Australia expects most visa holders to hold adequate health cover for the length of their stay, and for several visas it's a formal requirement. What you need depends on your visa and your circumstances — the notes below are a general starting point, not advice for your case.

Why health cover matters for your visa

Many temporary visas are granted on the basis that you can meet your own health costs while in Australia, so you don't become a burden on the public system. Some visas set out a specific type of cover you must hold; for others, appropriate private cover is simply expected. Where cover is required, keeping it current for the whole of your stay is part of meeting your visa conditions.

Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC)

Student visa (subclass 500) holders are generally required to hold Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) for the duration of their studies, usually arranged before the visa is granted and maintained throughout. Cover is provided by approved insurers, and your education provider can often help you arrange it. See our Student visa page for the wider requirements.

Overseas Visitor Health Cover (OVHC)

Temporary visa holders who aren't students — including many skilled and working visa holders and visitors — are typically expected to hold adequate private health insurance, often referred to as Overseas Visitor Health Cover (OVHC), unless they're covered another way. The level of cover that counts as "adequate" varies by visa, so it's worth confirming before you apply or travel.

Medicare

Access to Medicare (Australia's public health system) depends on your visa and, in some cases, on a reciprocal health care agreement between Australia and your home country. Permanent residents and some visa holders can enrol; many temporary visa holders cannot, and rely on private cover instead. Confirm what applies to you before you count on public cover.

What to check

• Whether your specific visa requires a particular type or level of cover.
• That your cover starts before you arrive and lasts the full length of your stay.
• Whether you (or a reciprocal agreement) give you any Medicare access.
• What your policy actually covers — waiting periods, exclusions and limits differ between insurers.

Health cover requirements sit alongside the health and character requirements for many visas. If you're not sure what your visa needs, we can talk it through as part of preparing your application — get in touch and we'll point you to what's relevant for your situation.