Overseas visitors & overseas students

If you are visiting Australia and hold a temporary visa you should consider taking out Overseas Visitors Health Cover (OVHC). If you need to visit a doctor or stay in hospital while you are here you could find yourself responsible for the full cost of treatment, which can be very expensive.

In some cases you may be required to take health insurance as part of your visa conditions. If you are applying for a Visa Subclass 457 or Visa Subclass 485, you are required to have a minimum level of health insurance and to maintain it for the duration of your stay in Australia. Students in Australia who hold a temporary student visa may be required, as a visa condition, to take out Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC).

Visitors (but not students - see OSHC) from the United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland, New Zealand, Sweden, the Netherlands, Finland, Belgium, Norway, Slovenia, Malta and Italy may apply for Medicare benefits under Reciprocal Health Care Agreements with Australia. They may be able to receive immediate necessary medical treatment in the public health system, but aren't otherwise entitled to benefits and should still consider taking out OVHC.

If you are a recent migrant to Australia with permanent residency or you have applied for permanent residency, you are generally eligible to join Medicare and gain immediate access to health care services. You can also purchase residents' private health insurance.

What type of cover should I purchase?

Visa type	Health insurance type
Student visa	Overseas Student Health Cover will meet your visa requirements.
457 visa	457-compliant Overseas Visitors Health Cover will meet your visa requirements.
485 visa	485-compliant Overseas Visitors Health Cover will meet your visa requirements.
Any visa with condition 8501	457- or 485-compliant Overseas Visitors Health Cover will meet the visa requirements for health insurance requirement Condition 8501. Other types of Overseas Visitors Health Cover or international cover may also meet requirements.
Any other visa	If you don’t have any form of Medicare benefits or you have reciprocal Medicare benefits, you can purchase Overseas Visitors Health Cover from an Australian or international insurer; If you have an interim (usually blue) or full (usually green) Medicare card, you can purchase Australian residents' private health insurance.

Tips on health insurance for visitors

Benefits, membership costs and eligibility can vary greatly between funds and insurance policies. When buying any health insurance take care to ensure the cover you select is suitable for your needs.

Make sure that you are aware of the waiting periods of the policy you purchase. Most insurers will impose a 12 month waiting period for cover on pre-existing conditions, and some may evenpermanently exclude pre-existing conditions, meaning they can never be covered at all. Because OVHC policies generally commence when you arrive in Australia, illnesses that develop while you are travelling to Australia are usually considered to be pre-existing.
Check the restrictions and exclusions of the policy. Not everything will be covered in full and some items may not be covered at all. Remember that hospital costs for overseas visitors, even in a public hospital, are generally higher than $1,000 per day.
Consider taking out the highest level of hospital cover you can afford. You can choose to pay a higher excess if you do require treatment rather than having a restriction to save money on premiums.
Check how much your policy will cover for pharmacy as most policies only have limited cover and will not adequately cover high-cost drugs such as those used as chemotherapy drugs in cancer treatment, which can cost tens of thousands of dollars.
If your visa status or Medicare eligibility changes inform your fund as soon as possible. Check with them that your policy is still suitable, as you may be able to swap to a residents' policy.
Keep your policy paid & up to date. If your policy falls behind in payments, your fund may refuse claims or cancel your membership.
If you're anticipating treatment, contact your fund and find out whether you will be covered and how much you will need to pay yourself. If you need treatment which isn't covered by your insurer, ask the service provider to find out how much you will need to pay out of your own pocket. If possible, ask for a written quote.