Your information base - Hints for Australian Travellers
Assisting Australians in difficulty overseas
Emergency services
Feedback
Fees
Privacy
Useful contacts
Useful publications
Lost credit cards or travellers cheques
Directory of Australian overseas posts
Assisting Australians in difficulty overseas
If you encounter serious problems on your trip, contact the consular service at the nearest Australian diplomatic post. Our consular network has more than 160 points of service around the world. These posts are usually located in capital cities but some countries have consular posts in other centres as well. In some countries Canadian posts also help Australians.

Emergency services
In emergencies. you can contact Australian posts outside ordinary hours. All posts have after hours contacts to handle emergencies.

You can also ring the consular services number in Australia on 1300555135. The emergency centre is staffed 24 hours a day so you can talk to a person, not a machine.
Before you make an emergency call, please consider whether your problem is so serious that it cannot wait. If a passport is lost or stolen you should tell the local police and get a copy of their report. Usually the consular post cannot start its work until a police report is presented during ordinary office hours.

What a consul can and cannot do
Consular staff must follow rules about what consuls can and cannot do.

Feedback
We value your comments, They help us keep informed about how we can provide you with consular services of the highest quality possible,

To submit feedback on the consular assistance you have received:

complete the online feedback form
send an email to consular.feedback@dfatgov.au
write to: Assistant Secretary, Consular Branch, Department of Foreign Affairs, and Trade, RG Casey Building, Barton ACT 0221
send a fax: 02 6261 3336 (within Australia) - +61 (2) 6261 3336 (from overseas)
Fees
By law the consular service must charge fees for notarial and certain other services, These fees are determined by an Act of Parliament and do not reflect the full cost of providing consular services.

Privacy
If you need the help of consular officials while overseas, you should be aware that your rights to privacy are protected by the Privacy Act 1988, Information about you cannot be disclosed, even to your immediate family or friends, without your consent

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has been granted a waiver under the Privacy Act that permits personal information to be disclosed in certain limited circumstances. These include serious threats to someone's health or life, where there are humanitarian reasons, or to confirm, correct or clarify media reports that an Australian citizen has been arrested or imprisoned overseas. The waiver is rarely used. See the full text of the Privacy Commissioner's limited waiver affecting consular work.

Useful contacts
Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT)
You can also contact the department by telephone on the following numbers: Australian Consular Services: 1300555135

Australian Passport Information Service: 131232

Other Australian government organisations
All Australian government websites

We have listed some of them below, as well as telephone and email contacts, Australian Citizenship Information Line: 131880

Australian Communications Authority: (03) 99636800

Australian Customs Service: 1300363263
email: information@customs.gov.au

Australian Electoral Commission: 132326

Australian Federal Police: 1800813784

Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service: 1800020504
email: airports@aqis.gov.au

Australian Taxation Office: 132861

Australian Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre: (02) 99500055 or 1800021 037

Communicable Diseases Australia

Department of the Environment and Heritage: (02) 62741111

Export permit for cultural heritage objects

Department of Immigration and Multicultural Affairs: 131881

Department of Veterans' Affairs: 133254

HIC Drug Diversion inquiry line: 1800500147

HIC Medicare inquiry line: 132011

Protection of Movable Cultural Heritage: (02) 62741810

Therapeutic Goods Administration, Drug Safety and Evaluation: (02) 62328610 or 1800020653

Wildlife Protection: (02) 62741900

Centrelink

If you are receiving a payment through Centrelink and are travelling overseas call them on:

Employment Services 13 2850
Retirement 13 2300
Disability, Sickness and Carers 13 2717
Family Assistance Office 13 6150
Youth and Students 13 2490
Centrelink Multilingual Services 13 1202
TTY Service 1800 810 586
(The TTY Service is only for people who have a hearing or speech impairment A TTY phone is required to use the service)

Other useful websites
US Centers for Disease Control World Health Organization Youth Hostels of Australia

World Health Organization

Youth Hostels Australia

Auto clubs
NSW: 136762 (NRMA)

QLD:131905(RACQ)

SA: (08) 82024589 (RAASA)

NT: (08) 8981 3837 (AANT)

VIC: 131955 (RACV)

WA (08) 9421 4444 (RACWA)

TAS: (03) 62326300 (RACT)

ACT: 132132 (NRMA)

Useful publications
Customs: You can get the brochures Guide for traveliers-know before you go and Tax back for travellers from travel agents, airlines, website and Customs offices. They provide essential information, which may help speed your passage through Customs. For example, they contain information about what you can and can't take out of Australia, or bring back in, and details about how to claim your GST refund under the Tourist Refund Scheme.

Health: The Health Insurance Commission, the government agency that administers Medicare, publishes a useful brochure called Your health care while travelling overseas. The brochure is available from Medicare offices or by calling 132011.

Wildlife protection: If in doubt check it out! Does your luggage break wildlife laws? and topic-specific information sheets are available from the Department of the Environment and Heritage on +61 2 62741900.

Quarantine: What can't I take into Australia? is available from travel agents and posts. Call 1800 020 504

Australian consular services brochures
You can view all these brochures online or pick up hardcopies from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade state and territory offices; Australian Passport Offices; overseas posts: and selected travel agents.

Lost credit cards or travellers cheques
Emergency numbers
Remember to dial the international access code for the country you are calling from, then the number. The following numbers can be called reverse charges (through an operator) and 24 hours a day, except where noted.

Banks
ANZ Bank +61 396437044 (for ANZ Visa call Visa Global Customer Assistance)

Commonwealth Bank +61 2 132221 (8am-8pm, Sydney time) - +61 299993283 (24 hours, but not reverse charges)

National Australia Bank - (MasterCard-see MasterCard Global) - (Visa-see Visa Global Customer Assistance)

St George Bank +61 2 133330, +61 295535883

Westpac +61 293747082 (Card Service Centre)

Bank of Melbourne +61 2 93747082 (Card Service Centre)

BankWest +61 8 94492136 (24 hours, but not reverse charges)

Currency exchange and money transfer services
American Express - For lost cards, contact your nearest American Express Travel Service or Representative Office. For lost travellers cheques contact a Travellers Cheques Worldwide Refund Service Centre.

Credit Card Sentinel +61 1800022 043

MasterCard Global + 1 3145427111

Thomas Cook +44 (1733) 318950

Travelex Australia +61 1800649 565 (free call) - (8am-7pm Sydney time)

Visa Global Customer Assistance + 14105819994, +14105813836

Western Union +61 1800649565 (8am-7pm Sydney time)

Directory of Australian overseas posts
You will find consular officers in Australian diplomatic and consular posts abroad. Sometimes the head of an Australian consulate will be an honorary consul (shown below by an asterisk). If a country has no Australian diplomatic or consular post the directory refers you to the nearest post that has responsibility for that country. as well as to Canadian and other posts that give consular assistance to Australians in that country. You may also find that another country's representatives will help you until you can establish contact with an Australian consular official.