a policy which includes medical cover whilst you are on board the ship as many on-board medical providers on cruises are not registered with Medicare (check with your cruise provider), you will need to select Australian Cruise as your destination. This will then allow the insurer to give you medical and evacuation cover whilst at sea but not if you go to a medical provider whilst in port in Australia. Please refer to the Product Disclosure Statement for further details.

Please note the Domestic policy does not include any medical cover as the insurer is a general insurer and cannot cover medical costs in Australia. Therefore the Domestic policy is not suitable for cruises if you require cover for on board medical treatment and evacuation.

An extra premium is payable for the Cruise cover option.

When you purchase your policy, we will either post or email your policy documents to you. Your documents include your certificate of insurance and your RACV Travel Insurance Combined Financial Services Guide and Product Disclosure Statement It's a good idea to carry a copy of your policy documents with you when you travel. It is also a good idea to keep them in your email inbox so you can access them if you need to.

Cover for cancellation, lost deposits and financial default commences from the date of purchase. All other benefits commence on the trip start date you have stated when purchasing your policy.

Please contact us on 131 329 as soon as you realise the error so that we can review and arrange for amendments where possible. You can also advise us by email at [email protected] with full details of the error and the correct details.

You have 21 days from the day You purchase Your policy to decide if the cover is right for You and suits Your needs. If the policy does not meet Your needs You can cancel Your policy within the “cooling-off period” for a full refund, provided You:

  • Haven’t started Your Trip; and/or
  • Haven’t made a claim; and/or
  • Don’t intend to make a claim or exercise any other rights under Your policy.

Simply contact Us on 13 13 29 within the cooling-off period and We can arrange this for You.

You can extend your policy under certain conditions.

We will extend the term of Your cover for no additional cost if any delay is due to a reason which is covered under Your policy.

For other reasons you can apply to extend your International or Domestic Single-Trip Policy by phoning us on 131 329 or send an email to [email protected] as soon as practicable prior to your original policy expiry date. Extension of cover is subject to the insurer’s written approval and you will need to pay any applicable extra premium. If the insurer agrees to extend cover, you will be issued with a new certificate of insurance. The period of insurance on your new Certificate of Insurance, combined with your previous period of insurance, cannot be longer than a combined maximum period of 12 months. Applications to extend cover are subject to additional conditions — please refer to the Product Disclosure Statement for further details.

If you make a claim you may be required to pay an excess. An excess is an agreed dollar amount that is subtracted from each and every Insured Event - see the definitions of 'Excess' and 'Insured Event' in the PDS for more information. The default International Single Trip policy excess is $250 but this can be reduced to $100 or $0 for an increased premium or increased to $500 or $1,000 for a reduced premium at the time of purchase. The default for our Domestic Single Trip policy is $100 but can be reduced to $0 for an increased premium at the time of purchase. The default Annual Multi-Trip policy is $250 but this can be reduced to $100 or $0 for an increased premium at the time of purchase. Your excess will be shown on your certificate of insurance. Please note IF you choose a higher excess it can reduce your premiums but it will affect the benefit you receive when you make a claim. Some cover benefit limits or sublimits may be less than your total excess and therefore the insurer may not contribute anything to your claim.

The maximum days allowed per trip is either 30, 45 or 60 days, depending on the policy you choose. You must select the appropriate number of days that will cover any single trip you may take during the 12 month period at the time of purchase. The days allowed per trip may be able to be increased to a longer duration during the period of the policy and an additional premium will apply. Please contact us for assistance.

You are covered for an unlimited number of trips over a 12 month period, provided that each trip is at least 250km from your home. The maximum days allowed per trip is either 30, 45 or 60 days, depending on the policy you choose. If You purchase the Annual Multi-Trip plan, the Sums Insured under each of the sections of the policy are automatically reinstated on the completion of each Trip.

Your Annual Multi-Trip policy covers you for international trips as well as trips within Australia where the trip is more than 250km from your home. If your trip is in Australia, you are not covered for medical, hospital or dental expenses. Other exclusions may also apply. Please read the PDS for further information which can be viewed here .

Most of your policy benefits are per insured adult, however you should read the Product Disclosure Statement for further information. The limits are reinstated after each trip.

Insured adults on the policy can travel alone on a trip. Dependents such as children, grandchildren, step-children or foster children who are covered under the policy must travel with an insured adult for the whole trip.

If you have an overseas medical emergency, our Emergency medical Assistance team is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year to take your call.

61 2 8055 1699 (reverse charges from the overseas operator)

If something unexpected happens while You are overseas, We want to ensure We can help make it as stress free as possible. If You have an overseas medical emergency, contact Our assistance team immediately, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week on: +61 2 8055 1699 (reverse charges accepted from the overseas operator).

If You:

  • are hospitalised; or
  • You are being treated as an outpatient and the total cost of any consultation or treatment will exceed $2,000

You, or a member of Your travelling party, should contact Us as soon as reasonably practicable. If You do not contact Us, and incur costs without Our consent, We may limit the amount payable under a claim, to the amount We would have paid towards any expenses (including medical) or for any evacuation/repatriation or airfares that have not been approved or arranged by Us.

You will need to keep all your medical reports and receipts from the doctors and or hospital. These documents will be needed to support your claim when it is lodged.

No, our policies cover reasonable overseas medical costs only, which can be very high if you do not have travel insurance. There is no medical, hospital or dental cover on a Domestic policy. As a general insurer the insurer is unable to pay medical costs in Australia and this includes any gap payments on any Medicare or private health insurer items.

Claims can be lodged either online at racv.tmnfatravelinsurance.com.au/how-to-claim under the “how to claim“ tab, by phone, or by email. If lodging by phone or email the applicable claim form will be provided for completion together with details of the documentation that needs to be provided.

Providing the information needed helps the insurer to make a timely and accurate decision about your claim. You can contact us either during your trip or once you have returned and we will guide you through the process. The insurer will not be able to process your claim unless you provide us with all of the necessary information. Full details should be submitted within 30 days of your return.

For all claims, evidence of the medical condition treated, incident or loss must be supported by the relevant documentation e.g. police report, medical report, receipts, proof of ownership etc. If you cannot provide it, then the insurer may reduce or refuse to pay your claim.

Phone:
1300 207 387
Web:
racv.tmnfatravelinsurance.com.au/how-to-claim
Email:
[email protected]
Mail:
RACV Travel Insurance Claims
C/- TMNFA
GPO Box 4616
Sydney 2001