COVID-19: Overseas financial assistance FAQs

If you’ve been unable to return to Australia due to COVID-19 restrictions and are experiencing financial distress, you may be eligible to access support from the government.

The support comes in the form of both loans and grants. It aims to help cover living costs and/or a flight back to Australia. The department is only able to facilitate travel home to Australia for applicants who have a valid right of entry to Australia. This means you are an Australian citizen, permanent resident, or you have a valid visa and travel exemption to enter Australia.  The Australian Border Force can advise the department DFAT on whether applicants’ have a valid right of entry.

• Living costs loan: an interest-free loan to help cover emergency living costs until a commercial flight becomes available.
  • If you're in receipt of a qualifying Australian pension, you may be eligible to receive a grant instead of a loan. This means you wouldn’t have to pay it back. A pension for this purpose includes:
    • an Age Pension from Centrelink
    • a Disability Support Pension from Centrelink
    • a substantial and recurring Carer Payment from Centrelink or NDIS
    • a substantial and recurring payment from the Department of Veterans Affairs.

• Flight loan: You may be eligible for an Australian Government partly subsidised flight to Australia under a loan arrangement. The Australian Government will arrange and pay for the ticket on your behalf. Your loan will cover the cost equivalent of a standard one-way economy class airfare from the region you’re in. See the table below for the amount for flights by region. You will be required to sign a deed undertaking to repay this loan. The remaining cost of the ticket will be subsidised by the Australian Government.
  • If you're in receipt of a qualifying Australian pension, you may be eligible to receive a grant for a fully subsidised flight. This means you would not have to make a contribution to the airfare. A pension for this purpose is defined as:
    • an Age Pension from Centrelink
    • a Disability Support Pension from Centrelink
    • a substantial and recurring Carer Payment from Centrelink or NDIS
    • a substantial and recurring payment from the Department of Veterans Affairs.
  • Minors (child under 18 years of age) may also be covered by a grant for a fully subsidised flight.

Note that this financial assistance is only available as a last resort. Only those in genuine need will be provided financial support.

You’ll need to meet strict eligibility criteria, including demonstrating you have attempted to return to Australia or intend to return to Australia as soon as a suitable flight becomes available.

All loans must be repaid. If you receive a grant instead of a loan, you don’t need to pay it back.

You can apply if you:

• are an Australian citizen
  • If you’re an Australian permanent resident, you may be eligible to receive funding if an immediate family member who is an Australian citizen applies on your behalf.
  • An immediate family member includes:
    • a spouse
    • a de facto partner
    • a dependent child
    • a legal guardian
• are at least 18 years of age, and
• have made all reasonable efforts to seek financial assistance through other means - you’ll need to provide evidence of this.

In addition, you and/or the immediate family member over 18 years of age you’re applying on behalf of, need to meet one or more of the following criteria. You:

• are overseas temporarily and want to return to Australia urgently for medical or other reasons
• are in financial distress as a result of the travel disruptions caused by COVID-19
• require financial assistance to shelter in place until you can secure a seat, or purchase a ticket to return to Australia
• are in a location with restricted or no available commercial airlines operating.

We only require one application per family. One adult family member should nominate themselves as the primary applicant. See eligibility criteria.

If you’re an Australian permanent resident (PR), you’re not eligible to receive funding in your own name as our loans are tied to an Australian passport. However you may be eligible to receive funding if an immediate family member who is an Australian citizen applies on your behalf.

Australians who have returned to Australia already aren’t eligible to apply retrospectively for this financial support. If you’ve returned home and need government financial assistance, you can apply for other payments through Services Australia.

Loans are for vulnerable Australians who are currently overseas and have been unable to return to Australia, either because they can’t afford flights or flights aren’t available.

We offer interest-free loans to help cover emergency living costs until a commercial flight becomes available.

If you are in receipt of a qualifying Australian pension, you may be eligible to receive a grant instead of a loan. This means you wouldn’t have to pay it back.

The amount of the loan or grant depends on the size of the family.

All amounts are in AUD.

You may be eligible for an Australian Government partly subsidised flight to Australia under a loan arrangement.  The Australian Government will arrange and pay for the ticket on your behalf.  Your loan will cover the cost equivalent of a standard one-way economy class airfare from the region you’re in.

Where a flight to Australia can be arranged, a loan is available to help cover the cost of the economy class component of a return flight to Australia. The Australian Government will cover the remaining cost of the ticket.

Pensioners and minors may be eligible for a grant instead of a loan. See “Can I get a grant instead of a loan?” for further information.

If you’re eligible and approved for a loan, you’ll have to sign a Deed which constitutes an “undertaking to repay” the economy class component of the trip – see list below.

We will then attempt to book a flight for you through the Australian Government travel provider - QBT.

All amounts are in AUD.

Airlines decide availability of flight options, cost and to whom seats are offered. The Australian Government isn't able to influence this process. Be prepared that airlines may delay or cancel flights and may have other requirements for travel, including COVID-19 tests.

The financial support available comes in the form of both loans and grants.

• Pensioners: If you are in receipt of a qualifying pension, you may be eligible to receive a grant instead of a loan for both living costs and flights. If you are, we won’t ask you to repay it. If this applies to you, please provide details in the “extra information” section of the application form.
• Minors (children under 18 years of age): If you’re eligible for a loan towards the cost of flights for your family, any child under 18 years of age will be covered by a grant, which does not have to be repaid.
• All other eligible applicants: If you’re eligible for a flight loan, we will loan you the cost of a standard one-way economy class flight to return to Australia and pay for the difference between the economy class component and the remaining cost of the ticket.

Noting the currently high flight costs, we would only be asking Australians to sign for a repayable loan for the economy class component with the Australian Government to cover the remaining costs up to the current ticket price set by the airline.

The airlines will determine the class of travel.

Complete the application form.

When you apply, you’ll need to attach:

• a digital photo or a scan of the photo page of your passport and those of any other family members you’re applying for, and
• evidence that demonstrates you and/or the person you’re applying for are vulnerable and in financial distress because of COVID-19.

Before you apply, you must confirm you can’t get financial support from anywhere else, for example from your:

• insurance company
• bank or credit card company
• travel agent or tour operator
• family and friends
• employer
• local social security services
• overseas pension

You may be eligible for an additional payment to cover your cost of living while you are waiting for flight options. However, you will need to provide evidence that you remain financially vulnerable since receiving your initial payment and that you have been making every effort to return to Australia as soon as practical.

You may need to ask friends/family or your support network to assist you until you can return to Australia.

If you’re an Australian Permanent Resident (PR), you’re not eligible to receive funding in your own name as our loans are tied to an Australian passport. However, you may be eligible to receive funding if an immediate family member who is an Australian citizen applies on your behalf.

For someone to apply on your behalf, they must complete the online application form. If they have trouble completing this online, they can download and print out a PDF version of the form: COVID-19: Overseas financial assistance application form – Applying on behalf a family member [PDF 148KB].

They’ll need to send this together with the relevant attachments to financial.assistance@dfat.gov.au.

An immediate family member includes:

• a spouse
• a de facto partner
• a dependent child
• a legal guardian

For financial assistance with flights, all applicants within the family group must be eligible to enter Australia.

• evidence of income/savings (e.g a copy of your most recent bank statement/s)
• a letter from your most recent employer confirming you have no access to leave or your employment has been terminated
• evidence of previously purchased tickets or bookings, or communication with airlines showing you have tried to return to Australia
• evidence of accommodation costs in the current location
• evidence that insurance will not be covering costs
• evidence of an Australian pension you receive.  A pension for this purpose is defined as:
  • an Age Pension from Centrelink
  • a Disability Support Pension from Centrelink
  • a substantial and recurring Carer Payment from Centrelink or NDIS
  • a substantial and recurring payment from the Department of Veterans Affairs
• information about any medical condition you may have
• any other information that would support your application

Frequent flyer points can't be earned or used in conjunction with the loan. Australians wishing to use frequent flyer points can contact airlines directly.

It may be some time before flights are available. Ensure you have arrangements in place to allow for an extended stay in the country you’re currently in. This includes:

• ensuring you have a visa to remain where you are
• suitable accommodation
• access to appropriate health care or medications you need
• access to continued financial support through employment, friends and family or personal savings or personal loans.

Follow the advice of local authorities, particularly regarding any self-isolation or social distancing guidance or rules - if you don’t comply with their direction, you may face penalties.

Take care to minimise your risk of exposure to COVID-19.

Stay in touch with family and friends regularly. Provide them with contact details if you haven’t already, and provide those around you with contact details for your family or friends back home.

No - you're not able to change a flight booking directly with the airline.  DFAT is responsible, on behalf of the Australian Government, for facilitating and managing all flight arrangements including bookings, cancellations and payments.  Only DFAT has the authority to make changes to travel bookings and incur costs.  Unauthorised changes to travel bookings are not permitted and may constitute a breach of Commonwealth Government legislation. 

If you need to alter the flight that's been arranged for you, you should contact us as soon as possible. 

Financial assistance under the Hardship Program is available for Australian citizens who are in financial distress and want to return to Australia urgently. 

You’ll need to demonstrate that you’re planning to return to Australia as soon as a flight is available and are fit to travel. If you decline offers of flights you may be demonstrating that your travel is not urgent and your approved application may be reconsidered.

There’s a 10MB limit for all attachments per application, with a 5MB limit per document. If your documents exceed this limit, please email the documents to financial.assistance@dfat.gov.au after submitting your application and quote your passport number in the email subject line.

If you're unable to apply online, you can download, print and fill in a document version of the form. You’ll then need to take photos or scan this, together with your attachments, and send to financial.assistance@dfat.gov.au.

• COVID-19: Overseas financial assistance application form [PDF 151KB]
• COVID-19: Overseas financial assistance application form – Applying on behalf a family member [PDF 148KB]

Please include your passport number and family name in the subject line of applications sent by email.

If you applied for a travel exemption after 29 September 2020, you signed a declaration acknowledging the impact of COVID-19 on travel costs, and that you have the financial means to support yourself overseas should there be delays in your return to Australia. You’ll therefore need to show extenuating or compassionate circumstances that emerged since you departed Australia to be eligible for financial assistance. Your change in circumstance must have been unforeseen and unplanned.

If you need help filling out the form or if you have any further questions, please email financial.assistance@dfat.gov.au. 

Once you submit your completed application, with all the required supporting documents, your application will be assessed by the department.  You'll be notified by email on the outcome of your application after this assessment has been completed. 

If your application is approved, you’ll be sent two forms – a legal Deed which constitutes an undertaking to repay the loan, and, if approved for living costs funding, a form to confirm your Australian bank account details.

Once we receive these forms back, we will process your payment. Payment may still take several days depending on your personal banking arrangements.

If you've applied for assistance with the cost of an airfare, we'll pay for the airline tickets directly with the airline.

We'll keep you updated by email as your application progresses, but if you have questions about your own application or want to update it, email financial.assistance@dfat.gov.au including your family name and passport number in the subject of the email. 

If you need urgent consular assistance, call the 24/7 consular emergency number on +61 2 6261 3305 or contact your nearest Australian embassy or high commission.

Once your application is approved and you have returned the necessary forms, including an agreement to repay the loan, payments will be made into an Australian bank account. 

The Australian Government can only provide the funds into an Australian bank account. You'll need to nominate a family member or friend in Australia if you don’t have an Australian bank account. The person you nominate must be an Australian citizen.

If you’re eligible and approved for a loan, you’ll have to sign a legal Deed which constitutes an undertaking to repay the loan within 6 months of the date you signed the Deed, or set up a repayment plan within 6 months if you’re experiencing financial hardship. If your loan falls due while you remain overseas, you can contact the Department to discuss the payment options available to you.

We’ll send you a letter setting out guidelines for payment and the process for seeking to pay in instalments.

Yes. We collect your personal information in accordance with the Privacy Act 1988. We will only disclose your personal information where we’re authorised or required to do so by law. For more information, please see our page on privacy. 

If you're trying to get home to Australia but haven’t been able to do so, you can register your details with DFAT. 

Registering doesn't guarantee we can facilitate your return to Australia. However it does allow us to better understand who’s trying to return home and help us with our planning.

Yes. The application process is completely separate to your registration. You still need to submit an application with all supporting documents.

If you still have questions after reading COVID-19: Overseas financial assistance and this page, you can email smartraveller@dfat.gov.au or call +61 2 6261 3305 to speak to a consular officer.

If you’re trying to return to Australia, we encourage you to:

• read our travel advisories and subscribe for updates
• follow us on Facebook and Twitter
• check the website of the Australian embassy or high commission in your destination and follow them closely on social media for any updates
• read our COVID-19: Trying to get home page

If you still have questions after reading COVID-19: Overseas financial assistance and this page, you can email smartraveller@dfat.gov.au or call +61 2 6261 3305 to speak to a consular officer.

Read also:

• COVID-19: Trying to get home
• COVID-19: Staying overseas
• Foreign Minister's press release: Helping Australians Overseas
• Prime Minister’s press release – caps on international passenger numbers
• COVID-19 Restriction Checker and links to state and territory governments