Overseas visitors health cover (OVHC) is private health insurance designed specifically for people coming to Australia on a temporary visa. It's mandatory on some visas, but you may be exempt if you're a citizen of a country with a reciprocal health care agreement. If you're a student, you may need overseas student health cover.
OVHC can cover the following:
Cheaper policies will cover emergency ambulance rides and treatment in a hospital, plus accommodation fees. Other common services include cover for hernias, cancer and joint replacements.
Extras cover includes out-of-hospital care such as dental, optical, physiotherapy and chiropractic. Some more expensive OVHC policies will cover these treatments automatically. In other cases, you may need to take out a separate extras policy in addition to basic OVHC cover.
This is when you need to make an appointment at a doctor's clinic, known as a General Practitioner (GP) in Australia, because you're feeling unwell or have some other health issue that may require medication.
If you are on medication, it's likely worth getting a policy that will cover your prescriptions. Otherwise, medicine can be quite expensive in Australia.
If you become seriously unwell or suffer a life-altering disability, most overseas visitor policies will pay to fly you home under medical supervision.
There are some conditions and treatments that OVHC won't typically cover. Here are a few of the most common:
If you plan on working in Australia, your visa application will generally require you to have OVHC in place by the time you enter Australia, unless you're a citizen of a country that has a reciprocal health care agreement with Australia.
"Migrants need to have health insurance from the time that they enter Australia. For example: Scenario 1) John Doe applies for a visa offshore and the visa is granted. He will arrive in Australia at 4:00am on 20/09/2022. He should get a health insurance policy that starts at 12:00am 20/09/2022. Scenario 2) Jane Doe is already in Australia under a particular visa that requires her to have health insurance, and applies for a subsequent visa onshore that also has this requirement. As she should already have a health insurance policy, she should continue to pay for this policy on an ongoing basis."
If you're from 1 of the 11 specific countries in the list below, you're eligible for Medicare and won't be required to have OVHC (although we still recommend it). That's because your country and Australia have an agreement called a Reciprocal Health Care Agreement (RHCA).
Here are the countries that have an RHCA with Australia:
If you're changing to another visa, your best bet is to just carry on with the OVHC cover that you already have. For example, if you are on a temporary graduate visa (485) and are switching over to a temporary skill shortage visa (482).
If you've got your PR, then you are not required to keep your OVHC – but make sure you don't cancel before you get it. Once your PR has been approved, you will be eligible for private health insurance like most Australians.
You know that visa requirement we've been talking about? That's requirement 8501, and it means your visa may not be approved if you don't have health cover in place when you arrive in Australia.
To meet condition 8501, your insurance must meet the following criteria:
"Applicants generally provide a letter or policy statement from the insurance provider indicating that the person(s) have made adequate arrangements for health insurance. Generally speaking, health insurance is not a requirement for the visa to be granted. Rather, it is a visa condition imposed as part of the visa grant, commencing when they enter Australia."
To provide evidence you have adequate health insurance in place, most insurers will send you a copy of your policy as soon as you purchase it. You can attach this to your visa application.
"I arrived in Australia from the UK with no clue about health insurance, medicare or bulk billing! However, getting OVHC was a requirement for my visa. I took out a policy with Allianz, which covered the visa condition 8501. Policies with GP and dental visits cost quite a lot more, so i just got a basic policy for $80 that would cover me if i needed to go to Emergency. Luckily, i haven't had to use the policy much, but it's been great having peace of mind while also keeping the Australian Government happy!"
| Health fund | Hospital cover for overseas visitors | Extras cover available or included? | More info |
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| Health fund | Hospital cover for overseas visitors | Extras cover available or included? | More info |
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| Allianz Care Australia |
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| More info |
| Australian Unity |
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| More info |
| Bupa |
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| More info |
| Frank Health Insurance |
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| More info |
| hbf |
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| More info |
| HCF |
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| More info |
| hif |
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| More info |
| IMAN |
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| More info |
| Medibank |
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| More info |
| nib |
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| More info |
No scary talk - let's face it, we all hate phone calls (sorry mum). Our mission is to bring you all the key stuff you need to know about OVHC without needing to call for help.
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I am assisting an Indonesian Couple who have applied for Aged Parent Visas while in Australia. They were granted a Bridging Visa A on application. Currently, they are spending most of their time in Indonesia, with visits to Australia from time to time. They are planning to move to Australia shortly and reapply for their Bridging Visa A. So they will be living in Australia on their BVA’s. They wish to apply for HVHC while they are here. The couple are a Male (DoB 31/08/1951) and a Female (DoB 80/08/1956). What level of cover would you recommend for this couple?
Hi Jeremy,
Thanks for your message. You can visit our guide to health cover for bridging visas for more specific information on how to get protection for unplanned medical costs.
It wouldn’t be appropriate for me to recommend a cover level, as everyone’s circumstances (and needs) are different. In general, the higher the level of cover, the more benefits and services are included with a policy – and the more you’ll pay for it.
Best wishes,
James
I am a pensioner from the Netherlands. Does it mean that I can apply for Medicare in Australia?
Hi Lai,
Thanks for reaching out. To apply for Medicare, you’ll need to live in Australia and meet other eligibility criteria. It’s best your refer to Services Australia’s guide on enrolling in Medicare to get more detailed help with your inquiry.
Best wishes,
James
I am applying for a couple to come out and visit Australia and I have been advised to take out this insurance for them. What would happen should their applications be rejected? Will I be refunded the amount I have spent on insurance or not? Technically, they would not even have access to it because they are still overseas.
Hi Manny,
Yes, you should be able to get a refund – just reach out to the insurer. In lots of cases, you will only start paying for overseas health cover from the day the applicant enters the country.
Hope this helps.
Thanks,
Gary
I am a student who is going to Australia for studying, and the university has already brought me a OSHC. Now I want to check the details in myhealth APP. So I plan to resign it first. However, no matter what email address I type in, or even though I use VPN from Australia, I still cannot receive the 6 digital CODE. I have tried it so many times. Why would this happen? And what should I do now?
Hi Leon,
Sorry to hear that! You may want to contact the provider directly to help you with your login details.
Regards,
James
wanted to best cover for visitor coiming to Australia. a couple
Hi Baru,
Thanks for your comment and I hope you are doing well.
It looks like you are on the accurate page to find and compare overseas health cover. On the page, you will find a table that compares the features and benefits of each OVHC provider such as price, visa complaint, cover and etc. You can also click the compare box beside each loan option and compare up to 4 options side by side for easier comparison. This way it will be easier for you to see which provider fits you best.
As a friendly reminder, carefully review the Product Disclosure Statement of the product before applying. You may also contact the insurance provider should you have any questions about their policy.
Hope this helps and feel free to reach out to us again for further assistance.
Best,
Nikki