smartraveller.gov.au - Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
It's a must see destination.
It's a must see destination.
Travelling seniorsMore Australians are travelling as they get older - and we recognise that whether you are an experienced international traveller or have waited a lifetime to take this journey, you may have special needs while you're away.
This leaflet provides information to help you have a safe and healthy overseas trip. It should be read in conjunction with Travel Smart: hints for Australian travellers and Travelling well consular booklets.
The better prepared you are, the more safe and enjoyable your travel will be.
To help Australians avoid difficulties overseas, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) maintains travel advisories for more than 160 destinations on its website smartraveller.gov.au.
Travel advisories are just that: advice. They are not warnings. In addition to information about security, they provide useful, practical tips on travelling such as health, visa and local laws information. The advisories also tell you how to get in touch with the local Australian embassy, high commission or consulate, or if we don’t have one, where else you might be able to get assistance if you need it.
There are four ways to access travel advisories:
Organising comprehensive travel insurance should be an essential part of your holiday preparations and can save you the worry of unexpected costs.Regardless of how fit and healthy you are -if you cannot afford travel insurance, you cannot afford to travel.
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. Check that your policy includes cover for emergency treatment, hospitalisation and repatriation to Australia if necessary.
If your travel includes a cruise as well, we strongly encourage you to take out travel insurance appropriate to your circumstances.
When organising your insurance fully disclose any pre-existing medical conditions in writing. It’s important to remember that travellers who are not covered by insurance are personally liable for covering any medical and associated costs they incur. Overseas medical costs are not covered by Medicare. Some overseas hospitals require costs to be settled in cash, on a daily basis and upfront. 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.
CASE STUDY: Erin was excited about her cruise in North America that was to be the start of her round-the-world adventure. As part of her pre-departure planning she hastily organised basic travel insurance. While out at sea enjoying the cruise Erin began suffering severe asthma attacks. She required oxygen but the ship did not have enough on board to get her back to the mainland for treatment. The ship put out a mayday and a US navy ship nearby was able to provide the ship with enough oxygen to get the boat to the mainland. On arrival Erin was taken to the nearest local hospital and later medivaced to a well-equipped major hospital where Erin spent the next week recovering. Following the $10,000 medivac and a week’s worth of overseas hospital expenses, Erin could not afford to continue with the rest of her holiday and flew home to Australia.
Registering your personal and travel details makes it easier for us to contact you in an emergency whether it be a natural disaster, civil disturbance or family issue. The registration information you provide is protected by Australia’s strict privacy laws.
If you do not have access to the internet, or are organising a large group of travellers, telephone 1300 555 135 to requests a registration form.
Finding out about the political, cultural and economic environment of your destination(s) should be a part of your trip preparation. You will know what to expect once you arrive. You may also find it useful to purchase an up-to-date guidebook which you can use to prepare for your trip and as a reference while travelling. Familiarising yourself with local customs and simple phrases will also help to ensure that you are able to mingle with the locals.
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.
Before leaving home, you should check that your medications are legal in the country you are visiting. You can do this by contacting the country's embassy, high commission or consulate.
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.
When planning to travel overseas with PBS medicine it is important that you:
If you have to inject your medication it might be preferable to carry your own needles and syringes. 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 a plane, inform your airline before you travel and if necessary, arrange a letter from your doctor explaining why you need to carry them.
When buying needles and syringes overseas ensure you buy packs that are sealed and sterile.
It is important to be aware that some medications purchased overseas may be packaged under a different brand name to those available in Australia. Keep an eye on the strength and 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 customs problems.
More information on travelling with medicines is available from Medicare Australia’s website or by phoning the Travelling with PBS medicine enquiry line: 1800 500 147.
CASE STUDY: Josef and Louise prepared well. They took out travel insurance, left copies of their documents and their itinerary with their family and took separate copies of their passport details with them. They were organised - and excited. When they arrived at the airport in Vienna Josef was so excited that his pulse was racing. Louise managed to get the luggage and Josef into a taxi and to the right hotel. From there she rang the Australian embassy, which provided her with a list of English-speaking doctors. Before Louise made an appointment with the doctor, she noticed the hotel pharmacy displaying a packet of medication with the same name as the medication that Josef had taken previously. Buying the packet of medication was a near fatal error. Louise didn't know that the medication was twice as strong as the Australian product. Josef's heart attack that night (although minor) meant the cancellation of their trip of a lifetime.
TIP: Always check the strength of a medication with a doctor. Don't buy off-the-shelf medication even if an Australian doctor has prescribed it, as strengths may vary from country to country.
Passport and Visas
Before departing ensure that your passport has at least six months' validity - some countries will not allow you to enter otherwise.
A Senior's Passport, valid for five years, is available to Australian citizens aged 75 years and over for half the cost of a standard passport.
For more information on passports visit the Passports website or call the Australian Passport Information Services on 131 232.
Find out early what visas you need by contacting the relevant embassy, high commission or consulate of the countries you intend to visit. Remember to also check the visa requirements of countries you might be transiting through.
Remember: a visa doesn’t guarantee entry! Visa, customs and quarantine conditions change regularly!
Contact details for foreign embassies, high commissions or consulates can be found in the White Pages or online at the DFAT website or smartraveller.gov.au.
Being a national or citizen of more than one country is called dual nationality. Some countries offer citizenship to people who marry their citizens, or to persons whose grandparents were born in that country.
A country may not permit Australian consular assistance to be given to Australian citizens, who, according to its laws, are considered to be its own nationals.
If you hold another country's passport, seek advice about using it. Take your Australian passport and use it to depart and return to Australia.
For further information, obtain and/or download a copy of the brochure Travelling dual nationals.
Australia has health care agreements with some countries including Finland, Italy, Norway, the Republic of Ireland, Malta, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Sweden and the United Kingdom.
These agreements enable Australians to access urgent or emergency medical treatment overseas. However, general medical services are only provided when the need for treatment arises during the visit and it would be unreasonable to delay treatment until the individual’s intended date of return. 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 local authorities with:
Further information about international health agreements can be found at Medicare Australia or by calling: 132 011.
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 at the DVA website or by contacting DVA on 133 254.
While the DVA’s 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.
DFAT provides help to Australians who find themselves in trouble overseas. Through this support, known as consular services, the department's consular officers provide assistance to Australians who are away from home.
The Australian Government will do what it can to help Australians in difficulties overseas. But 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.
A directory of Australian overseas posts and Canadian posts that assist Australians appears 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.
The Consular Services Charter available to order or read online on smartraveller.gov.au sets out the standards of service all Australians can expect to receive from consular staff.
Australians overseas in need of counselling services can contact our Consular Emergency Centre on +61 2 6261 3305 which will transfer the call through to a Lifeline Telephone Counsellor.
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 herein.
Consular Policy Branch
Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
R. G. Casey Building
John McEwen Crescent
BARTON ACT 0221
Tel (02) 6261 3305; 1 300 555 135
Information for travellers and travel advisories are available from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade’s Smartraveller website
September 2008