Working Holiday Travel Insurance
Our specialist Working Holiday policy will cover your work and travel plans if you plan to undertake paid or voluntary work for all or part of your time away from the UK. You will then have the peace of mind that your medical costs (and potential repatriation back to the UK) would be covered if you suffer an injury at work or in your leisure time, alongside all of the other benefits of comprehensive travel insurance cover.
The Working Holiday policy:
- Covers you to do a wide range of jobs whilst away - make sure that you choose the right Work Pack for your plans
- Can cover you to be away from the UK for up to 2 years
- Allows you to make two return trips back to the UK for up to 21 days each, (and up to 4 return trips if you choose to upgrade)
- Has the comprehensive benefits of a standard travel insurance policy, whilst also covering you to work
Obtain a Working Holiday Travel Insurance Quote
(Please ensure that you check what Activity and Work Packs you will need to apply, see below for details)
Which Work Pack will I need to choose?
If you are solely planning to do bar, cafe, office administration or retail work - our standard Backpacker or Longstay policies will provide suitable cover. Take a look at these policies, and get a quote here.
If you are doing any other forms of work, you will need to take out our Working Holiday policy. A wide variety of job roles and occupations have been put in to one of our four Work Packs.
Here is a selection of the jobs covered under our Work Packs, please see further down the page for the full list of jobs covered under each of the Packs:
Pack 1 (included in your quote as standard) - TEFL Teacher, Farm Labourer with no use of machinery or contact with livestock, Au Pair, Fruit picking without using machinery, Working at an Animal Sanctuary with Domestic or Farm Animals.
Pack 2 - Farm labourer with the use of a tractor, machinery or contact with livestock, Sports Coach, Veterinarian or Veterinary Nurse working with Domestic or Farm Animals, Dancer, Working at an Elephant Sanctuary.
Pack 3 - Car Mechanic, Horse Riding Instructor, Pool Lifeguard, Nurse.
Pack 4 - Veterinarian or Veterinary Nurse working with Wild Animals, Electrician, Plumber, Working in an Animal Sanctuary with Wild Animals.
Working Packs available under our Working Holiday Policy
Here are the Work Packs in full. Please click on each, to see the list of occupations and job roles, covered. These Work Packs are applicable for policies purchased from 1st February 2018 onwards. For earlier policies, please refer to your policy wording documents for details of coverage.
Accountant
Actuary
Admin. Staff/Managers (Office type work)
Advertising Agent/Clerk/Executive
Air Traffic Controller,Control Assistant,Planner
Airline
Manager/Superintendent/Check-in
Animal Sanctuary/Refuge Work domestic/farm animals
Staff Architect
Artist
Au Pair / Nanny
Auditor
Author
Bank Staff
Bar Manager,Manageress, Staff/Steward(ess)
Barber
Barrister Beautician/Beauty Therapist
Book Keeper
Box Office Clerk – Cinema or Theatre
Building Society Manager and Staff Business Analyst/Consultant
C.A.D. Designer
Call Centre Operator/Manager
Camp America – Office based / cooking
Canteen Assistant/Supervisor
Car Valet
Cashier
Chambermaid
Chef (including Head Chef)
Chemist (not shop or research work)
Children’s Entertainer
Childcare/Child Minder
Civil Servant (Office-based),
Claims Adjuster/Assessor
Classroom Assistant
Cleaner (Domestic, Office or Internal only)
Clergyman/woman
Clerical Assistant/Officer/Worker
Coal Merchant (Administrative)
Commodity Broker/Jobber
Company Director (no manual work)
Computer Analyst,Consultant,Programmer
Customer Services Agent, Supervisor,Manager
Customs and Excise Officer – Port control
Dinner Lady
Director – no manual work
Disney Theme Park – non lifeguard
Ecologist
Economist Editor – Publishing
Environmental Health Officer
Estate Agent
Farm Labourer,Worker no use of machine or work with livestock
Finance Broker,Director,Manager
Financial Adviser,Controller
Financial Analyst
Florist
Fruit Picking (Non-Machinery)
Funeral Director
Graphic Designer
Greengrocer
Hairdresser – mobile,salon
Health and Safety Officer
Hospital Administrator, Manager,Receptionist
Hospital Porter, Storeman,Ward, Orderly
Hotel Barman
Hotel Porter
Hotel Receptionist
Housekeeper
Immigration Office
Independent Financial Adviser
Inspector, Underwriter, Insurance Agent
Insurance , Assessor, Broker, Consultant, Investment Analyst
IT Analyst, Consultant, Services Manager
Judge
Kitchen Worker, Supervisor
Lawyer
Left Luggage Attendant
Legal Adviser, Assistant, Executive, Secretary
Librarian
Loss Adjuster
Mail Sorter
Make-up Artist
Management Accountant, Consultant Manager – Office type work only in an office environment
Medical administrator, Receptionist, Secretary
Messenger, Receptionist
Money Broker
Museum Attendant, Guide
Newsagent
Newspaper Vendor
Nursery Assistant
Occupational Therapist
Office Administrator, Cashier,Clerk/Manager
Optician
Packer
Payroll Administrator, Accounts Clerk, Manager
Personal Assistant
Pharmacist
Physicist
Politician
Porter – baggage, hospital, hotel, night
Post Sorter
Postman/woman (no driving)
Priest
Public Relations Executive,Officer
Publisher
Receptionist
Recruitment Consultant, Manager
Registrar
Safety Officer (not on a rig)
Sales Assistant
Sales Manager
Sales Representative
School Bursar, Inspector, Secretary
Secretary
Services Manager
Shop Cleaner
Software Consultant, Engineer
Solicitor
Statistician
Stock Broker, Jobber
Structural Engineer (office based)
Supermarket Assistant, Staff
Systems Analyst, Manager, Programmer
Tax Consultant, Inspector
Teacher – includes supply, teaching assistant, TEFL Teacher
Telesales Manager, Representative
Travel Agent
Underwriter
University Lecturer
Vicar
Waiter, Waitress
Website Designer
Works Clerk, Receptionist
Youth Hostel Warden
Youth Worker
Zoo Curator, Director
Animal Welfare Inspector, Officer
Antique Dealer
Baggage Handler
Baker – Bakery
Computer Engineer
Baker – in a shop
Building Inspector ,Technician
Building Surveyor
Café Owner, Proprietor (Unlicensed)
Camera Operator
Camp America – Sports coaching
Car Salesperson
Caretaker
Janitor
Carpet Cleaner
Carpet Fitter
Caterer, Catering Assistant
Chartered Surveyor
Chemist (shop, mining or research work)
Chiropodist
Chiropractor
Customs and Excise Officer Investigative work
Dance Teacher
Dancer
Doctor (not surgeon/anaesthetist and not Armed Forces)
Dog Breeder
Door and Window – Assembler No fitting
Double Glazing – Assembler No fitting
Elephant Sanctuary Work
Factory Manager - no manual work
Factory Worker
Farm Labourer/Worker with use of tractor or working with livestock
Farm Manager - no manual work
Fence Erector (with use of chainsaw)
Film Editor
Fishmonger
Fitness Instructor
Forestry Officer
Fruit picking with machinery
Garage Manager, Proprietor – no manual work
General Practitioner
Geologist/Geophysicist
Health and Fitness Club Trainer
Health Visitor
Hospital Consultant (no surgery)
Hospital Doctor (not surgeon or anaesthetist)
Hotel Doorman/Manager
Janitor
Laboratory Manager, Technician/Worker
Leisure Centre Instructor
Marine Biologist
Martial Arts Instructor
Medical Laboratory Technician
Modelling
Mortician
Mountain Bike Tour Guide
Musician, Performer
Osteopath
Personal Trainer
Pharmacy Assistant
Pilates Teacher
Photographer – Portrait, Studio, Industrial or Weddings
Physician
Post Office Counter Staff, Postmaster
Production Manager, Superintendent – no manual work
Property Developer no manual work
Psychiatrist
Psychologist
Psychotherapist
Quantity Surveyor
Radiographer
Radiologist
Recording Engineer, Technician
Restaurant Manager, Proprietor
Retail Shop Manager
School Janitor Scientist, Scientific Assistant Shop Assistant, Worker, Keeper, Manager, Proprietor
Singer / Performer
Sound Engineer
Sports Coach
Store Manager
Supermarket Manager, Deputy Manager
Surveyor – Architectural/Land
Theatre Stagework
Timber Merchant (no manual work)
Tour Guide (no driving)
Water Theme Park
Veterinarian - domestic and farm animals
Veterinarian Nurse - domestic and farm animals
Yoga Teacher
Actor/Actress (No Stunt Work)
Aircraft Engineer
Ambulance Crew
Ambulance Driver
Anaesthetist
Delivery Driver
Antique Restorer
Bailiff
Building Site Manager
Bus Driver,
Butcher
Camp America – outdoor pursuits organiser
Car Mechanic
Care Worker (including Residential)
Charity / NGO non-government organisation volunteer
Chauffeur
Civil Engineer
Clock and Watch Maker/Repairer
Clothing Designer
Coach Driver
Coast Guard
Conductor – Train crew – Railways
Debt Collector
Dental Nurse
Dentist or Dental Assistant, Auxiliary. Consultant, Hygienist
Director – some manual work
Diver
Driver – not heavy plant or construction
Driving Examiner/Instructor
Dry Cleaning Shop Owner/Staff
Factory Inspector
Farm Owner
Fashion Designer (including Accessories)
Film Director/Producer/Writer
Fire Service – Senior Officer
Fish Farmer
Fork Lift Truck Driver
Garage Manager/Proprietor – some manual work
Garage Tyre/Exhaust Fitter
Gardener, Groundsman
Head Teacher/Master/Mistress
Heating and Plumbing Engineer
Horse riding instructor
Horse training
Hotel Proprietor
Hovercraft – Captain/Navigator/First Officer
Importer and Exporter
Inspector – within manufacturing industry
Journalist
Landscape Designer
Launderette – Supervisor, Assistant or Counter staff
Lecturer
Lifeguard – beaches
Lifeguard – swimming pool only
Light Goods Vehicle Driver
Locksmith Maintenance, Engineer,Technician
Mechanic
Mechanical Engineer
Mental Health Worker
Midwife
Milk Roundsman
Music Teacher
Musical Director
Musical Instrument Maker
News Photographer
Newsreader
Nurse – all including Student Nurse, Nurse, Nurseryman
Nursing Home Proprietor
Occupational Health Nurse
Optical Instrument Fitter/Maker/Repairer
Orthodontist
Outdoor Pursuits Leader
Paramedic
Park Keeper/Ranger
Pest Control Operative
Photographer – Other
Physiotherapist
Plant Hire Manager/Owner – no manual work or driving
Police (All ranks)
Police Community Support Officer (PCSO)
Postal Courier Driver
Postman/woman (some driving)
Presenter – Radio/TV
Printer/Printer’s Assistant
Prison Officer/Warden
Private Investigator
Probation Officer
Producer – TV/Radio/Record
Project manager (construction)
Property Manager
Public Service Vehicle (PSV) driver
Radio and Television Repairman
Railway Guard/Station personnel
Railway Police Officer
Refrigeration Engineer
Reporter
Residential Care Officer
Residential Home Proprietor
School Crossing Attendant
School Maid/Matron/Nurse
Service Engineer
Sewing Machinist
Shoe Maker or Repairer
Sign Writer
Social Worker
Stable Hand/Lad
Stage Technician
Station Officer – Fire Service
Support Worker
Technical Engineer
Technician
Telecommunications Engineer
Tool Fitter
Traffic Warden
Tutor
Tyre Fitter
University Lecturer
University Technician
Van Driver
Vehicle Technician
Vending Machine Engineer
Vocational Training Instructor
Windscreen Fitter
Youth Worker/Leader
Zoo Keeper (including Head)
Animal sanctuary work including wild animals
Artexer
Assembly Line Worker/Assembler
Blacksmith
Dustman
Boat Builder
Breakdown Recovery Patrolman
Bricklayer not above two storeys
Bricklayer’s (mate) not above two storeys
Builder not above two storeys
Builder’s mate not above two storeys
Building Contractor
Building Site Foreman
Bulldozer Driver
Cafe Owner/Proprietor (Licensed premises)
Carpenter not above two storeys
Club Manager
Club Proprietor/Steward(ess)
Coal Merchant (Manual)
Digger Driver
Doctor (surgeon/anaesthetist and not Armed Forces)
Electrical Engineer
Electrical Technician
Electrician, Electronics, Fitter/Installer/Repairer
Excavator Driver
Fabricator
Factory Manager – some manual work
Fitter/Fitter’s mate – usually, Floor Layer
Flying Instructor
Forest Worker
Foundry Worker
Furniture Remover
Gas Engineer
Gas Fitter
Glass Worker/cutter/Finisher
Ground Worker
Handyman
Haulier
HGV Driver
Horse dentistry
Hospital Consultant (surgeon)
Hospital Doctor (surgeon/anaesthetist)
JCB Driver
Joiner
Labourer ( Building) not above two storeys
Landscape Gardener
Licensee (Licensed Trade)
Lifeboat Crew
Lorry Driver
Machine Assistant/Operator
Machinery Electrician
Market or Street Trader
Mason/Mason’s Mate
Mechanical Road Sweeper Driver
Metal –fabricator, machinist, plater, sprayer, miller
Motor Cycle Courier/Messenger
Mustering cattle on horseback
Orthopaedic Surgeon
Painter and or Decorator
Panel Beater
Petrol Station Attendant
Photographer – Aerial photography
Pipe Fitter
Plant Hire Manager/Owner – some manual work or driving
Plant Operator
Plasterer
Plumber
Pop Musician/Singer
Process Operator/Worker
Production Manager/Superintendent – some manual work
Production Operative/Worker
Property Developer – some manual work
Publican/Public House Manager/Landlord
Railway Linesman
Recycling Operative
Refuse Collector
Removals Man
Road Maintenance Worker
Road Sweeper
Royal Military Police Officer
Scrap Yard Dealer/Owner
Security Guard Security Officer (other)
Security Van Driver
Sewage Works Attendant
Shark conservation (including cage diving)
Sheet Metal Worker
Shop Fitter
Spot Welder
Stone Cutter,Dresser, Polisher
Stone Mason
Storeman
Street Cleaner
Structural Engineer – on-site
Surgeon
Tattoo Artist
Taxi Driver/Owner
Tiler
Tool Maker
Track Layer/Trackman
Train Driver
Veterinary work - including wild animals
Warehouse Operator
Wood Worker/Machinist
Please note that the Working Packs do have some limitations, as we can’t offer cover if travellers are:
- Working Underground
- Working outdoors at heights above two storeys
- Lifting weight in excess of 25kg
Also, please note that no cover would be in place under the personal liability sections of our policies whilst working and you also wouldn’t be eligible for the lump-sum payments under the personal accident section, if an incident occurred whilst working. You would, however, be covered for emergency medical expenses that are the result of an accident at work. It is assumed that employers would have their own insurance in place for personal liability, but it is advisable that you check this with prospective employers.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us. You can get a quote from the link at the top of the page, or alternatively, submit a working holiday travel insurance quote request. Once we receive a completed request, we will be able to confirm if cover can be offered, and the cost of cover. We usually respond to quote enquiries the same working day or the morning of the next working day.
Working Holiday Policy Frequently Asked Questions
The nature of voluntary work varies a great deal, but the key thing is that you are performing a job or occupation in a working environment - even if you aren’t getting paid to do it- and the respective risks and responsibilities are still present. If your voluntary role purely involves office, cafe, retail or bar work, then this can be covered under our standard Longstay or Backpacker policies. If, however, you are doing anything beyond the scope of this, then you will need to look at our Working Holiday policy for valid cover. The Work Pack that you will need to apply when getting a quote depends on what you plan to do, and when deciding, please consider all the things that you will be doing, if it is a varied role, and pick the highest Work Pack that is relevant. You can take a look at the Work Packs above.
No matter if you are doing paid or voluntary work for part, or all of your time away from the UK (and you aren’t solely doing office, bar, cafe or retail work) , then you will need to take out the Working Holiday policy for the entire duration that you will be away from the UK. It isn’t possible to downgrade your policy type part-way through a policy, so you need to opt for the Working Holiday policy for the entire duration of your time away, for cover to be valid.
Yes. Whilst it’s great that your employer or the charity that you will be volunteering for, are organising medical cover whilst you’re away, this isn’t a replacement for Working Holiday policy cover. From our point of view, our policy underwriters require us to cover the full risk that a traveller represents, after taking all of their plans into account (this includes their work plans). An example of why this is the case:
- A traveller is working as a teacher at a school, and falls down a flight of stairs. He receives medical treatment for his injuries, which is paid for by his employer. He recovers, then leaves this job and heads off travelling. A few weeks later, he starts to suffer pain from his injuries and tries to claim on his travel insurance. If he was working in a role that he wasn’t covered for, then he wouldn’t be able to claim for further medical expenses from his travel insurer - as they weren’t covering him to work as a teacher. His employer’s medical cover won’t pick up the tab, as he no longer works for them - so he has no valid cover and has to pay for treatment himself.
Another key thing to consider, is that one of the key benefits of travel insurance is cover for repatriation back to the UK (which can be very costly) if you are seriously injured, for treatment to continue back here. It is very unlikely that an employer’s medical cover will extend to cover this, and again, you may be forced to pick up the tab for this yourself, if suitable cover hasn’t been taken out.
Personal liability is one of the benefits offered by all of our policies, and offers cover if you unfortunately damage or cause loss to somebody, in relation to an incident caused by you, and the person or organisation affected tries to recover the loss via the legal process. This is always in place in your leisure time, as long as none of the exclusions listed in your policy wording document, apply. This benefit is effectively “turned off” whilst you’re at work, as it is a benefit that is typically supplied by either an employer or a voluntary organisation/charity - but it is best to check directly with yours, just to confirm that this is the case. Personal liability would not be in place under any of our policies, whilst doing any form of work.
Depending on what you are studying, this may involve being in potentially risky settings, such as a laboratory - or it may involve placements where you are effectively carrying out some form of job role. If your study is purely classroom or office based, then you wouldn’t need a Working Holiday policy - but if it involves being in a laboratory environment, working with animals, there are any kind of musical or theatrical performances, or you are performing a job role in another environment, then you would need to select the Working Holiday policy (choosing the most appropriate Work Pack to match your plans).
There is an expectation that you select the full duration that you intend to be away from the UK at the outset, for a policy to be valid if a claim arises. To corroborate this, our Underwriter’s Claims team would expect you to have one of these acceptable forms of proof of your intention to return to the UK by your selected end date (see proof of intention list) As an example, if you have a 1 year Working Holiday visa, but only set your policy up to last for 6 months, this could cause a problem, unless you had a return flight booked to reflect the fact that you would be back in the UK by the policy end-date.
If you do decide to stay away for longer than originally planned, get in touch, and we will ask you to complete an extension enquiry form to let us know all of the relevant information that we need to know before we decide if we can offer the extension, and send you a link to pay the additional amount quoted. It’s important that you get in touch as soon as you make this decision, as you risk invalidating your policy, if you don’t update the details to reflect your revised plans. The deadline to pay to extend your policy, is midnight on the day that your policy expires, as we can’t extend policies that are no longer ‘active’.
For any of our policies to be valid, the start date of the policy needs to be the date that you leave the UK, so setting up a new policy, whilst already away from the UK, wouldn’t be valid.
Whilst you don’t need to necessarily have a return flight booked to take out a valid policy, you will need to set the policy up for the entire duration that you plan to be away, and also make sure that you have one of these approved forms of proving when you plan to be back in the UK. If you subsequently book a flight for a later date than that which is recorded on your policy, please get in touch to update us with this change, and we will consider extending your policy accordingly (subject to completion of an extension enquiry form). Another factor to bear in mind, is that the Underwriter’s Claims team will have an ever-growing expectation that you will have bought a return flight, as you approach the end of your policy.
Yes, Work Packs can be upgraded whilst you’re away, as long as you contact us (and pay any additional quoted premium) before you start doing the new job that falls in a higher Work Pack. We can’t however, downgrade a Work Pack, if you start doing a job in a lower one, but cover is in place in lower Work Packs, as well as your chosen one. If you have taken out a Backpacker or Longstay policy, but will now be doing a form of work not covered by one of these, we can upgrade your policy to a Working Holiday policy, with the appropriate Work Pack applied - but this can result in a relatively high premium being charged for this change (as the upgrade is applied to the entire duration that you are away).
Not necessarily! Although there are lots of occupations listed, and there is a great variety, it isn’t possible to list every potential job that travellers could potentially do, so it could well be that we could cover your job - but you need to check with us first, by either giving us a ring on 01424 223964 or getting in touch to request a quote. Unfortunately, the risky or unpredictable nature of some jobs, means that we can’t offer cover, but we may be able to point you in the direction of an insurer who might be able to do that.
If you’re struggling to find your job listed in the Work Packs, try looking for an alternative title for the same role e.g. cleaner/janitor and make sure that you check all of the Work Packs to see what is the most appropriate Work Pack e.g. Doctor (not surgeon/anaesthetist and not Armed Forces) is listed in Work Pack 2, and Doctor (surgeon, anaesthetist and nor Armed Forces) is categorised as Work Pack 4.
Please note that we are only able to offer cover to travellers who are resident with their main home in the UK and who are registered with a UK GP. We are unable to offer a policy if you have spent more than 6 months outside of the UK during the last 12 months.
Find out more about farm work travel insurance, ski instructor travel insurance, teaching english abroad travel insurance and working with animals travel insurance.