Am I covered by Travel Insurance if I'm on a working holiday?

Planning on getting a job to help supplement your travels? No problem! There’s cover while working (volunteer work or paid work) so read on to find out what plan and level of cover applies to you depending on what kind of work you’ll do.

What’s covered

When you have the appropriate working visa for the country you plan to work in and the appropriate qualification, certification or license for that work (where applicable), there’s cover for:

  • Non-manual paid or volunteer work, e.g. childcare, teaching and clerical.
  • Manual paid or volunteer work, e.g. hospitality, retail, general farm work (including WWOOFING), cleaning and maintenance.
  • Manual paid or volunteer work (including use of power tools or working at a height of 5 metres or less).
  • Paid or volunteer work as an instructor or guide (except in an excluded activity).

What you need to do to be covered

All you need to do is list ‘work’ then choose the work activity that you plan to do, e.g. manual, non-manual, etc. when getting your quote so you’ll be covered. Easy! Restrictions apply to certain work activities, so be aware of this.

You must add all the adventures and activities you plan to try on your trip when you buy it. You won’t be able to make changes after your policy is issued. Read more about how it all works and what specific restrictions apply to certain activities.

What you need to know:

You’ll need to claim through workers’ compensation (or a similar scheme in the country that you’re in) if you’re injured while participating in a work activity and if this type of cover is required by law. In the event of a claim, you must notify your claims case manager of any insurance cover you have through your employer or under any workers' compensation act.

If something happens to you while at work and you are in need of medical evacuation, or if you are hospitalised and incur emergency medical expenses, you (or someone else) MUST contact our Emergency Assistance Team.

What’s not covered

The policy isn’t designed to cover everything, so you must take the time to read the terms, conditions, limits and exclusions in the policy wording, particularly Section 8 – Adventure, Work, Study & Volunteer, so there are no surprises if you do need to use it. If you are unsure, please contact us for help.

Here are the main things that aren’t covered:

  • personal liability while you’re working (including volunteer work);
  • working more than 5 metres above ground;
  • working offshore;
  • working underground in mines, caves, etc;
  • any on-going medical expenses once you return to your home country;
  • anything else that’s listed in the General Exclusions and section specific exclusions in the policy wording.

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