Articles » Travel Insurance
Created: 3rd March 2007
Travel insurance is essential for visits to Australia whether a tourist or a gap year working holiday maker , It is essential to have at least a minimum of health insurance.Australia and the UK have a reciprocal agreement with for heath care but this only covers basics in an emergency.
The following is a short summary of the cover provided. It is still very important to have travel insurance from a UK provider.
Period of cover
If you are a resident of the United Kingdom, Sweden, Finland, Norway or the Netherlands you are covered for the duration of your approved visit to Australia.
As a resident of Malta or Italy you are covered for a period of six months from the date you arrive in Australia.
Access to cover
Reciprocal health care agreements cover treatment that is medically necessary. Medically necessary treatment means any ill-health or injury which occurs while you are in Australia and requires treatment before you return home.
Your entitlements
As a resident of one of these countries you are entitled to the following for any ill-health or injury requiring treatment while in Australia:
Enrolling in Medicare
If you will be receiving treatment you can enrol at Medicare offices throughout Australia. If you receive treatment before you enrol, Medicare benefits will be back paid for eligible visitors.
To enrol in Medicare you will need:
