DBS Travel Insurance—MoneySmart Review 2024

DBS TravellerShield Plus is a top choice for travel insurance in Singapore, especially for DBS and POSB customers. It’s super convenient to buy, making it a popular pick.

Why? Well, let’s face it, many of us don’t want to spend hours hunting for the best travel insurance plan. If it’s easy to get, that’s a win.

While DBS sells the TravellerShield Plus, Chubb is the actual insurer. This matters when it comes to making claims. But I’ll explain more of that later.

So, let’s see what you’re actually getting with DBS TravellerShield Plus.

Learn more about our rating system for travel insurance.

DBS travel insurance review (2024)

1. 1. Is DBS travel insurance safe?
   2. DBS travel insurance—What plan tiers do they offer?
   3. Is the coverage worth the price you pay?
   4. COVID-19 coverage
   5. Extreme sports and outdoor adventure coverage
   6. What to look out for in their terms and conditions
   7. Claims process
   8. DBS vs MSIG vs NTUC Income vs Sompo travel insurance
   9. DBS travel insurance promotion
   10. DBS travel insurance review—Final thoughts

 

1. Is DBS travel insurance safe?

DBS TravellerShield Plus is a reliable choice for Singaporean travellers. Why? It’s underwritten by Chubb Insurance, a reputable global insurance provider.

You have several options to get DBS travel insurance, including complimentary coverage.

Here’s a quick rundown:

• DBS TravellerShield Plus (by Chubb)
• DBS Travel & Leisure Marketplace: Book flights or overseas hotels to score free travel insurance.
• DBS Treasures Black Elite or World Business Cardholders
• DBS Insignia Visa Infinite Cardholders

Whether you buy or get it complimentary, DBS has you covered for your travels.

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2. DBS travel insurance—What plan tiers do they offer?

DBS TravellerShield Plus offers three plan tiers:

• Classic Plan. Most affordable, basic coverage.
• Premier Plan. Mid-tier coverage.
• Platinum Plan. Premium pricing, top coverage.

The premiums are categorised into four groups, giving you better choices depending on where you want to travel.

Region	Countries/Areas Included
Region 1	Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, Cruise to nowhere
Region 2	China, Hong Kong SAR, Macao SAR, Taiwan, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, India, Sri Lanka, Mongolia, Timor-Leste, and all destinations in Region 1
Region 3	Worldwide excluding Cuba, the USA, and Canada
Region 4	Worldwide excluding Cuba

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3. DBS travel insurance—Is the coverage worth the price you pay?

If you buy DBS travel insurance, here’s what you get. The prices are set for 1 week in ASEAN countries.

DBS TravellerShield	Classic	Premier	Platinum
Price 1 Week ASEAN Trip as of Jul 30, 2024	S$75/week	S$89/week	S$122/week
Medical expenses (Overseas)	S$300,000	S$500,000	S$1,000,000
Emergency medical evacuation	S$1,000,000	S$1,000,000	S$1,000,000
Personal accident (Death & TPD)	S$150,000	S$200,000	S$500,000
Trip cancellation	S$5,000	S$10,000	S$15,000
Baggage loss	S$3,000	S$5,000	S$8,000
Outdoor adventures	No	Yes	Yes
COVID-19	Covered	Covered	Covered

DBS Travel Insurance is, by far, the most expensive travel insurance plan in Singapore, with weekly premiums ranging from S$75 to S$122 for an ASEAN trip—much more than MSIG Travel Insurance, NTUC Income, and Sompo. Given that all of these insurers also offer COVID-19 coverage. I’ll unpack more on this later.

DBS complimentary travel insurance—what’s included

You can get complimentary travel insurance from DBS in 3 ways:

1. DBS Travel & Leisure Marketplace. Book your flights and overseas hotels through the DBS Travel Marketplace, and your free travel insurance from Chubb will be automatically activated at checkout.
2. Credit Cardholder Benefits. If you have a DBS Treasures Black Elite Card or DBS World Business Card, you qualify.
3. DBS Insignia Visa Infinite Card. Exclusively for DBS Treasures members.

But how good is the coverage? Since it’s free, don’t expect much. The plan offers minimal coverage and only comes in one basic tier.

Here are the benefits:

DBS Complimentary Travel Insurance	Coverage
Price	Free
Personal Accident (Death, TPD) on transport	S$100,000
Travel Delay	S$50/6 hours (max S$300)
Baggage Delay	S$50/6 hours (max S$300)
Trip Cancellation	S$1,000

The free travel insurance, including COVID-19 coverage, sounds promising at first. But a closer look reveals that the coverage is minimal, almost negligible.

DBS Complimentary Travel Insurance (COVID-19)	Benefit
Overseas Medical Expenses — In-patient only (COVID-19)	S$500
Overseas Hospitalisation Cash Benefit — (S$100 per day, 2 days excess)  (COVID-19)	Up to S$500
Overseas Quarantine Cash Benefit — — (S$100 per day) (COVID-19)	Up to S$500 (max 5 days)
Emergency Medical Evacuation (COVID-19)	$1,000
Repatriation (COVID-19)	$1,000
Trip Cancellation (COVID-19)	$1,000
Trip Curtailment (COVID-19)	$200

What can S$500 cover for overseas hospitalisation? Not even the admin fees. Honestly, the DBS complimentary travel insurance is practically useless. Please don’t rely on it while travelling.

DBS Treasures Black Elite Card & DBS World Business Card

If you’re a DBS Treasures Black Elite cardholder (DBS Treasures clients only) or DBS World Business cardholder ($80,000 annual income), you get complimentary travel insurance when you charge your travel fares (excluding hotels) to your card. This insurance is underwritten by Chubb.

At first glance, this credit card travel insurance seems more valuable than the DBS Travel & Leisure Marketplace option, boasting $1,000,000 for accidental death. However, a closer look reveals that even this coverage might fall short.

DBS Complimentary Travel Insurance for Credit Cards	Coverage
Price	Free
Personal Accident (Death, TPD) on transport	S$1,000,000
Overseas Medical Expenses (Accident)	S$5,000
Flight Delay (Connecting flights only)	S$400
Travel Delay	S$400
Baggage Delay	S$400
Baggage Loss	S$1,000
COVID-19	No

DBS Insignia Visa Infinite Card

For DBS Insignia Visa Infinite Cardholders, complimentary travel insurance kicks in automatically when you charge travel expenses to your card.

Underwritten by Chubb, you’ll have the basic coverage like accidental death and permanent disablement while traveling on public transport.

Just remember, coverage is subject to the terms and conditions of the Master Policy issued to DBS. You can read the policy wording for more information on your coverage.

DBS Complimentary Travel Insurance for Insignia Visa Infinite Card	Coverage
Price	Free
Personal Accident (Death, TPD) on transport	S$1,500,000
Overseas Medical Expenses (Accident)	S$50,000
Flight Delay (Due to Misconnection of flight)	S$200
Travel Delay	S$400
Baggage Delay	S$200
Baggage Loss	S$200
COVID-19	No

If you take time to scrutinise the policy wording, you’ll notice the complimentary travel insurance from the DBS Treasure Black Elite or DBS World Business cards — even if DBS Inisgnia Infinite Visa Card has S$1,500,000 coverage on personal accident (death, TP) on transport) — might not be enough.

But you might think having two travel insurance plans means double the coverage. Unfortunately, that’s not the case. Most insurers only allow claims from the plan with the higher limit.

While these DBS travel insurance plans are nice perks, their low coverage means you’ll probably need another travel insurance plan to be fully protected. But when it comes to DBS TravellerShield coverage, even if the plans are higher than the median in the market, the benefits are quite comprehensive on overseas medical expenses.

If you want higher coverage, skip the complimentary insurance and pay the premium for your peace of mind. Another factor that you need to consider when buying a travel insurance is the COVID-19 coverage. Let’s find out in the next section if DBS is generous in this benefit.

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4. DBS travel insurance—COVID-19 coverage

Surprisingly, the DBS TravellerShield Plus travel insurance plan automatically includes COVID-19 coverage at reasonable prices.

DBS TravellerShield Covid-19 Coverage	Classic	Premier	Platinum
Medical expenses (Overseas)	S$300,000	S$500,000	S$1,000,000
Overseas hospitalisation cash benefit	S$200/day (max S$10,000)	S$200/day (max S$30,000)	$200/day (max S$50,000)
Overseas hospitalisation cash benefit for ICU	S$400/day (max S$4,000)	S$400/day (max S$5,600)	$400/day (max S$8,000)
Hotel extension benefit	$100/day (max S$800)	$100/day (max S$1,500)	$100/day (max S$2,000)
Chubb emergency medical evacuation and repatriation	S$1,000,000	S$1,000,000	S$1,000,000
Repatriation of mortal remains	S$50,000	S$100,000	S$100,000
Trip cancellation	S$5,000	S$10,000	S$15,000
Trip curtailment	S$5,000	S$10,000	S$15,000

Compared to popular travel insurance such as FWD Travel Insurance‘s COVID-19 offerings ($200,000 in medical expenses), DBS TravellerShield’s lowest-tier Classic plan ($300,000) is sufficient for hospitalisation coverage in the event you have to be confined overseas due to COVID-19.

Previously, the DBS TravellerShield’s lowest tier plan only covers up to S$50,000, but since 31 May 2024, they have rolled out higher limits for claims related to COVID-19.

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5. DBS travel insurance—Extreme sports and outdoor adventure coverage

Are you planning thrilling outdoor adventures like scuba diving or skiing? Here’s a quick look at what DBS TravellerShield Plus travel insurance includes for extreme sports and outdoor adventures:

Outdoor Adventure	DBS TravellerShield Plus Travel Insurance
Hot air balloon	Premier, Platinum
Scuba diving, underwater	Premier, Platinum (PADI cert, max 30m)
Skiing and other ice, snow sports	Premier, Platinum (within ski resort)
Hiking or trekking	Yes (up to 3,000m)
Mountaineering, outdoor rock climbing	Premier, Platinum (up to 3,000m)
Marathons, competitions	Yes (no ultramarathons, biathlons or triathlons)
Jet skiing	Premier, Platinum
White water rafting	Premier, Platinum (up to Grade 4)
Skydiving	Premier, Platinum
Paragliding, hang gliding, parachuting	Premier, Platinum
Bungee jumping	Premier, Platinum
Helicopter (sightseeing)	Premier, Platinum

According to general exclusions in the policy wording, any professional competitions or sports where you receive remuneration, sponsorships, or financial rewards are excluded. If you plan to get into scuba diving, it’s covered only if you have a PADI certification (or similar) or are diving with a qualified instructor, with a maximum depth of 30 meters and not diving alone.

Note that competitors like FWD travel insurance already cover most of these activities in their cheapest plans, so if you want to save money on your travel insurance, you should shop around for the coverage you want.

Consider Direct Asia Travel Insurance‘s sports rider if you’re participating in contact or extreme sports.

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6. DBS travel insurance—What to look out for in their terms and conditions

Before you purchase the travel insurance, you want to make sure you’re aware of some of the terms and conditions. Here are some of them worth looking into:

• Air miles and points. If you use frequent flyer miles or reward points to buy a plane ticket or book travel and accommodation, and then your trip gets cancelled for a covered reason, this insurance will pay you back the cash value of those points. But this only applies if you can’t get the points back from any other sources. The insurance will cover up to a certain amount, as long as you bought the policy before knowing anything that might disrupt your trip.
• Overseas medical expenses. If you get injured or sick during your trip, this insurance will cover your medical expenses up to a specified limit only depending on your chosen plan. The coverage is based on the policy’s terms and conditions.
• Emergency medical evacuation and repatriation. Chubb Assistance will arrange your evacuation if needed, using the best method based on your medical condition, like an air ambulance or regular flight. They’ll decide the transport type and destination based on what’s medically necessary. If required, you might be flown back to Singapore on a commercial flight. They’ll also cover extra transport costs to and from the airport for your return after evacuation.
• Pre-existing condition. If you buy the optional add-on for pre-existing medical conditions, it will cover you for any claims related to those conditions for up to 30 consecutive days during your trip. The coverage starts from the beginning of your journey and ends on the 31st day at 12:01 a.m. Any losses after this time won’t be covered.
• Loss of baggage and property. There’s a maximum payout for each item, set, or portable computer as listed in the policy. You need to provide proof of purchase, like receipts or bank statements. Without it, the claim might be reduced or denied. The insurance may either pay you, repair, or replace the item, considering wear and tear. The policy covers one mobile device and one portable computer per person.

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7. DBS travel insurance—Claims process

At the start of this article, we mentioned that DBS travel insurance is provided by Chubb. This is important for you to know because when it’s time to file a claim or call the emergency hotline, you’ll need to contact Chubb directly.

Here’s what you need to know:

• Emergency hotline: +65 6836 1292 (24-hour)
• Claim hotline: +65 6398 8797 (Mon – Fri, 9am to 5pm, excluding public holidays)
• Online claims: Submit your claims and supporting documents via Chubb’s website
• Claim deadline: You must file your claim within one month of returning to Singapore

While there aren’t many reviews of Chubb’s claims process in Singapore, the Swiss-based company is known globally for its smooth claims experience.

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8. DBS vs MSIG vs NTUC Income vs Sompo travel insurance

A comparison of the most expensive travel insurance premiums in Singapore:

Insurer	Price Range (per week) ASEAN As of 30 July 2024
DBS Travel Insurance	$75 to $280
MSIG Travel Insurance	S$62 to S$116
NTUC Income Travel Insurance	S$68 to S$109
Sompo Travel Insurance	S$64 to S$83

Despite being on the higher end of the price spectrum, DBS insurance provides comprehensive coverage for overseas medical expenses, emergency medical evacuation, and personal accident deaths. If you’re looking for a premium choice for extensive protection, you won’t have second thoughts.

In terms of travel inconveniences such as trip cancellation, DBS offers coverage of $5,000 to $15,000—very competitive and similar to that of MSIG and NTUC.

MSIG and NTUC Income also provide strong coverage at a more moderate price range, which I think balances cost and value. Sompo, although the most affordable, offers less coverage, which might suit you if you want high coverage limits.

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9. DBS travel insurance promotion

I mentioned earlier that DBS Travel Insurance is, by far, the most expensive travel insurance plan. But like any other travel insurance service provider, DBS and Chubb want to make sure they also attract your eyeballs and wallets while you plan for your big trip. As of this time of writing, they have ongoing promotions that make the prices reasonable.

After the discount, considering the comprehensive overseas medical coverage and COVID-19 coverage it provides, DBS travel insurance’s highest-tier Platinum plan is definitely a great deal for your wallet.

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10. DBS travel insurance review—Final thoughts

If you’re thinking of getting DBS Travel Insurance to boost your DBS Multiplier savings account bonus interest rate, I read your mind. But don’t do it. DBS Travel Insurance isn’t on the list of eligible transactions for the DBS Multiplier.

When it comes to coverage, the basic plan from DBS is good for a shopping trip to Bangkok or an outdoorsy adventure in Indonesia. It even covers leisure hikes up to 3,000m, so climbing Mount Batur in Bali, Indonesia for a mid-challenging hike is fine too. But for activities like scuba diving, skiing, or skydiving, you’ll need to upgrade to a higher tier plan.

DBS doesn’t clearly state these coverage limitations upfront—you’ll need to dig through the FAQ or policy wording to find them. That’s a bit of a letdown.

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About our scale and rating system

• We compiled the prices and coverage limits for over 50 travel insurance plans from 18 different providers in Singapore in a massive spreadsheet.
• For each price/coverage category (e.g. trip cancellation, travel delay, etc.), we determined the minimum, median, and maximum values across all travel insurance plans. These values then form scales showing the lowest, highest, and average price/coverage amounts for different travel insurance plans in Singapore.
• Finally, we plotted where each travel insurance plan stands on those scales and assigned a star rating for the provider based on the results.

Star rating and description	Visual example
★☆☆☆☆ 1 star: All plans under that provider perform average or lower than average, and 1 or more plans is the worst performing. / If there is only 1 plan, it is the worst performing.	1 star:
★★☆☆☆ 2 stars: All plans under that provider perform average or lower than average, but none of their plans is the worst performing. / If there is only one plan, it performs below average. OR see 3 star rating below for penalty star scenario.	2 stars: 2 stars (3 stars – penalty star):
★★★☆☆ 3 stars: All plans under that provider perform between the minimum and maximum. / If there is only one plan, it performs average. – Add a bonus star if one of the plans is the best in Singapore. – Deduct a penalty star if one of the plans is the worst in Singapore.	3 stars:
★★★★☆ 4 stars: All plans under that provider perform average or above average, but none of their plans is the best performing. / If there is only 1 plan, it performs above average. OR see 3 star rating above for bonus star scenario.	4 stars: 4 stars (3 stars + bonus star):
★★★★★ 5 stars: All plans under that provider perform average or above average, and 1 or more of their plans is the best performing. / If there is only 1 plan, it is the best performing.	5 stars:

NOTE: These are flipped for the Price component—for this, the lower the better.

 

Planning to buy travel insurance from DBS? Make sure to compare all the best travel insurance plans first.