So, you want to go to Australia on a Working Holiday Visa

I know enough people who went without a return ticket, and they got into the country. Just be aware that they can ask for proof of funds to show that you have enough money to support yourself, and to buy a return ticket.

Be aware that it isn't always possible to change your flight dates - I tried but because I had got my flights very cheap, it wasn't possible.

Hey, a few questions.

I'm an 18 year old boy and I'm wanting go to Australia on an working holiday visa at the end of this december with my girlfriend and her family as they are moving over there, I will be living with her family and also working over there at the same time. I have just under 4 months before I plan to leave with them.

My questions, i have just sent away for my passport to be renewed which takes up to 2-3 weeks, as soon as i get my passport back i am going to apply for my working holiday visa, how long will that take to arrive? Also i've read in a few places that i need $5000 AUS? I will only be going for 3 months at a time and plus i'll be living with her family, therefore I will be paying them board once i get a job (they are fine with that) will i actually need that much money or will they be ok with it since i will be living with her family? Also do you think 4 months is enough time for me to get everything sorted? Is there anything else i should know?

Thanks, Oli.

Hey, a few questions.

I'm an 18 year old boy and I'm wanting go to Australia on an working holiday visa at the end of this december with my girlfriend and her family as they are moving over there, I will be living with her family and also working over there at the same time. I have just under 4 months before I plan to leave with them.

My questions, i have just sent away for my passport to be renewed which takes up to 2-3 weeks, as soon as i get my passport back i am going to apply for my working holiday visa, how long will that take to arrive? Also i've read in a few places that i need $5000 AUS? I will only be going for 3 months at a time and plus i'll be living with her family, therefore I will be paying them board once i get a job (they are fine with that) will i actually need that much money or will they be ok with it since i will be living with her family? Also do you think 4 months is enough time for me to get everything sorted? Is there anything else i should know?

Thanks, Oli.

How much in GBP, including flights & visas etc, do you think are required for a working year abroad in Australia if you find a job within the first few weeks of being there?

I've guesstimated about £5000, but maybe other people who've already done it would be able to give a better answer than me.

Speaking of which, I've made a little checklist of things I think I'll need. Can anyone confirm that I'm on the right track?

- Money needed for initial living costs plus return flight home: £3,218.21 ($5000)
- First flight: Will book using STA Travel voucher of £1000 ($1553.85)
- Working Holiday Visa: £180.17 ($280)
- Travel insurance: ~£100+
- Wheelie Backpack: ~£100
- OzIntro Sydney: £449.69 ($699) or Ultimate Oz (7 nights in Sydney): £514.05 ($799)

It looks good - the only thing is that I think you may end up paying substantially more than that for travel insurance, because you need to ensure that it covers (a) pre-existing medical conditions, and (b) any activities that you might possibly consider doing e.g. scuba diving, sky diving. I think mine cost £400 for 6 months, but I do have pre-existing conditions.

Ok, thanks . I got that rough figure just by looking at one website, but will definitely make sure to shop around and research as much as possible. Are there any particular companies you'd personally recommend for travel insurance?

Also, how much money in total did you save up for your trip before going to Australia (including visas, insurance, luggage, etc)? If you don't mind me asking.

So far I've saved about £3,500, plus I have a £1000 STA Travel gift card that I'll use for flights, which I think is nearly enough, but I'm still working my current job till January so should be able to save a lot more and be comfortable to head off in January or February, as well as have some decent money to spend on my few-nights stopover in Hong Kong or Seoul (whichever I finally decide).

I never quite worked out the full figure TBH, as it was all a bit complicated. I think I spent about £6k though, including flights, visas and other pre-departure gubbins.

I only went with the insurance company that I did go with because they offered cover for a very specialist activity that won't be relevant to you. I can't remember what they were called now TBH, but they were quite niche and I'm sure there are better policies out there for you.

Wow, £6k seems a lot. Was this just making sure you were extra safe and comfortable?

What's the very specialist activity and why won't it be relevant to me?

£6k (ish!) just happened to be the amount that I had managed to save up by the time I left - there wasn't much rhyme or reason to it. And of course, if you have the money then you will spend it whilst you're out there! Travelling is one of those things that expands to fill the budget available.

The activity is a niche sport that only has about 10,000 participants in the UK - relatively few people have even heard of it.

Ah yeah, fair enough.

So gliding's basically piloting your own little airplane? Interesting . Well, that looks a bit scary for me so I guess you're right in that it's not for me . I hope you had fun doing it though

A glider will be towed in to the air by another plane then will use rising pillars of hot air to maintain altitude.

On the wheeled backpack, I recommend Eagle Creek. I used to sell their stuff when working at Rohan and took one of their bags round Aus for a year. the build quality is simply fantastic. 6 years on and it's still in pretty much the same condition as I bought it - just with some additional dirt!

Oh, and I have another question for anyone who's done a working holiday:

Is it worth taking all your qualification certificates, such as GCSEs, A Levels, vocational, etc? It's something I'd been wondering for a while, and I was just reminded of it after watching this video where someone that suggested it's a good idea. But lots of jobs I've been on interviews to in the UK haven't even asked me to show any certificates, so I worry about the thought of having to lug all that out there if it's not completely necessary, especially for unskilled jobs.

Definitely not. Not once in any country have I ever been asked to provide any sort of evidence of any educational qualifications and you just risk losing/ruining them. If your really bothered just scan them before you leave (do this with your passport and important docs too) so you can access them whenever but I cant see you ever needing to use them

Thanks for that link, I'm checking it out . Does Eagle Creek have any or sell in any physical stores I can walk into, or is it all onine?

I think the OP mentioned somewhere that she doesn't recommend buying backpacks online, but what do you think?