Getting Started - Finances, plane tickets, insurance

Getting to Australia is definitely not cheap and you do need to save up a little before you even consider applying for the visa. You have to have money for the visa, plane tickets, travel insurance, accommodation, food etc. Even if you hear people saying they went to Australia with no money and managed just fine it might not be the case for everyone. 

Proof of Funds

When entering Australia you may also be asked to show that you have enough funds for the initial stay (around 5000 AUD) so it could be a good idea to get a bank statement from your home bank to show you have that money (even if it's not yours and you just asked your parents and friends to transfer it to you account). Having a credit card or two can also help prove that you have the money. In most cases, however, this will not be checked but it's always better to be prepared. 

Plane tickets

One-way tickets to Australia can cost up to 1500 AUD so it's important to shop around and look for good deals and when possible book ahead 4-5 months. Of course the easiest way is to go to a travel agent and let them find you the best possible and cheapest route and sometimes they can offer you some pretty good deals. Another way, if you're good at surfing the internet, is to plan and book the trip on your own. This can be time consuming but can sometimes give you the biggest savings. Doing it yourself it's important to make sure you have enough time between the flights because if you miss one flight your entire trip may end up a disaster and you may have to pay enormous sums to get to your destination.  

I flew to Australia from Estonia in October 2009 and booked ahead 3-4 months. The cost was 550 AUD  in total:

Tallinn - London (Estonian Air) - ca 100 AUD
London - Kuala Lumpur (Air Asia) - ca 300 AUD

Kuala Lumpur - Melbourne (Air Asia) - ca 150 AUD

Travel and Medical Insurance

Especially when using different flight companies or booking the trip on your own travel insurance is essential in case you miss a flight or a flight is delayed and you miss your connecting flight. Many flight companies will ask you to buy a new ticket if you have missed a flight so having insurance will ensure that you'll get that money back. However it is very important you read through the conditions of your travel insurance and make sure the will compensate for missed flights.

Medical Insurance is equally important for the entire stay in Australia because medical aid in Australia is not cheap. Calling an ambulance will already cost you a few hundred dollars, a regular doctors visit ca 80-120 AUD and more serious cases even more so getting medical insurance for around 500 dollars a year is definitely worth it (price may vary depending the county you're from and the insurance company you use). Medical insurance is usually only available while you're still in your home country so make sure you get it before you leave for Australia.

Some useful links:

Air Asia  - Cheap flights from France or UK to Asia and from Asia to Australia

Estonian Air - Cheap flights around Europe

QBE Insurance - Australian Insurance Company that has offices around the world.

Getting Started - Visa

Before you start planning your trip you have to make sure you're eligible for the Woking Holiday Visa. This visa is only available for two groups of nationals: If you are from Belgium, Canada, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Korea, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Taiwan or United Kingdom you can apply for Working Holiday visa subclass 417. Subclass 462 visa may be available for people from Bangladesh, Chile, Indonesia, Iran, Malaysia, Thailand, Turkey and the USA.

Since I had the 417 visa most of the information in this blog is for this type of visa holders. The main conditions of this visa:

You have to be between 18-30 years of age to qualify for the visa which allows you to stay and work in Australia for up to 12 months with the option of renewing you visa for another year if you have successfully completed 3 months or 88 days of specified work in regional Australia while on your first Working Holiday visa. (But more on renewing the visa in a later post).

You can apply for the visa online or by post. Doing it online should take around 30 minutes but you can save your application and finish it at a later time. Additionally to your personal details you have to answer questions about your travels, medical history and criminal history. I assume if you have had medical problems or have a criminal record you are unlikely to be granted the visa. And depending on the country you are living in and/or have been travelling recently you may have to take a medical test. If you are not asked to undertake a medical test and have no medical conditions or criminal record you should receive your visa within minutes of submitting your application.

Your visa will be linked to your passport (with just your passport number employers and officials can check if you have the right visa ) so your passport must be valid for the entire time you plan to stay in Oz + 6 months after that. It is advisable to renew you passport before you apply if it expires in less than 3 years since you'll never know how long you might want to travel (maybe you want to apply for a New Zeland Working Holiday Visa after your stay in Australia or travel Asia...)

The cost of the visa is 230 AUD at the moment but is subject to change any time.

Useful links:
Department of Immigration and Citizenship - All about the Working Holiday Visa

Australia - What's it all about

Australia is not just Kangaroos, Koalas and the Sydney Opera House. There are the beautiful beaches and islands, the rainforests, waterfalls, mountains, exotic animals, Theme Parks at the Gold Coast, the amazing night life, concerts and special events in the major cities and of course Uluru at the centre of Australia. You can travel here a year or two and still feel there's so much more to see and do. 

Australia has higher wages than most of Europe and America so with a few months of work you can save up enough to travel for a while. You can start in Cairns and travel the east coast down to Brisbane or do the Great Ocean Road or travel the West Coast or spend some time in the beautiful Whitsundays.