Australia
Stay up to date with the latest travel insurance alerts
This is not a summary of all travel events globally – check the Australian governments’ latest travel advice at smartraveller before and while you’re travelling to remain up to date.
Government travel warnings in place for your destination can affect cover available. Check your Product Disclosure Statement for full details.
8 July 2025 Update – Mount Lewotobi continued Activity: Volcanic activity continues with a further eruption on 7 July 2025. Multiple international flights have been cancelled or delayed. See below for previous notification in relation to this event
18 June 2025: Mount Lewotobi – Laki Laki: volcanic activity continues with it’s latest eruption 17 June 2025 causing ash plumes to reach heights of 10km in the atmosphere causing flight cancellations and delays. See below for previous alerts.
21 March 2025: Indonesia – Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki
March 2025: Indonesia’s Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki continues to erupt, with increased activity late Thursday 20th March, resulting in ash plumes. An exclusion zone has been activated in a 7-8-kilometer for any further impacts.
If you have been directly affected by this event and need medical assistance, please call our 24-hour emergency assistance team immediately on +61 2 9333 3975. We further urge you to pay close attention to the local media and emergency services, including the DFAT Smart Traveller website.
Please read carefully the full terms and conditions of any travel insurance policy before purchasing.
24 June 2025:
Due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, further impacts to travel, including delays, rerouting and cancellation remain likely.
If you have been directly impacted by this event, we strongly advise you to please call our 24-hour emergency assistance team immediately. We further urge you to follow the guidance and instructions provided by local authorities, emergency services and the DFAT Smartraveller website.
Please be aware that if you choose to travel to, or remain, in a destination that is subject to a Do Not Travel warning, you may not have cover under your policy, and our ability to offer assistance may be limited.
If you are yet to buy a policy, please be aware that our policies contain exclusions for known events, acts of war or the use of military force. Exclusions for war also apply to the Change of Mind add-on available under some policies.
This means that if your flight is delayed, cancelled or rerouted due to the conflict, there may not be cover available under the policy.
Our policies do not cover claims arising from travelling in, to, from, or through a country or area subject to a Do Not Travel warning by the Australian Government through Smartraveller.
Please read carefully the full terms and conditions of any travel insurance policy before purchasing, as set out in the applicable Product Disclosure Statement (PDS).
If you are impacted and need to submit a claim under your policy, you can do so through our website. All claims are assessed on a case by case basis under the terms and conditions of the PDS.
Please contact your travel services provider to find out if your plans are impacted and what your options are.
Following military strikes in Iran, on June 13, Smartraveller raised their level of advice and now advise, Do Not Travel to Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories due to the volatile security situation, armed conflict, civil unrest and terrorism.
If you have been directly impacted by this event, we strongly advise you to please call our 24-hour emergency assistance team immediately on +61 2 9333 3794. We further urge you to follow the guidance and instructions provided by local authorities and emergency services, the DFAT Smartraveller website.
Our policies do not cover claims arising from travelling in, to, from, or through a country or area subject to a Do Not Travel warning by the Australian Government through Smartraveller.
Our policies also contain exclusions for use of military force that may exclude cover for this event.
For those policies that include Change of Mind cover, please note this cover also contains exclusions for cancellation following a Do Not Travel being declared due to use of military force.
Please read carefully the full terms and conditions of any travel insurance policy before purchasing.
If you incur expenses and need to submit a claim, you can do so via our website. All claims are assessed on a case by case basis under the terms and conditions of the Product Disclosure Statement.
As of 17th April 2025, significant winds from Cyclone Tam continue to affect the upper North Island of New Zealand and will extend to the South Island this evening. Combined impacts from the winds and rain are expected.
If you are directly affected by this event and need assistance, please call our 24-hour emergency assistance team immediately on +61 2 9333 3975. We further urge you to pay close attention to the local media and emergency services, including the DFAT Smart Traveller website.
If you need to submit a claim under your travel insurance policy, you may do so at any time. All claims are assessed on a case-by-case basis against the relevant policy wording.
Please read the full terms and conditions of any travel insurance policy carefully before purchasing.
A 7.7-magnitude quake has hit Myanmar near the city of Mandalay, with tremors felt across Thailand and in China.
Some travellers have been affected with flight cancellations and delays to ensure passenger and flight safety.
If your customers have been directly affected by this event and need medical assistance, please instruct them to call our 24-hour emergency assistance team immediately on +61 2 9333 3975. We further urge you to pay close attention to the local media and emergency services.
Please note Myanmar is a sanctioned country and there is no cover for travellers travelling to, or whilst in Myanmar. However, there may be provision for cover for those travelling to other countries affected by the earthquake.
Please read carefully the full terms and conditions of any travel insurance policy before purchasing.
A category two Tropical Cyclone Alfred is forecast to make landfall on South East Queensland’s coast on Thursday 6 March, causing high speed winds, flash flooding, road restrictions, and power outages.
If you have been directly impacted by this event, we strongly advise you to please call our 24-hour emergency assistance team immediately on +61 2 9333 3975.We further urge you to follow the guidance and instructions provided by local authorities and emergency services, the DFAT Smart Traveller website.
Please read carefully the full terms and conditions of any travel insurance policy before purchasing.
A 5.2 magnitude tremor Earthquake was first detected in the Greek Island of Santorini on 5th of February, causing widespread damage with people forced to evacuate.
If you have been directly impacted by this event, we strongly advise you to please call our 24-hour emergency assistance team immediately on +61 2 9333 3975.We further urge you to follow the guidance and instructions provided by local authorities and emergency services, the DFAT Smart Traveller website.
Please read carefully the full terms and conditions of any travel insurance policy before purchasing.
As of 7th January 2025, several wildfires have been widely reported in the Los Angeles area of California in the USA driven by the Santa Ana winds.
The media are reporting 16 deaths and note it has forced thousands of residents to evacuate their homes. Extensive damage to housing and infrastructure has also been reported in the affected areas with residents being instructed to boil water for safe drinking.
At the time of issuing this alert, there are no reports of travel being significantly impacted and LAX airport reports they are operating normally.
If you have been directly affected by this event and need medical assistance, please call our 24-hour emergency assistance team immediately on +61 2 9333 3975. We further urge you to pay close attention to the local media and emergency services, including the DFAT Smart Traveller website.
Please read carefully the full terms and conditions of any travel insurance policy before purchasing.
A 7.2 magnitude earthquake occurred in Port Vila – Vanuatu on 17th December 2024, causing widespread infrastructure damage to roads and buildings. Some essential services have been impacted including flights.
If you have been directly affected by this event and need medical assistance, please call our 24-hour emergency assistance team immediately on +61 2 9333 3975. We further urge you to pay close attention to the local media and emergency services, including the DFAT Smart Traveller website.
Please read carefully the full terms and conditions of any travel insurance policy before purchasing.
Air Vanuatu has entered liquidation, resulting in the immediate grounding of all flights. This follows financial difficulties faced by the airline, leaving many travellers stranded and seeking alternative arrangements. Are you currently affected by this event? If so, read the below to learn more about how this natural disaster can affect your travels and coverage.
Customers
If you have been directly affected by this event and need medical assistance, please call our 24-hour emergency assistance team immediately on +61 2 9333 3975. We further urge you to pay close attention to the local media and emergency services, including the DFAT Smart Traveller website.
New Caledonia has imposed a curfew and banned public gatherings in the capital, Noumea, after a day of protests around the French territory against planned changes to the constitution turned violent, with reports of widespread looting and businesses set on fire. The international airport in Noumea shut down and cancelled all commercial flights on Tuesday 14th May 2024, and some consulates in the city shut their doors.
Please read carefully the full terms and conditions of any travel insurance policy before purchasing.
Europ Assistance is closely monitoring the escalating conflict in Israel and is aware of suspended routes to this region by a number of airlines.
If You Are Currently Travelling:
Please consider your safety first, follow advice from local authorities and the advice issued by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) via its website.
Indonesia’s Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki – Update to previous alert
Indonesia’s Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki continues to erupt, with increased activity this week resulting in ash plumes reaching 5.5kms in height.
Some travellers have been affected with some flight cancellations due to the ash cloud, and there have been some fatalities and injuries in the immediate vicinity of the volcano.
If you’re travelling, or are about to travel
If you have been directly affected by this event and need medical assistance, please call our 24-hour emergency assistance team immediately on +61 2 9333 3975. We further urge you to pay close attention to the local media and emergency services, including the DFAT Smart Traveller website.
If your travel plans are affected
If you need to change your travel arrangements, contact your airline, cruise company or travel agent for assistance in the first instance.
Please retain all supporting documentation evidencing expenses incurred. Please remember as a term of your policy you must do everything you can to minimise losses. If you need to submit a claim, please complete the claim form and if you need help doing this, contact us.
If you have any other queries, please get in touch.
Our policies will not cover any loss, injury or illness, dental, damage or legal liability arising directly or indirectly from travel in, to or through any country for which there is:
In case you encounter medical emergency situation and you are not able to reach us by call, please write to the email address
medicalemergency.Spainoutage@europ-assistance.com