Before your trip, check the latest government advice for any travel alerts for your destination.

Travel insurance for lost passports & important overseas documents

Few things can derail an overseas trip like losing your passport. Suddenly, you’re juggling embassy visits, replacement fees, and thrown-off plans rather than exploring a new destination.

Knowing you could be covered for a lost passport may help if you are worried about unexpected costs and not knowing if and when you can get an emergency passport.

What happens if I lose my passport overseas?

Report it immediately and apply for an emergency replacement with the nearest Australian embassy. This involves:

  • Reporting to local police
  • Contacting your embassy
  • Completing a replacement application
  • Paying fees

Important: The passport replacement process can take several days and may affect your travel plans.

Does TID travel insurance cover lost or stolen passports?

TID policies may cover costs associated with lost or stolen passports under the ‘Replacement passports and travel documents’ benefit, including replacement of passports and essential travel documents. Check your Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) for terms and conditions, limits and exclusions.

What documents are covered under travel insurance?

We will pay for the cost of reissuing or replacing your travel or personal documents, drivers licence, travellers’ cheques, passport, or debit or credit cards, after they have been stolen, accidentally lost or damaged during your trip.

We will also cover the reasonable cost of you travelling to the nearest location where the documents can be replaced. You must comply with any conditions of the issuing body of the travel documents, travellers’ cheques, passport, or debit or credit cards.

You are covered for this benefit under The Works, The Basics and Annual Multi Trip Plans.

Travel insurance tip: don’t forget when travelling overseas, your Australian passport must have at least six months before its expiry date. 

What costs may be covered?

We may be able to help with things like:

✅ Emergency passport replacement fees

✅ Extra accommodation while waiting for replacement

✅ Rescheduled travel costs

✅ Communication expenses

Coverage limits vary by plan, and receipts are required for claims.

What isn’t covered

Travel insurance isn’t designed to cover everything; some things we won’t cover include:

❌ Unexplained loss.

❌ A loss arising from any government authority seizing, withholding or destroying anything of yours or any government not allowing you to enter or to stay in that country.

What to do if your passport or travel documents are lost or stolen

File a police report as soon as possible, you'll need this for insurance and passport replacement, contact your embassy, and notify the 24/7 emergency assistance team to start your travel document replacement.

Travel tips: Protecting your passport and travel documents overseas

Sometimes, a little extra care can go a long way. Follow these travel tips to help protect your passport and other important travel documents while overseas.

  • Make digital backups of passports, visas, your travel insurance, and bookings.
  • Use hotel safes when available.
  • Keep copies separate from originals.
  • Register your travel with Smartraveller before you leave Australia.

We aim to keep you informed about events around the world when they happen, so keep an eye out for travel alerts on our website, however please check Smartraveller for the international destination(s) you are travelling to prior to travelling or planning to travel to a destination. 

Choose a plan that suits your holiday.

Just like choosing the perfect destination for your next getaway, selecting a travel insurance plan to suit your needs may be just as important. We have four plans to choose from, each offering a different level of cover. Check out each of the plans below where you'll find loads of information about each one.

Domestic

If you're taking some time to explore your own backyard, our Domestic plan protects you for trips within Australia. It can cover you for car hire excess, lost or stolen valuables and cancelled accommodation.

The Works

Our most popular plan, The Works offers broad cover for international trips including cover for costs such as unlimited medical expenses for up to 12 months and cancellation as well as added benefits.


The Basics

Sticking to a shoestring budget? The Basics plan is designed for travellers who want coverage for all the important things, like hospital bills and stolen luggage, without breaking the bank.


Annual

Are you a frequent flyer? If you travel often for business, or have a few holidays coming up, our Annual Multi Trip plan could be for you. Made for globetrotters, your trips can be up to 35 days in duration and there is no limit to the number of trips you can take during a 12 month period.

This is a brief summary of cover only and does not include the full terms, conditions, limitations and exclusions. Read the PDS before purchasing.

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FAQs for lost passport and travel documents

Cover may apply to lost passports under the ‘Replacement passports and travel documents' benefit, including replacement costs and the reasonable cost of you travelling to the nearest location where the documents can be replaced.

The ‘Replacement passports and travel documents’ benefit provides coverage for the cost of reissuing or replacing your travel or personal documents, drivers licence, travellers’ cheques, passport, or debit or credit cards, after they have been stolen, accidentally lost or damaged during your trip. Read your PDS to understand your specific coverage and to view the terms, conditions, limits and exclusions.

Report the theft to the local police as soon as possible and make sure you get a police report. Next, contact the 24/7 emergency assistance team and your nearest Australian embassy to report your passport as stolen and start the process of getting an emergency passport organised.

The ‘Replacement passports and travel documents’ benefit includes coverage for accidentally lost passports and travel documents, subject to the policy terms, conditions, limitations, and exclusions.

A Product Disclosure Statement outlines your policy’s terms, coverage limits, and what is and isn’t covered under your policy. For lost passport coverage, check the 'Luggage benefits' section for 'Replacement passports and travel documents'. Review the ‘What's not covered' for this benefit, the General exclusions, and the Schedule of benefits for your chosen plan to understand what's not covered and benefit limits.

You’ll typically need:

  • Police report
  • Proof of ownership
  • Receipts for replacement costs and fees
  • Correspondence with the embassy
  • Additional expense receipts, such as transport and accommodation
  • Travel itinerary
  • Claims form

This is a brief summary of cover only and does not include the full terms, conditions, limitations and exclusions. Read the PDS before purchasing.