Planning on getting a job to help supplement your travels? No problem! Our policies offer cover while working when you’re travelling (we cover volunteer work and paid work). So read on to find out how to you may be covered for any work you plan to do.
What types of work are 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).
Traveller tip: if you’ve already left for your holiday and realised you’ve forgotten to get travel insurance, don’t panic! You can still purchase cover online. If you buy a policy while overseas, you have to wait 72 hours (waiting period) before cover is activated, as explained in ‘When cover starts & ends’.
What you need to do to be covered
When you are asked to add any adventure, sports, work or volunteer activities to your quote during the quote path, all you need to do is type 'work,’ then choose the work activity that you plan to do, e.g., manual, non-manual, etc, and that way you’ll be covered. Easy!
It is important that you add all the work, adventures and activities you plan to try on your trip when you buy your policy. You won’t be able to make changes after your policy is issued so don’t run the risk of not being covered.
Keep in mind that:
- Restrictions apply to certain work activities and some types of work are simply not covered, so be aware of this and be sure to read your Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) carefully.
- Some types of work, both paid and volunteer, may require you to upgrade your policy at an extra cost.
If you have any questions about coverage when it comes to work and employment whilst travelling overseas, we’re always here to help.
What is covered if I need to make a claim?
As long as you have selected the appropriate type of work when you purchased your policy, you may be covered for the following (and more), up to policy limits:
- Emergency overseas medical and dental
- Medical evacuation and repatriation
- Stolen, damaged or delayed baggage
- Trip cancellation
- Trip interruption
World Nomad offers two travel insurance plans – Standard and Explorer - each of which offers different levels of coverage and benefits. It is up to you to choose the plan that has the right policy to meet your needs if you intend to work. Check out your PDS and contact us if you have any questions.
Before making a claim through travel insurance
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 24/7 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 PDS, particularly Section 8 – Adventure, Work, Study & Volunteer and also the General Exclusions section, 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 for work, either paid or volunteer:
- personal liability while you’re working (including volunteer work)
- working more than 5 metres above ground
- operating machinery
- working offshore
- working underground in mines, caves, etc
- working with dangerous animals and/or big game
- any ongoing 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.
This is only a summary of cover and does not include the full terms, conditions, limits, and exclusions of the policy. You should read your PDS in full, so you understand what is and isn’t covered. If you are unsure about your level of travel cover, please contact us for help.
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- Saturday to Sunday closed (AEST/ADST)
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Before your trip, check the latest government advice for any travel alerts for your destination.