DFAT's Consular State of Play 2024-25: Key Risks for Australians Overseas
The Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) annually publishes the "Consular State of Play," a report detailing consular assistance and crisis support provided to Australians overseas. The 2024-25 report identifies specific countries where Australians face higher risks for various issues.
Passport Theft Hotspot: Italy
Italy is identified as the country where Australians are most likely to lose their passports due to theft. Pickpocketing is a significant issue in crowded tourist locations such as Piazza Navona in Rome and St Mark's Square in Venice, as well as on public transport. Thieves frequently operate in coordinated teams, efficiently transferring stolen items.
DFAT highlights Italy as the top country for passport theft, primarily due to prevalent pickpocketing in tourist areas and public transport.
Understanding Consular Cases
Consular case statistics are a key indicator of risk to Australian travelers. These cases cover a wide range of issues, including hospitalization from accidents, theft, or imprisonment, indicating where Australians are most likely to require assistance from DFAT.
Consular cases quantify the need for DFAT assistance, ranging from medical emergencies and theft to imprisonment overseas.
Thailand: A High-Risk Destination for Australians
Thailand recorded the highest number of consular cases for Australians in 2024-25, with a staggering total of 1017. This figure is more than four times higher than that for Italy. Australians in Thailand are most prone to experiencing:
- Illness and hospitalization
- Requests for welfare assistance
- Immigration detention
- Missing person inquiries
- Deaths
Thailand also ranked as the second-highest country for arrests of Australians (behind China) and the second-highest for Australian assault victims (behind Indonesia). Tragically, 346 Australians died in Thailand during 2024-25, representing one out of every six Australians who passed away overseas that year, with many involving older Australians residing there.
Despite being the sixth most popular destination for Australian travelers in 2025 with 641,000 visitors, Thailand recorded significantly more consular cases than Indonesia, a country with over a million more Australian visitors, and approximately five times more cases than Japan, which is generally considered a safer destination.
Thailand emerges as the top country for consular cases, with 1017 incidents in 2024-25, driven by high rates of illness, deaths, and arrests, despite fewer visitors than some other popular destinations.
Surge in Crisis Response Assistance
DFAT's crisis response teams provide vital support to Australians, permanent residents, and their immediate families impacted by wars, civil unrest, or natural disasters. In 2024-25, the number of individuals receiving crisis response assistance surged to 17,095, a substantial increase from 6160 in the previous year (2023-24).
This significant rise was primarily attributed to the ongoing Israel-Lebanon conflict, along with other major events like the Vanuatu earthquake in December 2024 and Israel's attack on Iran. While notable, this figure remains below the peak experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic, which recorded 41,108 crisis cases in 2019-20.
Crisis response assistance saw a 177% increase to 17,095 individuals in 2024-25, largely due to the Israel-Lebanon conflict, Vanuatu earthquake, and Israel's attack on Iran.
Smart Traveller Engagement Trends
Engagement with DFAT's Smart Traveller platform showed mixed trends. Visits to the Smart Traveller website decreased to 9.93 million in 2024-25, a reduction of approximately 600,000 compared to the previous year.
Conversely, the number of subscribers to Smart Traveller's email updates saw a positive increase of 63,000. The focus of traveler concern also shifted, with the USA's travel advisory pages receiving more visits than any other country except Indonesia in 2024-25, potentially linked to increased scrutiny of incoming visitors during the second Trump administration.
While Smart Traveller website visits decreased, email subscriptions rose by 63,000, and USA travel advisories garnered significant attention, second only to Indonesia.
The Peril of Uninsured Travel
DFAT's findings highlight a concerning trend: one in seven Australians embarked on their most recent overseas trip without travel insurance.
Common reasons for this lack of coverage included:
- Perceiving the destination as safe (31%)
- Not viewing insurance as value for money (27%)
- Being on a short trip (20%)
DFAT strongly emphasizes the significant risks associated with traveling without adequate insurance cover, particularly given the potential costs of medical emergencies or crisis assistance overseas.
A troubling one in seven Australians travels without insurance, often citing perceived safety or cost, despite DFAT's warnings about significant financial risks overseas.