On this page:
- Know the risk before you go
- Flights and accommodation
- Money and valuables
- Staying healthy overseas
- Keeping in touch
- Overlapping risks
Know the risk before you go
Whatever your age and destination, properly preparing before you travel and staying in good health will help you have a great trip.
When you travel overseas, you leave behind Australia's support systems, emergency services and medical facilities. The Australian Government will do what it can to help Australians overseas. There are legal and practical limits to what we can do to help travellers in other countries. Have realistic expectations about this and read the Consular Services Charter before you go.
The better prepared you are, the safer and more enjoyable your travel will be.
Research where you're going
- Read the travel advice for your destination. It has information on the risks you may face. It also includes advice on the safety and security situation, local laws and health issues.
- Know the entry and exit rules, including those for passports and visas. Readour advice about getting a foreign visa. Also see our advice for dual nationals.
- Find out about the political, cultural and economic environment of your destination so you know what to expect.
- Find out the accessibility standards where you're going. Particularly if you have restricted mobility or use mobility aids. Read our advice about travelling with a disability.
- Buy a guidebook or search the internet for recent information.
- Talk with family or friends who are familiar with the countries you'll be visiting.
- Talk to your travel agent or tour provider.
Flights and accommodation
Make sure you know if your airline and accommodation meets your needs before you book.
- Get a fit-to-fly letter from your doctor if you're concerned the airline may question you.
- If you have medical or accessibility needs, call your airline to find out about services such as shuttle services, seating arrangements and special meals.
- Get a letter from your doctor explaining any medication or medical equipment you need. Ask your airline for advice about how to comply with airport and air travel security rules.
- Book your accommodation before you get there. Contact the provider to confirm they're accessible. For example, make sure they have lifts, and room sizes allow for wheelchairs or other mobility aids.
Luggage
Protect yourself against loss and theft by carrying minimal luggage. When you're overloaded, you make yourself more vulnerable to bag snatchers and pickpockets. Secure your credit cards and passports in a money belt or under your clothes.
Information on luggage security and safety is available from the Civil Aviation Safety Authority and the Australian Government travel security website.
If you're travelling to the USA, make sure you understand its specific airline baggage lock requirements. Information is available from the US Department of Homeland Security.
Money and valuables
You can take a number of steps to protect yourself against loss and theft of money and valuables.
- Organise a variety of ways of accessing your money overseas, such as debit and credit cards, traveller's cheques and cash.
- Check with your bank if your ATM card will work overseas.
- Register with your bank the period you expect to be travelling.
- Never let your credit card out of your sight.
- Make two photocopies of valuable documents such as your passport, tickets, travel insurance policy, visas and credit cards. Keep one copy with you in a separate place to the original and leave the other with someone at home.
- Take your senior citizens card. Some countries may let you use it.
Centrelink payments
There are rules about how leaving Australia affects Centrelink payments or concession cards. You should check the Services Australia website to find out how any absence from Australia could affect your payment.
Staying healthy overseas
Think about your health needs before you travel.
Make an appointment with your doctor or travel clinic for a basic check-up at least eight weeks before you leave. Find out if you need any vaccinations or health checks for where you're going.
Medication
Be cautious of buying and taking medication overseas without talking to a doctor.
If you're taking medicines overseas:
- talk to your doctor about the medicine you need to take
- carry a letter from your doctor detailing what the medicine is, how much you'll be taking with you, and that it's for your personal use
- leave the medicine in its original packaging so it's clearly labelled with your name and dosage instructions.
- make sure your medicine is legal in the countries you're visiting.
Take enough medication to cover the length of your trip. If you need to travel with a lot of medicine, carry some in different bags, in case some of your luggage goes missing. Keep medicine in the original, labelled container to avoid customs problems.
Take your own needles and syringes for injections if it's allowed in the countries you're visiting. If you buy needles and syringes overseas, make sure they're sealed and sterile.
Read our advice about travelling with medication and medical devices.
Prescription glasses
If you wear glasses, take a spare pair and a copy of your prescription. That way, you can replace them more easily if they are lost or broken.
Reciprocal health care agreements
Australia has reciprocal health care agreements with Belgium, Finland, Ireland, Italy, Malta, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Slovenia, Sweden and the United Kingdom.
These agreements can cover or subsidise some emergency medical costs. This is usually for urgent treatment that can't wait until you get home.
Each country with an agreement decides what they'll cover or subsidise. The treating doctor determines if your condition is a 'medical necessity'. We can't intervene in their processes or policies.
It's important to remember that healthcare agreements are no substitute for travel insurance. They won't cover you if a doctor recommends medical evacuation back to Australia.
Department of Veterans' Affairs
If you receive a pension from the Department of Veterans' Affairs (DVA), advise DVA of your plans to travel overseas before you leave. Ask about the possible implications for your pension and healthcare entitlements. A DVA' gold card' or DVA healthcare card does not guarantee that DVA will cover your medical costs while you're overseas. Further information is available on the Department of Veterans' Affairs website.
Keeping in touch
Keep in touch with your family or friends. Many travellers use email or their Australian mobile phones to keep in touch. Contact your Australian mobile phone provider to arrange global roaming before you travel. If you want to minimise global roaming costs, check if pre-paid mobile phone services are available in your planned destinations and purchase a local SIM card.
You should subscribe to travel advice for your destination. You'll receive updates straight to your inbox.
We strongly encourage you to subscribe so you're well-informed for your trip overseas.
Overlapping risks
Different aspects of your identity can expose you to overlapping forms of discrimination and increase the risks you might face. This is sometimes referred to as intersectionality. Aspects of your identity can include your:
- colour
- race
- ethnicity
- religion
- nationality
- age
- gender
- sex
- sexual orientation
- ability
- mental health.
Read this advice along with our advice about colour, race or religion, women, LGBTQIA+, disability, and mental health to understand the different risks you may face.
Read more
- See our advice about retiring overseas.
- Read more about travelling with medication and medical equipment.
- Find our how to get medical care overseas.
- Learn about travelling with a disability.
- Always travel with comprehensive travel insurance.
See also
- To find out more about healthy travel and vaccinations, you can read the Australian Immunisation Handbook
- Further information about health care when travelling overseas and international health agreements is available at the Medicare website
- More information on current health emergencies on the World Health Organization website