What does “passports, travel documents and bank cards” cover?

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Say you’re doing the whole New Yorker experience, and you’re people-watching in Central Park when you get knocked in the side of the head by a frisbee. When you come to, there’s a couple of concerned (real) New Yorkers trying to wake you up, and check you’re okay. Unfortunately, they weren’t the first to respond, there was someone else who stole the moment to nick your credit card and passport out of your jacket…

What you need to know.

If that just happened to you, you might be relieved to hear that there is cover for costs to replace your passports, travel documents or bank cards if they are lost, damaged or stolen – as long as the cause of their loss was unexpected and outside of your control.

What you need to do to claim.

  1. Report any theft to police within 24 hours of the incident, and include a copy of the police report with your claim.
  2. If it happened at a hotel or whilst you were travelling, make sure you report any theft to the hotel manager or transport provider, and include a copy of their report when you make a claim.
  3. Keep receipts for all the costs you have to pay towards organising and getting your replacement documents, passport or bank card, and provide them with your claim.

What you need to do if you your passport is stolen, lost or damaged:

You must tell the Australian Government ASAP if your passport has been lost or stolen.

If you’re in Australia
you can report a lost or stolen passport to the Australian Passport Information Service (APIS) on 131 232, or visit your nearest Australian Passport Office.

If you’re overseas
you must report the loss or theft to an Australian Embassy, High Commission or Consulate.

Remember, if your passport has been stolen, you should also report it to the police and get a copy of the police report, whether it happened in Australia or overseas. It usually takes around 3 weeks for a new passport to be issued.

Need a new passport urgently?

  • If you’re in Australia, you can apply for the priority service to renew or apply for a new passport at Australia Post.
  • In the UK you can apply for the priority service at the Australian High Commission in London.
  • If you’re (elsewhere) overseas, you should contact your nearest Australian Embassy, High Commission or Consulate.

For more information about urgent passport applications, please visit the Australian Passport Office website.

 

If your passport is damaged… 
or the chip doesn’t work when you use SmartGate at our borders, you can get advice and help from the Australian Passport Information Service or from an Australian Embassy, High Commission or Consulate.

Tip for all overseas travellers:
Carry copies of a recent passport photo with you on your travels, in case you need to apply for a replacement passport while overseas. You should also be aware that a “replacement passport” may be limited, depending on your circumstances it may only be valid for two or five years.

What you need to do if your travel documents are stolen, lost or damaged:

Call your airline, or scheduled transport provider as soon as you can to find out what your options are. They all have different policies, so you may need to pay an additional fee to reprint your tickets or in the worst case scenario, you might have to buy new tickets. You will also need your passport or another form of official ID like a drivers license, so they can identify that you are who you say you are.

What you need to do if your bank cards are stolen, lost or damaged:

You must contact your bank immediately, so they can freeze transactions on your accounts that are linked to those cards. Our policy does not cover money stolen from your accounts. Your bank will be able to help and advise what you can do to further protect yourself.

You won’t be covered if…

  • You don’t take precautions to secure these important items, that includes if you don’t use a safe or locker provided by your hotel or accommodation provider.
  • If you don’t carry your passport, travel documents or bank cards on you when you travel, you won’t be covered. Never store these critical items in your checked-in luggage, an overhead locker, or under your seat.
  • There’s no cover if you leave these items in a car overnight.

An excess applies.

There is an excess of $100 per unexpected event. So you won’t get any money back if you claim for replacement costs that are worth less than $100 in total.

Click here for more about excesses, what they are and when you have to pay them.

Please remember…

Take care of your passport, travel documents and bank cards. Keep them out of others’ reach because even when we cover the replacement costs, we can’t give you back your holiday time. It can be a real hassle to deal with and the last thing you probably want to do is waste good holiday time on paperwork and waiting at post offices, internet cafes, banks or embassies!