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Medicare Eligibility Checker

Not sure whether you can use Medicare on your visa? Answer a few quick questions and our free Medicare eligibility checker shows whether you are likely to be eligible for Medicare, may have limited cover under a Reciprocal Health Care Agreement, or need private health insurance.

Key points

  • Australian citizens, permanent visa holders and New Zealand citizens who live in Australia are generally eligible for Medicare.
  • Many people who have applied for a permanent visa, including partner visa applicants, can enrol while they wait for a decision.
  • Some temporary visas, including the 491 and 494, are covered by a Ministerial Order.
  • Visitors and temporary visa holders from 11 countries may have limited cover under a Reciprocal Health Care Agreement.
  • Services Australia makes the final decision on Medicare eligibility.

This tool gives general information only, based on the answers you enter. It is not legal advice, it does not guarantee a decision, and the rules can change. For advice on your situation, book a consultation with one of our registered migration agents.

Who is eligible for Medicare?

Medicare is Australia’s public health insurance scheme. Services Australia decides who can enrol, and eligibility mostly depends on your visa and where you live. You are generally eligible if you live in Australia and you are:

  • an Australian citizen or an Australian permanent visa holder, including a resident return visa holder;
  • a New Zealand citizen;
  • an applicant for a permanent visa (other than a non contributory parent visa) who holds a visa with permission to work, or who has a partner, parent or child who is an Australian citizen, permanent resident or New Zealand citizen;
  • an applicant for a permanent protection visa;
  • the holder of a temporary visa covered by a Ministerial Order, such as the 491 and 494 regional visas, certain humanitarian visas and the temporary contributory parent visas (173 and 884).

See our full guide to visas eligible for Medicare.

Partner visa and other permanent visa applicants

If you have applied for a combined partner visa (820 and 801, or 309 and 100) or another permanent visa, you can generally enrol in Medicare from the date you applied, as long as you are in Australia and meet the work permission or family conditions. Eligibility generally continues while a refusal is under review at the Administrative Review Tribunal, but ends if the refusal is not appealed in time or the refusal is affirmed.

Applicants for the non contributory parent visas (subclass 103 and 804) are generally not eligible while they wait, which is one reason many families consider the contributory parent visa.

Reciprocal Health Care Agreements

Australia has Reciprocal Health Care Agreements (RHCAs) with the United Kingdom, Ireland, New Zealand, Belgium, Finland, Italy, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Slovenia and Sweden. If you are from one of these countries, you may be covered for medically necessary treatment while you are in Australia.

  • cover is limited and does not include private hospital treatment, ambulance, dental or elective treatment;
  • the conditions differ by country, and cover under the agreements with Italy and Malta is generally limited to 6 months;
  • students from some RHCA countries, including Finland, Ireland, Malta and Norway, are generally not covered;
  • RHCA cover usually does not satisfy the health insurance condition (8501) on a temporary visa.

If you are not eligible for Medicare

Most temporary visa holders, including 482, 485 and student visa holders, are not eligible for Medicare. You will usually need private cover, such as Overseas Visitor Health Cover or Overseas Student Health Cover, and many visas require you to keep adequate health insurance as a condition of your visa.

Frequently asked questions

No. The checker gives general information based on your answers. Services Australia decides whether you can enrol, and you will need to provide evidence of your visa and identity.

Generally yes. If you are in Australia and have applied for a combined partner visa, you can usually enrol in Medicare from the date you applied, as long as you meet the work permission or family conditions.

Generally no, unless they are from a country with a Reciprocal Health Care Agreement or have applied for a permanent visa. 482 visa holders must keep adequate health insurance as a visa condition.

Generally no. Student visa holders must keep Overseas Student Health Cover for their whole stay. A small number of students from Belgium, Norway and Sweden may be covered by their home country arrangements instead.

It depends on the permanent visa you applied for. If you applied for a permanent visa (other than a non contributory parent visa) and your bridging visa allows you to work, you can generally enrol.

It is an agreement between Australia and another country that gives visitors from that country limited access to medically necessary treatment. Australia has agreements with 11 countries.

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