Travel Insurance FAQs

Special insurance cover under an 'expatriate' insurance policy needs to be arranged prior to departure for staff travelling, studying and working overseas for more than 12 months at a time. The Legal and Risk Branch can assist in arranging this on an individual basis. Cover can also be arranged for couples and a family. The cover must be renewed annually, and the additional premium is an oncost to be borne by the staff member’s Faculty, School or the staff member themselves. Staff responsible for negotiating the terms and conditions of employment, and the individual staff members involved, should consider these insurance arrangements at the time of negotiating the terms and conditions of employment.

For more information, please refer to the Travel Insurance Webpage.

As a PhD Student, you are provided up to 365 days of cover providing that:

• Your travel has been approved by Head of School
• Any personal holiday time during this period does not exceed 28 days

If you intend to be away for more than 365 days or the private travel component of your travel exceeds 28 days, you must purchase Top-Up Travel cover at additional personal cost and prior to departure from Australia to be fully covered by the University's corporate travel policy. For more information, please read Travel Insurance: Extending Cover.

For more information about travel insurance for postgraduate students, please read Travel Insurance: Postgraduate Students.

Travel insurance is provided to University of Adelaide students whose travel has been approved for credit or recognised as fulfilling part of their degree, or has otherwise been approved by their Head of School/Branch. Cover is provided to undergraduate students for up to 180 days including incidental private travel, provided that the private travel component does not exceed 50% of the total travel time, and is less than 28 days.

All students are encouraged to check the requirement for in-country health insurance with the host organisation or embassy of the country they are intending to visit before embarking on their trip. In certain circumstances, the University travel insurance may not satisfy the requirements of the host University or the country the student is travelling to.

If the host university or embassy will accept the University's travel insurance policy, and you require a letter from the University of Adelaide confirming the terms and conditions of the University's travel cover, please send an email to the Legal & Risk Helpdesk with the following information:

• Your name
• Your staff or student ID number
• Are you an undergraduate or postgraduate student
• The name of the host university/organisation (if applicable)
• Travel destination(s)
• Date of departure from Australia
• Date of return to Australia
• If your private travel exceeds 50% of the University related travel, or is more than 28 days in total, you will be required to purchase top-up travel insurance

For more information please read Travel Insurance: Undergraduate Students.

Not automatically. The University travel insurance policy commences from the time your journey starts (usually in Adelaide) and continues for up to 180 days (including 28 days of private travel). You will need to purchase additional travel insurance prior to your departure to ensure you are covered for your entire journey.

To purchase additional cover, you will need to apply for top-up insurance.

The University policy may not provide protection or continue cover for you if you have purchased alternative cover for any part of your trip. You should make an enquiry with Marsh before committing to an alternative policy before you leave.

For more information please read Travel Insurance: Undergraduate Students.

If another party paid for your travel arrangements, cover under the University's travel insurance policy still applies providing that:

• Your travel has been approved by Head of School
• Your personal holiday time does not exceed 50% of the total travel time up to a limit of 28 days

Travel insurance is provided to University of Adelaide staff while they are undertaking University approved travel. This includes all persons authorised by the University to travel for and on behalf of the University. The cover automatically extends to include spouses, partners and dependent children travelling with you.

The University allows for personal time up to 50% of the overall time away to a maximum of 28 days. As your personal time does not exceed 28 days and is within the 50% time frame, you are also covered for the private portion of your travel.

It is preferable not to swap insurers half way through your trip.

Most travel policies cover the entire trip from the time you leave home to the time you return. It is not recommended for one policy to stop and the other to commence on a particular day whilst you are overseas.

The University policy may not provide cover for you if you have purchased alternative cover for any part of your trip. You should make an enquiry with Marsh before committing to an alternative policy before you leave.

Insurance will be available for staff and students who have a pre-existing medical condition, providing the staff member or student has obtained a certificate of fitness to travel from their treating doctor prior to travel. The insurer may ask to see the certificate in the event that a claim is made on the policy.

The policy excludes claims where the staff or student is travelling against medical advice; travelling with a terminal condition which was diagnosed prior to travel; or travelling when unfit to do so.

Ongoing treatment for known medical conditions is also excluded under the policy.

The University’s travel insurance policy operates worldwide, but may be limited or non-existent for travel to the following high risk destinations:

• Destinations where the country-specific travel advice provided by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is Level 3 – Reconsider your need to travel or Level 4 – Do not travel. Staff and students must request permission to travel to these locations using the Request to Travel to a High Risk Destination form prior to travelling.
• Sanctioned countries under regimes implemented by Australia, UN, EU, and US
• Countries which are specifically excluded under the University’s travel insurance policy (full list available in the Travel Insurance Guide).

Please contact Insurance for advice and assistance prior to making bookings to a high risk destination.

Excesses payable under a comprehensive motor vehicle insurance policy may be claimed under the University's Travel Insurance Policy (up to $5k).

If the vehicle hire company gives you the option to buy a loss or collision damage waiver (this is common in some overseas countries), the University recommends that you buy a full waiver to cap damage to the vehicle at an agreed price.

It is common in some overseas countries for vehicle hire companies to offer a cheap hire rate with optional “loss damage” or “collision damage” waivers. Beware that if you don’t purchase the waiver, you may be liable for the full value of any damage to the vehicle

A loss or collision damage waiver is an agreement with a car rental company which releases the renter from liability for physical damage to the vehicle in exchange for a fee, subject to the terms of the rental agreement or a state statute if one exists (i.e. the USA).

The waiver is not insurance. It is a contractual obligation subject to many restrictions (e.g reckless driving, driving under the influence). In some contracts, the renter has a choice to buy a full or partial damage waiver. The rental agreement typically stipulates that purchasing the damage waiver is not mandatory.

If you require emergency medical assistance as a result of a motorcycling incident, the travel insurance policy provides you with medical cover. However you may need to purchase separate insurance related to motorcycle hire and potential liability for damage to the vehicle, property or people.

Travellers using hire cars for approved University business are responsible for organising and ensuring that the hire vehicle has adequate motor vehicle insurance. Insurance for the hire vehicle should be arranged under the rental vehicle agreement, and any excess should be paid by the Local Area. The University recommends that staff purchase a lower excess if available as good risk management practice. The University’s preferred rental vehicle companies may offer special rates and lower excesses.

If travelling in the hire vehicle overseas or outside of 100km from your Local Area - the excess may be claimed under the University's Travel Insurance (up to $5k).

Yes. Expenses related to GP visits and emergency medical and dental can be claimed for under the policy. Ongoing treatment for known medical conditions are excluded under the policy.

Please refer to the Claims Process for instructions on how to make a claim.

Yes. Please note there is deductible (excess) applied of $250 for cameras, computers and other electrical equipment.

Please refer to the Claims Process for instructions on how to make a claim.

No. The insurer requires that valuable items in care, custody and control be secured at all times.

Yes - if the item was in your care, custody and control then there is potential to claim against the travel insurance policy.

Please refer to the Claims Process for instructions on how to make a claim.

For emergency assistance call Travel Guard Emergency Assistance on +60 3 2772 5642 and advise:

• Your name
• Policy Name - University of Adelaide
• Policy Number - 2300110171
• Your contact number
• What you need

You may make a reverse charge call to the Travel Guard Help Line, otherwise you can include the cost of the call in your claim.

You are welcome to lodge a claim at any time while you are away or it can be done once you return home. Please refer to the Claims Process for instructions on how to make a claim.