Working holiday travel insurance
Find travel insurance for casual, full-time or volunteer work if you're heading overseas.
Key takeaways
- Lots of Australian insurers will cover you for up to a year or longer if you are heading overseas to work.
- Travel insurance will not cover manual or hazardous work.
- Travel insurance will not cover you for personal liability while working.
Comparison of travel insurance brands that cover working overseas
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Note: This information was last updated April 2025
Finder survey: What types of holidays have Australians taken?
Response | |
|---|---|
| Honeymoon | 46.67% |
| None | 31.38% |
| Working holiday | 19.06% |
| Round-the-world | 11.42% |
| Other | 10.07% |
| Gap year | 7.19% |
| Baby-moon | 5.4% |
| Volunteer abroad | 3.96% |
Source: Finder survey by Pure Profile of 1112 Australians, December 2023
What does working holiday travel insurance cover?
While it will depend on your insurer, you can find cover for:
- Non-manual work. This can be paid or unpaid includes professions such as clerical duties, teaching and childcare.
- Manual work. Some policies offer cover for paid or volunteer work in industries such as maintenance, general farm work, retail and hospitality. If your profession is going to require you working at heights, make sure that it is included in the policy.
- Guide work. This include work as guide or instructor for activities such as skiing or surfing. Make sure that the activity is covered by the policy.
List of work that is generally covered by travel insurance
- Clerical
- Administration
- Hospitality
- Tourism
- Working on a cruise ship
- Retail
- General farm work
- Teaching
- Childcare
- Working on a yacht
- Gym instructor
- Yoga teacher
- Swimming instructor
What don't working holiday travel insurance policies cover?
Just like what you are covered for, what you aren't covered for will vary from insurer to insurer. However, conditions that you should be aware of may include:
- Personal liability. While you will have cover for personal liability when travelling as part of most travel insurance policies, this benefit does not cover you while you’re working.
- Working at heights. Generally working heights of five metres or higher above ground is prohibited.
- Offshore. Most travel insurance policies will exclude cover if your overseas work will be offshore.
- Working underground. Generally there is no cover for working underground in mines or caves.
Working holiday travel insurance general exclusions
The general exclusions, or circumstances in which cover will not apply, are the same for working holiday travel insurance as for normal travel insurance policies. These include:
- Theft of unattended luggage. If you are deemed to have been negligent in the supervision of your belongings.
- Irresponsible behaviour. Reckless behaviour or acts committed under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
- Non-disclosure. Claims arising from circumstances of which you had prior knowledge and failed to disclose to the insurer.
- Illegal behaviour. Breaking of government prohibitions or regulations, including visa requirements.
- Actions by a government authority. Claims resulting from foreign government confiscation, detention or destruction.
- Self-harm. This includes suicide or attempted suicide.
- Pre-existing medical conditions. If you claim is related to a medical condition that was already affecting you prior to your departing on your trip.
- Adventure activities. Pastimes such as such as skiing, rock climbing, skydiving or hang gliding, unless included in the policy.
- Scuba diving. Underwater diving, unless you hold a current licence or are with a licensed instructor.
- Flying. Any form of air travel not in a licensed passenger aircraft.
Compare travel insurance for your next working holiday
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