Travel insurance for seniors: over 60s, 70s and 80s
Seniors travel insurance for over 60s, 70s and 80s covers the same risks as any policy: what changes with age is the price, which products you can still buy (annual multi-trip cover often stops earlier) and how closely your health is assessed. Pensioners and Seniors Card holders buy from the same range of policies, so compare several insurers on the same cover before you rely on any discount.
Comparison matters more as you get older. Two insurers can price the same 75-year-old very differently, and one may accept a heart condition that another declines. The right policy is the one that covers your actual health at a price you can live with, which is rarely the one with the lowest headline premium. Our guide to compare travel insurance explains every benefit in a policy.
By Better Rate Mate Editorial Team · Last reviewed
General advice only. It doesn't consider your circumstances. Read the PDS and TMD before you decide.
Seniors travel insurance age checker
Enter the oldest traveller's age and your trip to see which products in the PDSs we read are still sold to you. It filters the same insurer documents as the maximum-age table below. It can't tell you whether your conditions will be accepted or what you'll pay: only the insurer's medical assessment can.
Enter an age between 18 and 110 to see which products are sold at that age.
From the PDSs, Target Market Determinations and FAQs of selected insurers, read 2 and 10 October 2026. This is not the whole market, the list is alphabetical, and we don't rank insurers or show prices.
Maximum entry age by insurer: single trip vs annual
Smartraveller notes that most policies have an age limit. The limit is set product by product, and annual multi-trip cover often stops earlier than single-trip cover. These are the limits in each insurer's own documents as at 2 October 2026; the age checker at the top of the page filters the same list for your age and trip.
| Insurer (PDS date) | Single trip | Annual multi-trip | Age-related terms to note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Allianz (19 December 2025) | Comprehensive: no age limit; Basic: under 75 | Multi-Trip: under 75 | Snow and Adventure packs: under 75 |
| Cover-More (15 October 2025) | No maximum age in the PDS; its FAQs say up to 99, subject to acceptance criteria | International annual: under 75 when you buy, per its annual multi-trip page (read 10 October 2026) | Asthma is covered automatically only under 60 |
| Southern Cross Travel Insurance (12 July 2025) | No maximum age | No maximum age | Loss of income, disability and accidental death benefits apply only from 16 to 80 |
| nib (1 September 2026) | Comprehensive: no age limit; Essentials: under 70 | No age limit | |
| Qantas (1 July 2026) | No maximum age in the PDS | No maximum age in the PDS | Not sold to over 70s through the qantas.com flight checkout; other channels are open |
| 1Cover (4 March 2026) | Comprehensive and Domestic: all ages; other plans: 69 or under | Frequent Traveller: 69 or under | From 80, each journey can be up to 90 days |
| Fast Cover (16 July 2026) | Up to 89 | Frequent Traveller Saver: not from 76 | Some benefit limits drop for ages 70 to 75 and 76 to 89 |
| Tick (1 April 2026) | Basic: 69 or under; Budget: 79 or under; Standard and Top: 100 or under | No annual product | From 65, trips up to 90 days (42 to the Pacific); from 80, 35 days to its Worldwide Including region; Basic trips up to 42 days |
| InsureandGo (7 October 2026) | Bare Essentials: 79 or under; Silver and Gold: 100 or under | Same limits, in its annual PDS of 1 April 2026 | Cruises need its separate cruise policy: 79 or under for cruises up to 90 days, 64 or under for longer ones |
| Travel Insurance Saver (31 December 2025) | 90 or under | 90 or under | Annual cancellation limits halve from 81 to 90 |
| Zoom (4 March 2026) | Comprehensive and Domestic: 85 or under; other plans: 69 or under | Frequent Traveller: 69 or under | From 80, each journey can be up to 90 days |
| World Nomads (30 September 2026) | 69 or younger | No annual product |
Travel insurance for over 60s
In your 60s almost every product is still open to you, but some start to close: World Nomads sells only to people 69 or younger, nib's Essentials policy stops at 70, Tick's Basic plan is for people 69 or under, and after 69, 1Cover and Zoom sell only their Comprehensive and Domestic plans. Watch the medical side as well as the age: Cover-More, Bupa, Budget Direct, Australia Post and Freely cover asthma automatically only for travellers under 60, so a condition that needed no assessment in your 50s may need one now.
Travel insurance for over 70s
From 70 the choice narrows faster, especially for annual cover. Allianz sells its Basic and Multi-Trip policies only to people under 75, Cover-More sells its annual policy only to people under 75, Fast Cover's Frequent Traveller Saver isn't available from 76, and Fast Cover cuts some benefit limits for travellers aged 70 to 75. Tick's Budget and InsureandGo's Bare Essentials plans stop at 79, and from 65 Tick limits trips to 90 days, or 42 to the Pacific. If you travel often, check whether an annual policy is offered at your age before assuming it is cheaper.
Travel insurance for over 75s
At 75 and over, single-trip comprehensive cover is still widely available: Allianz Comprehensive, nib Comprehensive, Southern Cross Travel Insurance and Cover-More set no upper age in their PDSs, and Tick's Standard and Top and InsureandGo's Silver and Gold plans go to 100. The medical assessment does most of the work at this age, so run it with more than one insurer and compare the premium for your conditions, not the advertised price.
Travel insurance for over 80s (80 and older)
Travel insurance for over 80s is still sold, but at 80 and older, look at trip length as closely as price. 1Cover and Zoom limit each journey to 90 days from 80, Tick limits trips to its Worldwide Including region to 35 days from 80, and Zoom's Comprehensive policy stops at 85. Fast Cover sells to people up to 89 and Travel Insurance Saver to 90. Southern Cross Travel Insurance's loss of income, disability and accidental death benefits stop at 80, although its medical cover does not.
Best seniors travel insurance: the tests a policy should pass
The best seniors travel insurance is the policy that passes every one of these tests for your age, health and trip, at a price you can accept. These are our criteria, applied to the PDSs we read: we read selected insurers' documents, not the whole market, and we don't rank insurers, because two travellers of the same age can get opposite answers from the same insurer once their health is assessed.
As at 2 October 2026, Allianz Comprehensive, nib Comprehensive, Southern Cross Travel Insurance and Qantas set no upper age in their PDSs, and Cover-More's FAQs say it sells single-trip cover to 99, subject to its acceptance criteria. That tells you who will sell to you at any age, not who will cover your health best.
- It is sold at your age for your trip length. Check the product, not the brand: Allianz sells Comprehensive at any age but its Basic and Multi-Trip policies only to under 75s, and from 80, 1Cover and Zoom limit each journey to 90 days.
- It accepts your conditions in writing. Declare every condition and medication, and keep the certificate of insurance that lists what was accepted.
- Its overseas medical cover suits where you're going. Check whether it is unlimited or capped, and check the cap against the cost of care at your destination, especially in the USA.
- Its cancellation limit covers your non-refundable costs, including cruise fares and tours booked months ahead.
- Its benefit limits don't shrink at your age. Fast Cover cuts some limits for travellers aged 70 to 75 and 76 to 89, Travel Insurance Saver halves its annual cancellation limits from 81 to 90, and Southern Cross Travel Insurance's loss of income, disability and accidental death benefits stop at 80.
- It covers a cruise at your age, if you cruise. InsureandGo's cruise policy, for example, is sold to people 79 or under for cruises up to 90 days, and only to people 64 or under for longer ones (PDS of 7 October 2026).
Cheap seniors travel insurance: paying less without losing cover
Cheap seniors travel insurance comes from setting a policy up for the trip you're actually taking, not from buying less cover. These are the levers that lower the premium without removing the cover older travellers most need. We don't publish prices, because they depend on your age, health, destination and trip length.
- Choose a higher excess, if you could pay it comfortably at claim time.
- Set the cancellation amount to the prepaid costs you couldn't get back, not the default.
- Set the region to the countries you will actually visit, including stopovers. Leaving out the Americas when you aren't going there lowers the price.
- Price an annual multi-trip policy only if it is sold at your age and every trip fits its maximum trip length.
- Run the medical assessment with more than one insurer. The extra premium for the same condition can differ a lot between them.
- Use Seniors Card or membership discounts last, once you've found the policy that covers your health and trip.
- Never leave a condition undeclared to save money. A claim connected to it can be reduced or refused.
Pre-existing conditions do most of the work
For most older travellers the premium is decided less by age than by medical history. Declare every condition, medication and recent specialist visit when you answer the medical questions, even conditions that are well controlled. The insurer then covers the condition automatically, covers it for an extra premium, or excludes it.
Run the assessment with more than one insurer. Acceptance rules differ, and the extra premium for the same condition can differ a lot. Our guide to travel insurance for pre-existing conditions explains the definitions, the look-back periods and what happens if something is left out.
Why Medicare and your health fund do not travel with you
Medicare doesn't cover you while you're overseas. Australia has Reciprocal Health Care Agreements with 11 countries, which give access to public treatment that is medically necessary. Australian private health insurance is built around hospital and general treatment in Australia, so do not assume your fund will pay abroad.
Smartraveller also notes that a Department of Veterans' Affairs Gold Card or DVA healthcare card doesn't guarantee DVA will cover your medical costs overseas, and it advises DVA pensioners to tell DVA about their travel plans before they go.
Over 60 and visiting the UK, Ireland or New Zealand
The UK, Ireland and New Zealand are three of the 11 countries with a Reciprocal Health Care Agreement, and they are where many older Australians visit family. The agreements give access to medically necessary public treatment, but Smartraveller's guidance for older travellers is specific: they are no substitute for travel insurance and won't cover you if a doctor recommends medical evacuation back to Australia.
The gaps matter more with age. In New Zealand the agreement doesn't cover ongoing treatment of existing conditions or flights home; Ireland's doesn't cover GP visits or private care; and the UK's covers NHS care only in your first 6 months. Our travel insurance guide compares all 11 agreements, and the New Zealand and Europe pages go country by country.
Cruises, long trips and annual cover
Cruising is where many older travellers get caught. Standard policies may not cover a cruise unless you add cruise cover, and Smartraveller warns you may be unable to claim Medicare or private health insurance on the ship, even on a cruise that stays in Australian waters. Our cruise travel insurance page covers what to add.
Retirees often take longer trips. Check the maximum trip length on the policy, which can be lower at older ages, and whether an annual multi-trip policy is offered at your age before assuming it is cheaper for frequent travel.
Cancellation, and the health of people at home
Cancellation cover usually pays when you, a travelling companion or a close relative falls seriously ill before you leave. Many policies exclude cancellation caused by a relative's pre-existing condition, which matters when a spouse, sibling or parent at home is unwell, and some set an age cap on the relative: Southern Cross Travel Insurance covers claims caused by a non-travelling relative's health only if they aren't over 85. If that is the likely reason you would cancel, read the cancellation exclusions before you book.
Seniors Card, pensioner and membership discounts
Seniors Card programs in the states and territories list business discounts, and travel insurers appear in some of them from time to time. A discount is worth having only if the policy underneath it is right for you, so compare the covered benefits and the treatment of your conditions first and the discount last.
Not travelling? Other cover for over 60s
If you came here looking for other insurance for over 60s, these guides cover it.
- Life insurance for over 60s: age limits, funeral cover and what changes after 60.
- Seniors funeral insurance: how funeral cover works and what to check before you buy.
- Health insurance for over 60s: hospital and extras cover, and the rebate for older Australians.
- Car insurance for over 60s: what changes for older drivers.
- Home contents insurance: what it covers and how to compare policies on more than price.
General advice only. This information doesn't take into account your objectives, financial situation or needs. Consider whether the product is right for you and read the Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) and Target Market Determination (TMD) before you decide. We don't compare every product in the market, and we may earn a commission if you take up a product through our links.
What to watch for
- Check the maximum age for the exact product, as annual cover often has a lower limit than single trip.
- Look for age-based changes to benefit limits and maximum trip length in the PDS.
- Declare every condition and medication; keep written confirmation of what was accepted.
- Add cruise cover for any ocean cruise, including domestic cruises.
- Read how the policy treats cancellation caused by a relative's pre-existing condition.
Common questions
Is there an age limit for travel insurance in Australia?
Smartraveller notes that most policies have an age limit, but it varies a lot by product. In the documents we read on 2 October 2026, Allianz's Comprehensive policy, nib's Comprehensive and Southern Cross Travel Insurance set no upper age, Cover-More's FAQs say it sells to 99, and budget and annual products often stop between 69 and 79. The maximum age table lists each product.
Can I get travel insurance at 80 or over?
Yes. Several insurers have no upper age for comprehensive single-trip cover, and others sell to 85, 89, 90 or 100. Expect a detailed medical assessment, and check the maximum trip length, which 1Cover and Zoom cap at 90 days from age 80. See travel insurance for over 80s for the limits that start at 80.
Where is the cheapest place to buy travel insurance for seniors?
There is no single cheapest insurer or channel, because the price depends on your age, health, destination and trip length. The way to pay less is to get quotes from several insurers for the same trip, with the same excess, cancellation amount and full medical declaration, then compare the price of the cover you need.
Who has the least expensive travel insurance?
No insurer is the least expensive for every traveller, because each one weighs age, health, destination and trip length differently. To find the cheapest policy that still covers you, quote several insurers for the same trip with the same excess, cancellation amount and full medical declaration, then check the cheapest is sold at your age and accepts your conditions.
What is the best travel insurance for seniors over 70?
For a traveller over 70, the best policy is one that is sold at your age for your trip length, accepts your conditions in writing and keeps its benefit limits at your age. As at 2 October 2026, Allianz Comprehensive, nib Comprehensive and Southern Cross Travel Insurance set no upper age in their PDSs, and Cover-More's FAQs say it sells to 99, subject to its acceptance criteria. Compare those that pass on price. Travel insurance for over 70s lists the products that close in your 70s.
Who is the best company for travel insurance in Australia?
No company is best for every traveller, and we don't rank insurers. For an older traveller, the best company is the one whose product is sold at your age for your trip length, accepts your conditions in writing, keeps its benefit limits at your age and covers a cruise if you take one. The age checker on this page shows which products in the PDSs we read are sold at your age.
Who is the most trusted travel insurance company?
There's no official trust ranking of travel insurers. The Australian Financial Complaints Authority publishes complaint numbers by firm in its Datacube, but they are raw counts, not rates, so larger insurers tend to have more. A more useful test is whether an insurer accepts your conditions in writing and keeps its benefits at your age. If a claim goes wrong, AFCA's service is free.
What is the best annual travel insurance for over 60s?
The one that is still sold at your age and fits your longest trip. In the documents we read, nib, Southern Cross Travel Insurance and Qantas set no maximum age for annual cover, while Allianz's and Cover-More's annual policies are sold to under 75s, Fast Cover's isn't available from 76, and 1Cover's and Zoom's are for people 69 or under. See annual multi-trip travel insurance.
Does my credit card offer travel insurance?
Check your card's current PDS rather than assuming it does. Smartraveller warned on 1 October 2026 that several major Australian banks are reducing or removing the travel insurance on their credit cards, including on existing cards. Where cover remains, it usually has to be activated, it may cover only the cardholder and the trip paid on the card, and it often has narrower pre-existing condition cover. See credit card travel insurance.
Do pensioners get cheaper travel insurance?
Pensioners buy the same policies as everyone else. Seniors Card programs sometimes list travel insurance discounts, but a discount only helps if the policy underneath covers your health and your trip.
Does my private health insurance cover me overseas?
Do not count on it. Australian private health insurance is built around hospital and general treatment in Australia. Medicare doesn't cover you overseas either, apart from medically necessary public treatment under a Reciprocal Health Care Agreement in 11 countries, which does not include evacuation home.