Fast Cover Travel Insurance Review - Your guide to coverage, pricing, claims and more

No matter how well you plan a trip, unexpected events can happen. That’s why travel insurance is an essential part of planning any journey. Having it can help shield you from unexpected costs and give you the peace of mind knowing that you have some financial protection while travelling.

Fast Cover is an award winning provider offering travel insurance in Australia. In this guide, we’ll explore Fast Cover’s travel insurance policies, breaking down coverage, cost, and exclusions of their plans. We’ll also introduce Wise, a handy travel companion to help your money go further overseas by saving on foreign transaction fees.

What is Fast Cover Travel Insurance Australia?

Fast Cover is an Australian owned travel insurer backed by underwriters from Lloyd’s.¹ Their policies cater primarily to Australians, with options for single-trip and multi-trip plans. They also offer some specialised plans like one-way trip policies and policies for people who are already abroad.

Fast Cover Travel Insurance Eligibility

To be eligible for a Fast Cover international travel insurance policy, there are certain conditions you need to meet.²

• Are an Australian citizen, permanent resident or temporary resident
• Have a valid Medicare card or are covered by an acceptable Australian Private Health Insurance policy
• The policy is purchased before departure or you meet the additional conditions to buy one while already abroad
• The trip starts and ends in Australia

Temporary residents also need to have a return ticket for Australia, a home in Australia they intend to return to and a visa that remains valid beyond the date of return.

Fast Cover also notes that there may be some additional age limits or specific criteria that impact your eligibility for certain policies or optional benefits, which they will inform you of while applying for a policy.

Types of Fast Cover insurance packages available

Fast Cover offers travel insurance packages for various different trip types, with some having multiple plan options.¹

• International Travel
• Domestic Travel
• International Cruise
• Domestic Cruise
• Ski and Snow
• IEC
• Business
• Multi-Trip
• One Way
• Already Overseas

Honing in on the international travel insurance packages, there are three tiers available; Basic, Standard Saver and Comprehensive.

Fast Cover Travel Insurance Plans

The best plan for you will depend on factors like your travel plans, the level of medical and travel coverage you want, your budget, and any exclusions that could be a problem for you. Let’s explore those last three in a bit more detail, reviewing the limits, cost and exclusions for each Fast Cover international travel insurance plan.

Fast Cover Travel Insurance Medical Coverage

To begin, let's look at the overseas medical coverage Fast Cover offers international travellers, exploring the key benefits and maximum coverage limits for each Fast Cover plan.²

Fast Cover Travel Insurance Travel-related Coverage

Beyond emergency medical cover, travel insurance can also help safeguard you against the cost of unexpected disruptions or events that impact your plans. Let’s take a look at some of the things covered by Fast Cover international insurance and how each policy stacks up.²

Be aware that sub-limits may apply to certain benefits. You can see what they currently are by checking the Policy Disclosure Statement (PDS).

Fast Cover Travel Insurance Price

The price of travel insurance tends to vary based on factors like your age, pre-existing conditions, destination, trip duration and the plan and add-ons you choose.

To give you a rough idea of Fast Cover’s pricing, this is what a 35 year old traveller would pay for single-trip insurance for these two week trips.³

To know exactly what your planned trip would cost, you can get an up-to-date quote from the Fast Cover website.

Fast Cover policy exclusions

When buying a Fast Cover policy there are some exclusions to be aware of which are outlined in the PDS. Below are some of the general exclusions Fast Cover doesn’t provide coverage for.²

• The claim arises from a government authority detaining someone or confiscating or destroying something
• Being on a motorcycle, moped or scooter without the Motorcycle Pack option and the person in control having appropriate licensing
• An actual or the threat of an epidemic or pandemic unless explicitly covered
• Search and rescue costs charged to you for finding and rescuing someone
• Pre-existing medical conditions or pregnancy unless set conditions are met and included in the Certificate of Insurance
• Sports not listed in the “Covered Sports and Leisure Activities” or included with the Adventure Pack if purchased
• Claims relating snow sports unless the correct policy has been purchased

Add-ons for Fast Cover insurance plans

As part of their travel insurance offerings, Fast Cover sells optional cover packs that provide benefits for specific activities that aren’t covered under the standard policies.²

• Adventure Pack
• Snow Sports
• Motorcycle Pack
• Bicycle Pack
• Rental Vehicle Excess
• Excess Removal

Does Fast Cover Travel Insurance cover Snow Sports?

To be covered for snowy adventures, Fast Cover requires people participating in a set list of snow sports activities to buy the Snow Sports Plus Policy.² This includes recreational skiing and snowboarding, ice skating, snowmobiling and tobogganing. You can also be covered for some more extreme snow activities provided there’s a professional snow sport instructor assisting, such as off-piste skiing, glacier snowboarding and heli-skiing or snowboarding.

Does Fast Cover Travel Insurance cover Cruises?

Fast Cover provides coverage to people travelling aboard cruise ships provided they select the option when purchasing a policy.² The only exception is if you have a Frequent Traveller Saver Policy, which automatically includes cruise cover.

There are two situations where you specifically need to tell Fast Cover that you’re going on a cruise.

1. You’re cruising in Australian, New Zealand or South Pacific Region waters for 1 or more nights
2. You’re cruising in Asia, European or Worldwide Regions for 4 or more nights

Note, you don’t need Fast Cover Cruise if you’re doing a river cruise.

Making a Fast Cover Insurance Claim

These are the basic steps for how to submit a Fast Cover insurance claim.

1. Check to see if you can be reimbursed by any travel providers or by another insurance policy, for example credit card travel insurance.
2. Gather the documents that support your claim. This could include medical reports and certificates, receipts, police reports, written statements and photos.
3. Submit your claim online by entering your policy number and linked email, then following the prompts. If you can’t do that, complete the relevant claim forms and submit the information by email or mail

Once your claim has been received you can expect it to take up to 10 business days for Fast Cover to assess it.

How to cancel a Fast Cover Insurance Claim

If you need to cancel a travel insurance claim lodged with Fast Cover it’s best to reach out to their Claims Department. You can find their current contact details on Fast Cover website, as these can change over time.

Travelling somewhere? Safeguard yourself from hidden fees with Wise.

Traveling with peace of mind starts with the right insurance. Once you’ve got your travel insurance lined up, it’s time to work out the best way to spend when you’re overseas. Meet the Wise account and card.

Open a Wise account online or in the Wise app, add money in AUD right from your bank account, and switch to any of the supported 40+ currencies with the mid-market exchange rate. That can mean you save significantly compared to using your bank, as you’ll avoid foreign transaction fees and rest assured you’re getting one of the fairest exchange rates out there along with low, transparent fees. You’ll also be able to get a linked Wise card to use for contactless payments, add your card to a wallet like Apple Pay, or make ATM withdrawals when you need cash.

No matter where you’re headed, take Wise with you, and save up to 7x when you spend internationally.

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Savings claim based on our rates vs. selected Australian banks and other similar providers in Jan 2025. To learn more, please visit https://payout-surge.live/au/compare%3C/a%3E%3C/small%3E%3C/p%3E%3Csmall%3E

Please see Terms of Use and product availability for your region or visit Wise Fees & Pricing for the most up to date pricing and fee information.

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