AndyR

Will be going out to Oz in June 09 on a WHV while we wait for our 175 to be approved. We are planning on travelling around Oz for 3 months but could be up to the full 12 months depending on how things go.

Does anyone know or can recommend a decent company who do insurance for this type of thing? I've seen backpacker insurance but its no good as they have restrictions like cash no more than $500 and single item limits of $150.

Would need something which lets you claim while in Oz as most insurances won't let you claim till back in the UK, and then they worm out of it

Thx!

PamE

Hi Andy,

We are in similar position and hadn't crossed our minds about having to be back in UK to claim anything so thanks very much for your post

Have phoned the company we intended to go with this evening after reading your post and clarified these issues. They explained that their policies will cover people for one way trips only as well as return trips. We are going with backpacker insurance (9 months trip) but they also do one way single trip policies (single trip cover is more expensive & gives slightly higher levels of cover), so you don't need to be in UK to claim and also you just need a residential UK address for them to post the policy documentation to - once you leave you can can communicate via email if you don't have a UK address you can use. The only part of the policy which would be impacted by the fact that you are only going one way would be repatriation in event of injury or death - that would be back to the UK, not to country of destination. The policy ends maximum 17 days after you have arrived at your Australian residential address.

This company was recommended by the Independant and they seemed very professional on the phone, and the quote (for backpacker level 3, 9 months) seems reasonable at £117 each. We haven't signed up yet as want to read all the small print in detail but as a starting point you could check out their site http://www.direct-travel.co.uk/

Hope this is of some help.
Have a great trip!
Pam

elmao

If you were looking to get insurance mainly from a medical point of view, you may be interested to know that you qualify for medicare (Australia's national health scheme) from the date of your application for the 175. Just call into a medicare centre and they give you a card which covers most medical costs (eg. GPs if they "bulk bill", public hospitals etc with no upfront costs for you, they can claim directly from medicare)

Have a look at the medicare website for more details...
http://www.medicareaustralia.gov.au/

AndyR

Pam, thanks for the link that's much appreciated and glad I could help There rates are not too bad actually and glad to know they do backpackers insurance even though were technically not "backpacking", were almost squatting in Oz waiting for the visa

Big problem I've spotted on a lot of the policies is the low single item limits. Most backpackers I've heard of take a laptop and a digitial camera etc so straight away if these get nicked your massivly out of pocket. Hmmm what to do what to do.


Thanks for that. I knew we could get medicare but didn't realise it was from the date of our 175 application so thats good to know. Medicare was on my list to read up on actually, lots to do, so little time.

PamE

Hi Andy, they do 'single trip' as well, not just 'backpacker' - take a look, I'd imagine the single item limit is higher on those policies than on the backpacker specific policies (altho of course that makes them more expensive).
I never saw a backpacker with a laptop but maybe things have changed since I last did it in 2005. I certainly couldn't be bothered the hassle of looking after one Digital camera yes but mine is not special one so limit not a worry.
Isn't the planning exciting?!!! Where will you travel in Australia? Will you make a stop in Southeast Asia - I would highly recommend!

AndyR

Had a look at the single trip and even though the personal items amount is higher, the single item limit is still £200

We're not actually backpacking as we are planning on staying, that is unless the 175 visa doesn't get approved in time, hence why we'll be taking our laptops and digital cameras etc with us. If I was proper backpacking then yep I wouldn't take a laptop, or maybe one of the really really small ones but thats it.

Yeah the planning is ace! We are actually going via LA for a few days, then onto New Zealand (North Island) for 3 weeks. After that we'll fly to Brisbane and then do a big circle from Brisbane/Sydney/Melbourne/Adelaide/Uluru/Cairns etc. Planning on getting a car and then camping our way around QLD before hostel/camp/hotel the cooler southern areas.

I see you already have a visa (lucky devils ) so are travelling before before the job starts? If so where and when are you going?

BrightYellowGun

Ick. Every day brings some new thing I have to worry about! I'm going over in June on a WHV too, will be living with my boyfriend over there and hoping to apply for a de facto spouse visa when the WHV runs out.

I've got annual multi-trip worldwide travel insurance that runs out in September; I've been meaning to check the details to see if it would cover me for travelling to Oz.

I'll have my laptop with me but nothing else *really* valuable; I'd assumed that my boyfriend and I would be getting contents insurance and it'd be included on that.

Moving to Oz was fun and spontaneous at first but I'm so clueless and disorganised about everything.

Any advice?

AndyR

You'd need to check your multi trip policy to see where it allows you to claim which is what I was worried about. Insurance companies will worm out of anything if they can. My misses brought an expensive wallet in LA a few years ago and coming back our luggage got pierced and got wet which ruined a lot of stuff. When we tried to claim the insurnace company refuses saying we needed to make the claim at the airport as once out of the terminal we couldn't claim. Was the clever wording in the T&Cs which we couldn't do anything with so we lost out.

PamE

Sounds like you have a great trip planned!
We are leaving next month, planning to spend some months in Southeast Asia before arriving in Australia about October time & do a little travelling there too (with validation trip to Perth in June). We'll be settling in NSW by christmas all being well. As for job, well there is no job - we are leaving our jobs in UK and taking a chance. Life is short, right?
Am sure you will find the right policy soon and then you can just concentrate on the fun stuff

PamE

How exciting! And romantic, to move all that way for love
About insurance I can only offer the link I gave to Andy http://www.direct-travel.co.uk/
I went out on a WHV 2004/5 and once you've got your flight and insurance there's not much to organise, just see where it takes you
Re. your plan to get a de facto spouse visa you might want to search the immigration forum on this site as there are many people who have gone down that route and will be able to offer advice. Also check out the government site http://www.immi.gov.au/ if you haven't already to make sure you know exactly what's required for that tyoe of visa. From what I understand you need to make sure you have a lot of proof of relationship stuff like rental contracts and joint bank accounts and stuff, so you should start collecting evidence as soon as you get there. Boring beaurocracy but after spending over 2.5 years sorting out all our visa-related paperwork and finally getting the thing, I can assure you it's worth it once it's over
Where are you moving to?

AndyR

I'd love to go to Asia!! We nearly did but my wife has a few food allergies so its safer for us to stick to areas where we can manage it better, but I'm happy with that as its the people you go with that make the trip eh!

Oh I thought as you had 475 visa you had a job based on that? Totally agree though, we handed our notices in last week and are going in May. Lifes to short to sit around and wait for things to happen, esp with the visa changes recently meant we could be waiting a LONG time. Might as well travel now and enjoy ourselves rather than staying in jobs we hate waiting to be sacked

Totally agree with what you say about not planning tooooo much. We're going with a base plan of places we want to go / things to do, and the rest will just take as we go. Its quite liberating actually not knowing whats round the next corner, really looking forward to it!

All the best to you too!

PamE

Think you're confusing 475 (state sponsored) with 457 (employer sponsored) My Husband hands his notice in tomorrow and me very soon. The visa wait is horrible but it's worth it. At least you only have to do it once with your type - we have to apply again in 3 years for permanent residency as this one is temp (not enough points for permanent at this point ) All good fun! Anyways soon enough you'll be posting your BE 'visa granted' announcement and meantime you get sun and adventure - enjoy!!

BrightYellowGun

It IS exciting and romantic, when I'm not stressing out about all the stuff I need to do before I get there! As well as organising the move, I also have to write my MA dissertation by the end of April!

Thanks for the link, I had a quick look but I'm also going to check my current policy like AndyR suggested. But not today because my brain is fried!

We've checked the immi.gov.au site and asked for advice on here and I *think* we'll be alright. Just lots of stuff to consider and plan for. I'm so taking a month off when I get there!

We'll be living somewhere on the Central Coast NSW. Haven't got a place yet cos my fella's been living with his folks since he got back from the UK. But he's finding us somewhere before I get there, so I don't have to deal with real estate agents!

PamE

Well at least the pressure of finishing the dissertation will make the time fly for you Good luck with that! Am sure all will be well with visa when the time comes, you just need to be prepared and patient - and meantime looks like oh so much fun to be had!