What to know about travel insurance for your working holiday abroad

Chapter 2 of 7

When is the best time to buy insurance coverage?

Our recommended time to buy your policy is as soon as you book, but if this isn’t possible, ensure you have purchased your insurance coverage before departure. This is not a Working Holiday rule, it’s an insurance rule. Whether you’re just visiting your WHV country or you’re planning on travelling elsewhere along the way, you may be excluded from coverage if you try to buy it after the trip has already started (which defeats the purpose of travel insurance…).

A few insurance companies are still willing to offer coverage after you left home, but “already travelling” policies are more expensive and harder to come by, so be warned. Contact customer service before making any purchase—you may discover later on in the fine print that you’re excluded from coverage because you were already travelling and didn’t buy a policy that offers this type of coverage.

If you’re combining short-term travel insurance (e.g. coverage with a credit card) with another policy from an insurance company, start the policy on the last day of your existing insurance coverage.

When proof of insurance doesn’t have to be included with your application, it’s best to wait until your application is approved to purchase insurance. This way, you won’t waste money if your application isn’t successful.

When will I be expected to show proof of insurance?

For certain destinations, proof of insurance is part of your WHV application, so you will have to purchase it early, before your trip is even confirmed.

Other destinations will request proof of insurance upon arrival, so you will have to purchase it before boarding the plane.

Finally, some countries won’t ask for any proof of insurance, since it is not mandatory for their WHV application process.

If you aren’t sure what the rules are regarding your WHV destination, use our WHV destination search tool to check. Enter your nationality and age, then select your intended WHV destination to find the rules.