You are liable for all your healthcare costs while travelling in Australia – unless you are covered by a reciprocal healthcare agreement. The right insurance can help limit your financial liability.
The Australian 600 visa is a temporary visa that allows visitors to enter Australia for tourism or business purposes. The visa is valid for up to 12 months and allows the holder to travel in and out of Australia multiple times during that period.
To be eligible for the 600 visa, individuals must meet certain health, character, and financial requirements, and must have a valid passport from a country that is eligible for the visa.
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Pricing is based on a single person living in the State of New South Wales on a visa and is not from a country that Australia has a Reciprocal Health Care Agreement (RHCA) with and is not eligible for cover under Medicare. Prices are accurate for 2020 but are subject to change.
Health insurance is recommended by the Australian government for all visitors to Australia regardless of the type of visa. Doctor's visits and hospital stays can really add up and you're responsible for the full cost of treatment, emergency or otherwise.
For some visitors on a 600 visa, health insurance may be mandatory. If your visa is subject to condition 8501, you must have adequate health insurance for the whole of your stay in Australia.
Condition 8501 might be attached to the following Visitor (subclass 600) visas:
Tourist (In Australia)
Tourist (Outside Australia)
Condition 8501 doesn't apply to the following Visitor (subclass 600) visas:
Business Visitor
Sponsored Family
Approved Destination Status
Frequent Traveller.
What treatments does OVHC cover?
Overseas Visitors Health Cover (OVHC) is a type of private health insurance tailored to visa holders coming to work, live and visit Australia, like those on the 600 visa. It can cover you for the following:
Hospital treatment, accommodation and theatre fees
Doctor, surgeon and specialist fees
Emergency ambulance transportation fees
Prescriptions and General Practitioner (GP) consultations
Important note: Not all OVHC policies meet the visa health insurance requirements for condition 8501. If you have this condition on your visa, you'll need to make sure you choose the right insurance cover.
Levels of cover
Just like with any insurance, Visitor visa 600 health insurance providers offer various levels of policies to choose from.
Budget. This will be your most affordable option and will likely cover emergency ambulance and in-hospital expenses.
Standard. You can expect ​​the addition of some out-of-hospital cover. This may include doctor visits, specialists' fees and prescription medicines.
Premium. More comprehensive coverage that will also include some extras cover including dental, optical and physio treatments.
How to provide evidence of your health insurance arrangements
"If applicants are required to provide evidence of their health insurance arrangements, any the following may be considered acceptable, unless a particular visa subclass instruction requires other specific information:
a copy of the insurance policy;
a written letter or cover note from an acceptable insurance provider, certifying that the primary visa applicant and any accompanying family members immediately upon visa grant or their arrival in Australia, are, or will be, covered by insurance that is at least as comprehensive as the prescribed adequate level of cover;
evidence that the visa applicant has lawfully enrolled with Medicare via Reciprocal Health Care Agreements (RCHA);
evidence that the primary visa applicant and any accompanying family members immediately upon visa grant or their arrival in Australia, are, or will be, covered by health insurance that is at least as comprehensive as the adequate level of cover required under policy, with the understanding that the applicants will either enrol with Medicare under a RHCA or enrol in a private insurance arrangement after arrival; or
for citizens from the Republic of Ireland that may access RCHA, evidence that they hold an Irish passport.
Family members applying separately from the primary visa applicant or visa holder must produce evidence as per above, which clearly indicates that they, as dependant applicants, will be covered upon arrival in Australia by a policy with an adequate level of cover."
— Kaku Caro is a lawyer in LegalVision's Corporate Immigration team. He has previous experience in the areas of commercial litigation, corporate and personal immigration. He also has experience advising on visa eligibility and preparing visa applications such as partner visas, employer-sponsored work visas, parent visas, and general skilled migration visas.
Finder survey: How many claims have people of different ages made on their Overseas Visitor Health Cover?
Response
55-64 yrs
35-44 yrs
25-34 yrs
18-24 yrs
0
1.24%
0.54%
1.05%
Between 5 and 10
1.05%
1.18%
1
0.53%
1.18%
2
1.18%
Source: Finder survey by Pure Profile of 1006 Australians, December 2023
Am I covered by Medicare on a 600 visa?
Australia's public healthcare system, Medicare, generally only covers Australian citizens and permanent residents.
Medicare benefits for out-of-hospital medical treatment and doctor’s visits.
If you're a visitor, you aren't generally eligible for Medicare unless you are from a country that has a Reciprocal Health Care Agreement in place with Australia. You may be partially covered by Medicare if you're from one of the following countries that Australia has an RHCA with:
The United Kingdom
The Republic of Ireland
New Zealand
The Netherlands
Belgium
Italy
Malta
Sweden
Slovenia
Norway
Finland
Did you know?
An ambulance can cost over $1,800 in Australia and isn't covered by Medicare unless you live in Queensland or Tasmania.
How much does health insurance cost?
We ask hundreds of Australians what they're paying for health insurance every month. Here's what they told us in April 2024.
Basic: $116
Bronze: $143
Silver: $168
Gold: $209
Price based on 1,000+ responses for single hospital insurance.
Why you can trust Finder's overseas health cover experts
We're free
Our Overseas Visitor Health Care comparisons are completely free to use. You pay the same as buying directly from the health insurer. Better still, we regularly run exclusive deals that you won't find on any other site.
We're experts
We've researched and rated hundreds of policies as part of our Finder Awards. We've published 250+ guides and our in-house experts regularly appear on Sunrise, 7News and SBS News.
We're independent
Unlike other comparison sites, we're not owned by an insurer. That means our opinions are our own and you can compare multiple OVHC funds in Australia on the site (and find a better deal).
We're here to help
Since 2014, we've helped 350,000+ people find health insurance by explaining your options simply. We'll never ask for your number or email to see prices. We're here to help you make a decision.
Frequently asked questions
OVHC stands for Overseas Visitor Health Cover, which is a type of health insurance for visitors to Australia on a temporary visa. This insurance covers the cost of medical treatment and hospital care for the duration of your stay in Australia. It is required for individuals who hold a 600 visa and is necessary in order to meet the visa's health requirement.
There are several types of OVHC policies available to visitors to Australia on a 600 visa. These include basic policies that cover the cost of treatment for certain conditions, as well as more comprehensive policies that cover a wider range of medical services. Some policies also offer additional benefits such as ambulance cover and private room accommodation.
There are several companies that offer OVHC to visitors to Australia on a 600 visa. Some examples of these companies include Allianz Care Australia, Bupa and nib. It is important to compare the policies and prices offered by different companies to find the one that best meets your needs and budget. You should also make sure that the policy you choose meets the requirements of the 600 visa, as not all policies may be accepted.
Neither Medicare nor OVHC usually includes out-of-hospital services like dental, physiotherapy and optical. However, lots of policies allow you to add extras cover onto your OVHC policy for as little as $3 per week.
Yes, a waiting period is the time you need to serve before you can submit a claim. The Australian government sets the waiting periods for hospital treatments, so they are the same no matter which health insurer you choose.
12 months for pre-existing conditions (excluding psychiatric, rehabilitation and palliative care).
12 months for pregnancy and maternity services.
2 months for all other hospital treatments and services.
It depends on your personal circumstances. The 651 visa is for eligible passport holders from a select group of countries for stays up to 3 months at a time. The 600 visa is for people who don't hold an eligible passport or for stays longer than 3 months and up to 12 months.
Gary Ross Hunter is an editor at Finder, specialising in insurance. He’s been writing about life, travel, home, car, pet and health insurance for over 6 years and regularly appears as an insurance expert in publications including The Sydney Morning Herald, The Guardian and news.com.au. Gary holds a Kaplan Tier 2 General Advice General Insurance certification which meets the requirements of ASIC Regulatory Guide 146 (RG146).
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