Tips to help your claim

Sometimes holidays don’t go to plan. And that’s ok, because you’re clever and you’re covered by travel insurance, right?

So for those times when you need to claim, here are a few tips on the documentation you’ll need to support your claim and ultimately speed up any eligible pay-outs.

Emergency and medical claims

For medical, hospital or dental claims you’ll need to have called us as soon as possible, and you’ll need original medical accounts and receipts.

Theft or loss claims

For claims related to loss or theft of your bags, phone, laptop or personal items, you’ll need to have reported the incident to the police or relevant authority immediately after discovering the loss. You’ll also need to obtain a written notice of your report and show proof of ownership for the items lost.

Cancelled trips claims

For claims due to a trip cancellation you’ll need to provide us with documents like your original booking invoice and receipts, a trip cancellation invoice, written confirmation from your airline or travel agent, and unused travel tickets and itineraries.

Policy number

Always keep your policy number handy when you travel. It will help us to help you faster if you need to call. Your policy number is especially useful if you or someone on your behalf calls us about a medical emergency.

Receipts and statements

Receipts help you prove ownership of lost or stolen items. They also tell us what you’ve spent in emergency circumstances. Hang on to them.

Keep bank statements showing what you paid in AUD, if you paid for costs in a foreign currency with a credit or debit card.

Police reports and other official reports

Police reports provide an official account of a crime, accident, or other serious incident and are typically made by the victim at a police station. Because police reports are official documents, they provide the necessary detail that travel insurance companies need in order to work through a claim. Record the following details if you can:

• The case number the police gave you
• The statement you gave the police, if submitted in writing
• Details of the police station and who the attending officer was

Official reports for claims

Police and other official reports need to be made within 24 hours of an incident. Keep a copy of a written report or statement as you’ll need this when making your claim:

• Stolen bags, personal belongings, or cash claims
  If the theft happens while you’re in transit – say flying or travelling by train, we will accept a formal report made to an airline or relevant transport service. If the theft happens elsewhere, a police report is needed.

• Stolen credit cards, travellers cheques or passport claims
  If your credit card or travellers cheques were stolen, you also need to report the theft to your bank or credit card issuer within 24 hours, in addition to filing a police report.

• Rental vehicle excess claims
  If your rental car was stolen or damaged maliciously, a police report may be necessary for both your rental car company and your travel insurer.

• Personal liability claims
  A police report is likely to be required to make a personal liability claim.

Be quick

Unless it’s an emergency, claim as soon as you get home to Australia. The sooner you claim the better. Remember you can claim online, which is the quickest and most convenient way to claim.