Planning a babymoon or jetting overseas before your little one arrives? Choosing the best travel insurance is even more important when you’re pregnant, but it can be tricky when the details on what is covered and for how long can vary so much between policies.
We’ve reviewed over 100 international travel insurance policies and rounded up our pick of the best travel insurance policies that cover pregnancy and what you need to consider.
Most travel insurance policies will cover cancellation and a mother’s medical costs as a result of pregnancy complications, up to the gestational period specified by the travel insurer.
Different policies will cover you up to different stages of your pregnancy, so which provider you go with will depend on when you plan to travel (and return home).
Travel insurance usually does not cover for childbirth or for medical costs relating to your newborn if you give birth while on holiday.
Travel insurance pregnancy cover will protect you in circumstances such as if you need to cancel your trip due to doctor’s advice, or if you are on holiday and incur medical costs that are a result of unexpected complications (something that you weren’t already treated for and had no history of).
As long as your pregnancy is uncomplicated and your general health is good, government advice says it’s fine to travel when pregnant, with the safest time being in the second trimester, as long as you aren’t experiencing complications.
If you’re pregnant, seek your doctor’s advice before you travel and ensure you pick a travel insurance policy that provides the coverage you need.
Make sure you check with your airline before you travel too, because many airlines will only let you fly up to a certain stage in your pregnancy, and may require medical certificates or other documentation before allowing you to board.
If you have an uncomplicated single pregnancy, most travel insurers won’t require you to do a medical assessment, but if you have a history of pregnancy complications, or you’re expecting multiple births, you may need to undergo a medical assessment to get travel insurance that covers your pregnancy.
What should you know about travel insurance cover for pregnancy?
Travel insurance cover for pregnancy can vary widely between insurers. There are differences in the pregnancy related costs they do and don’t cover, and the specific wording around what stage of gestation you are covered until can be confusing. So make sure you check your policy before you buy. Here are some basics you should be aware of.
1. Travel insurance pregnancy cover is limited by gestational period
Most policies only cover you until between 23 and 26 weeks gestation, but there are some that will provide insurance up to 30 or 36 weeks.
2. Not all travel insurers cover multiple pregnancies or medically assisted pregnancies (e.g. IVF)
If you’re pregnant with twins or have conceived with any kind of medical assistance, your pregnancy is usually considered to be complicated and therefore not covered by many insurers.
3. Many travel insurers don’t cover giving birth
Policies that cover pregnancy do not always cover medical costs associated with childbirth or for the care of a newborn.
So if you’re on holiday and you unexpectedly go into early labour, you might not be covered for your medical costs or any associated costs if your child has to be put into intensive care (a likely scenario if the baby comes early).
Insurers that do cover costs associated with childbirth – such as hospital or obstetrician fees – usually only do so when the birth is caused by accidental injury, but not, for example, if it’s a pre-existing medical condition.
If a policy states that it does cover you for childbirth, this coverage will only extend up to the period of gestation specified in their policy – for example, Southern Cross Travel offers coverage for pregnancy up until 24 weeks, so they will only cover you for childbirth if the child is born before the 24-week mark.
All of the travel insurers in our comparison cover pregnancy. Below is a snapshot of how many weeks of gestation your cover extends to. This number is inclusive, meaning the policy covers you for that entire week of gestation.
Visit our travel insurance comparison or see below to find out which insurers also cover childbirth costs for the mother or child.
Travel insurance policies that cover pregnancy
Insurer
Pregnancy covered until (weeks)
Allianz
23
Battleface
23
Bupa
23
Cover-More
23
FastCover
23
FastCover Comprehensive
23
NRMA
23
Southern Cross Travel Insurance (SCTI)
23
Virgin Australia (bought with flight purchase)
23
Virgin Australia (bought independently)
23
WAS Insurance
23
Webjet (bought with flight purchase)
23
Webjet (bought independently)
23
Worldcare
23
1Cover
24
Go Insurance Go Basic
24
Zoom
24
AANT
25
AHM
25
Medibank
25
RAA
25
RAC
25
RACV
25
RACQ
25
RACT
25
World2Cover
25
Jetstar
26
NIB
26
Qantas
26
Travel Insurance Direct
26
World Nomads
26
Flight Centre
30
InsureandGo
30
Tick Travel
30
AllClear
36
Which are the best travel insurers for pregnancy?
Below, we reveal which travel insurance policies provide the best cover for which gestation, and which companies will cover IVF-assisted pregnancies and neonatal care.
Log in to unlock this members-only content, or join CHOICE to get instant access to all of our expert, independent reviews.
As a member, you’ll also be able to access our full travel insurance reviews, as well as other reviews that might be helpful if you’re expecting, such as cot, stroller, high chair and portable cot reviews.
Jane Bardell is a Content producer in the Insurance and utilities team. She writes about home, car, pet and health insurance. Previously at CHOICE, she checked facts, figures and statistics as a Verifier with the Editorial and investigations team.
Jane has a Bachelor of Science from the University of New South Wales.
Find Jane on LinkedIn.
Jane Bardell is a Content producer in the Insurance and utilities team. She writes about home, car, pet and health insurance. Previously at CHOICE, she checked facts, figures and statistics as a Verifier with the Editorial and investigations team.
Jane has a Bachelor of Science from the University of New South Wales.
Find Jane on LinkedIn.
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