Ski and snowboard travel insurance
Most travel insurance policies do not cover skiing or snowboarding unless you add a snow sports option. Without it, an injury on the slopes, a helicopter rescue or a broken board is generally excluded, however comprehensive the rest of the policy is. With it, you are covered for the medical risk overseas and usually for ski equipment, lift passes and days lost to injury or closures, including on some domestic policies for the Australian snowfields.
The add-on is only half the story. Where you ski matters too: most policies cover skiing within resort boundaries and exclude off-piste or backcountry skiing unless conditions are met, and in some countries leaving the marked runs can also get you arrested. That line decides more snow claims than anything else. Our guide to compare travel insurance covers the rest of the policy.
By Better Rate Mate Editorial Team ยท Last reviewed
General advice only. It doesn't consider your circumstances. Read the PDS and TMD before you decide.
What snow sports cover typically adds
Snow cover is sold as an option on top of a standard policy. The exact list and limits vary, but most snow options include some combination of these.
| Benefit | What it pays for | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Medical and rescue | Treatment for skiing injuries, including rescue from the slopes where the policy allows | Whether mountain rescue and helicopter evacuation are included or capped |
| Your own snow equipment | Skis, boards, boots and poles that are lost, stolen or damaged | Per-item limits and depreciation on older gear |
| Hired equipment | Replacement hire if your gear is lost or damaged, or the cost of damaged hire gear | Whether hire equipment is covered at all |
| Unused lift passes and lessons | Prepaid passes, ski school and hire you cannot use because of injury or illness | The limit and the medical evidence needed |
| Piste closure | Transport to another resort, or compensation, when lack of snow or bad weather closes the runs | Minimum closure period and which months are covered |
| Avalanche and weather delay | Extra costs when access roads or resorts are closed | Whether a forecast event counts as already known |
Skiing in Australia
Skiing at Thredbo, Perisher, Falls Creek, Mt Buller or Hotham is covered by a domestic travel policy only if it has a snow option, and even then it pays for your gear, passes and closures, not your medical treatment. Allianz's Snow Pack can be added to its Domestic plan for travellers under 75, with limits of $2,000 for your own gear, $2,000 for hire if your gear is delayed more than 24 hours, $1,000 for unused prepaid passes, hire or lessons after injury or illness, and $1,000 for piste closure, paid at $100 for each extra 24 hours when all lifts close for more than 24 hours. Fast Cover's Domestic Plus includes snow cover for trips at least 200 km from home, but pays Australian snow claims only between 15 June and 30 September unless the resort is open with enough snow.
Medical treatment at home is Medicare's job, and that leaves a gap people miss: Services Australia says Medicare doesn't cover the cost of emergency transport or ambulance services, and ambulance costs differ by state and territory. An ambulance from the slopes can be billed to you unless your state scheme, a subscription or your health fund covers it. Our guide to ambulance cover by state shows who pays where.
On-piste, off-piste and backcountry
The most important definition on a snow policy is where you are allowed to ski. Cover generally applies on groomed runs within a resort's marked boundaries. Off-piste skiing, backcountry touring, heli-skiing and ski jumping are commonly excluded, or covered only if you meet conditions such as skiing with a qualified guide or staying within resort boundaries. Allianz's Snow Pack, for example, excludes off-piste, backcountry and racing.
This matters most in places with a strong off-piste culture. Deep powder in Japan and backcountry gates in North America and Europe tempt people outside the ropes, and an injury there can leave you with no medical cover at all. If you plan to leave the groomed runs, find a policy that says, in writing, that it covers what you are doing.
Alcohol, helmets and racing
The standard alcohol and drug exclusion applies on the snow as everywhere else, and apres-ski is where a lot of injuries happen. Racing and competitions are usually excluded. Some policies also include conditions about following resort rules and closures. Read the snow sports section of the PDS for the exact conditions attached to your option.
Where you ski changes what you need
The snow option works the same way everywhere, but the health system you land in, and the local rules on skiing off the marked runs, change what you need from it.
| Destination | Reciprocal health care agreement? | Off-piste: what Smartraveller says | Medical cost note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japan | No | Back-country (off-piste) skiing is dangerous; stay within the resort's boundaries | Hospitals may decline patients without proof of funds; some clinics take cash only |
| New Zealand | Yes, for public hospital care; ACC also covers accident treatment | No specific warning; your policy's off-piste terms apply | Neither the agreement nor ACC pays for flights home or replaces lost gear |
| France | No | In some areas authorities may arrest or prosecute you for skiing off marked trails | Tourists pay for all care |
| Switzerland | No | Skiing outside prepared areas is dangerous and may void your insurance; in some areas you may be arrested or prosecuted | Tourists pay for all care |
| Austria | No | Skiing off-piste is dangerous and may void your insurance | Tourists pay for all care |
| Italy | Yes, for medically necessary public care in your first 6 months | No specific warning; your policy's off-piste terms apply | Private care and evacuation home aren't covered by the agreement |
| USA and Canada | No | No specific warning; your policy's off-piste terms apply | Smartraveller says US medical costs are extremely high; see our USA page |
| Australia | Medicare covers public hospital care | Resort rules apply | Medicare doesn't cover ambulance transport; domestic travel policies don't cover medical costs |
Buying snow cover for an annual or family policy
If you have an annual multi-trip policy, check whether the snow option applies to every trip in the year or only to trips you nominate. On a family policy, make sure the option covers every traveller who will be on the slopes, including children in ski school. Buy the option before you leave; it usually cannot be added once an injury has happened. Age matters too: Allianz's Snow Pack is sold only to under 75s and Fast Cover's Snow Sports Plus plan to people 69 or under.
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
- No snow option, no cover. Check the option is on your certificate of insurance before you go.
- Off-piste and backcountry are commonly excluded unless specific conditions are met.
- Check whether mountain rescue and helicopter evacuation are covered and how much for.
- At home, Medicare doesn't pay for ambulances; check your state's arrangements before you go.
- Alcohol and competition exclusions apply on the slopes too.
Common questions
Does travel insurance cover skiing?
Usually not unless you add a snow sports option. Standard policies commonly exclude skiing and snowboarding; the add-on brings in medical cover for snow injuries overseas and, on most policies, cover for equipment, lift passes and piste closures.
Do I need ski insurance for the Australian snowfields?
Medicare covers public hospital treatment in Australia, so domestic policies don't include medical costs. A domestic snow option, such as Allianz's Snow Pack on its Domestic plan, can still cover your equipment, unused lift passes and lessons, and closures. Medicare doesn't cover ambulance transport, so check your state's ambulance arrangements too.
Is off-piste skiing covered by travel insurance?
Often not. Most snow options cover skiing within resort boundaries and exclude off-piste, backcountry and heli-skiing unless you meet conditions such as skiing with a qualified guide. Smartraveller also warns that in parts of France and Switzerland, skiing off marked trails can get you arrested.
Does travel insurance cover snowboarding?
The same way as skiing: only if you add the snow sports option, and usually only within resort boundaries. Snowboarding is treated as a snow sport on most policies.
Does ski insurance cover my own skis and board?
Most snow options cover your own equipment against loss, theft and damage up to a per-item or overall limit, and sometimes the cost of hiring replacements. Older gear may be depreciated, so check how the policy values it.