Japan is a popular destination for Australians for so many reasons. From its quirky capital’s food scene to the first-class mountain terrain come winter – not to mention the cherry blossoms! Although Japan is a safe country, the unexpected can still occur – which is why it’s a good idea to consider getting travel insurance. We can help with that.
We've made buying travel insurance easier by bundling medical, trip and belongings cover in our single Explorer Plan. Get a quote and buy your policy in minutes.
If you need additional coverage for your trip or favourite gadgets, you can build upon the Explorer Plan by adding any of our Trip Extras.
Last-minute ski trip? Need a rental vehicle or motorcycle for the day? Embrace spontaneity and toggle on additional activity coverage for the days you need it.
We've simplified travel insurance with our bundled Explorer Plan that you can build upon with extra coverage. This way, you only pay for the coverage you need on the days you actually need it.
We provide coverage for overseas medical expenses, including hospital expenses for approvable claims. If things go really wrong, we can help with emergency repatriation or evacuation to bring you home.
Only applies to Overseas Explorer Plan
If you need to amend, delay or cancel your trip, we can help smooth out bumps in your travel plans. You can even increase your cancellation coverage in increments of $1,000 by paying additional premiums.
When things go wrong overseas, travel insurance can be the unexpected hero of your trip. Freely's Overseas Explorer Plan offers coverage for medical and dental, emergency evacuation and repatriation, trip cancellation and amendment, and lost and delayed luggage.
If you suffer an injury caused solely and directly by violent, accidental, visible and external means (as opposed to being caused by sickness or disease) that results in your death, we will pay your estate the amount (provided your death occurs within one year of the accident).
If you suffer an injury caused solely and directly by violent, accidental, visible and external means (as opposed to being caused by sickness or disease) that results in your permanent total loss of sight in one or both eyes or the loss of use of one or more limbs, we will pay you the amount shown in the Plan purchased (provided the loss occurs within one year of the accident).
If you become sick or injured while on your trip, we may provide cover for unexpected medical and hospital expenses.
If you need to pay for unexpected dental treatment during your trip, we may provide cover for emergency overseas dental expenses.
If you become sick or injured while on your trip and need emergency repatriation, we may provide cover for that.
Some existing medical conditions are automatically covered by our Explorer Plan (subject to the criteria outlined in the PDS). If your existing medical condition falls outside the criteria or isn’t on the list, we may still be able to provide cover for your condition subject to the outcome of a short medical assessment, an additional premium may apply.
If you become sick or injured while on your trip and need emergency evacuation, we may provide cover for that.
If you suffer an injury caused solely and directly by violent, accidental, visible and external means (as opposed to being caused by sickness or disease) that results in your death, if approved, we will pay your estate the amount (provided your death occurs within one year of the accident).
If you suffer an injury caused solely and directly by violent, accidental, visible and external means (as opposed to being caused by sickness or disease) that results in your permanent total loss of sight in one or both eyes or the loss of use of one or more limbs, if approved, we will pay you the amount shown in the Plan purchased (provided the loss occurs within one year of the accident).
If you need to unexpectedly amend or cancel your trip for a covered reason, we can reimburse you for the costs of your prepaid, non-refundable travel arrangements.
If you encounter unexpected accommodation and/or transport costs during your travels because of a covered event, we may provide cover for the additional expenses you incur.
If your pre-booked, prepaid transport is temporarily delayed during the journey for at least 6 hours due to an unforeseeable circumstance outside your control (including a cyber incident), we may provide cover for the related expenses you incur up to $2,000.
If you need to return to Australia while you're on your trip because of the sudden serious injury, sickness, disease, or death of your relative or business partner, we may provide cover for the cost of resuming the journey up to $2,000.
If, due to an unforeseeable circumstance outside your control, your journey would otherwise be delayed – resulting in you being unable to arrive in time to attend a wedding, funeral, 25th or 50th wedding anniversary, or a prepaid conference, music festival or sporting event that cannot be delayed due to your late arrival – we may pay for the reasonable additional cost of using alternative public transport to arrive at your destination on time.
If you become unintentionally legally liable to pay compensation for damage caused to someone, we may provide coverage of up to $3,000,000. Limits, sub-limits, conditions and exclusions apply.
If your luggage or travel documents are lost, stolen, or damaged on your trip, we can reimburse you for your items or for repairing your items. The limit per item is $750.
If your luggage is delayed by a transport provider for more than 12 hours during your trip, we can reimburse you for the costs of several personal items purchased.
We may pay you for the cost of replacing travel documents and credit cards lost or stolen on the journey. We may also pay for your legal liability arising from their illegal use. You must, however, comply with all the conditions of the issue of the document prior to and after the loss or theft.
If your cash, bank or currency notes, postal or money orders are accidentally lost or stolen on your trip, we can reimburse you for the cost of the loss.
It's easy to assume that travel insurance is only necessary for overseas holidays – but travelling domestically within Australia's borders carries many of the same risks! Freely offers coverage for all domestic travel: from the bustling hubs of Sydney and Melbourne to more regional, nature-based destinations such as Tasmania and the Gold Coast.
If you suffer an injury caused solely and directly by violent, accidental, visible and external means (as opposed to being caused by sickness or disease) that results in your death, we will pay your estate the amount (provided your death occurs within one year of the accident).
If you suffer an injury caused solely and directly by violent, accidental, visible and external means (as opposed to being caused by sickness or disease) that results in your permanent total loss of sight in one or both eyes or the loss of use of one or more limbs, we will pay you the amount shown in the Plan purchased (provided the loss occurs within one year of the accident).
If you need to unexpectedly amend or cancel your trip for a covered reason, we can reimburse you for the costs of your prepaid, non-refundable travel arrangements.
If you encounter unexpected accommodation and/or transport costs during your travels because of a covered event, we can provide cover for the additional expenses you incur.
If your pre-booked, prepaid transport is temporarily delayed during the journey for at least 6 hours due to an unforeseeable circumstance outside your control (including a cyber incident), we can provide cover for the related expenses you incur up to $2,000.
If you need to return to Australia while you're on your trip because of the sudden serious injury, sickness, disease, or death of your relative or business partner, we can provide cover for the cost of resuming the journey up to $2,000.
If, due to an unforseeable circumstance outside your control, your journey would otherwise be delayed – resulting in you being unable to arrive in time to attend a wedding, funeral, 25th or 50th wedding anniversary, or a prepaid conference, music festival or sporting event that cannot be delayed due to your late arrival – we will pay for the reasonable additional cost of using alternative public transport to arrive at your destination on time.
If you become unintentionally legally liable to pay compensation for damage caused to someone else's property or for the injury or death of someone, we may provide coverage of up to $200,000.
If your luggage or travel documents are lost, stolen, or damaged on your trip, we can reimburse you for the cost of replacing or repairing your items. The limit per item is $750.
If your luggage is delayed by a transport provider for more than 12 hours during your trip, we can reimburse you for the costs of several personal items purchased.
If your cash, bank or currency notes, postal or money orders are accidentally lost or stolen on your trip, we can reimburse you for the cost of the loss.
Build on your Explorer Plan by adding Trip Extras to get greater protection for your personal belongings, and enhanced delay and cancellation coverage. You can also toggle on Daily Boosts to get coverage for certain activities, from motorbike riding to adventure sports – and toggle them off when your plans change!
With its mouth-watering food scene, rich history and scenic landscapes, Japan is an incredible place to visit.
In the warmer months, cherry blossoms explode across the country, parks fill with delighted picnickers and alpine towns bloom with wildflowers. In winter, thick blankets of snow fall across the alps, making for incredible skiing and snowboarding opportunities.
From the vibrant cities of Tokyo and Osaka to the quaintness of places like Kyoto and Takayama, Japan is a worthy bucket list addition regardless of the season you visit.
Japan takes 7 to 10 hours to get to from Australia – depending on which city you depart from – and budget airlines fly into Tokyo and Osaka regularly. You may fly into Japan via either one of Tokyo’s two international airports: Haneda and Narita.
Australian passport holders are eligible for Japan’s visa exemption scheme, which grants 90 days of travel for short-stay tourism and business. Be ready to potentially show a copy of your flight out of the country when you land as proof that you do not plan to overstay.
For the latest travel and visa requirements, always be sure to check the Australian Government website Smartraveller and organise the right travel documents before travelling.
If you’re looking into travel insurance for a ski trip to Japan, you may find it difficult to find a travel insurance provider that automatically covers snow sports in the base policy. That’s because there are elevated risks associated with snow activities, so you usually need to pay a higher premium.
With Freely's Snow Sports Boost, which you can add to your base policy (at an additional cost) for all the days you're on the snow, you're covered for downhill skiing, cross-country skiing, snowboarding and snowmobiling in Japan.
You can add the Snow Sport Boost to your policy before you depart – or even while already on your trip. For instance, you can wake up, check the snow conditions and, if you decide to hit the slopes, you can add our Snow Sports Boost to your policy and pay in real time, using the Freely.
Be sure to read our PDS to understand what's covered for snow sports in Japan.
Here are some helpful tips to consider ...
Japanese culture places a high value on respect and politeness, so we recommend getting your head around the local dos and don’ts before you arriving. For example, many places – including some restaurants – will want you to remove your shoes indoors; blowing your nose in public is considered impolite – and you should never eat on the train!
Taxis are expensive in Japan – even when you use rideshare apps in the big cities and that’s not to mention the expensive road tolls). The country’s network of trains, however, is world class. If you’re finding the shinkansen (bullet train) too expensive, highway buses offer a cheaper alternative. Another thing to be wary of is that even in Tokyo, trains do not run all night, and the last one usually leaves shortly after midnight.
Known as konbini, Japanese convenience stores are one-stop shops that sell everything from gloves, souvenirs and headphones to sushi, sake and hot meals. Most will have a toilet that you as a patron can use, as well a printer and a microwave. Konbini also have rubbish bins, which are hard to come by on the street in Japan.
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