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Travel Insurance for Stolen or Damaged Baggage

If your gear has been stolen or damaged, here's how we can help.

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Protect your bags and personal effects with World Nomads Travel Insurance

Whether you’re carrying expensive sports gear, a wedding outfit, or just your everyday essentials, World Nomads travel insurance offers coverage for theft, loss, or damage of your luggage and personal effects.

How does travel insurance cover baggage?

As long as you can provide proof your baggage was lost, stolen or damaged and you have receipts that show the date and cost of your purchases, our plans may help cover the cost of replacing or repairing:

  • Baggage and personal items if stolen or lost or damaged in a fire or natural disaster (we’re not going to give you a new camera if you throw your old one on the ground and claim it was damaged!).
  • checked-in luggage when lost or damaged by a common carrier.
  • Passport, credit cards and travel documents if stolen, lost or damaged (specific terms and conditions apply).
  • Stolen cash (Explorer plan only) – limits apply.

It’s our choice if we replace or repair an item and various policy limits may apply. If you’re traveling with a number of valuable items you can also buy extra coverage for specific high value items at the time of getting a quote.

How to report your lost or missing bags and valuables in 4 simple steps

1. Report it

You will need to report your luggage as stolen to the relevant person at the location as soon as possible. Depending on where you are at the time, that could be airline staff, the driver on public transport, a train conductor, accommodation staff or a restaurant manager.

If your luggage has been stolen on public transport (e.g., bus, train or airplane):

  • Report the incident to the public transport provider or tour operator and ask for written evidence such as a Property Irregularity Report (PIR).
  • Keep all relevant tickets, luggage checks and other documentation.
  • Find out how the transport provider will compensate you and get this in writing.

If your luggage has been stolen from your accommodation

  • Report it to the accommodation provider and ask them to provide written confirmation of the loss or theft and any compensation they’ll offer.

If your luggage has been stolen on a tour or at a public venue (e.g., airport, museum, restaurant, sports stadium)

  • Report it to security, the tour operator or venue management and ask them to provide written confirmation of the theft and any compensation they’ll offer.

2. Notify the police

You’ll need to report the theft to the police as soon as reasonably possible after it occurs and get written evidence that you've reported it to the police, such as a written police report.

3. Track and block your phone, tablet and credit cards

If your mobile device (phone or tablet) is lost or stolen:

  • Lock your device and change your passwords. In many cases you may be able to use the ‘find my phone’ feature to remotely secure your phone and apps to protect your data.
  • Remotely erase data as soon as possible.
  • Call your mobile device provider and ask them to block your service and ask for written confirmation that has been done.

If your credit cards are stolen:

Contact your bank and/or credit card provider as soon as possible. They should be able to block any future charges and potentially reverse any fraudulent charges that have already taken place and cancel the card if required. Your bank or credit card provider may also be able to help you access money without a card.

4. Keep all receipts and paperwork

You’ll need to keep all your receipts, paperwork and other relevant information regarding the theft, along with your itineraries and booking and cancellation confirmations of any affected travel arrangements for when you claim. If you don’t do this, we may reduce or reject your claim.

What’s not covered

  • Damage to personal belongings unless checked in with a common carrier.
  • Damage to, loss or theft of high valued specified items, even if checked in with a common carrier in your baggage, including jewellery, computers, cameras, hand-held and mobile devices or other electronic equipment.
  • Items stolen from a vehicle that is unlocked (or there are no visible signs of forced entry) or from a non-lockable or visible part of a passenger compartment.
  • Items you lost or left behind somewhere.
  • Theft which is not observed by you at the time when the theft was being committed.

Travel safety tips before you leave your home

  • Add a distinctive, trackable security tag with your contact info (minus your home address) to make your luggage easier to spot and recover if it goes missing.
  • Be proactive and install tracking apps on your devices before travelling abroad.
  • Scan copies of all your documents and store them in your phone before you leave your country of residence.
  • Grab a travel insurance quote here.

Ready to get a travel insurance quote?

If you’re ready to start exploring our travel cover options and optional extras, then visit our Get a Quote page and tell us your travel details. For more information check out our FAQ article on baggage cover and personal effects and read your Policy Wording carefully before you buy.

The policy isn’t designed to cover everything, so take the time to read the terms, conditions, limitations and exclusions in the Policy Wording for full details so that there are no surprises if you need to use it. If you’re not sure if something is covered, get in touch.

Choked and Robbed.

On October 8, 2013, I was trying to go back home by taxi. But I had to change taxi and walk for 30meter to get next taxi. It was little dark 7pm. At the time, I was surrounded by 3 or 4 men. A man choked me and another guy tore off my small bag, and they ran away. There were a camera, passport, watch, wallet with 300 rand and credit card, cellphone, USB Internet modem and so on. I explained to taxi driver and he helped me to bring home without pay. And my house owner helped me to go to police station and explained everything.
Claim paid: USD $780,21
Japanese Nomad in South Africa.

Travel Insurance Benefits: how we can take care of you

Trip Protection

Protect your hard earned vacation from unexpected cancellation before you leave home.

  • Explorer Plan: USD $10,000
  • Standard Plan: USD $5,000
Trip Protection
  • Unexpectedly hospitalised?
  • Travel buddy deceased?
  • Close relative dropped dead?

We’ve got your back.

Emergency Overseas Medical Insurance

Take the pain out of medical costs while traveling overseas.

  • Explorer Plan: Unlimited, up to 12 months
  • Standard Plan: USD $5,000,000
Emergency Medical Insurance
  • Need drugs?
  • Accidentally injured?
  • Suddenly sick?

We’ve got your back.

Emergency Medical Transportation

We'll get you to hospital quickly.

  • Explorer Plan: USD $500,000
  • Standard Plan: USD $500,000
Evacuation and Repatriation
  • Banged up abroad?
  • Need a hospital urgently?
  • Medivac home?

Help starts here.

Protect your gear

Cover your stolen or damaged gear and tech.

  • Explorer Plan: USD $3,500
  • Standard Plan: USD $2,500
Protect your gear
  • Luggage lost?
  • Passport pilfered?
  • Tech trashed?

Help starts here.

  • Overseas Medical & Dental Expenses
  • 24 hour Emergency Assistance
  • Emergency Medical Transport
  • Repatriation & Travel Expenses
  • Pre-Trip Cancellation
  • Trip Interruption
  • Resumption of Trip
  • Travel Delay
  • Missed connection (Explorer)
  • Hijacking (Explorer)
  • Baggage & Personal Items
  • Passport & Travel Documents
  • Personal Liability
  • Rental vehicle insurance excess (Explorer)
  • Personal accident (Explorer)
*This is a general summary for all residents except from USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Europe, Brazil, China and Philippines. Restrictions, exclusions and limitations will apply. Coverage may not be available for all countries, states or provinces. Benefit limits may vary depending on the plan chosen. Get a quote for full details.

24/7 emergency assistance

Whether you need medical assistance or emergency evacuation, our teams are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year before and during your trip.

Are you in need of emergency assistance right now?
Phone:+353 21 237 8008 or +353 21 237 8003 (calls are not toll free. You can claim your itemised call costs)

Contact the team

FAQ

Here are our most frequently asked questions about buying travel insurance for baggage. You can also find the answers to other questions in our Helpdesk or you can ask our customer service team

  • If the airlines loses my gear, what do I need?
    You’ll need a Property Irregularity Report (‘PIR’) from the carrier confirming the delay and any compensation they provided to you or offered to you, your receipts and a copy of your itinerary.
  • Do my items get depreciated?
    Yes they do. However, some policies let you pay an additional premium per item so insure them for the value you bought them (if it's under the limits).