Reimburses the non-refundable portion of prepaid travel and accommodation if your journey is cancelled or disrupted by circumstances not expected or intended and outside your control, including being diagnosed with an epidemic or pandemic illness such as COVID-19. Capped at a maximum total of $25,000 per cardholder or spouse, with dependants included in that limit. Travel agent cancellation fees are covered to $2,000. A $600 excess applies per claim.
Citi Premier travel insurance: which benefits actually pay out?
Citi·A$300/year·Mastercard·Allianz Australia Insurance Limited (admin: Allianz Global Assistance)
4,1/5Independent review · verified August 2026
4,3
4,3
2,6
Our Verdict · Travel Insurance
Our take on travel insurance for the Citi Premier
Expert review · Pauline LauroreAuthor of HelloSafe's card insurance reviews
A $300 card that quietly carries $20 million of overseas medical cover. The catch is switching it on. Citi Premier travel insurance runs the same NAB group policy as the top of Citi's range: charge at least $500 of prepaid travel to the card, hold a return ticket, stay under 81, and the international cover runs for trips up to six months. Emergency medical reaches $20 million, cancellation $25,000, and overseas rental excess $10,000. Most cardholders assume the card insures them the day it lands in the wallet. It doesn't. Book the flights on points, let only the taxes hit the card, and you can fly out with no cover at all. A $600 excess applies to the big claims, and pre-existing conditions need assessing for a $75 fee first. If you always charge your travel to this card, the cover genuinely rivals a mid-range paid policy. If you book on points, read the activation clause before you rely on it.
What works on travel
- Overseas emergency medical to $20 million: hospital, evacuation and repatriation, $600 excess per claim
- Trip cancellation to $25,000 for unforeseen circumstances outside your control, epidemic illness included
- Cover runs up to six consecutive months per trip, one of the longest windows on a complimentary policy
- Domestic interstate travel insurance included: cancellation, flight delay and luggage on Australian flights
- Overseas rental vehicle excess reimbursed to $10,000 within the same travel policy
Where travel breaks down
- Activation by spend: no cover unless you charge at least $500 of prepaid travel to the card and hold a return ticket
- A $600 excess applies to medical, cancellation, additional expenses, alternative transport, luggage and overseas rental claims
- Pre-existing conditions are excluded unless assessed and approved in writing for a $75 fee before you travel
- No cover past age 81, and dangerous activities including off-piste skiing and motorcycling over 200cc are excluded
- Travel delay pays only after a six-hour wait, and domestic flight delay needs a four-hour delay first
Our methodology
Every score is derived from official bank documents: terms and conditions, benefit guides, and claim procedures. No commercial relationship influences our ratings.
Travel Insurance · 20 guarantees
What does Citi Premier Travel Insurance actually cover?
Cover only applies if the trip was charged to the card. A points booking where only the taxes hit the card may not meet the $500 spend condition.
What's covered
- Unforeseen circumstances outside your control that prevent travel
- Sickness, injury or death, including epidemic or pandemic illness
- Travel agent's cancellation fees up to $2,000
- Rescheduling costs up to $75 per person per day and $250 per person for internet and telephone
What's not covered
- Circumstances you were aware of before becoming eligible for cover
- Pre-existing medical conditions unless assessed and confirmed in writing
- Financial default of a travel provider
- An act of terrorism
Not the same as unlimited. The $20 million cap is generous, but a $600 excess and the pre-existing exclusion still apply on every claim.
Covers reasonable overseas emergency medical and hospital expenses for an injury or sickness, up to a maximum of $20 million, with treatment paid for the 12 months after the condition first arises. Overseas Emergency Assistance, including medical evacuation and repatriation, is a separate $20 million benefit with no excess. Medicare does not cover you outside Australia. A $600 excess applies to the medical claim.
What's covered
- Reasonable medical, hospital and ambulance costs overseas
- 24/7 access to Allianz Global Assistance medical advisers
- Treatment for a covered pre-existing condition if confirmed in writing
What's not covered
- Pre-existing conditions unless assessed and confirmed in writing (a $75 fee applies)
- Pregnancy beyond the 26th week
- Treatment you travelled overseas to receive
- Dental other than spontaneous acute pain
Call Allianz Global Assistance before arranging transport. Approval is expected where reasonable, or the payable amount may be reduced.
Overseas Emergency Assistance covers medical evacuation to the nearest suitable hospital or back to Australia, and repatriation, up to a maximum of $20 million. Allianz Global Assistance arranges and approves transport 24 hours a day. Funeral expenses overseas or the cost of bringing remains home are covered up to $60,000. No excess applies.
What's covered
- Emergency evacuation to the nearest suitable facility or home to Australia
- Repatriation and funeral expenses up to $60,000
- 24/7 Allianz Global Assistance coordination
What's not covered
- Costs not approved by Allianz Global Assistance where approval was reasonably possible
- Events arising from an act of terrorism for personal safety evacuation
Covers emergency dental treatment for sudden and acute pain (spontaneous toothache) to natural teeth, up to $2,000 per person. It does not extend to routine, preventative or cosmetic dental work. A $600 excess applies.
What's covered
- Emergency treatment of sudden acute pain to natural teeth
What's not covered
- Routine, preventative or cosmetic dental treatment
- Treatment using precious metals
- Repair or replacement of existing dentures or bridges
Pays $100 per person per day for each day you stay a hospital inpatient overseas beyond a continuous 48 hours, up to a maximum of $15,000 per cardholder or spouse. Dependants are included in that limit. No excess applies.
What's covered
- $100 per person per day after 48 continuous hours as an inpatient
What's not covered
- Days within the first 48 consecutive hours
- Admissions you cannot claim under overseas emergency medical
Covers reasonable additional travel and accommodation if you cannot continue your journey because of injury or sickness, a companion's incapacity, repatriation, or specified disruptions such as strike, hijack, natural disaster or your home being made uninhabitable. Capped at a maximum total of $200,000. A $600 excess applies.
What's covered
- Additional travel and accommodation from your own incapacity
- Expenses for a necessary travelling companion
- Disruption from strike, riot, hijack, weather or natural disaster
What's not covered
- Circumstances you were aware of before becoming eligible
- Pre-existing conditions of a companion or relative
- Acts of terrorism for some sub-benefits
After a delay of 6 consecutive hours or more caused by circumstances outside your control, reimburses reasonable additional meals and accommodation, up to $500 per person and a maximum total of $2,000 per cardholder or spouse. No excess applies.
What's covered
- Reasonable meals and accommodation during the delay
What's not covered
- Delay from an act of terrorism
- Delay from financial default of a provider
If your journey is interrupted by an unforeseen cause outside your control and you would miss a special event, reimburses reasonable additional travel to arrive on time, up to a maximum total of $3,250 per cardholder or spouse. A $600 excess applies.
What's covered
- Additional transport to reach a special event on time
What's not covered
- Scheduled transport cancelled for an act of terrorism
- Financial default of a provider
If a relative in Australia aged under 81 dies unexpectedly or is hospitalised while you are away, reimburses the reasonable additional cost of your early return home, and airfares to resume the journey if you go back within 30 days. Capped at a maximum total of $5,000 per cardholder or spouse. No excess applies.
What's covered
- Additional cost of early return home
- Airfares to resume the journey within 30 days
What's not covered
- Claims duplicated under cancellation for the same services
If your luggage is delayed, misdirected or misplaced by the carrier for more than 10 consecutive hours, reimburses essential purchases of clothing and personal items up to $500, plus an additional $1,000 after 72 consecutive hours, to a maximum total of $1,500 per cardholder or spouse. No excess applies. Anything paid here is deducted from a later lost-luggage claim.
What's covered
- Essential clothing and personal items during the delay
What's not covered
- Delay on your journey home
- Items later paid under lost luggage (deducted)
Per-item caps bite. A high-end camera and laptop together are limited to $4,000 each, and everything else, including a phone, to $1,000.
Covers luggage and personal effects that are stolen, accidentally damaged or permanently lost, up to a maximum total of $15,000 per cardholder or spouse. Per-item sub-limits apply: up to $4,000 for computers, cameras and video cameras, and up to $1,000 for any other item, including mobile phones. Depreciation applies to items older than 12 months. A $600 excess applies.
What's covered
- Baggage, clothing and personal valuables
- Portable electrical equipment, laptops, cameras and accessories
What's not covered
- Items left unsupervised in a public place
- Valuables left in a vehicle or checked into the cargo hold
- Sporting equipment damaged while in use
- Wear, tear and scratches to screens
Covers the reissue or replacement cost of lost or stolen travel documents, transaction cards and travellers cheques up to $5,000, and loss from fraudulent use of your cards or cheques up to a further $5,000. No excess applies.
What's covered
- Reissue of passports, travel documents and cards
- Loss from fraudulent use of transaction cards or cheques
What's not covered
- Loss from failing to follow security guidelines
- Amounts already covered by the issuing bank
Personal Liability covers legal liability for injury to other people or damage to their property overseas, up to $2,500,000 per event for a Level 1 card. Legal expenses are covered to a further $15,000. No excess applies.
What's covered
- Third-party injury and property damage overseas
- Reasonable legal expenses up to $15,000
What's not covered
- Liability from operating a vehicle, aircraft or watercraft
- Liability to family or travelling companions
- Claims from a commercial or contractual dispute
Pays a lump sum if you die from an injury within 12 months: $50,000 for the cardholder, $50,000 for a spouse and $25,000 per dependant, to a maximum total of $150,000. Permanent Disability pays up to $50,000. No excess applies.
What's covered
- Accidental death of cardholder, spouse or dependant
- Permanent disability benefit up to $50,000
What's not covered
- Self-inflicted injury
- Dangerous activities listed in the general exclusions
If an overseas injury leaves you unable to work for more than 30 days after you return home, pays your verified weekly income up to a maximum total of $13,000, starting from the 31st consecutive day after your return. Available to a cardholder or spouse only, not dependants. No excess applies.
What's covered
- Verified weekly income after a disabling overseas injury
What's not covered
- No cover for dependants
- Loss of income from sickness rather than injury
Covers the non-refundable portion of prepaid domestic travel and accommodation if an interstate trip is cancelled or disrupted, up to a maximum total of $3,000 for all claims combined. A $75 excess applies. Activate by charging the entire return domestic airfare to the card, or spending at least $250 of prepaid domestic travel with a return domestic flight ticket.
What's covered
- Non-refundable prepaid domestic travel and accommodation
What's not covered
- Circumstances you were aware of before eligibility
- Pre-existing conditions unless confirmed
- Acts of terrorism
If a domestic flight is delayed 4 hours or more by circumstances outside your control with no alternative transport, reimburses reasonable additional meals and accommodation, $125 per person to a maximum total of $300 for all claims combined. No excess applies.
What's covered
- Meals and accommodation after a 4-hour domestic delay
What's not covered
- Delay from an act of terrorism
Covers reasonable additional domestic travel and accommodation if you cannot continue an interstate journey because of injury or sickness, up to a maximum total of $3,000. A $75 excess applies. There is no domestic medical benefit, because Medicare applies within Australia.
What's covered
- Additional domestic travel and accommodation from incapacity
What's not covered
- No domestic medical expenses (Medicare applies)
- Pre-existing conditions unless confirmed
Covers domestic luggage and personal effects that are lost, stolen or damaged, up to $750 for each covered item and a maximum total of $2,000. A $75 excess applies.
What's covered
- Domestic luggage and personal effects
What's not covered
- Items left unsupervised
- Wear and tear
If domestic luggage is delayed 12 hours or more, reimburses essential purchases of clothing and personal items, $150 per person to a maximum total of $400 for all claims combined. No excess applies.
What's covered
- Essential items during a 12-hour domestic luggage delay
What's not covered
- Delay on your journey home
Policy document
We source benefits from official card guides, but PDFs are sometimes hard to obtain or update. Spotted something off?
Coverage Radar
Where the Citi Premier wins, where it loses
Coverage snapshot for this tab — click any layer to highlight its scores.
Medical repatriation: well above the market average
Compare
PremierThis card4.1/5?
A$300/yrWith travel insuranceIdeal
Complete coverage · 5.0 / 5Premium card avg.
A$241 avg. annual feeClick a layer to highlight its scores on the radar.
Side-by-side comparison
How the Citi Premier stacks up against the alternatives
Same 5 coverage dimensions, ranked head-to-head against the cards most Premier shoppers also consider.
| Card | This card Premier Citi · A$300/yr 4.1/5? | Prestige Citi · A$700/yr 4.1/5? | Amplify Qantas Signature Bank of Melbourne · A$370/yr 4.3/5? | Amplify Qantas Platinum Bank of Melbourne · A$250/yr 4.3/5? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Trip cancellation Per person, per trip cap | $25,000 per trip All prepaid travel | $25,000 per trip All prepaid travel | Unlimited Unlimited | Unlimited Unlimited |
Emergency medical Hospital bills abroad | $20,000,000 Capped $20 million | $20,000,000 Capped $20 million | Unlimited Unlimited | Unlimited Unlimited |
Emergency evacuation Air ambulance + repatriation | $20,000,000 Capped $20 million | $20,000,000 Capped $20 million | Unlimited Unlimited evacuation | Unlimited Unlimited evacuation |
Trip delay trigger Hours before benefits kick in | 6h / $2,000 Trigger: 6 hours | 6h / $2,000 Trigger: 6 hours | 6h / $1,100 Trigger: 6 hours | 6h / $500 Trigger: 6 hours |
Trip interruption Covered amount | $200,000 Additional expenses | $200,000 Additional expenses | Unlimited Extra travel & accommodation | Unlimited Extra travel & accommodation |
StrongLimited / misleadingNot covered
Data verified against each card's Guide to Benefits, May 2026.
Cardholder reviews
What cardholders say about the Citi Premier
Real experiences on Citi's complimentary travel cover and claims 3 reviews
J(
Johnxx (Australian Frequent Flyer)
Free cover that saves me a policy every trip
I just look at credit card free travel insurance as something that saves me forking out $300 to $400 every trip.
R(
Rayesfeg (Australian Frequent Flyer)
The excess jumped to $600
The biggest, and most disappointing change is the increase in excess, which is now a whopping $600, up 50%.
S(
SCM (Australian Frequent Flyer)
A $400 excess was already too high
A $400 excess is already unreasonably high, which begs the question of what it is even for.
Emergency · Card assistance line
How to contact Citi Premier assistance?
Allianz Global Assistance handles Citi Premier claims, not Citi or NAB
Australia assistance and claims
1800 072 791
Toll-free within Australia · 24/7 emergency; enquiries Mon to Fri
Overseas emergency assistance
+61 7 3305 7499
Additional charges may apply from mobiles or hotels · 24/7
Benefit administrator: AWP Australia (Allianz Global Assistance) for NAB, underwritten by Allianz Australia Insurance Limited
Claims & pre-authorizations
How to make a Citi Premier insurance claim
1
Step 1: Contact Allianz Global Assistance, not Citi or NAB
The booklet is explicit that you do not contact Citi or NAB for a claim. For an overseas medical emergency, call before treatment where possible on +61 7 3305 7499, or 1800 072 791 within Australia. Getting approval before you incur major medical, evacuation or additional-expense costs protects the claim.
2
Step 2: Lodge online and gather your documents
Lodge an international travel insurance claim at travelclaims.com.au, or get claim forms at claims.agaassistance.com.au. Gather itemised accounts, a property irregularity report from the airline for luggage, and your card statement showing the trip was charged to the Citi Premier.
3
Step 3: Prove activation and wait for assessment
Include proof you met the $500 prepaid spend or the points activation, since that is the first thing checked. Allianz Global Assistance assesses a completed claim within 10 business days of receiving all requested documents. If a claim is declined and you disagree, you can escalate to AFCA for free.
FAQ
What people ask about the Citi Premier
- The overseas cover switches on when you charge at least $500 of your prepaid travel costs to the Citi Premier and hold a return overseas travel ticket before you leave Australia. There is no separate registration step, but the cover is not automatic just from holding the card. You can also qualify if you obtained the return ticket using at least 15,000 points transferred from a Citi card or Citi Rewards over the prior 12 months. You must be aged under 81, and cover runs for trips up to six months. If you book with points and only the taxes hit the card, check the eligibility rules carefully, because that may not meet the spend condition.
- Cover extends to the cardholder, their spouse or partner, and dependent children, when the trip is charged to the card and each traveller meets the eligibility rules. Spouses and dependants must be residents of Australia, hold their own return ticket, be aged under 81, and travel with the cardholder for at least half of the journey. Dependants under two years are included when travelling with an eligible cardholder. When a cardholder, spouse and dependant travel together, only one eligible person can claim as the cardholder. Always confirm each traveller against the definitions in the booklet before relying on the cover.
- It reimburses the excess (the amount the hire company makes you pay towards damage or theft) rather than repairing the car itself. You pay the hire company first, then claim the excess back. The Citi Premier covers this two ways: overseas hires up to $10,000 within the international travel policy, and Australian hires up to $10,000 through a separate Rental Vehicle Excess Insurance in Australia benefit. A $600 excess applies to the overseas claim and a $100 excess to the Australian one. To qualify, charge the entire rental cost to the card and use the vehicle within the terms of the rental agreement. Motorcycles, mopeds and quad bikes are not covered.
- Claims go through Allianz Global Assistance, not Citi or NAB. Lodge an international travel claim online at travelclaims.com.au, or get forms at claims.agaassistance.com.au, and call 1800 072 791 within Australia or +61 7 3305 7499 from overseas. Keep itemised accounts, a property irregularity report from the airline for luggage, and your card statement showing the trip was charged to the card, since proof of activation is the first thing checked. Allianz Global Assistance assesses a completed claim within 10 business days of receiving all documents. If a claim is declined and you disagree, you can escalate to AFCA for free.
- The biggest gap is activation: if you did not charge at least $500 of prepaid travel to the card, or meet the points rule, there is no overseas cover at all. Pre-existing medical conditions are excluded unless assessed and confirmed in writing for a $75 fee before you travel, and there is no cover once you turn 81 or once a trip runs past six months. Off-piste skiing, off-piste snowboarding, snowmobiling and other dangerous activities are excluded, as is riding a motorcycle over 200cc. There is also no domestic medical cover, because Medicare applies within Australia, and no dedicated mobile phone insurance.
- No, there is no dedicated mobile phone insurance on the Citi Premier. A phone is only covered as a luggage item while you travel overseas, and even then it sits under the general per-item sub-limit of $1,000, with a $600 excess on the luggage claim. Everyday screen cracks or theft at home are not covered at all. Replacing a flagship smartphone out of pocket costs roughly $1,200 to $2,300, and a screen repair $200 to $600. If phone cover matters to you, a separate device insurance policy or a card with a dedicated mobile benefit would fill this gap.
- Yes, through a separate Domestic Travel Insurance benefit for return interstate flights charged to the card. It covers domestic cancellation up to $3,000, flight delay after four hours at $125 per person up to $300, additional expenses up to $3,000, and luggage up to $2,000, with a $75 excess on several sections. There is no domestic medical cover, because Medicare applies within Australia. Activate it by charging the entire return domestic airfare to the card, or by spending at least $250 of prepaid domestic travel with a return domestic flight ticket. Cover for the Citi Premier runs up to 28 days per journey.
- No. Under the current Policy Information Booklet effective 1 July 2025, the Citi Premier, as a Level 1 card, keeps its complimentary international and domestic travel insurance and rental vehicle excess cover. The insurance is a NAB group policy underwritten by Allianz Australia and administered by Allianz Global Assistance. The 2026 change that removes complimentary travel insurance applies only to the lower-tier Citi Rewards card, from 15 May 2026, not to the Premier. What did change from 1 July 2025 is the detail: the excess rose to $600 and several international limits were trimmed. Always check the latest booklet, since insurers can vary a group policy.
- On-piste skiing and snowboarding are covered under the international travel policy at no extra cost, because they are not named in the dangerous-activities exclusion. Off-piste skiing, off-piste snowboarding and snowmobiling are excluded, so a claim from skiing outside the marked runs would be declined. Your ski equipment is treated as luggage, with the usual per-item sub-limits, and sporting equipment damaged while in use is not covered. If you plan off-piste or backcountry runs, a dedicated snow travel policy is the safer option. Cover still depends on activating the travel insurance by charging your trip to the card.
Not just Citi
Other cards worth considering
Premier is a strong choice — but depending on what you prioritize, one of these may suit you better.
Amplify Qantas Signature
Bank of Melbourne
Amplify Qantas Platinum
Bank of Melbourne
Amplify Platinum
Bank of Melbourne
Amplify
Bank of Melbourne
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