408 Visa Health Insurance

Pricing is based on a single live in the State of New South Wales on a visa, and is not from a country that Australia has a Reciprocal Health Care Agreement (RHCA) with and is not eligible for cover under Medicare. Prices are accurate for 2025 but are subject to change.

What the 408 visa is for and who can get it?

The 408 visa lets travellers come to Australia on a temporary basis to:

• Work in the entertainment industry
• Participate in activities at the invitation of an Australian organisation
• Participate or observe in an Australian research project (this was previously covered by a separate subclass 419 visa)
• Work in a skilled position under a staff exchange arrangement
• Participate in high-level sports competitions or sports training programs
• Participate in a special programme approved by the department that provides opportunities for youth exchange, cultural enrichment or community benefits.
• Do full-time religious work
• Be employed as a superyacht crew member
• Do full time domestic work for certain senior foreign executives
• Participate in a government-endorsed event

To get a 408 visa, you need to have the skills to undertake the relevant activity, be supported or sponsored, and meet specific requirements for each purpose above.

What the 408 visa is for and who can get it?

The 408 visa lets travellers come to Australia on a temporary basis to:

• Work in the entertainment industry
• Participate in activities at the invitation of an Australian organisation
• Participate or observe in an Australian research project (this was previously covered by a separate subclass 419 visa)
• Work in a skilled position under a staff exchange arrangement
• Participate in high-level sports competitions or sports training programs
• Participate in a special programme approved by the department that provides opportunities for youth exchange, cultural enrichment or community benefits.
• Do full-time religious work
• Be employed as a superyacht crew member
• Do full time domestic work for certain senior foreign executives
• Participate in a government-endorsed event

To get a 408 visa, you need to have the skills to undertake the relevant activity, be supported or sponsored, and meet specific requirements for each purpose above.

Is health insurance mandatory for the 408 visa?

It's a requirement that you can demonstrate adequate health insurance cover for your stay. Generally this will be in the form of overseas visitor health cover (OVHC). This is a health insurance policy for visitor to Australia.

Most, but not all, OVHC policies will meet the minimum requirements.

If you're from an RHCA country you might have this automatically. But even with it, you might still need overseas visitor health cover (OVHC) depending on the purpose of your visit and what country you're from.

How to find and compare OVHC policies

The mandatory level of health cover may depend on the purposes of your visit, and what country you’re visiting from. Generally most OVHC policies will meet or exceed those standards.

How to compare price

Visit a range of Australian health insurance providers to see how much their OVHC costs, but remember to look for corresponding differences in cover.

How to compare cover

There are some specific things to look at.

• Extras and bonuses. Are you covered for doctors and dentist visits, or just hospital admissions? How are you covered for repatriation or funeral expenses?
• Percentage of hospital bills covered: You’ll generally find this as a “percent of MBS.” The MBS is an important part of Australia’s healthcare so it’s worth knowing about.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Is the 408 visa free?

  Nope, there's a small fee for the 408 visa. As of 2025, that charge is A$415. That could change, and there could be other charges associated with it, so you're best to do some research, or speak to a visa agent.

• Is a 408 visa a working holiday visa?

  No, the 408 visa is not a working holiday visa. It is designed for temporary work or participation in specific events in Australia, not for holidaymakers.

Written by

Andrew Munro

Editor

Andrew Munro was the global cryptocurrency editor at Finder. During his time he covered all aspects of cryptocurrency and the blockchain. Before he became cryptocurrency editor, he was a content writer for Finder covering various topics over his nearly 5 years in the role. Prior to joining Finder he was a web copywriter. Andrew has a Bachelor of Arts from the University of New South Wales. See full bio