When does the policy start? | Travel Insurance Direct (TID)

• Instant Cover
• 21 Day Cooling-off Period
• Waiting periods if you buy travel insurance while overseas
• Buying more cover or extending your cover
• Covering Cancellation

Choosing the right travel insurance policy for your needs is as important as ensuring your passport is still valid, you’ve got that room with the ocean view, and you’ve got the necessary visas sorted.

As a team of travel enthusiasts ourselves, TID is committed to ensuring our Basics, Works and Annual Multi Trip policy holders know exactly how and from when they’re covered.

Instant Cover

One of the benefits of purchasing a TID policy online is that you are instantly covered for cancellation (conditions apply). The rest of your policy benefits commence from the start date listed on your Certificate of Insurance.

Once you have bought your selected policy, you will receive a confirmation email from us that will include your Certificate of Insurance and a copy of the Product Disclosure Statement.

21 Day Cooling-off Period

You have 21 days from the date of purchase to consider if the travel insurance policy you’ve chosen is right for you. If you decide after the fact that it is not, you can cancel within the first 21 days by logging into your online account with your username and password and selecting the option to cancel your policy.

You will receive a full refund of the premium you paid provided: 

• you haven't started your trip;
• you have not and do not wish to make a claim or use any other right under the policy.

Once the 21 days have passed, the start date on your policy has passed and/or if you wish to claim on your policy, you will need to contact TID Customer Assistance to understand your options. 

Waiting periods if you buy travel insurance while overseas

With TID you can buy a travel insurance policy if you're already overseas, however you should be aware that waiting periods may apply. 

You should also note that:

• Once you've purchased a policy while overseas, from the time your Certificate of Insurance is issued a 72-hour waiting period applies before cover for any events begins.

• The exception is if you're injured in an accident, in which case even if the 72 hours haven't yet passed cover as per the conditions of Medical expenses and Medical evacuation and repatriation will begin from the time of the accident for that injury;
• If you are overseas and purchase travel insurance for a time more than 72 hours in the future, then cover under the Cancellation section, Holiday deferment section and events 1 to 4 under the benefit section Coronavirus travel costs, only begins after the 72-hour waiting period, and is only for any events first occurring after the 72-hour waiting period.

Buying more cover or extending your cover

If you have an existing TID policy that’s due to end while you're on the road and you extend it or buy a new policy before the period of insurance ends under your existing policy (at 11.59pm AET on the return date shown on your Certificate of Insurance), the waiting period will not apply to that new policy, provided there is no gap between the periods of insurance.  

If you plan to extend your policy please contact the TID Customer Service team at least a week before the end date on your Certificate of Insurance, to ensure it is extended without any interruption to your cover.

Get a quote to get your next domestic or international adventure underway today.

Covering Cancellation

Many travellers choose to take out their policy when they have made deposits on their trip or have paid it in full as cancellation cover is active from the time of purchase until your policy end date.

All other policy benefits are effective from the departure date shown on your Certificate of Insurance until the earlier of your policy end date or when you return home. (Under an Annual Multi Trip policy, all other policy benefits start on the date you leave home on each trip until the earlier of the date you return home or on the 35^th day of the trip.)

There is provision to claim for the value of unused pre-paid accommodation and travel arrangements if you need to cancel your trip due to unforeseen or unforeseeable events outside of your control.

Please refer to the Product Disclosure Statement for more information about Section 2: Cancellation costs, its conditions and exclusions and applicable General Exclusions.

Need a hand?

Our Customer Service team is always available to help you to understand the policy, and what you may be covered for. Our travel safety team at TID work to keep customers informed and publish information on major travel events on our website.

This is a brief summary of cover only. Cover is subject to the full terms, conditions, limitations and exclusions outlined in the Product Disclosure Statement.