Health Insurance for 457 Visas

Important: the 457 visa has closed

The 457 visa closed to new applicants on 18 March 2018. It was replaced by the TSS visa, which was in turn replaced by the 482 Skills in Demand (SID) visa on 7 December 2024. The same health insurance rule applies to 482 visa holders: you need adequate health insurance (or Medicare access under a Reciprocal Health Care Agreement) and must keep it for your whole stay under condition 8501. See our 482 visa health insurance page for current options. The information below is kept for reference.

Health Insurance for 457 Visas

Employees must show that they have adequate medical insurance to be granted their 457 visa, and must maintain this insurance during their stay in Australia on their 457 visa.
EVIDENCE OF INSURANCE FOR VISA GRANT	Prior to approval of the 457 visa, evidence of 457 health insurance coverage must be provided and this would be either: Evidence of enrolment with Medicare under a Reciprocal Health Care Agreement; or A certificate of cover from a private health insurance company.
Countries with Reciprocal Health Care Agreements (RHCAs) with Australia:	United Kingdom Sweden Netherlands Finland Norway Malta Italy Belgium Ireland New Zealand Slovenia Check the current agreement for your country, as cover and eligibility differ between agreements. Otherwise, the Department of Home Affairs has released a template to be completed by a private health insurance company as evidence of cover. The letter must indicate the level of cover, period of insurance and names of family members covered.
ONGOING MONITORING	457 Visa holders are subject to condition 8501 which requires them to maintain their 457 visa health insurance. The Department of Home Affairs shares information with private health insurance companies to check that 457 holders are meeting this obligation. If a 457 holder cancels their health insurance, this could lead to cancellation of their 457 visa.