Advice for school leavers (schoolies)

Last Updated
Monday, 20/10/2025

 

Heading overseas for schoolies? We have resources to help you plan your trip on our partying safely hub. 

On this page:

Before you travel

While you're overseas

Choose your adventure

Party, explore, volunteer or something else? There's more than one way to celebrate finishing school.

Partying

Read our advice on partying safely while overseas. It covers everything you need to know to keep you and your mates safe.

  • Be alert to the potential risks of drink spiking and methanol poisoning when consuming alcoholic drinks.
  • Stay with people you trust at parties, bars, nightclubs and taxis.
  • Don't do drugs. You could be arrested or jailed. Even if you get away with it, you could have a bad trip. It's not worth risking your health or your life.

Keep an eye out for the Red Frogs volunteers if you're in Bali, Vanuatu or Fiji for schoolies. Their volunteers provide positive, judgment-free peer support to school leavers.

Exploring and adventure activities

Backpacking is a cheap way to explore the world, especially if you want to be away for a while. It won't stay cheap if you cut corners, which could cost you more in the long run. See our general advice for backpackers and budget travellers.

Plan to chase some adrenaline with adventure activities? Choose your provider carefully. Only use reputable services that have good reviews and no previous safety issues. Read our advice about going overseas for sports and adventure.

Volunteering

Some tour companies offer alternative schoolies. These often involve volunteering in a developing country.

If you plan to volunteer for your schoolies trip:

  • read our advice on volunteering overseas.
  • check what kind of visa you need. Many countries won't allow you to do any form of work, including unpaid, on a tourist visa.

Research your destination

Read our travel advisory for the places you're visiting. It has information about border rules, safety and security, local laws and culture and more.

Some popular schoolies destinations are:

Remember to also read the travel advice for locations you're transiting through, even if it's just a quick stopover.

Many guidebooks and online forums cover travel issues you may come across. Talk to friends and family who have travelled to the places you plan to visit. If you’re going with a tour group, read the info packs they give you about where you’re going.

Use our handy schoolies cheatsheets for Bali, Fiji, Vanuatu and Thailand to help you prepare your trip. 

Stay updated

Once you've decided on your travel plans, subscribe to Smartraveller updates for your destination.

Follow us on Facebook, Instagram or X and you’ll be the first to hear about any new safety or security issues.

Get travel insurance

Get travel insurance. You will be responsible for your costs if something goes wrong and you don't have the right insurance. Costs can be as high as $100,000.

Your travel insurance should cover all your planned activities, illness or injury while overseas, as well as lost valuables or theft. Remember that you also need to get travel insurance for any places you're transiting through.

If you plan on hiring jet skis, scooters, quad bikes or cars, check your travel insurance covers this.

Remember, riding a scooter without the right license or a helmet, being under the influence of drugs or alcohol, and other reckless or illegal behaviour can disqualify you from cover.

Don't know where to start? Read the CHOICE travel insurance buying guide.

Organise your passport and visa

Make sure your passport is valid for at least six months after the date you plan to return to Australia. If you still have a child passport, remember it's only valid for five years.

If you need a new passport, organise it well before your holiday. See the Australian Passport Office website for more information.

See your doctor

You may need new vaccinations or boosters for your destination. And there may be other risks you need to be aware of, such as mosquito-borne illnesses. See a doctor 6–8 weeks before you leave. Ask about how to protect your health while you're away.

Check your medication is legal where you’re going. Make sure you take enough for the length of your trip.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) and our health pages have information for travellers on staying healthy.

Keep in touch

Once the adventure starts, don't forget to stay in contact with your family.

Call, text or email regularly. Update your social media. Let your loved ones back home know where you are and how you're going.

Follow the local laws

The laws of the country you visit apply to you, even if they seem harsh by Australian standards.

  • If you break the law, you could be arrested or jailed. Even if you didn't know it was illegal.
  • Don't expect to be treated differently just because you're an Australian.
  • Even if you're under 18, you may be treated as an adult and held in an adult prison.

The Australian Government is limited in how and when it can help overseas. We can't get you out of trouble or out of jail. We can't pay your fines or legal fees. Understand our limits. Read the Consular Services Charter.

It's your responsibility to learn about local laws and follow them. See our advice on staying within the law.

Respect the local culture

Knowing and respecting the cultural differences in the places you're going is important. Cultural norms around drinking in public, clothing and behaviour may be very different to what you know in Australia. Remember you're a guest in someone else's home, and behave responsibly.  

Know how to stay safe

Know the risks specific to where you're going, and to you personally. You can take steps to stay safe and avoid danger.

Every destination has its own unique set of risks. These can apply to any Australian traveller. Read our travel advice for your destination.

There are also general risks for any Australian traveller in any destination. See our general advice on staying safe and avoiding danger. These pages cover topics such as:

Depending on who you are, there may be other risks. Other countries can have a very different approach to gender, sexual orientation or health conditions. See our other general advice pages for who you are. This includes advice about:

Look after your mates

Often when young Aussies get into difficulty overseas, it's when they've been separated from friends.

  • Keep in regular contact and be aware of where people in your group are.
  • Make sure you have your friends' mobile numbers.
  • Organise a time and place to meet in case you get separated or lose reception.
  • Ensure everyone in your group knows your hotel's name, address and phone number.
  • Don't let a friend go home alone or with someone they just met.
  • Watch their drinks. Not just to make sure they don't overdo it. If someone spikes their drink, they could be at risk of robbery or sexual assault.
  • If you think a friend needs medical help, don't delay. Your hotel should be able to help contact a doctor.

Take care around water

Rough seas and strong currents have led to drownings in coastal areas, including in Bali and Phuket.

Just like at home, don't swim if you've been drinking.

Even if you're a strong swimmer, be cautious. Obey warnings and consult local sources about potential water hazards.

Local beach rescue services may not be of the same standard as in Australia.

Be careful around heights

Unfortunately, young Australians have been severely injured or died after taking risks around heights. Don't climb onto walls or sit on balcony railings. Avoid balconies with low or no safety railings. A simple slip is all it takes.

Choose safe transport options

Sadly, it's not unusual for Australians to be seriously injured or killed on the roads overseas.

See our general advice on road safety and getting around.

Motorbikes and scooters

If you're not an experienced rider back home, schoolies is probably not the time to try it. Motorcycle accidents are common in popular tourist areas overseas, especially in Indonesia and Thailand.

  • Always wear a helmet.
  • Wear proper safety gear, or at least proper shoes, long pants and long sleeves.
  • Respect local road rules, and don't drink and ride.

Make sure your travel insurance covers you before riding. Many travel insurance policies don't automatically cover motorbikes and scooters. You may have to pay more as an extra. See our information about travel insurance.

Renting a vehicle

Operators may ask to hold your passport as a deposit or guarantee before hiring vehicles. Passports are valuable documents that you need to protect.

We recommend you offer a photocopy or another form of ID instead. If they insist on holding your passport, change operators.

Don't get scammed. There are a few scams to watch out for when hiring a vehicle. See our information and general advice on common overseas scams.

Transport safety

Transport safety standards differ overseas. Many are far below what we've come to expect in Australia.

  • Never use taxis, buses, trains or boats that are overcrowded or look unsafe.
  • Always wear a seatbelt on the roads, even if locals don't.
  • Avoid travelling in ferries and speedboats after dark.

If you're heading out for the night, plan a few different options for getting home. Find out when the last public transport service runs or check when it starts again in the morning.

Where to get help overseas

If something serious happens and you don't know how to handle it, ask for help. Local authorities, such as tourist police, should be your first point of contact, together with friends and family.

Travel insurance companies often require a police report for crimes.

The Australian Government is limited in how and when it can help overseas. It's important you understand our limits. Read the Consular Services Charter.

Read more

 
 

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