Travel Insurance for Australia: Which One to Choose and Why
If you are thinking of leaving to travel to Australia, there are a couple of things you need to know to travel safely and carefree.
First of all: it is definitely recommended to take out travel insurance for Australia, especially if you are traveling from european countries or from countries which are very far from it.
Another thing to be aware of is the Australian health system.
I know, these are boring and complicated topics, but they are worth the 5 minutes of information they require.
Having to deal with some unpleasant unexpected events or feeling sick while traveling is already a bad experience itself, it is better not to make it further unpleasant and know what to do in any eventuality.
WHY a travel insurance
Departing from Italy, I had no choice but to decide to insure travel and luggage for any eventuality, given the high costs (about € 600 per ticket) and the duration of the flights (around 25h).
I’m not a big fan of insurances, but for very long journeys it is always best to have one that is able to provide security for personal belongings and investment in case the flight is delayed, canceled or luggage is lost.
healthcare in Australia
Once you arrive in Australia, if you are traveling as a tourist you are generally not covered by any type of health insurance.
In fact, the Australian health system expects you to pay for services. This means that if you are not an Australian or New Zealand citizen, and do not have a permanent visa, all medical expenses will be at your expense.
Australia is a beautiful country, but certainly not one of the cheapest, so it’s better to do the math before leaving, to avoid crazy and unexpected expenses afterwards.
medicare
The basis of the Australian health service is called Medicare; it is a system that involves medical services, medicines and any treatment or hospital stays.
In fact, Medicare covers all public hospital services and other health services costs, such as services provided by general practitioners and medical specialists, physiotherapy, community nurses and basic dental services for children.
As I said, this service is free but is only available for Australian, New Zealand and permanent visa citizens.
MEDICARE for travelers
If you are a traveler, you may still be eligible and apply for free Australian health insurance. In this case you can check directly on the official website of the Australian Government, in the health dedicated area.
For example, if your native country is Italy, you can send the request to obtain Medicare, as long as the stay is long enough and you need health coverage.
If you are under 35 and want to spend a year in the land of kangaroos, you can apply for a specific visa, the Working Holiday Visa, and in this way you will have the opportunity to apply for Medicare and be protected by the Australian National Health Service.
Enrolment in the Medicare system must be done online, directly from the dedicated portal, and takes about a month and a half to be processed and received.
In order to apply, please note that you will need certain documents depending on your native country and the type of traveler you are.
For example, I needed a national health card, local phone number, local bank account, passport, etc.
If you do not fall into any category suitable for requesting free health coverage or you need immediate coverage while you are waiting to receive Medicare, my advice is to take out private insurance that can guarantee you safety, peace of mind and efficiency in case of need.
5 reasons to choose NOMAD INSURANCE and TRAVEL CAREFULLY
In my case, the choice fell on SafetyWing’s Nomad Insurance.
The reasons are simple:
- Flexibility.
The feature that I appreciated the most is the freedom in timing. It is in fact possible to choose the exact days you want it to be active and pay only that, without restrictions. Finally, at the time of expiration, the renewal is not automatic unless requested, and this is in favor of all those people who, like me, often forget to cancel subscriptions and recurring payments.
- Comfort
Nomad Insurance has a dual function, both as a travel insurance and as a health insurance.
In this way, I avoided paying an extra tax on the flight and I was able to take out a single insurance that covered travel and health once on site.
- Convenience
For the services it offers, Nomad Insurance has an excellent quality / quantity / price ratio. Despite the thousand searches, I have not found other assurances that were more complete and convenient.
- Completeness
The services cover a wide range of situations, which makes any unexpected events easily manageable. It is a complete choice that does not require too many headaches to combine it with other supplementary insurance.
- Reliability and Support
Support and assistance are quick, clear and comprehensive in their responses. Furthermore, contacting support is very intuitive via the website, and in my opinion this is something which is not so obvious.
In this way I was able to travel without worries, and enjoy every moment of the journey.
Disclaimer: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links, which means that if you choose to make a purchase, I may earn a small commission. This commission has no additional cost to you.
Writing is what connects me to people, love for nature is the filter with which I live and capture my experiences; I long for learning new things, observing and smiling to the world, sharing my experiences with those who have the same passions.
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