Visa health insurance: key points (2026)
- Student visa (500): you must hold OSHC for your whole stay, and your family members on the visa must be covered too.
- Most temporary work visas (482 Skills in Demand, 485, 407, 403 and others) have condition 8501: you must keep adequate health insurance while in Australia.
- Visitor visas usually do not require insurance, but medical costs are high and long stay parent visitor visas may require it.
- Check that any policy you buy meets condition 8501 if it applies to your visa. Not meeting it can lead to visa cancellation.
- Some countries have reciprocal health care agreements with Australia, which may give limited Medicare access.
Whether you are here to study or work, it is a requirement that you have adequate health insurance. Every visa has their own requirements, but generally adequate health insurance entails cover for hospital, ambulance, and medical. Whilst it is not compulsory for visitor visa holders to have an insurance cover, having insurance would bring a peace of mind.
Student Visa
International students must apply for and be granted a subclass 500 visa to study in Australia. As part of the visa requirement, the student visa holder must maintain adequate health insurance while studying in Australia. Students have to purchase the Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC).
There are different insurance providers for the OSHC, but most insurances cover basic hospital costs, medical expenses, and emergency ambulance services.
OSHC does not usually cover dental, optometry or physiotherapy. However, it may differ for each insurance provider. It is best to talk to the insurance provider to see the detailed list of what the OSHC covers.
Work Visa
There are a variety of work visas you may apply for depending on your goals and visa eligibility. Some work visa types include subclass 482 Skills in Demand visa (which replaced the Temporary Skill Shortage visa on 7 December 2024), subclass 485 Temporary Graduate Visa. Overseas Workers Health Cover is compulsory for most temporary work visas.
Usually the Overseas Workers Health Cover should cover you for medically required hospital admissions and part of the doctor’s fees. However, you should check with the health insurance provider to ensure that it is compliant with condition 8501.
To be compliant with condition 8501, generally the health cover must be equivalent to:
- public hospital treatment in an Australian State/Territory
- surgically implanted prostheses
- pharmacy: Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) listed drugs
- medical services, and
- ambulance services, including inter-hospital transfers.
Subclass 482 Skills in Demand visa, Subclass 485 Temporary Graduate Visa, Subclass 402 Temporary Work (now closed) and Subclass 407 Training Visa will have the condition 8501 imposed. Condition 8501 may be imposed on Subclass 408 Temporary Activity Visa.
Similar to the OSHC, most overseas workers health insurances do not include dental, optometry or physiotherapy. However, there are usually options for you to upgrade your health insurance. You can talk to your insurance provider to include extra cover.
Visitor Visa
Do you hold a subclass 600 or subclass 651 or subclass 601 visa? Usually, visitor visa holders are not required to have insurance when they are in Australia. However, medical costs in Australia can be costly, therefore it may be beneficial to have adequate health insurance. This is particularly true for visitors who are staying in Australia for 12 months. Parents on a long stay visitor visa may be asked to hold health insurance for their stay.
What is covered in the overseas visitor visa will depend on the health insurance provider. However, in most instances it would only cover basic medical expenses.
Health insurance cover for other visas
| Visa Type | Health insurance | When do you need to have your health insurance? |
| Subclass 400: Temporary Work (Short Stay) | Not mandatory | N/A |
| Subclass 408: Temporary Activity | Work insurance compliant with condition 8501 | May be asked to provide insurance arrangement by the Department after applying. |
| Subclass 407: Training | Work insurance compliant with condition 8501 | At the time the Department decides on your visa application. |
| Subclass 403: Temporary Work (International Relations) | Work insurance compliant with condition 8501 | At the time the Department decides on your visa application. |
| Subclass 491: Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) | Not mandatory | N/A |
| Subclass 494: Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (Provisional) | Not mandatory | N/A |
| Subclass 476 Skilled Recognised Graduate | Not mandatory | N/A |
| Subclass 188: Business Innovation and Investment (Provisional) (closed to new applications since 31 July 2024) | Not mandatory | N/A |
| Subclass 870: Sponsored Parent (Temporary) | Insurance that is compliant with condition 8501 | At the time the Department decides on your visa application. |
| Subclass 590: Student Guardian | Overseas Visitors Health Cover for Student Guardian Visa holder | At the time the Department decides on your visa application. |
| Subclass 417: Working Holiday | Not mandatory however, condition 8501 may be imposed in some cases. | May be asked to provide insurance arrangement by the Department after applying. |
| Subclass 462: Work and Holiday | Not mandatory however, condition 8501 may be imposed in some cases. | May be asked to provide insurance arrangement by the Department after applying. |
Frequently asked questions
What happens if I do not keep health insurance on my visa?
If your visa has condition 8501 and you do not keep adequate health insurance, you breach a visa condition and your visa may be cancelled. Keep your policy active for your whole stay.
Is OSHC the same as OVHC?
No. OSHC (Overseas Student Health Cover) is for student visa holders. OVHC (Overseas Visitors Health Cover) is for other temporary visa holders such as workers, graduates and visitors. See OVHC for 485 visa holders as an example.
Do I need health insurance for a 491 visa?
It is not a visa condition for most 491 holders, but you will not have full Medicare access unless you are eligible, so private cover is usually a good idea. See OVHC for 491 visa holders.
Can I get Medicare on a temporary visa?
Generally no, unless you have applied for a permanent visa and meet the eligibility rules, or you are from a country with a reciprocal health care agreement. See visas eligible for Medicare.
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