smartraveller.gov.au - Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
It's a must see destination.
It's a must see destination.
Staying healthy while travelling can help to ensure your trip overseas is a happy and enjoyable one.
This brochure provides health information and travel tips to help you prepare for a safe and healthy journey.
The better prepared you are, the more safe and enjoyable your travel will be.
1. Check the latest travel advice for your destination at smartraveller.gov.au before you go. Subscribe to receive free email notification each time the advice is updated.
2. Take out travel insurance to cover hospital treatment, medical evacuation and any activities, including adventure sports, in which you plan to participate.
3. Before travelling
overseas register your travel and contact details online at smartraveller.gov.au, or at
the local Australian embassy, high commission or consulate once you
arrive so we can contact you in an emergency.
Make an appointment with your doctor or travel clinic for a basic check-up at least 6-8 weeks before you depart to find out if any vaccinations or health checks are required.
It is important that you discuss your personal travel plans with a doctor so they can determine the correct vaccinations for your trip and any booster doses of childhood vaccinations that may be necessary.
Vaccines can prevent you from contracting some diseases, but it is important to also remember:
Further information
To find out more about healthy travel and vaccinations visit:
Yellow fever is a potentially fatal viral disease carried by certain mosquitoes in parts of Africa and South America. Many countries require proof of yellow fever vaccination. You should check with your travel clinic or doctor whether the vaccine is required.
Yellow fever may be spread by an infected person, so if you are travelling to a country where yellow fever is a risk, you may need a certificate showing proof of yellow fever vaccination, particularly, if you have come from or transited through an area where there is a risk of yellow fever transmission. Without this certificate you may be refused entry to some countries, or required to be vaccinated upon arrival.
Yellow fever vaccine is only available from approved medical practitioners and must be given at least 10 days before travel to infected areas. You can obtain a list of locally-approved yellow fever vaccination providers from your doctor or the Department of Health and Ageing's state and territory offices. Their contact details are on their yellow fever fact sheet.
You will require a valid international yellow fever vaccination certificate, if, within six days prior to your arrival in Australia, you have stayed overnight or longer in a declared yellow fever infected country in Africa or South America.
The World Health Organization closely monitors reports of yellow fever infection and periodically publishes a list of countries where the disease occurs.
Australian travellers, long-term residents and businesses overseas should inform themselves about the risks of avian influenza, be prepared to take personal responsibility for their own safety and put appropriate contingency plans in place.
Since 2003 there have been outbreaks of a particular strain of Bird Flu (H5N1 avian influenza) in a number of countries around the world, affecting poultry and some wild birds. It does occasionally cause illness in people and has resulted in human deaths.
Currently people are only at risk of contracting Bird Flu if they have close contact with infected birds. At this stage there is no evidence that Bird Flu can be easily transferred from one infected person to another.
Australians who live in an avian influenza affected area for an extended period should consider, as a precautionary measure, having access to influenza antiviral medication.
Australians intending to travel to affected countries for shorter periods are at much lower risk of infection but should discuss the risk of avian influenza with their doctor as part of their routine pre-travel health checks.
Australians travelling to avian influenza affected areas can reduce their risk by:
If the threat of sustained human-to-human transmission appears serious, we will advise Australians in affected countries to consider leaving. If they don’t leave when first advised to do so, they may be prevented from leaving later.
Australians should ensure that their travel documents are up-to-date in case they need to depart an affected country at short notice.
If a widespread outbreak occurs, the delivery of consular assistance to Australians could be severely constrained. Australian missions and offices overseas will not be in a position to provide influenza antiviral medication to Australians in affected areas. Australian travellers, long-term residents and businesses are responsible for securing their own supply of influenza antiviral medicine, if required.
For more information and to find out if the country you are travelling to is affected by Bird Flu, see our travel bulletin at smartraveller.gov.au. For more information on Avian Influenza see The Department of Health and Ageing.
Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) represents the late clinical stage of infection with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) which progressively damages the body’s immune system and makes the body vulnerable to other diseases and infections. HIV infection and AIDS occurs worldwide and affects both men and women. No vaccine is available to prevent infection with HIV.
In some countries, especially in Africa and South East Asia, HIV infection is much more common than in Australia.
The risk of HIV infection for international travellers is generally low. Factors to consider in assessing risk include the extent of direct contact with blood or other potentially infectious secretions and the extent of sexual contact with potentially infected persons. In addition, the blood supply in developing countries may not be adequately screened.
Travellers can reduce their risk of contracting HIV by:
Organising comprehensive travel insurance before you depart should be an essential part of your holiday preparations and can save you the worry of unexpected medical costs. Regardless of how healthy and fit you are - if you cannot afford travel insurance, you cannot afford to travel.
When organising your insurance, fully disclose any pre-existing medical conditions in writing. If the insurance company refuses to cover your pre-existing medical condition, be sure to take out insurance to cover other health and travel-related issues, not related to your pre-existing condition. In cases where full coverage is not provided travellers should consider the potential financial risks very carefully before deciding whether to proceed with the planned travel overseas.
It’s a good idea to shop around when choosing an insurance policy and to make sure the cover provided is adequate for your needs and covers you the whole time you will be away. You should check the small print of your insurance policy very carefully, to see if any exclusions might apply and that your policy includes cover for emergency treatment, hospitalisation and repatriation to Australia if necessary.
Cruise passengers are strongly encouraged to take out travel insurance appropriate to their circumstances.
If you plan on participating in adventure tourism or sports like scuba diving or parasailing, be upfront about your plans with your insurance provider and ensure your policy covers these activities.
If you are planning to rely on the travel insurance provided by your credit card, you should, before travelling, obtain written confirmation of what exactly the insurance covers, the period of time you will be covered and what conditions are attached. Don’t just assume your application has been accepted and processed or that just by having a credit card you are entitled to immediate coverage when you leave the country. You don’t want to find out once you are in trouble that your traveller’s insurance does not cover everything you thought it would or that your insurance was not activated. If you are not sure whether you are covered for any of the above, you should check with your insurance provider.
Don't base your decision to take out insurance on the assumption that 'it won’t happen to me'. Accidents do happen. Medical standards differ from country to country. Hospitalisation, medical evacuations, or even the return of a deceased person's remains to Australia, can be very expensive. Be aware when organising your insurance that uninsured travellers (or their families) are held personally liable for covering any medical and associated costs they incur. Overseas medical costs are not covered by Medicare. Some families have been bankrupted, forced to sell off assets such as homes, or cash out superannuation to bring loved ones back to Australia for treatment.
If you extend your stay overseas, make sure you contact your insurer in time to extend your cover.
Some examples of why you need travel insurance:
For further information, the Insurance Council of Australia and the Insurance Ombudsman Service have issued guides on travel insurance for travellers. They cover the main issues to look for when selecting travel insurance to ensure you are appropriately and adequately covered.
Before leaving home, you should check that your medications are legal in the countries you are visiting. You can do this by contacting the country’s embassy or high commission.
Since the National Health Act was amended in 1999, it has been an offence to carry or post Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) medicines overseas unless they are for your personal use, or the use of someone travelling with you.
Only Australian residents living in Australia at the time a PBS prescription is dispensed are entitled to receive PBS-subsidised medication and there are restrictions on the amount of PBS medicine that can be carried or sent overseas.
When planning to travel overseas with PBS medicine it is important that you:
If you intend to travel with large quantities of medicine, including over-the-counter or private prescription medications, you should ask your doctor, dentist or pharmacist to provide you with a letter explaining why you need to carry such quantities.
If you have to inject your medication it may be preferable to carry your own needles and syringes but you should check with the embassy or consulate of the country you are visiting to make sure this is acceptable. If you need to carry needles and syringes with you on the plane, inform your airline before you travel and, if necessary, arrange a letter from your doctor explaining why you need to carry them.
If you buy needles and syringes while overseas, ensure you buy packs that are sealed and sterile.
It is important to be aware that some medicines that are readily available in Australia may not be available overseas, or if they are available they may be packaged under a different brand name. Keep an eye on the strength of the active ingredients of similar sounding medications overseas – they can vary.
Do not try to save luggage space by combining medications into one container. Keep all medications in the original, labelled container to avoid problems at customs.
More information on travelling with medicines is available from Medicare Australia’s website or by phoning the PBS Medicine enquiry line on 1800 500 147.
If you have a disability and are planning to travel overseas, the first thing to remember is that Australia's arrangements for people with disabilities are among the best in the world. As it is unlikely that you will find similar facilities in many countries overseas, it is important to plan ahead.
Tips for travellers with disabilities
Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) refers to blood clots that form in the legs. These clots are dangerous because parts of the clot can break off and travel to major organs including the heart or lungs and cause life-threatening problems.
Anyone can contract DVT but existing conditions thought to contribute to the development of these clots during airline travel include age, obesity, smoking, genetic predisposition, recent surgery or trauma to the legs, varicose veins, pregnancy, taking an oral contraceptive, abnormalities of clotting and a history of cancer. Pressure changes in aircraft cabins may also play a part. If you are at higher risk, compression stockings or other medications may help, so if you are concerned about developing DVT speak to your doctor as part of your preparations.
Further information on DVT and other general health information in flight is available from most airlines and aviation authorities, including the Civil Aviation Safety Authority and Qantas.
Australia has health care agreements with some countries including Finland, Italy, Norway, Republic of Ireland, Malta, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Sweden and the United Kingdom.
These agreements enable Australians to access urgent or emergency treatment overseas. However, general medical services are only provided when the need for treatment arises and it would be unreasonable to delay treatment until the individual's return to Australia.
It is important to remember that:
If you wish to be treated under the relevant reciprocal health care agreement, you must advise the medical staff in the country you are visiting. To prove you are eligible for treatment, you will need to provide the local authorities with:
Further information about international health agreements can be found at Medicare or by calling 132 011.
If relevant, you must notify the Department of Veteran’s Affairs (DVA) of your intention to travel overseas before you leave and get detailed information about your entitlements and your responsibilities. Further information is available online or by contacting DVA on 133 254.
While the DVA Gold Card can be used anywhere in Australia it cannot be used overseas for all conditions. There is no guarantee that Gold Card holders will be covered for all health care overseas.
to help avoid deep vein thrombosis (DVT):
While travelling it is important to keep in regular touch with your family and let them know of any changes to your travel plans. Forgetting to contact family and friends can cause them needless stress and worry. Each year the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade’s consular service receives hundreds of calls from concerned family members who have not heard from travellers and are concerned for their safety.
Companies who offer travel insurance often have in place a 24-hour assistance call centre, that you can call from anywhere in the world. If you get sick overseas or are involved in a medical emergency, you should contact your travel insurance provider as soon as possible.
Australians overseas in need of counselling services can contact our Consular Emergency Centre (CEC), on +61 2 6261 3305, who can transfer you to a Lifeline Telephone Counsellor.
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) provides help to Australians who find themselves in trouble overseas. This support is known as consular services.
The Australian Government will do what it can to help Australians in difficulties overseas. However, Australians need to appreciate that when they go abroad they leave behind Australia's support systems, emergency service capabilities and medical facilities. There are legal and practical limits to what consular officers can do for travellers overseas and Australians need to have realistic expectations.
Australians made over 5.1 million overseas trips in 2006-07, compared to 3.4 million in 2002-03. In 2006-07 alone, the Department assisted over 33,900 Australians in difficulty in over 160 countries and handled over 304,800 public inquiries.
The Australian Government cannot decide for Australians where to travel and how to behave when they are overseas. Australians are intrepid travellers and are going in ever greater numbers to out-of-the way, sometimes dangerous places. These are personal choices which the Government respects. However, Australians need to accept responsibility to minimise risks to themselves. Consular functions are governed by international agreements and the Australian Government cannot impose Australia's laws, rules or standards on other countries.
Examples of what we CAN DO to help Australians overseas include:
Examples of what we CANNOT DO to help Australians overseas include:
The Consular Services Charter available on the smartraveller website sets out the standards of service all Australians can expect to receive from consular staff.
Consular officers can be found in Australian diplomatic and consular posts overseas. DFAT’s consular network extends to some 170 points of service around the world. These overseas posts are usually located in capital cities but there are some in regional centres. Sometimes the head of an Australian consulate will be an Honorary Consul.
Not all countries have an Australian diplomatic or consular post but there is usually an Australian post in the region. Under a consular agreement with Canada there are a number of locations where Australians can access consular services through Canadian embassies and high commissions. Informal arrangements also exist with other consular services including those of the United Kingdom and the United States to lend assistance to Australians in need.
Address and telephone numbers of Australian embassies, high commissions and consulates can be found in local telephone directories, hotels, tourist offices or police stations in the country concerned.
A directory of Australian overseas posts and Canadian posts that assist Australians appear in Travel Smart: Hints for Australian Travellers booklet. This booklet is issued with your passport.
The 24-hour Consular Emergency Centre (CEC) in Canberra can also be contacted for assistance from anywhere in the world on +61 2 6261 3305 or 1300 555 135 (local call cost within Australia).
It is important for all Australians to remember that many problems encountered overseas can be avoided if some simple precautions are taken. Follow our overseas travel tips to be well on your way to having a hassle-free journey.
DFAT has prepared a range of brochures for Australians planning to travel overseas:
Copies of these brochures are available at DFAT state and territory offices, Australian Passport Offices, overseas posts and selected travel agents. They can be read and ordered in hard copy online.
Travel agencies and other businesses and educational facilities organising or promoting travel may order bulk quantities of the brochures online.
While every care has been taken in preparing this brochure, neither the Australian Government nor its agents or employees, including any member of Australia's diplomatic and consular staff abroad, can accept liability for any injury, loss or damage arising in respect of any statement contained therein.
Consular Policy Branch
Department of Foreign Affairs and
Trade
RG Casey Building
BARTON ACT 0221
Tel: (02) 6261 3305; 1300 555 135
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