LYD1A KERR

A Type 1 Diabetic’s Guide to a Working Holiday Visa in Australia

If this extremely niche guide on navigating a working holiday visa in Australia as a Type 1 Diabetic applies to you, I have officially reached my target audience!

I’m Lydia, I have T1D, and I’m currently in Australia on a WHV. I’ve put together some helpful information and links to relevant websites I have picked up along the way. Enjoy!

Please note I applied with a UK passport, which gives me access to Medicare through a reciprocal health care agreement. Find out on the Services Australia website if your country of citizenship is eligible.

This is just my personal experience, and not medical advice. Read my disclaimer here.

  1. The Applying Phase
  2. Pre-arrival to Australia
  3. Airport Security and Long-Haul Flights
  4. On Arrival In Australia 
  5. In Need of Insulin?
  6. In Need of General Diabetes Supplies?
  7. General Information

The Applying Phase

Mornington Peninsula, Victoria

Pre-arrival to Australia

  • Order three month’s worth of your prescriptions including insulin and other diabetes supplies from your GP. You may have to jump through some hoops to get more than one month’s supply prescribed to you, but it is within your rights!
  • Read the rules and requirements on bringing medicines and medical devices into Australia here.
  • Pack all of your medical supplies in your hand luggage. You can request extra medical hand luggage via your airline’s special assistance portal. 
  • I personally packed my insulin in insulated lunch bags, with freezer blocks at the bottom. (I have been using this insulin for the last 5.5 months and haven’t had any issues. I’m also pretty certain the freezer blocks were melted by the time I reached London Heathrow). 
  • Ask your diabetes healthcare provider for a travel letter, and/or make sure you have a paper copy of your prescription to take with you for emergencies. Read more about travel letters here.
  • Purchase travel insurance and make sure it covers pre-existing medical conditions. I opted for Tesco Bank Backpacker insurance. 
  • Double check you have packed everything you need using my T1D packing list.
  • Read my top travel tips for navigating travels with T1D.
Grampian’s National Park, Victoria

Airport Security and Long-Haul Flights

  • Follow your standard procedure for navigating airport security. 
  • You can read my guide on medical devices and compatible screening technology here. 
    • TL;DR – the safest option is to walk through the metal detectors and get a pat down. Avoid the X-Ray and full body scanners.
  • Insulin Pumps:
    • Change the time on your insulin pump to Australia time when you’re in the air to help with acclimatizing.
  • Multiple Daily injections:
    • Contact your diabetes healthcare provider for advice on how to adjust your long lasting insulin injections on long haul flights.
    • Traveling east shortens your day, so you may need a reduction in insulin.
  • Food service:
    • You’ll receive lots of random meals, snacks, and drinks on long haul flights.
    • Pre-bolusing insulin is difficult because you don’t know when the food will get to you, if you’re going to eat it all, or if there will be any delays.
    • Make sure to bring lots of snacks on board to deal with any hypo’s.
    • Personally, on flights my blood sugar levels tend to go high and stay high. Be prepared for the impact of any potential stress or tiredness on your blood sugar levels!
Melbourne, Victoria

On Arrival In Australia 

  • At the airport you’ll need to fill out a declaration form.
  • There is a question which asks if you have any medication.
  • Personally, I said yes, then entered the queue for “goods to declare”. The airport security guard asked me what medication I have, then let me through without any further questions. 
  • Once you arrive at your accommodation, take your insulin out of your cool bags, and put it in the fridge. 
  • Once you have sorted the classic tasks of accommodation, a new phone number, and bank account, you need to apply to Medicare as soon as possible. It’s notoriously slow to be approved, so the quicker you do this the better. (NB: read here for my checklist on arrival to Australia).

Once you have Medicare sorted, you have access to discounted medicine on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme, and diabetes supplies on the National Diabetes Service Scheme (more details below).

Tarra Valley, Victoria

In Need of Insulin?

  • Use the Health Direct website to find a GP near you for an appointment. Or, you can use telehealth services like Updoc to request a phone call with a doctor. It may cost anything between $50 – 100 for an appointment.
  • The GP can give you a paper prescription for insulin, or send you a barcode.
  • Head to your local pharmacy and they should dispense the insulin.
  • The PBS website has more information on the costs for different types of insulin. My guess is that insulin costs around $30, however I haven’t had to order any yet.
  • Find a pharmacy on the Health Direct website.

In Need of General Diabetes Supplies?

  • Diabetes supplies and consumables can be acquired at a discounted rate, or for free, using the National Diabetes Service Scheme (NDSS).
  • Once you have your Medicare number, make an appointment with an endocrinologist, or a diabetes nurse educator.
  • I went with a private diabetes nurse I found online for $80, and after a Zoom call, she signed me up for the NDSS.
  • Once you have your NDSS number, you can go to any pharmacy and order NDSS supplies at the desk. They may not have them in stock, but they will order them for you.  
  • You do not need a prescription from your doctor to access products through the NDSS! Just go on your own accord to the pharmacy to place your order. 
  • You can access a range of products:
    • blood glucose monitoring strips 
    • urine monitoring strips
    • insulin syringes and pen needles 
    • insulin pump consumables 
    • continuous and flash glucose monitoring products 
  • Read about how I accessed my specific Dexcom G6 supplies and Tandem T-Slim X2 insulin pump consumables here.
Mount Oberon, Wilson’s Prom National Park

General Information

  • The telehealth service here is very efficient for accessing a doctor, and getting repeat prescriptions. 
  • Each state has different rules on sharps disposal. In Victoria, there are free sharps containers and disposal facilities at participating NSP locations. Read about my sharps saga here. 
  • I urge you to apply for Medicare as soon as you can! Have a look at the application form before you arrive so you know what documents are required.  
  • If you have extra long delays in getting medicare sorted out, go to a “centrelink” – this comes up as Services Australia on google maps
  • If you’re in a bind, you can purchase diabetes supplies direct from AMSL Diabetes for full price (e.g. $330 for a month’s supply of Dexcoms).
  • Diabetes UK has a useful page on travelling with diabetes. Fit for Travel has useful resources too.
  • Diabetes Australia is useful for an idea of how diabetes is managed here.
  • It’s possible to be referred to a specialist diabetes clinic or endocrinologist here, but I personally haven’t quite gotten around to dealing with that yet… sorry!
  • I was stressed and nervous about the prospect of moving with T1D and had plenty of spirals thinking of all of the worst case scenario’s – so if you feel the same, I get you!!! However, I can assure you, you are more than capable of dealing with all of this diabetes admin, and everything will be okay! Australia is extremely well equipped to manage diabetes, and every problem has a solution.

I really hope this mini guide is useful for any of you adventurous T1D’s out there! Here’s to never letting diabetes stop us from traveling & exploring the world!

Thank you so much for reading ❤

Love, Lydia x

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