Want to work or study in Australia? Learn how health insurance and visa conditions work. Compare visitors cover from leading funds.
What sort of visitors health insurance do you want to compare?
Contents of this article
- What is visa condition 8501?
- Which visas are affected by condition 8501?
- Can non-working and tourist visa holders get cover?
- Which health funds offer visitors health cover in Australia?
- Tips for comparing Australian health insurance
- Medicare and Reciprocal Health Care Agreements
- Common questions about Australia, health insurance and visas
What is visa condition 8501?
Condition 8501 requires applicants for certain visas to take out adequate private health insurance. Overseas visitors (with some exceptions) cannot access the public system called Medicare, so private health insurance ensures that they can get the treatment they need for illness or injury without having to pay costly medical bills themselves.
It is also important to be aware of what a policy must cover in order to be considered adequate health insurance. Most overseas health insurance offered by Australian funds' are tailored to meet these requirements, but you should still check that your policy has the following features so that it's compliant.
Adequate health insurance criteria
Which visas are affected by condition 8501?
Here are some commonly applied for Australian visas that have to comply with condition 8501. Always be sure to check your visa requirements or contact the Department of Immigration and Border Protection to find out if condition 8501 applies to you.
- Temporary Work (Skilled) visa (subclass 457)
- Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485)
- Majority of other temporary working visa subclasses
- All student visas (except for Norwegian, Belgian and some Swedish students)
If you are coming to Australia for the purposes of study then you will need to take out a different form of visitor health insurance called Overseas Students Health Cover (OSHC).
Can non-working and tourist visa holders get cover?
Overseas visitors to Australia who are not on specific working or skilled visas are still able to purchase a policy, and many health funds will offer non-working visa health insurance for:
- eVisitor (subclass 651)
- Electronic Travel Authority (subclass 601)
- Visitor (subclass 600)
- Student Guardian visa (subclass 580)
- Work and Holiday visa (subclass 462)
- New Zealand Citizen Family Relationship (temporary) visa (subclass 461)
- Special Category visa (subclass 444) for New Zealand citizens
- Bridging visas (subclass 010, 020, 030, 040, 041, 051)
Which health funds offer visitors health cover in Australia?
| Health fund | Hospital cover for overseas visitors | Extras cover available or included? |
|---|---|---|
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| Australian Unity |
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 |
|
|
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| Health fund | Hospital cover for overseas visitors | Extras cover available or included? |
|---|---|---|
| Allianz Global Assistance |
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| Australian Unity |
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| Bupa |
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| Frank Health Insurance |
|
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| hbf |
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| HCF |
|
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| hif |
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| nib |
|
|
Compare your visitors health insurance options and speak to an adviser
Tips for comparing Australian health insurance
- Know the waiting periods. Check the fine print of your policy to find out how long you will have to wait before you can claim a benefit. For example, pre-existing conditions will either attract a waiting period of 12 months or not be covered at all.
- Check restrictions and exclusions. Certain services may only be partially covered by your fund, while others may not be covered at all. For example, cosmetic procedures or medical care received outside Australia will be excluded from cover.
- Consider a higher level of cover. Purchasing the highest level of hospital cover that fits within your budget is recommended. In order to keep your premiums down you could opt to pay an excess or co-payment if these features are available.
- Check the pharmacy benefits. Most overseas visitor health cover policies only offer limited cover for pharmaceuticals. They will typically not provide adequate cover for the cost of expensive drugs such as those used in chemotherapy.
- Inform your fund of any changes. Visa status changed? Be sure to notify your health fund immediately of any changes to your circumstances so that you always have the right type of health cover in place.
- Stay up to date with payments. Make sure that you continue paying your premiums, or contact your fund immediately if you think you will not be able to pay. If you are late with payments your fund could refuse claims or cancel your policy.
- Contact your fund if you need treatment. Always contact your health fund before undergoing treatment to find out if you will be covered. If no cover is offered ask the medical service provider to provide a quote of how much the service will cost.
Medicare and Reciprocal Health Care Agreements
Although most overseas visitors are ineligible for membership to the Australian public health system called Medicare, there is one exception to this rule. If you come from a country that has a Reciprocal Health Care Agreement (RHCA) with Australia then you will be able to access a measure of subsidised medical treatments. The current RHCA nations are:
- Visa condition 8501 and students. If you are from an RHCA nation and you are applying for a student visa or a visa affected by condition 8501 you may be able to apply for an exemption. If you are applying from outside Australia you will need to take out an interim policy until you arrive and can enrol in Medicare.
- RHCA benefits vs OVHC. Be aware that the amount of subsidised care you receive from the RHCA is very limited, and any treatment you require beyond vital services will still leave you with out-of-pocket expenses. Therefore, whether it is mandatory or not, it is strongly advised that you at least consider taking out visitors health insurance.
Common questions about Australia, health insurance and visas
What is the difference between an inpatient and an outpatient?
An inpatient is someone who is formally admitted to hospital by order of a doctor while an outpatient is someone who is being treated at hospital but has not been admitted. For example, you are an outpatient if you are getting X-rays or simply being kept under general observation.
What is the difference between hospital cover and extras cover?
Hospital cover is a policy that insures you for inpatient treatments which require admittance to hospital. Extras cover insures you for treatments administered outside of hospital, such as dentistry and physiotherapy.
Does extras cover satisfy visa conditions requiring health insurance?
No, hospital cover is the only type of health insurance that is compliant with visa condition 8501 are hospital cover. While many health funds offer extras cover for overseas visitors, these policies must be taken out in conjunction with hospital cover.
Can I access the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS)?
Besides those from certain RHCA countries, visitors to Australia cannot get subsidies on medications under the PBS. If you require cover for medications most policies will pay benefits for drugs listed on the PBS.
What does a Reciprocal Health Care Agreement mean for me?
If you are visiting from a country that Australia has a Reciprocal Health Care Agreement with you can receive some subsidised health services for essential medical treatment for the duration of your stay.
Does visitors health insurance cover the cost of emergency ambulance transport?
Most policies will include cover for emergency ambulance transportation, but check with your fund to be sure.
What happens if I become a permanent resident or citizen of Australia?
In this event you will become eligible for full access to the Australian public health system and can switch from visitors health insurance to a domestic policy if you wish. Notify your health fund immediately so that you can be transferred to an appropriate form of cover.
Compare your visitors health insurance options and speak to an adviser
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I want to know which insurance company covers aged parent visa subclass 804 thanks
Hi Mandeep,
Thank you for contacting finder. We are a comparison website and general information service, we’re more than happy to offer general advice.
You may refer to this page for options that may suit your needs. You may review and compare the offers available on the table. Once you have selected one, you may proceed by clicking the green “Get Quote” or “Enquire Now” button.
I hope this helps.
Cheers,
Danielle
hi what is the best choose for us for insurance my subcl
ass visa 188 we need basic cover
Hi Hossein,
Thank you for your question.
finder.com.au is a comparison and information service and we are not permitted to provide our users with personalised financial advice or product recommendations.
The table on the top of this page lists the name of insurers who offer cover for working visa health cover. If you would like to compare your options with help from an adviser you can do so by clicking green ‘Enquire now’ button and completing the contact form. Once you have done so, an adviser will be in touch to help you.
All the best,
Zubair
Looking for health insurance retirement visa subclass 410
Female 85 years old, currently with Bupa.
Thanks
Rob
Hi Rob,
Thank you for your question.
finder.com.au is a comparison and information service and we are not permitted to provide our users with personalised financial advice or product recommendations.
However, Bupa does provide cover for 410 visas. You will need to contact Bupa directly for further information.
All the best,
Zubair