Travel insurance for Sri Lanka
Expert tips for choosing travel insurance for Sri Lanka
Our Executive General Manger of General Insurance, Adrian Taylor, has some travel tips for Australians looking for travel insurance for Sri Lanka.
Adrian Taylor
Executive General Manager – General Insurance
Understand the level of cover you’re looking for
Before you go looking for a travel insurance policy, refine the parameters of your search. Do you want a multi-trip or a single-trip policy? Do you want comprehensive travel cover or do you just want cover for medical emergencies? Figuring out the answers to those sorts of questions could make it easier to eventually find a policy that’s appropriate for you.
Increase your excess to lower your premiums
If your travel insurance budget isn’t as roomy as you’d like, you could consider opting to contribute a higher excess in the event you need to make a travel insurance claim. Having a higher policy excess will typically lower your insurance premium, making it an option worth considering for travellers on smaller budgets.
Compare before you buy!
Doing a side-by-side comparison of your options will give you the best chance of finding a policy that meets your travel insurance needs. Our online travel insurance comparison tool can help you compare a range of travel insurance policies from multiple different travel insurance companies. And if you find a policy you think is right for you, we can help you take it out too!
Do I need travel insurance for Sri Lanka?
While you don’t need travel insurance in order to travel to Sri Lanka, having a travel insurance plan in place could provide you with valuable peace of mind. Knowing you’ve got medical coverage in case you require medical assistance within the Sri Lankan healthcare system
Additionally, comprehensive travel insurance can cover you for lost belongings and trip cancellation, which could both save you having to pay a significant amount out of pocket if the worst does happen.
What should travel insurance for Sri Lanka cover?
The level of travel insurance cover you decide to take out will depend on your budget, and the policy and insurer in question. That being said, you may want to look for a policy that offers some or all of the covers listed below.
Note that depending on the policy and insurance provider, you may be able to pay an additional premium in order to add additional or optional cover to your policy, beyond what’s listed below.
Medical cover
Even the most basic travel insurance policies will typically provide cover for the costs of any medical care required while overseas, including emergency medical expenses, as well as medical evacuation and repatriation. A medical-only travel insurance policy can be a cost-effective option for students and backpackers.
The amount and level of medical cover you receive will vary by policy, but a basic, medical-only policy will typically at least provide cover for basic medical care and emergency assistance (if required).
Theft/loss of belongings
Travel insurance may provide cover for stolen or lost belongings, including luggage, travel documents, credit cards and more. It can also cover your costs in the case of loss of passport, as well as stolen valuables. This type of cover is typically only available on comprehensive travel insurance policies.
Note that cover typically won’t extend to situations in which the theft or loss was due to your own negligence, so be sure to keep a close eye on your luggage and belongings while travelling overseas!
Trip cancellations, delays and disruptions
Depending on the travel insurance policy in question, you may be covered for the reimbursement of some travel costs in the event of trip delay or cancellation. Travel delay could be due to a cancelled flight, natural disaster, or political unrest in the destination country.
In the event of trip cancellation due to unforeseen circumstances, travel insurance could cover you for already-paid, non-refundable costs including accommodation and flights.
Rental vehicle excess
If your travel plans involve driving around Sri Lanka, you might want to look for a travel insurance policy that includes rental vehicle excess cover. This type of cover will save you from having to cover the cost of a car insurance excess if you are involved in an accident with your rental vehicle.
Personal liability
Having a travel insurance policy with personal liability cover on it means that if someone is injured and requires medical care because of you, you may be covered for the costs of that care. This can make it valuable, because otherwise you’d be covering their medical costs.
What won’t travel insurance for Sri Lanka cover?
Some common exclusions found on international travel insurance policies that you’ll need to remember while travelling around Sri Lanka include:
- Your own negligence leading to your belongings being lost or stolen (i.e., they were left unattended by you in a public place)
- You sustaining an injury or harm of some kind while under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol
- Loss or harm related to you engaging in unlawful behaviour
- Any claims to do with an undeclared pre-existing medical condition
- You sustaining an injury while taking part in dangerous adventure sports like base jumping.
Check the Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) of any travel insurance policy you’re looking at for a full list of the policy’s inclusions and exclusions.
Do I need a visa to travel to Sri Lanka?
Smartraveller advises that Australians looking to enter Sri Lanka will need an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA), and should acquire an ETA before travelling, as it may be difficult to get one at Colombo’s Bandaranaike International Airport.
You can apply for a Sri Lankan ETA via the website of the Sri Lankan Department of Immigration and Emigration.
Meet our travel insurance expert, Adrian Taylor
As the Executive General Manager of General Insurance, Adrian Taylor believes in educating customers about the importance of travel insurance so that anyone can kick back and make the most of their time away from home. While no one wants a disrupted holiday, a suitable travel insurance policy can provide a financial safety net for yourself, your belongings and your trip in case things go wrong.
Want to know more about travel insurance?
1 Smartraveller. Sri Lanka. Accessed October 2024.