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Travel insurance for volunteers

Many insurers will cover you for volunteer work overseas. The conditions can vary by insurer though, so compare your options below.

Are you planning on volunteering? Has the NGO or not-for-profit you are working with requested you get travel insurance?

Many insurers will cover you for volunteer work overseas. However, there will be conditions – the most common condition being you are not permitted to engage in any manual labour. Below are the conditions for a number of the travel insurance brands in the Finder panel and how they treat travel insurance when it comes to overseas volunteer work; even though you're not being paid, these are known as working holidays.

ProviderConditions for travel insurance when volunteeringApply
Medibank Travel InsuranceMedibank automatically covers working holidays.More info
Freely LogoFreely automatically covers working holidays.
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Zoom logoZoom won't be able to pay any claims for events that occur while you're working - if you slip on some ice behind a bar you're working at, for example - because your work should cover that. However, they can cover you for claims outside of work.
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Fast Cover LogoYes, cover is provided for overseas charity work, however, you will need to check the Product Disclosure Statement to ensure that the specific type of work you will be doing is covered under their policies.More info
Insure4Less Travel Insurance LogoInsure4less allows you to carry out non-manual, non-hazardous work whilst overseas although there is no cover for personal liability whilst working. There is no cover for claims related to any snow sports activity if such activity results in payment or payment in kind for the insured.
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Travel Insuranz Travel Insurance LogoTravel Insuranz allows you to carry out non-manual, non-hazardous work whilst overseas although there is no cover for personal liability whilst working. There is no cover for claims related to any snow sports activity if such activity results in payment or payment in kind for the insured.
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insureandgoInsureandGo covers conservation or charity work (educational educational and environmental – working with hand tools only). They will not cover you for engaging in any manual labour, humanitarian, missionary related travel or whilst working with animals.
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Tick LogoTick covers conservation or charity work (educational educational and environmental – working with hand tools only). They will not cover you for engaging in any manual labour, humanitarian, missionary related travel or whilst working with animals.
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Covermore logoCoverMore covers Working-Holiday Visa: Manual Work (ground level, no powered machinery) and Non-Manual Work.
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Southern Cross LogoSCTISCTI covers Non-Manual Work, such as working in an office, attending a trade fair at a conference centre, or going to a training course or business meeting.
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Travel with Kit LogoWorking covered but not any form of manual labour.More info
Travel with Jane LogoWorking covered but not any form of manual labour. You are not covered for animal conservation and handling, under appropriate supervision, unless you take out optional Adventure Add-On cover.More info
Easy Travel InsuranceEasy automatically covers working holidays.
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Note: This information was last updated August 2024

Apply for travel insurance for volunteers

What type of insurance is required to cover volunteers?

If you're going overseas to work with a not-for-profit organisation as a volunteer, you will usually need to take out travel insurance for yourself. Travel insurance for volunteers is similar to regular travel insurance, in that it covers the 3 main areas of risk:

  • Medical and hospital
  • Theft or loss of belongings
  • Trip cancellations or delays

But because it's more than just a holiday, you may also want to consider taking out additional cover for things such as personal accidents, public liability and (if you're providing a service or giving advice) professional indemnity insurance. With some organisations, taking out this type of policy is mandatory in order to work with them.

What am I covered for?

Travel insurance for volunteers should cover the 3 main areas of risk, protecting against loss of deposits and additional expenses associated with flight cancellations and delays. It should also cover lost, stolen or damaged baggage and personal items.

As with most insurance policies, all areas of cover are contingent upon the insured being a participant in an approved activity at the time of any incident. In the case of a volunteer, that would mean performing tasks associated with their voluntary work.

A good policy should protect you in the following ways:

  • 24-hour assistance
  • Accidental death & permanent total disablement
  • Alternative therapies
  • Baggage delay over 12 hours
  • Cancellation costs
  • Clinical psychology after assault or trauma
  • Compassionate emergency visit home
  • Credit repayment for full-time students
  • Emergency dental treatment
  • Emergency medical transport & repatriation
  • Hire of sporting equipment
  • Kidnap or hijack
  • Local funeral expenses or repatriation of remains
  • Out-of-pocket expenses in hospital
  • Overseas medical costs
  • Personal liability
  • Rental vehicle insurance excess
  • Resumption of trip
  • Return of rental vehicle
  • Theft or damage to baggage & personal items
  • Trip interruption costs

In terms of the specific jobs you are covered for, policies will generally cover a range of volunteering roles, including:

  • Hospitality, including serving meals to unhoused people.
  • General farm work, including activities such as conservation and environmental work.
  • Teaching.
  • Clerical work.
  • Childcare.
  • Retail work, such as assisting in a second-hand shop.

What is generally excluded?

Some exclusions apply to volunteer travel insurance, as they do in any travel insurance policy. Exclusions are instances in which the insurer will not cover the insured and these include:

  • War or terrorism
  • An incident that occurs while you're under the influence of alcohol or drugs
  • An incident that occurs while you're training or competing in an organised sport
  • An incident that occurs while you're flying in any craft, other than as a passenger on a commercial airline
  • Suicide or attempted suicide
  • An incident that occurs while you're driving or riding in a race
  • Childbirth or pregnancy
  • An incident that occurs while you're while travelling against medical advice
  • Non-emergency dental treatment
  • Precautionary measures such as vaccinations
  • Loss of personal property left unattended or unsupervised
  • Sexually transmitted diseases
  • Radioactive contamination
  • Irresponsible or illegal activity
  • Maintenance of a pre-existing medical condition

What other insurances do I need?

As well as travel insurance, when you're volunteering, the not-for-profit organisation may also need require you take out insurance that covers you for public liability insurance to protect against claims of third party injury or property damage.

As well as taking out travel insurance or ensuring that your not-for-profit organisation has taken it out on your behalf, volunteers should also take the following precautions before heading overseas. Due to the political instability and poverty-stricken nature of many countries requiring volunteer assistance, you could find yourself in danger or in trouble with the authorities unless you take certain steps beforehand. These could include:

  • Researching the organisation you intend to volunteer with to ensure it is reputable and that the work you will be doing will be of value
  • Studying the culture and learning the language, laws and customs of the country you plan to visit
  • Obtaining the right paperwork, including visas, work permits and other documentation
  • Reading and taking note of travel warnings issued by the Australian Government Smartraveller website
  • Registering your travel plans with Smartraveller and notifying friends and relatives of your intended movements

No students to teach and no school to teach at

11566647853_1e5c6f9026_mWhen Claire Standish signed up to do volunteer teaching in India through a not-for-profit organisation, she paid nearly $4,000 to access the program. But when Claire arrived in India, she found that there was no volunteer work for her to do.

Nothing had been organised by the subsidiary organisation on the ground and there were no students to teach and no school to teach at. Claire returned to Australia out of pocket and thoroughly disillusioned. She made a formal complaint to the not-for-profit organisation she had signed up with.

Fortunately, the organisation made some attempt at restitution, sending her on a new volunteer trip free of charge and paying half of her airfares. The moral here is to thoroughly research the organisation you plan to volunteer through and to have adequate travel insurance to cover trip cancellations and additional expenses.

How do I find a good volunteer placement?

  • What am I in for? Make sure that the program is above board.
  • Should I speak with previous volunteers? Yes, finding out first hand from previous volunteers is a great way of knowing whether or not the organisation does what it says it does.
  • Should I go off the beaten track? Staying away from popular tourist destinations will help you have a more authentic experience and help those truly in need.
  • How can I make sure I'm really helping? Find a program that either handles its own projects or is affiliated with a project you are interested in. Avoid those that outsource volunteers.
  • I like working with children, what about helping in an orphanage? According to Smartraveller, you should steer clear of orphanages unless you are able to spend a lot of time there.

Frequently Asked Questions

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To make sure you get accurate and helpful information, this guide has been edited by Sarah Megginson as part of our fact-checking process.
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Editor

Richard Laycock is Finder’s insights editor after spending the last five years writing and editing articles about insurance. His musings can be found across the web including on MoneyMag, Yahoo Finance and Travel Weekly. Richard studied Media at Macquarie University and The Missouri School of Journalism and has a Tier 1 Certification in General Advice for Life Insurance. See full bio

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