Travel searches for Japan & South Korea are booming right now. Here’s what to check before you book.
Planning a snow trip to Hokkaido, a street-food crawl in Seoul, or cherry-blossom city-hopping?
With fresh fare sales and record Aussie interest in both countries, it’s a great time to go: if you book smart and line up the right cover.
Jetstar and Qantas have both pushed aggressive Japan/Korea promos in recent weeks, fuelling demand for 2025–26 travel windows.
Jump to a specific section of the page
5 “Quick Checks” Before You Buy a Japan or Korea Travel Deal
Check whether your non-refundable and pre-paid trip costs are locked in or not.
Check whether your non-refundable and pre-paid trip costs are locked in or not.
Many travel insurance benefits only apply to non-refundable, pre-paid items (think flights, hotels, JR rail passes, day tours, etc.)
Buy travel cover as close to the day you book as possible so unforeseen illness or disasters aren’t “known events” later.
What to know about activity add-ons for snow, scooter, or hiking activities.
What to know about activity add-ons for snow, scooter, or hiking activities.
Standard policies often exclude higher-risk activities (e.g., skiing/snowboarding outside resort boundaries, motorbike/scooter riding without the correct licence/helmet, canyoning).
Travel Insured offers five different add-on packs, but the ones most relevant here would be the Winter Sports Pack for skiing or snowboarding and the Motorcycle / Moped Pack.
Learn more about all the Travel Insured benefits on international policies by clicking this link 🔗
Australian Medicare and international travel.
Australian Medicare and international travel.
While mostly known to Aussie travellers, Austrlian medicare benefits don’t provide medical or evacuation coverage overseas.
Keep this in mind, especially in Japan, because its private care can be expensive.
Moreover, evacuation and/or medical transportation costs can be astronomical depending on the circumstance.
Read more about this topic on travelinsured.au by clicking here.
Connections, delays, and documentation.
Connections, delays, and documentation.
If you’re mixing sale fares with separate tickets (e.g., domestic hop + international leg), look for missed-connection and trip-delay benefits.
Keep proof (airline notices, receipts, written confirmations). When it comes time to start a claim, the first question asked will be about supporting documentation.
If you don’t retain the proper documents that could approve your claim for reimbursement, you might be out of luck.
Entry rules you should not overlook.
Entry rules you should not overlook.
Japan: Aussies generally enter visa-free for short stays but conditions can change. Always re-check close to departure.
South Korea: the K-ETA requirement is waived for Australians until 31 December 2025. Confirm your status before you fly.
Get Travel Insured for your trip to Japan or South Korea today.
The Most Frequently Asked Destination-Specific Questions
Here are some of the most popular questions we’re seeing come through on the topic of travelling to Japan and South Korea, with our expert travel tips as supportive answers.
Q1: Do I need special cover for Japan’s snow season?
Answer: This is completely up to you. If you decide to buy a travel insurance policy for a trip to Japan and you’re planning to do some snow activities, it’s recommended to consider adding the Winter Sports Pack because it’s possible that the travel medical cover that’s included may not cover injuries due to accidents occurred whilst engaging in a snow-related activity.
Here’s a quick overview of what’s covered on Travel Insured’s Winter Sports Package add-on:
- In the event of an injury whilst skiing or snowboarding that requires a change to your pre-paid travel plans, we will pay up to the limit applicable where you have selected Cancellation or Trip Interruption cover.
- Cover for ski run closure: if you’re prevented from skiing at a pre-booked resort for more than 24 continuous hours during your trip due to insufficient snow or too much snow causing a total closure of the lift system.
- Cover for pre-paid costs: we’ll pay for non-refundable, pre-paid ski lift passes, snow sport equipment, hire or tuition fees you can’t use due to injury or illness sustained during your trip.
- Cover for hiring replacement snow sports equipment: if your snow sports equipment is lost, delayed, or damaged during the trip, we’ll pay the necessary cost for hiring replacement equipment up to a maximum of $300 per insured person.
Q2: Will insurance cover rail delays (JR), missed tours, or baggage mix-ups?
Answer: The short answer here is, it depends. The circumstances behind a travel delay, missed tour, or baggage issue are all varied and a payable claim is dependent on what led up to the event and if you have the proper documentation to support.
If you buy a Travel Insured policy that includes Trip Cancellation and Interruption, Travel Delay, and Baggage Protection, you will have coverage up to the per insured limit you select.
If an issue occurs that triggers one of the benefits within that cover, be sure to retain all related documentation like carrier delay notices, station attestations, tour T&Cs (Terms and Conditions), and receipts for essentials if bags are delayed.
Showing up empty handed when starting a claim will not only prolong the process, it could also potentially lead to a denied (un-payable) claim.
Q3: Is healthcare in Japan and South Korea an issue for Aussies?
Answer: Both destinations have excellent healthcare, but foreigners usually have to pay upfront. Depending on the medical need, costs car vary significantly.
Travel Insured’s international policies come equipped with unlimited overseas medical cover. While on your trip, be sure to save the emergency phone number to your mobile and keep all your receipts should you have to pay out of pocket for healthcare costs.
Q4: Are sale fares safe to book?
Answer: Sale fares are great for Japan/Korea right now, but they’re often non-refundable and charge fees to change.
Get Travel Insured as you buy to protect those sunk costs if a covered event hits later (illness, injury, severe weather). Recent Jetstar and Qantas sales show strong availability across 2025–2026 windows—move fast, then insure fast.
Here’s Your Quick Go-To Travel Itinerary Checklist
- Book flights/hotels → Get Travel Insured the same day (lock in non-refundable spend).
- Consider adding Winter Sports or Motorcycle/Moped cover to your policy (Japan ski fields, Korean coastal hikes/scooters).
- Confirm entry rules: Japan visa-free; Korea K-ETA status (waived for Aussies through 31 Dec 2025—recheck).
- For separate tickets, confirm you have cover for Trip Cancellation and Interruption and Travel Delay; keep all documentation and receipts.
- Specify gadgets if limits are low; understand “unattended” and “public place” definitions.
This article is ending but your adventure is just beginning
Japan and South Korea are two of the hottest outbound picks for Australians right now—helped by headline fares and long travel windows into 2026.
Lock in the trip you want, then match the policy to how you’ll actually travel (snow, city, multi-stop). The right add-ons, proof, and timing will make the difference between a smooth claim and a frustrating surprise.
Pick and choose the benefits and limits you want for your trip to Japan or South Korea today.
