Travel Insurance To India: A Guide

Depending on the insurer, you’ll need a policy specific to India, or a policy for Asia.

You won’t need a ‘worldwide’ policy. This includes cover for destinations such as the USA, Canada, the Caribbean (and in certain cases Mexico and Greenland).The cost of medical treatment at these destinations can be particularly expensive, which means policy premiums will be higher.

To find our leading picks for comprehensive travel insurance policies, click here. You can also find out how to lower your travel insurance premiums in our guide to cheap travel insurance.

What types of policy are available for India?

There are three main types of travel insurance policy to choose from for a trip to India:

Single trip: for a one-off trip within the space of a year.

Annual multi-trip: can work out more cost-effective for those who know they will take two or more holidays within the next 12 months (not necessarily all to India).

Backpacker: provides cover for an extended period of more than 31 days—typically 12 or 18 months, and occasionally up to 24 months for those travelling on the cheap.

According to Austbrokers, Australians are generally large consumers of travel insurance, with about 90% of travellers heading overseas taking out a policy. Australia Post is keen for this figure to reach even higher levels, recommending Aussies purchase a travel insurance policy that covers you for an unexpected event you could face while travelling.

Travel insurance for India can be a vital resource, covering the cost of emergency treatment while away, and in the most severe cases, repatriation. Cover for trip cancellation and lost or stolen baggage and belongings are also key policy components. A policy should also include personal liability, should you injure someone else or damage another’s property and face legal proceedings and the threat of being sued.

Policies differ on the level of cover they provide as well as their limitations and restrictions on cover. However, many policies accept bereavement or illness as a valid reason to claim for a cancelled trip, and extend cover to Covid-related emergencies.

Policies may also offer various other types of cover as standard or at an extra cost, including:

• Travel delay: provides an inconvenience benefit up to a pre-specified amount if the booked outward or return journey is delayed for a set period of time (typically 12 hours) after checking-in.
• Missed departure: covers the cost of additional accommodation and travel should an emergency cause the policyholder to miss their journey.
• Insolvency: pays out if a company, such as an airline or a hotel goes broke.
• Personal money: the amount that can be claimed if the policyholder’s money is lost or stolen.

Exclusions for Travel Insurance to India

A travel insurance policy for India is unlikely to cover holidays to regions where the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) has advised not to travel, which can also be found via the DFAT-owned website Smarttraveller. Smarttraveller offers advice to Australia on where they can travel, and what safety precautions should be in place.

It’s therefore important to check the latest advice before taking out travel insurance and again before the planned departure date, especially as travel warnings can change. However, if Smarttraveller upgrades its advice to ‘do not travel’  after you have purchased a ticket (and insurance), you should be able to claim it on travel insurance.

On the other hand, travellers who simply decide they do not want to go on holiday anymore are unlikely to be covered for cancellation.

Claims resulting from being under the influence of alcohol or drugs are also usually not accepted.

The cost of any travel insurance policy is determined by a range of factors. As well as the holiday destination, an insurer will consider factors such as the age of the traveller, whether they have any medical conditions, their trip duration and the types of cover they require.

For example, a 60-year-old travelling for two weeks to India may only have to pay $96 with a $250 excess for a comprehensive policy, while a 32-year-old travelling for a month could have to pay nearly $300 for the works. According to quotes via Travel Insurance Direct, an 18-year-old travelling India for six months would have to pay nearly $1,000.

• Make sure your passport is valid: To enter India, your passport must remain valid for at least six months after your arrival date. It must also be machine-readable or you will be denied entry.
• Apply for the correct visa: Australian nationals need a visa to visit India. It’s important they apply for the right type to suit their purposes for travelling, and the length of their stay. Travellers may be refused entry, or deported, if they are carrying the wrong visa. They may also be refused entry in the future.
• Check the DFAT’s Smarttraveller advice site: DFAT not only provides up-to-date information on travel risks in certain countries, but regions of countries too. It warns of risks ranging from terrorism threats to natural disasters.

You can invalidate your policy travelling to a destination if DFAT advises against all or all but essential travel there. This means you will not be covered throughout your trip. It’s therefore best to check DFAT’s advice before taking out travel insurance and again before departing on your holiday.

You can also check whether your insurer is one of a few that will still cover you, if you decide to travel against DFAT advice.

• Vaccinations: Check which vaccinations you may need before travelling, with your doctor. The US-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that all travellers are up-to-date with measles, mumps, rubella, diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough,, polio, influenza and pneumococcal before travelling to India.
• Customs rules: There are certain limitations on what you can take into India. This includes Indian rupees—the currency of India. A bank card, or cash and travellers’ Australian dollars or another foreign currency are allowed. Once in India, you can exchange your money into rupees.
  You should declare if you’re travelling with more than US$5000 (AU$7690) dollars in cash, or more than US$10,000 (AU$15,380) dollars in cash and travellers’ cheques in total.
• Driving in India: You can drive in India up to a maximum three months using your Australian driving licence and an international driving permit. However, after three months you will need to apply for an Indian driving licence.
• Stay vigilant: Last but not least, familiarise yourself with local rules and customs wherever you go. Should you find yourself in a critical situation, the number for emergency services in India is 112.

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