Travel insurance for Ireland
Do I need travel insurance for Ireland?
A travel insurance policy could provide peace of mind for your trip to Ireland, as it could cover several insured events that could disrupt your journey. Although Australia has a Reciprocal Health Care Agreement (RHCA) with the Republic of Ireland, Smartraveller still recommends purchasing comprehensive travel insurance if you plan to go to Ireland.1 This is due to the up-front expenses to get medical treatment in Ireland’s healthcare system. The RHCA also won’t cover these expenses if you’ve received treatment as a private patient.
For full details on what travel insurance covers and excludes, always read the Product Disclosure Statement (PDS). To check if the policy is right for your circumstances, it’s worth reading the Target Market Determination (TMD).
What should my travel insurance policy for Ireland cover?
It’s worth considering travel insurance with the following benefits for your trip to Ireland.
Medical cover
Purchasing a travel insurance policy with medical cover could provide financial protection for:
- Medical treatment for illnesses and injuries that occur overseas (including COVID-19 medical expenses)
- Medical evacuation and repatriation
- Doctor and hospital expenses
- 24/7 emergency assistance.
Cancellation cover
Cancellation cover could provide financial protection if your travel plans are disrupted before your departure date. This may include cover for pre-paid accommodation, transport and flight cancellations due to the following:
- Either you or your travel companion sustains an injury or illness and can no longer travel
- Your passport or other essential travel documents are stolen
- Your destination is affected by a natural disaster and is no longer safe to travel to
- If the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) changes the travel advice for your destination to ‘do not travel’.
Lost or stolen luggage and personal belongings
Petty thefts like pickpocketing and bag snatching may be common in the more tourist-oriented areas of Ireland (e.g. Dublin). Insurance providers could cover your luggage and valuables if they’re lost or stolen, as well cover to replace lost or stolen passports.
Car hire excess
Rental vehicle excess cover may be worth considering if you plan on driving around Ireland in a hire car. It could cover all or part of your liability if you damage your hire car and the hire car company asks you to pay the rental vehicle excess.
What’s usually excluded from travel insurance?
Travel insurance policies generally exclude cover for:
- Pre-existing medical conditions (unless your insurer agreed to cover your condition)
- Baggage left unattended in public
- Claims due to intoxication
- Activities that are illegal or reckless.
Meet our travel insurance expert, Adrian Taylor
As a General Insurance expert with over 13 years’ experience in financial services, Adrian Taylor believes in educating customers about the importance of travel insurance so that anyone can kick back and make the most of their time away from home. While no one wants a disrupted holiday, a suitable travel insurance policy can provide a financial safety net for yourself, your belongings and your trip in case things go wrong.
Want to know more about travel insurance?
1 Smartraveller – Ireland. Accessed 3 October 2024.