Travel information
- Insurance and health matters
- Passport and visa
- Tuition, accommodation and cost of living
- Government travel advice
- Other information
Insurance and health matters
You must take out full insurance prior to your departure. It is entirely your own responsibility to ensure that all your risks are fully covered.
Undergraduate students who are enrolled at the University of Sydney while studying overseas are covered by the University’s Personal Injury, Public Liability and Professional Indemnity policies while they are undertaking University activities as part of their course requirements. The policies do not provide cover for any recreational or social activities.
If you are not enrolled at the University of Sydney during your in-country study, you will not be covered by any of the University’s insurance policies.
It is therefore important that, prior to leaving Australia, ALL undergraduate students take out their own travel insurance policy to cover any medical expenses incurred or loss/damage to personal possessions while overseas.
Contact the Risk Management Office if you require further information.
You should also seek medical advice on health precautions and necessary vaccinations. Consult your doctor at least eight weeks prior to departure, as some vaccines need a few weeks to become effective. You may be required to undergo a medical examination before your visa can be issued. Leave plenty of time for medical test results to be processed.
Passport and visa
It is your responsibility to make sure that your passport will be valid until after your return to Australia.
For visas to China:
Consulate-General of the People’s Republic of China in Sydney
39 Dunblane Street, Camperdown NSW 2050.
Office Hours: 9:00 a.m.–12:00 noon, Monday to Friday
Phone: +61 2 8595 8002, +61 2 8595 8000.
Fax: +61 2 8595 8001.
http://sydney.chineseconsulate.org
For visas to Taiwan:
Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Sydney
MLC Centre, Suite 1902, King Street, Sydney, NSW 2000.
Phone: +61 2 9223 3233.
Fax: +61 2 9223 0086.
http://www.teco.org.au/main.htm
Tuition, accommodation and cost of living
Costs in China:
The average tuition fee for a two-semester Chinese language program in China is about US$3,000 per person.
The average tuition for a four-week program in China is about US$500.
Many Chinese universities charge an application fee of about US$50.
Most Chinese universities have dormitories for overseas students. Average rent for a twin-share room is US$10.00 per person per day. You may choose to pay double price to rent the room on your own. It is increasingly easy to find private accommodation off campus.
Average monthly living expenses may be about US$400 excluding rent.
Costs in Taiwan:
Average tuition for each term (see "Semester dates") is US$3,500 at a Taiwan university in addition to a registration fee of about US$50. Some universities in Taiwan offer financial assistance.
Government travel advice
It is recommended that, before leaving for China or Taiwan, students consult the travel advice provided by the Australian government’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), especially at times of international instability. It is important to check the DFAT website frequently. Here is the link: http://www.smartraveller.gov.au/
For advice specifically about China, see:
http://www.smartraveller.gov.au/zw-cgi/view/Advice/China
For advice specifically about Taiwan, see:
http://www.smartraveller.gov.au/zw-cgi/view/Advice/Taiwan
Other information
It is advisable to travel with traveller’s cheques initially. After your arrival in China, you can open an account at a local branch of the Bank of China (Zhongguo Yinhang). Funds can then be transferred into your account from outside China. At airports and major shopping centres in Beijing and Shanghai, there are ATM machines from which key cards issued by Australian banks can withdraw cash in RMB. ATM facilities may be available on your university campus, but you should plan on the assumption that they will not be.