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Bupa Travel Insurance Review

Learn more about Bupa’s travel insurance policies to find out about their coverage and fees and compare them with other insurers today.

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, updated on June 26th, 2023       

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One of the world’s leading providers of insurance, Bupa offers its almost 40 million global customers protection for their health, home, and travel arrangements. In Australia, the company has about 4.7 million customers and is underwritten by CGU Insurance.

Savvy can help you compare Bupa's plans with those of other insurers in the market so you can find the best travel insurance for your next trip. You'll be able to compare everything from benefit caps to deductibles to coverage details.

Find out more about their services here before getting a quote with us today.

*Please note that Savvy does not represent Bupa for its travel insurance products.

More about Bupa travel insurance

What travel insurance policies does Bupa offer?

Bupa offers four travel insurance policies, which include:

  • Overseas Comprehensive: this comprehensive travel insurance policy covers you for overseas medical expenses, urgent dental work, loss of luggage and personal liability. You’re also insured against unexpectedly needing to cancel your global holiday, as long as your reason for doing so is among those covered.
  • Overseas Essentials: this streamlined policy provides you with coverage for the basics including overseas dental and hospital treatment, personal liability, cancellation, and personal liability. The key difference with this policy compared to the comprehensive option is the claim limits are considerably lower.
  • Domestic: Bupa offers a domestic travel insurance policy which provides you with cover for your luggage and personal items, trip delays or unexpected delays and personal liability. You may also be covered for the excess on a rental car. This domestic travel insurance is also open to seniors.
  • Annual Multi-Trip Insurance: this multi-trip policy is tailored to those taking several holidays across the year. Bupa allows you to take an unlimited number of journeys over 12 months, but they individually can’t exceed 45 days. The benefits are the same as the comprehensive or domestic travel insurance policies.
Overseas Comprehensive Overseas Essentials Domestic
Overseas medical
Unlimited
Unlimited
N/A
Cancellation
Chosen limit
Chosen limit
Chosen limit
Additional expenses
$50,000
$25,000
$25,000
Luggage and personal items
$10,000
$5,000
$10,000
Travel delay expenses
$2,000
$2,000
$2,000
Personal liability
$5 million
$2.5 million
$5 million
Theft of cash
$250
N/A
$250
Accidental death
$25,000
N/A
$25,000

However, no matter if you’re taking a holiday to the UK or just touring Australia, it’s a good idea to compare with Savvy so you can find the best travel insurance for your holiday.

What optional extras are available through Bupa?

Bupa, like many other travel insurance companies, provides optional extras for both international and domestic getaways. These include:

  • Skiing and snowboarding: taking a European holiday to carve up the slopes? Bupa requires you to take out extra coverage for an additional premium so you’re covered for a range of winter sports, including skiing, snowboarding, tobogganing or tubing. This add-on covers you for emergency assistance, damage to your equipment and costs of hiring equipment.
  • Adventure: deep sea fishing, caving, quad bike riding, outdoor rock climbing and motorcycles/mopeds are all covered under this extra coverage, which is available to anyone under the age of 75.
  • Cruises: if you’re booked to take an international or domestic cruise, you’ll need to purchase additional coverage if you’re going with Bupa. This cover protects you from medical costs onboard the ship, ship-to-shore evacuation, cabin confinement and cancellations.
  • Valuables: this optional extra allows you to increase the cover limit or expensive items you’re going to take on holiday with you. These can include cameras, camera equipment, jewellery, camping equipment or sunglasses.

What exclusions should I be aware of when buying travel insurance through Bupa?

It’s important to remember that even the most comprehensive policy draws a line at coverage in some unforeseen circumstances. As such, Bupa has a range of exclusions, including:

  • Flying on a privately-chartered plane
  • Taking part in a competitive sport
  • Treatment for an unapproved pre-existing medical condition
  • Elective surgeries
  • Accidents caused by intentionally putting yourself at risk
  • Knowingly travelling to a dangerous location
  • Any incident that occurs while you’re driving solo
  • Suicide
  • Travelling against medical advice

If you’ve found a policy that catches your eye, make sure you review the Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) before you set your decision in stone.

What we think of Bupa travel insurance

What we like

Flexible cancellation limits

As is the case with some big-name insurers, you’re able to set your own cancellation limit on your travel insurance policy.

Discounts for health insurance members

By entering your Bupa membership number when you purchase a travel insurance policy, you can receive a 15% discount.

24/7 support

You can rest easy knowing that Bupa is available around the clock, seven days a week, should you ever find yourself in a bind when travelling abroad.

What we don't like

Pay extra for cruise cover

Whether you’re cruising in Australian waters or setting sail around the UK, you will need to pay extra for cruise cover. Many big-name insurers offer this coverage automatically.

Modest travel delay coverage

Bupa offers a coverage limit of about $2,000 if your mode of transport is delayed. However, these limits are lower than some of their competitors.

Tough pre-existing condition requirements

Bupa's travel insurance plans automatically cover specific forms of diabetes and asthma. Still, if you have a more serious illness, like a heart problem, you need to see a doctor and get a medical assessment to be covered.

Types of travel insurance

Why compare travel insurance with Savvy?

Frequently asked questions about Bupa travel insurance

Does Bupa offer coverage for COVID-19?

Yes – depending on the policy you choose, Bupa may allow you to get a full or partial refund if your travel plans are derailed because of a positive COVID-19 diagnosis, resulting in having to quarantine or accruing overseas medical expenses. In some cases, you may be covered if your travel plans are impacted by government-enforced border closures.

How do I make a claim through Bupa?

If something goes wrong while you’re on holiday, you can make a claim 24/7 through Bupa’s website. This involves completing an online claim form and providing ample detail about the incident and evidence through medical or police reports and receipts. Once you’ve filed your claim, Bupa’s website states it can take up to ten days for claims to be processed. They also advise that you must submit a claim within 30 days of the incident you’re claiming.

How much will my travel insurance cost?

The cost of travel insurance premiums vary from one person to the next based on several factors, including:

  • Your date of birth
  • Your chosen destination
  • The level of coverage you buy
  • Any optional extras you need
  • Pre-existing medical conditions you need to disclose
  • The policy excess you choose
  • The type of insurer and insurance policy you buy
What are the differences between single, annual and one-way trip travel insurance?

You may take many trips within a year with yearly multi-trip travel insurance (often up to 60 travel days per trip), but you can only take one trip out and back with a single-trip policy. A one-way travel insurance coverage covers you for the duration of your trip, up to a year, but only if you are taking a single flight without a return date set in stone. Coverage may often be extended for another year.

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