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Compare overseas visitor health cover

Choose from 19 overseas visitor health cover policies to meet your visa requirements for when you come to Australia.

Name Product Meets condition 8501 Hospital Cover Dental Pregnancy Cover GP Visits Medical Repatriation Price
Frank Basic Workers Cover
Yes (Reduced benefits)
$10,000
From $64.50 per month
From $64.50 per month.
Medibank Overseas Workers Base Hospital
From $73 per month
From $73 per month.
Frank Minimum Working Visa Cover
$20,000
From $75 per month
From $75 per month.
Allianz Care Australia Budget Working Cover
$20,000
From $77.25 per month
From $77.25 per month.
HIF Basic Working Visa
$4,000
From $81.05 per month
From $77.90 per month.
Frank Mid Workers Cover
$20,000
From $100 per month
From $100 per month.
HIF Essentials Working Visa
$4,000
From $107.60 per month
From $103.40 per month.
Medibank Overseas Workers Standard Hospital and Medical
From $113 per month
From $113 per month.
Allianz Care Australia Standard Working Cover
$20,000
From $113.85 per month
From $113.85 per month.
Frank Mid Workers Plus Bundle
$20,000
From $125 per month
From $125 per month.
HIF Intermediate Working Visa
$6,000
From $134.75 per month
From $129.50 per month.
Allianz Care Australia Mid Working Cover
$20,000
From $167 per month
From $167 per month.
HIF Comprehensive Working Visa ($500 excess)
$8,000
From $237 per month
From $227.75 per month.
HIF Comprehensive Working Visa
$8,000
From $287.05 per month
From $275.80 per month.
Allianz Care Australia Top Working Cover
$20,000
From $313.75 per month
From $313.75 per month.
Medibank Overseas Workers Advanced Hospital and Medical
From $406 per month
From $406 per month.
Medibank Overseas Workers Premium Hospital, Medical and Extras
From $437.50 per month
From $437.50 per month.
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What is overseas visitors health cover?

Overseas visitors health cover is health insurance designed specifically for people coming to live and work in Australia on a visa. It's mandatory unless you come from a reciprocal health care country or you're a student (in which case, you'll need overseas student health cover). Overseas visitors health care can cover the following:

hospital

Hospital care

Cheaper policies will cover emergency ambulance rides and treatment in a hospital, plus accommodation fees. Other common services include cover for hernias, cancer and joint replacements.

general dental

Extras (out-of-hospital services)

Extras cover includes out-of-hospital care such as dental, optical, physiotherapy and chiropractic. Some more expensive OVHC policies will cover these treatments automatically. In other cases, you may need to take out a separate extras policy in addition to basic OVHC cover.

Doctor

Doctor's appointments

This is when you need to make an appointment at a doctor's clinic, known as a General Practitioner (GP) in Australia, because you're feeling unwell or have some other health issue that may require medication.

Medicine

Prescribed medicine

If you are on medication, it's likely worth getting a policy that will cover your prescriptions. Otherwise, medicine can be quite expensive in Australia.

plane

Repatriation

If you become seriously unwell or suffer a life-altering disability, most overseas visitor policies will pay to fly you home under medical supervision.

What's not covered by OVHC?

There are some conditions and treatments that OVHC won't typically cover. Here are a few of the most common:

  • Ambulance rides that aren't considered an emergency
  • Elective cosmetic surgery such as a nose job or breast implants
  • Treatment arranged in advance of your arrival in Australia
  • IVF and other assisted reproductive services
  • Services provided outside of Australia

Do you need overseas visitor health cover?

If you plan on working in Australia, your visa application will generally require you to have OVHC in place by the time you enter Australia, unless you come from a country that has a reciprocal health care agreement with Australia.

When should you get overseas visitor health cover?

Migrants need to have health insurance from the time that they enter Australia. For example: Scenario 1) John Doe applies for a visa offshore and the visa is granted. He will arrive in Australia at 4:00am on 20/09/2022. He should get a health insurance policy that starts at 12:00am 20/09/2022. Scenario 2) Jane Doe is already in Australia under a particular visa that requires her to have health insurance, and applies for a subsequent visa onshore that also has this requirement. As she should already have a health insurance policy, she should continue to pay for this policy on an ongoing basis.

Reciprocal health care agreements

If you're from 1 of the 11 specific countries in the list below, you're eligible for Medicare and won't be required to have OVHC (although we still recommend it). That's because your country and Australia have an agreement called a Reciprocal Health Care Agreement (RHCA).

Here are the countries that have an RHCA with Australia:

RHCA countries that don't require health insurance

What if my visa has changed?

clipboard list

If you're changing to another visa, your best bet is to just carry on with the OVHC cover that you already have. For example, if you are on a temporary graduate visa (485) and are switching over to a temporary skill shortage visa (482).

private contract

If you've got your PR, then you are not required to keep your OVHC – but make sure you don't cancel before you get it. Once your PR has been approved, you will be eligible for private health insurance like most Australians.

What is condition 8501?

You know that visa requirement we've been talking about? That's requirement 8501, and it means your visa may not be approved if you don't have health cover in place when you arrive in Australia.

To meet condition 8501, your insurance must meet the following criteria:

  • Be fully comprehensive
  • Provide cover that is equivalent to or better than Medicare
  • Cover prescriptions

Applicants generally provide a letter or policy statement from the insurance provider indicating that the person(s) have made adequate arrangements for health insurance. Generally speaking, health insurance is not a requirement for the visa to be granted. Rather, it is a visa condition imposed as part of the visa grant, commencing when they enter Australia.

To provide evidence you have adequate health insurance in place, most insurers will send you a copy of your policy as soon as you purchase it. You can attach this to your visa application.

Which health funds offer visitors health cover in Australia?

Health fundHospital cover for overseas visitorsExtras cover available or included?More info
HIF health insurance
  • Comprehensive Working Visa
  • Intermediate Working Visa
  • Essentials Working Visa
  • Basic Working Visa
  • Top Extras
  • Advanced Extras
  • Essential Extras
  • Simple Extras
  • Value Extras
  • Basic Extras
More info
Australian Unity
  • Basic Overseas Visitor Cover
  • Mid Overseas Visitor Cover
  • Top Overseas Visitor Cover
  • Base Extras
  • Mid Extras
  • Active Extras
  • Prime Extras
More info
HCF health insurance
  • Top Plus Cover
  • Top Cover
  • Mid Cover
  • Basic Cover
  • Included in Top Plus Cover
  • Included in Top Cover
More info
nib health insurance logo
  • Budget Visitor Cover
  • Standard Visitor Cover
  • Advantage Visitor Cover
  • Budget Visitor Cover with Extras
  • Standard Visitor Cover with Extras
  • Advantage Visitor Cover with Extras
More info
Health fundHospital cover for overseas visitors Extras cover available or included? More info
Allianz Global Assistance
  • Visitors Plus
  • Budget Visitors
  • Included in Visitors Plus
  • Not included in Budget Visitors
More info
Australian Unity
  • Basic Overseas Visitors Cover
  • Mid Overseas Visitors Cover
  • Top Overseas Visitors Cover
  • Base Extras
  • Mid Extras
  • Active Extras
  • Prime Extras
More info
Bupa
  • Platinum Visitors Cover
  • Essential Plus Visitors Cover
  • Gold Visitors Cover
  • Essential Visitors Cover
  • Included in Platinum Visitors Cover
  • Included in Essential Plus Visitors Cover
More info
Frank Health Insurance
  • Frank Minimum Working Visa
  • No extras policies available
More info
hbf
  • Working Visa Hospital and Medical Cover
  • Working Visa Hospital Cover
  • Included in Working Visa Hospital and Medical Cover
  • Not included in Working Visa Hospital Cover
More info
HCF
  • Overseas Visitors Health Cover
  • Ultimate Extras
  • Lifestyle Plus Extras
  • Active Lifestyle Extras
  • Lifestyle Essentials
  • Basic Extras
More info
hif
  • Comprehensive Working Visa
  • Intermediate Working Visa
  • Essentials Working Visa
  • Basic Working Visa
  • Visitor Saver
  • Visitor Value
  • Premium Options
  • Super Options
  • Special Options
  • Saver Options
More info
IMAN
  • Budget Visitor Cover
  • Value Plus Visitor Cover
  • Basic Visitor Health Cover
  • Mid Visitor Cover
  • Top Visitor Cover
  • Not included in Budget Visitor Cover
  • Included in Value Plus Visitor Cover
  • Included in Basic Visitor Health Cover
  • Included in Mid Visitor Cover
  • Included in Mid Visitor Cover
More info
Medibank
  • Overseas Visitor Health Insurance
  • No extras included
More info
nib
  • Top Visitor Cover
  • Mid Visitor Cover
  • Basic Visitor Cover
  • Budget Visitor Cover
  • Included in Top Visitor Cover
  • Included in Mid Visitor Cover
  • Included in Basic Visitor Cover
  • Not included in Budget Visitor Cover
More info

Frequently asked questions

James Martin
This article was reviewed on 11 July by . James is the insurance editor at Finder and he's written on a range of insurance and finance topics for over 7 years.

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