Travel insurance for Fiji
Coral beaches, lazy palms and vivid reefs under turquoise water; few places in the world do tropical perfection quite like Fiji. The country offers adrenaline-pumping activities and serene relaxation in equal measure, making it a favourite for families, honeymooners and everyone in between.
However, travellers should remember that a tropical holiday can present several dangers, which is why travel insurance for Fiji is so important. Natural disasters like cyclones, adventure mishaps like scratches from a coral reef, and even food poisoning after a bad buffet meal can all threaten to turn your Fijian getaway into a holiday to forget.
Great travel insurance is essential to protect yourself on holiday, and understanding what you’re covered for in Fiji is the best way to avoid unexpected costs.
What should my travel insurance policy for Fiji include?
A holiday to Fiji offers everything from heart-pumping adventure to resort relaxation. However, you plan to enjoy the country, a comprehensive travel insurance policy for Fiji is the best way to protect yourself and your family from the unexpected.
Tropical cyclones in Fiji
Fiji is vulnerable to tropical cyclones, which usually occur around once per year between November and May. However, in some years like those experiencing La Nina weather patterns, the chance of tropical cyclones can significantly increase.
Unfortunately, storms in Fiji are often severe, causing significant damage. Tropical cyclones also play havoc with airline schedules and even relatively minor storms can leave travellers stranded due to flight cancellations.
If you’re visiting Fiji during the summer months when cyclones are most likely to occur, it’s important that you carefully monitor weather forecasts when planning your trip.
Does my travel insurance cover natural disasters like tropical cyclones?
If your prepaid travel arrangements (such as flights, accommodation and excursions) need to be changed or cancelled because of an unexpected natural disaster in Fiji, and your insurance started before the event occurred, our International Comprehensive policy can offer cover if you need to cancel or change the dates of your prepaid travel plans.
If you are stuck overseas for more than 12 hours because your flight has been delayed or cancelled due to an unexpected event, our International Comprehensive policy can offer cover for any additional equivalent expense type, including scheduled transport and accommodation and living expenses incurred while you are waiting to return home.
If your insurance started after the natural disaster has occurred, you won’t be covered for any alteration costs incurred as a result of the natural disaster, such as cancelling or changing your original flight. However, our International Comprehensive policy can still offer cover for other unexpected events in accordance with your policy, such as having your personal belongings stolen or injuring yourself overseas.
Am I covered for medical emergencies and hospital bills in Fiji?
Our international travel policies offers unlimited cover for medical treatment and evacuation. Our emergency assistance team is also available 24/7. In Fiji the main centres and larger islands have medical centres and hospitals, however on more remote islands, healthcare facilities are often limited to the basic healthcare offered by resorts.
Does my insurance cover adventure sports in Fiji?
We understand that adventure activities are all part of an unforgettable holiday in Fiji, which is why our international travel policies offer cover for many adventure activities in Fiji.
Our policy doesn’t cover you for certain activities, like kitesurfing. For other activities like parasailing, you are only covered if you participate with a licensed operator. If you’re scuba diving in Fiji, it’s essential that you hold an open water diving certificate or are diving with a qualified instructor.
Activities which are excluded under the policy can be found under General Exclusions in your policy document.
Is there cover for lost, stolen and damaged valuables in Fiji?
While Fiji is a safe and welcoming destination for Aussie travellers, your travel insurance should protect your valuables from loss, theft and damage. Whether it’s a stolen phone or a GoPro lost on the reef, our International Comprehensive policy offers cover for your lost, stolen, or damaged personal items resulting from an unexpected event.
Travel insurance for cancellations and delays in Fiji
We know that even the best-laid plans can change, which is why our International Comprehensive policy offers cover for changes to your journey before and after you leave.
For example, if your trip to Fiji is cancelled or changed due to an illness before you depart Australia, your policy offers cover for cancellations fees and prepaid travel costs.
If the unexpected happens during your holiday in Fiji, your policy offers cover for transport, accommodation, meals, activities and tour costs if you cannot reach your next destination on time, or if you need to cut your trip short and return to Australia.
Travel insurance that offers quality cover for cancellations and delays, including cover for COVID-19, has never been more important.
How to avoid getting sick in Fiji
Like any destination, there’s always a chance you might fall ill with food poising in Fiji. If you’re eating from the resort buffet, you should use your best judgement to avoid contaminated food. To avoid food poisoning, remember to:
- Eat fresh and well-cooked food
- Avoid hot meals that have gone cold, and cold meals that have gone warm
- Ensure you use clean and dry serving utensils
- Avoid buffets without screen guards protecting the food from other guests.
- Stick to bottled or boiled water
Fiji travel insurance exclusions
While comprehensive travel insurance is essential to keeping you and your family safe in Fiji, it is unlikely that you’ll find a policy that covers you for everything. So what won’t your Fiji travel insurance cover you for?
Pre-existing medical conditions (PECs)
Pre-existing medical conditions (PECs) aren’t automatically covered under travel insurance, however, they can be added as extras when buying your policy.
At SCTI, we have a list of PECs that you must declare when organising your travel insurance, and a few definitions that you should be aware of if you’re travelling with health conditions. Find out what you need to do to seek cover for your PECs.
If you’d like some advice on how your pre-existing medical conditions might affect your Fiji travel insurance, please don’t hesitate to email us at any time or connect with one of our insurance experts on 1800 196 484.
Other Fiji travel insurance exclusions
Pre-existing medical conditions aren’t the only thing that may not be covered under your Fiji travel insurance. You won’t be covered if:
- You’re participating in adventure activities with an unlicensed tour operator, such as diving, parasailing and white-water rafting.
- You’re riding a moped or motorbike and you haven’t added this as an extra on your travel insurance policy.
- You’re sailing more than 22.2 kilometres (12 nautical miles) from populated land.
- A natural event occurred before the start date of your insurance and causes disruptions to your travel plans.
We're with Aussies in Fiji
We love hearing positive feedback from our happy travellers and we’re humbled to have helped thousands of Aussies enjoy their Fijian adventure to the fullest. Here are just a few customer stories shared on Product Review:
Fiji travel insurance FAQs
Do I need travel insurance to enter Fiji?
Yes, it’s mandatory for Australians to have travel insurance that includes cover for COVID-19 to enter Fiji.
Is it safe to travel in Fiji?
Fiji has a reputation as a safe and welcoming country for travellers. However, Australians should take the regular precautions with their valuables in more crowded areas like markets, and also take care when participating in adventure activities. Stay up to date with current travel advice on the Smart Traveller website.
How much does travel insurance for Fiji cost?
The price of your Fiji travel insurance will depend on several factors, including:
- Your age
- How many people are on the policy
- How long you’re travelling for
- Whether you’re visiting other countries as well as Fiji
- Whether you have any pre-existing medical conditions
- Whether you have any high-value items to add to your policy
- Whether you add cover for moped or motorbike riding.
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What’s the best travel insurance for Fiji?
Fiji is regarded as a safe destination for all kinds of travellers, including solo adventurers, families and everyone in between. However, it’s important to get a travel insurance policy that will keep you and your belongings safe.
The best travel insurance for Fiji should provide comprehensive protection for things like:
- Medical emergencies
- Lost, stolen and damaged valuables
- Natural disasters
- Cancellations and changes to your trip
- COVID-19
- Rental vehicle excess.
Does travel insurance cover cyclones in Fiji?
Your travel insurance should include cover for natural disasters including cyclones, which often impact Fiji and surrounding Pacific nations. Our International Comprehensive policy offers cover for cancellations and changes to your journey due to natural disasters that occur after your start date of insurance.
What you need to know
This page includes some information about our products but, as with all insurance policies, terms and conditions apply. For our terms and conditions (including information about exclusions, excesses and sub limits) we recommend you read the relevant Financial Services Guide (FSG), Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) and Target Market Determination (TMD) to ensure our travel insurance products are right for you.
You can find the relevant documents here: International Comprehensive, Annual Multi-trip, International Medical Only, Working Overseas, Domestic.
We know how important it is to be able to talk to someone when you need help, that’s why we are available via email, phone and live chat Monday to Friday, 8.30am – 5pm, and Saturday, 7am to 4pm (AEST), excluding public holidays. And if you find yourself in a medical emergency our Emergency Assistance team are available 24/7 to help, wherever you are in the world.
