Written by Tiana Lee-Collins
Reviewed by Adrian Taylor
Last updated 24/11/2023
Bali may be the most famous island in Indonesia but it’s just one of the many holiday spots this country has to offer. If you’re thinking about taking a trip to Indonesia, consider your insurance needs before you go.
A travel insurance policy can not only provide peace of mind, but it also may include emergency assistance if something goes wrong, and compensation for losses. Not convinced? Here are some more reasons to take out a travel insurance plan for Indonesia:
When comparing travel insurance policies, it can be hard to know which one best suits your trip. A few things you should consider when comparing travel insurance cover include:
Our Executive General Manager of General Insurance, Adrian Taylor, has some tips for getting travel insurance for your trip to Indonesia.
If you have any pre-existing medical conditions, search for products that allow you to declare these conditions as part of your insurance application so your insurer can consider them. This can help to ensure you have the cover you need if you’re injured or become ill.
Consider what you need to include in your travel policy. This might include medical expenses, cancellation fees, personal liability costs, luggage and rental vehicle excess, as well as any additional cover for cruise holidays. Keep all this in mind when shopping for a policy.
While many insurers are automatically providing cover for some COVID-19 related losses, in most cases, you’ll need to purchase their top tier cover or comprehensive cover for COVID-19 cover to be included.
It’s always a good idea to have travel insurance when heading overseas. If something goes wrong on your trip, it may leave you with hefty out-of-pocket expenses. Things like unforeseen medical events, lost belongings, cancellations and delays can happen to anybody, and they’re often out of your control.
Travel insurance can help protect you from financial loss due to mishaps and injuries, as well as provide 24/7 emergency medical assistance if you find yourself in trouble. Hopefully, you never have to claim and your policy provides you with peace of mind.
Before taking out a policy, you should always read the PDS to understand the limits, sub-limits and eligibility criteria for your coverage.
Having more of a worldwide tour? If you’re travelling on from Indonesia, check out our pages on Thailand, Malaysia or Singapore, or our full list of destination pages. If you’re a frequent flyer, you might also want to check whether an annual multi-trip policy could save you money.
Australia does not have a Reciprocal Health Care Agreement with Indonesia, which means if you require medical treatment, your Australian Medicare benefits won’t cover you and you’ll be left to pay for it yourself. The Australian Government also won’t cover your hospital treatment if you get injured overseas, or require medical evacuation or repatriation back to Australia. These unexpected costs can put you back thousands unless you’re protected from out-of-pocket expenses by an insurance policy with the appropriate medical cover.
Hiring a car, scooter or moped in Indonesia can be a great way to get around. However, you may want to consider purchasing rental vehicle excess cover as an optional extra for your travel insurance policy. This can cover the excess you need to pay the rental company if the car is stolen or damaged.
This cover is unlikely to extend to scooters or mopeds. Instead, you may want to consider getting motorcycle, moped and scooter cover for coverage when hiring two-wheeled vehicles. However, this only protects you against medical expenses, not damage to your rental.
To drive in Indonesia, you will also need either an Indonesian licence or an International Driving Permit (IDP). If you have an accident and you don’t hold the correct licence or permit, it’s likely your claim will be denied.
Travel insurance can cover the unexpected loss of cash, credit cards, travel documents and personal belongings, including recreational equipment like bikes and sports gear.
This is critical cover as Indonesian criminals have been known to target tourists. Be careful of thieves at shopping malls, tourist hotspots and when entering your accommodation. It’s wise to separate your passport and wallet and avoid carrying all your money at once or in the same spot.
With the appropriate level of cover, you may be covered for all types of cancellations and travel delays, including:
While travel insurance can cover you for some things on your Indonesian getaway, there will be exclusions which are events or incidents insurers won’t cover. For example, travel insurance usually won’t cover you in instances where you:
Still not sure what’s covered and what’s excluded? Simply read the PDS of your travel insurance policy. When you compare online with us, we make it easy for you to read through each policy’s PDS before purchasing cover.
Indonesia can be safe, but you should take precautions when you’re out and about and always check Smartraveller for travel alerts and warnings for your destination country. In Indonesia, drink spiking occurs, bag-snatching is common and there’s a possible threat of terrorist attacks.1
Furthermore, Indonesia is strict on drugs, including some prescription medications for conditions like ADHD. Contact the Indonesian embassy to see whether your medication will be allowed into the country. As you may be aware, penalties for drug offences are severe in Indonesia and can include the death penalty.
Indonesia also experiences severe weather and natural disasters including floods, landslides, earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanic eruptions and volcanic ash clouds. If you travel to Indonesia while a natural disaster is occurring and there are government warnings in place, or you purchased your policy after the event started or occurred, your travel insurer may reject your claim/s or void your policy.
Beyond taking out a standard travel insurance policy, we have a few ways you can help protect yourself while on holiday in Bali.
1 Smartraveller. Indonesia. Last updated October 2023. Accessed October 2023.
