smartraveller.gov.au - Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
It's a must see destination.
It's a must see destination.
Travelling WomenStudents, backpackers, active working women, adventurous grandmothers: Australian women are travelling overseas in ever-increasing numbers. It can be both exhilarating and daunting, but usually it’s the experience of a lifetime. The best advice for women travellers is to use common sense.
While we recognise that all travellers may face some level of risk in unfamiliar environments or cultures, women may sometimes be placed at greater risk.
This brochure is designed to provide women with information to raise their awareness and help minimise these risks.
1. Check the latest travel advice for your destination at smartraveller.gov.au before you go. Subscribe to receive free email notification each time the advice is updated.
2. Take out travel insurance to cover hospital treatment, medical evacuation and any activities, like adventure sports, in which you plan to participate.
3. Before travelling overseas register your travel and contact details online at smartraveller.gov.au, or at the local Australian embassy, high commission or consulate once you arrive so we can contact you in an emergency.
Before you depart, it’s a good idea to contact the foreign embassy, consulate or diplomatic mission of the countries you intend to visit to obtain information on visa and other entry and exit conditions (such as currency, customs and quarantine regulations), travelling with medicines and working overseas.
The better prepared you are, the more enjoyable and safer your travel will be.
If you cannot afford travel insurance, you cannot afford to travel.
It might sound a bit harsh, but organising insurance is an essential part of preparing for your overseas trip.
Comprehensive travel insurance should cover all medical expenses for injury or illness, theft of your valuables, cancellations or interruptions to your flight plans, baggage damage and more. It also saves you the worry and financial burden if you have an accident or illness overseas – it’s not an exaggeration to state that medical costs can be in the tens of thousands of dollars and that many families and individuals have been burnt financially paying these costs.
When organising travel insurance ensure you’re covered for general medical expenses, pre-existing medical conditions (be honest or you may find the insurance company won’t pay out), hospitalisation, medical evacuations and the return of remains to Australia.
If you cannot obtain travel insurance to cover your personal medical circumstances you should consider the potential financial risks very carefully before deciding whether to proceed with planned travel overseas.
Discuss with your insurer the types of activities you plan to do on your holiday as often there are restrictions on what activities the insurer will cover. Always read the fine print!
Shop around for the policy that best suits your individual needs, as well as the destinations you plan to visit. Make sure your insurance covers you for the full length of your time away.
CASE STUDY: A young volunteer in East Africa found herself stranded when there was an outbreak of violence in the area she lived. She had travel insurance. The insurer, working with the Australian High Commission, organised a helicopter to fly her out of the remote area and back to the capital. Without insurance the rescue may not have been possible at all, or if it could be organised privately would have cost her over $7,000.
Before leaving home, you should check that your medications are legal in the countries you are visiting. You can do this by contacting the country’s embassy, high commission or consulate.
It is an offence to carry or post Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) medicines overseas unless they are for your personal use, or the use of someone travelling with you.
When planning to travel overseas with PBS medicine it is important that you:
If you intend to travel with large quantities of medicine, including over-the-counter or private prescription medications, you should ask your doctor, dentist or pharmacist to provide you with a letter explaining why you need to carry such quantities. You should carry this letter with your medication. It is good practice to divide large quantities of medication between your luggage in case your luggage is lost or stolen.
If you have to inject your medication, you might prefer to carry your own needles and syringes but you should check with the embassy or consulate of the country you are visiting to make sure this is acceptable. If you buy needles and syringes while overseas, ensure you buy packs that are sealed and sterile. If you need to carry needles and syringes with you on the plane, inform your airline before you travel and if necessary, arrange a letter from your doctor explaining why you need to carry them.
It is important to be aware that some medicines that are readily available in Australia may not be available overseas, or if they are available they may be packaged under a different brand name. Keep an eye on the strength of the active ingredients in similar sounding medications overseas as they can vary.
More information on travelling with medicines is available from the Medicare Australia website or by phoning the PBS Medicine enquiry line on 1800 500 147.
Passengers on international flights to and from Australia are allowed to carry a small amount of liquids (including aerosols and gels) in their carry-on baggage. Allowances will be made for medications or baby food needed for consumption on the flight under certain conditions. For further information visit the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government.
Take feminine hygiene products and contraceptives if you are headed somewhere where they may not be available or may be expensive.
Yeast infections are more likely to occur in humid climates. They can often be prevented by wearing skirts instead of pants and loose cotton underwear. If you are prone to yeast infections make sure that you take medication in your first aid kit as it may not be readily available at your destination.
Be aware of the risk of HIV - avoid ear-piercing, acupuncture, tattooing or dental work while travelling.
Practise safe sex. Never assume that your partner is not HIV-positive or carrying another sexually transmitted infection. Carry a reliable brand of condom as they may not be available at your destination.
Avoid temporary ‘black henna’ tattoos as they often contain a dye which can cause serious skin reactions. For further information see the Australasian College of Dermatologists’ website.
‘Medical tourism’, including for cosmetic and sex-change operations, is common in Asia. Avoid ‘discount’ or uncertified medical establishments where standards can be lacking, resulting in serious and possibly life-threatening complications.
For further information obtain and/or download a copy of the brochure Travelling well.
You face greater risks when you're travelling alone. If you decide to do so, you should take extra precautions.
At some destinations you may become the focus of unwanted male attention if you appear to be unaccompanied. This could take the form of pinching, hissing, passing comments, obscene behaviour, staking or unwanted physical contact.
In these situations retain your composure and remove yourself from the situation as quickly as possible, or go to the nearest police officer. To minimise the risk of harassment, you should avoid walking alone after dark or in isolated places. You should also be sensitive to local standards or dress and behaviour. If in doubt, seek local advice.
You could unwittingly find yourself in danger simply by accepting an invitation to go out with a man alone.
In societies where this is not an accepted practice, just saying ‘yes' to an invitation may give the wrong signal and expose you to the risk of sexual assault.
Bag snatching and theft of jewellery is common in some countries:
Here are a few other tips that will help keep you safe.
CASE STUDY: Jean, a young Australian woman, was shopping in a crowded bazaar in the Middle East. She wanted to buy a new outfit and was asked by the male shopkeeper to come back later when he would have the outfit in her size. Jean returned late in the afternoon when the bazaar was much quieter and when there were no other customers in the shop. Jean was led to a room at the back of the shop to try on the clothes and was assaulted by the shopkeeper. She had been placed in a situation where she was extremely vulnerable: Jean was isolated from the help of other shoppers or passers by and had no means of escape from the room she had been taken to.
If you have a business appointment in an unfamiliar location, leave details of your destination with the hotel management and instruct them to raise the alarm if you have not returned by a certain time.
Don't give out your room number to associates too freely - this can give the wrong signal in some countries.
If you are at a conference, leave your name badge in your room or purse. Advertising your name could lead to unwelcome situations.
In some countries and/or cultures, dress standards more conservative than in Australia and may be stricter for women than they are for men. The way you present yourself may affect the way people react to you. To help avoid unwelcome attention you should take care to be sensitive to local dress standards.
In some countries, certain forms of dress are unacceptable at religious and other culturally important sites. Some do not allow women in at all.
Every year Australians fall in love and get married overseas. You should be aware that laws regarding marriage vary from country to country and legal complications can arise.
Some countries impose strict limit on women’s rights to seek property entitlements, inheritance, divorce, alimony, child support and custody. Accordingly, if you plan to marry overseas, check out the legal, cultural and religious implications for yourself, your intended spouse and any children either of you may already have together, separately, or plan to have together at a later date.
In certain countries, Australian women who marry nationals of those countries can be subject to strict family controls and may be prevented from leaving that country without their husband's permission.
Dual nationality issues can be very complex. For further information, obtain and/or download a copy of the brochure Travelling dual nationals.
Be aware of internet dating scams. Some Australian citizens have been defrauded or had their lives endangered by bogus internet friendship, dating and marriage schemes. These scams typically result from connections made through internet dating schemes or chat rooms. Once a virtual relationship develops, the Australian citizen is asked by their friend or prospective marriage partner to send money to enable travel to Australia. Once the money has been received, the relationship is usually terminated and any chance of recovering the funds is highly unlikely. In some instances, foreigners who have travelled overseas to meet their friend or prospective marriage partner have been kidnapped and held to ransom.
Here are a few pointers to help ensure your travels proceed smoothly.
For further information obtain and/or download a copy of the brochure Travelling parents.
To find out more about travelling with children, contact your airline or visit:
If you are planning to place your child or children in a childcare facility or employ the services of babysitters or nannies overseas, you should satisfy yourself about the standards of childcare provided in the country concerned. Overseas childcare centres aren’t bound by Australian regulations and standards of childcare can be very different from those in Australia.
As you would before placing your child into childcare in Australia, you may wish to research issues such as: accreditation standards of childcare providers; whether the childcare provider has in place appropriate strategies to prevent child abuse; the hiring and screening procedures of staff, including background criminal record checks; qualifications of the staff caring for the children; ratios of staff to children; training of staff, including training in first aid and emergency procedures; the security arrangements of the childcare centre premises; validity of personal injury liability insurance; and children’s health and vaccination issues.
For useful ideas on how to select reputable childcare providers please visit either the National Childcare Accreditation Council’s website or Child Wise’s ‘Choose with Care’ program.
Don’t use, carry or get involved with drugs overseas. Every year, the Australian Government provides consular assistance to Australians arrested or jailed overseas for drug offences. Consular assistance cannot override local law, even where local laws may appear harsh by Australian standards. Some countries, such as Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia and Vietnam, may sentence convicted drug offenders to death penalty or life imprisonment.
To minimise your chances of getting into trouble with drugs overseas:
In the event that you are arrested on drug charges overseas, be aware that:
While travelling it is important to keep in regular touch with your family and let them know of any changes to your travel plans. You may be having a great time on your holiday but forgetting to contact family and friends can cause them needless stress and worry. Each year, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade’s consular service receives hundreds of calls from concerned families who have not heard from loved ones and are concerned for their safety.
To save your family and friends needless worry:
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) provides help to Australians who find themselves in trouble overseas. Through this support, known as consular services, the Department's consular officers provide a lifeline to Australians who are overseas.
The Australian Government will do what it can to help Australians in difficulties overseas. However, you need to appreciate that when you go abroad you leave behind Australia's support systems, emergency service capabilities and medical facilities. There are legal and practical limits to what consular officers can do for travellers overseas and you need to have realistic expectations.
Australians made over 5 million trips in 2006-07, compared to 3.4 million four years ago. In 2006-07 alone, the Department assisted over 33,000 Australians in difficulty in over 169 countries and handled over 300,000 public inquiries.
The Australian Government cannot decide for Australians where to travel and how to behave when they arrive at their destination overseas. Australians are intrepid travellers and are going in ever greater numbers to out-of-the way, sometimes dangerous places. These are personal choices which the government respects. However, you need to accept responsibility to minimise risks to yourself. Consular functions are governed by international agreements and the Australian Government cannot impose Australia's laws, rules or standards on other countries.
Examples of what we CAN DO to help Australians overseas include:
Examples of what we CANNOT DO to help Australians overseas include:
The Consular Service Charter sets out the standards of service all Australians can expect to receive from consular staff.
Australians overseas in need of counselling services can contact our Consular Emergency Centre (CEC) on +61 2 6261 3305, who can transfer the call through to a Lifeline Telephone Counsellor.
Consular officers can be found in Australian diplomatic and consular posts overseas. DFAT’s consular network extends to some 170 points of service around the world. These overseas posts are usually located in capital cities but there are also some in regional centres. Sometimes the head of an Australian consulate will be an Honorary Consul.
Not all countries have an Australian diplomatic or consular post but there is usually an Australian post in the region. Under a consular agreement with Canada there are a number of locations where Australians can access consular services through Canadian embassies and high commissions. Informal arrangements also exist with other consular services including those of the United Kingdom and the United States to lend assistance to Australians in need.
Address and telephone numbers of Australian embassies, high commissions and consulates can be found in local telephone directories, hotels, tourist offices or police stations in the country concerned.
A directory of Australian overseas posts appears in the ‘Getting Help Overseas’ section of each edition of Travel Smart: Hints for Australian Travellers. This booklet is issued with your passport. Canadian posts that help Australians are also listed in the Travel Smart booklet.
The 24-hour Consular Emergency Centre (CEC) in Canberra can also be contacted for assistance from anywhere in the world on +61 2 6261 3305 or +61 1300 555 135 (local call cost within Australia).
Many problems encountered overseas can be avoided if some simple precautions are taken. Follow our overseas travel tips to be well on your way to having a hassle-free journey.
DFAT has prepared a range of brochures for Australians planning to travel overseas:
Copies of these brochures are available at DFAT state and territory offices, Australian Passport Offices, overseas posts and selected travel agents. They can also be read and ordered in hard copy online.
Travel agencies and other businesses and educational facilities organising or promoting travel may order bulk quantities of the brochures online.
Download a copy of this material in PDF (494 KB)
While every care has been taken in preparing this brochure, neither the Australian Government nor its agents or employees, including any member of Australia's diplomatic and consular staff abroad, can accept liability for any injury, loss or damage arising in respect of any statement contained herein.
Consular Policy Branch
Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
R G Casey Building
BARTON ACT 0221
Tel (02) 6261 3305; 1 300 555 135
Information for travellers and travel advisories are available from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade’s smartraveller website: smartraveller.gov.au.
February 2008