Need health insurance for Australia? See how OVHC works and compare cover.
If you're staying in Australia, it's a good idea to get health cover.
Overseas Visitor Health Cover helps protect you from big bills if you see a doctor or need a hospital. It’s also mandatory for many visa applications including the 482,457 and 485. These options meet visa requirements (condition 8501).
Compare Overseas Visitor Health Cover from $65 a month
What is Overseas Visitors Health Cover?
Overseas visitors health cover is health insurance designed for people visiting Australia - especially those who aren’t covered by Medicare and whose visas require them to have health insurance.
Beyond the visa requirements, it also offers other benefits like covering your doctor’s visits, prescriptions, emergency ambulance rides and hospital treatments. Potentially saving you hundreds, if not thousands should you ever need medical treatment.
Stuck on who to choose? The 3 most popular OVHC policies on finder are:
2. HIF Basic Working Visa
3. nib Budget Visitor Cover
Based on our the number of clicks to our current policies in the comparison table from August 1, 2018 - Nov 2018.
Do you need OVHC?
If you plan on working in Australia, your visa application will require OVHC Others won’t be required to have it, but it could still be worth it.
Here is how it can help you:
- Your visa requires health cover and you’re not eligible for Medicare. Most visitors to Australia aren’t eligible for Medicare. If you’re one of these people and your visa requires health cover, you absolutely need OVHC or your visa won’t be granted.
- Your visa requires health cover and you are eligible for Medicare. People from some countries are eligible for Medicare because of agreements between those countries and Australia. You’re not required to have OVHC but you should consider it if you want the extra benefits of being covered privately.
- Your visa doesn’t require it. You’re free to go without health cover if you want, but getting OVHC makes a lot of sense if you want to avoid massive medical bills if you’re ever hospitalised.
How does OVHC work?
OVHC can cover you for five different types of services depending on what level of cover you choose:
- Hospital bills
- Doctor’s visits
- Out-of-hospital services like dental and physical therapy
- Prescriptions
- Emergency ambulance rides
Even the most basic policy will cover your hospital bills to some extent. The other services like doctor’s visits and physical therapy are useful but optional, so they are usually reserved for higher levels of cover.
Here are the different levels of cover that are usually available:
What is extras cover?
Extras is a type of insurance to cover a range of out-of-hospital treatments including:
- General and major dental work
- Physical rehab services like massage, physical therapy, chiropractic and acupuncture
- Optical services including eye tests and glasses
- Other physical devices like hearing aids and blood pressure monitors
Extras policies themselves are different products to OVHC policies, although some OVHC policies include some of the same types of cover you can find in an extras policy. If you want to be covered for any of the above treatments, you have one of two options:
- Buy an OVHC policy that covers the treatment you need. Some mid and top-level policies will cover some extras treatments.
- Buy a stand-alone extras policy. There’s nothing stopping you from going with a basic OVHC policy (to meet your visa requirements) and topping it up with a stand-alone extras policy. You can often save money this way, although you’ll have a lower level of hospital cover.
Can you get dental with OVHC?
Yes. Some OVHC policies provide cover for dental treatment including general dental services like cleanings and simple fillings, as well as major dental work like root canals, crowns and bridges.
Not all insurers offer it, but the ones that do usually include it in their top-level policies only. You can also get dental cover by purchasing a standalone “extras” policy on top of your OVHC. You can choose from any in the market.
| Provider | Policy | Limit | Cost Per Month | Apply |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
Bronze Extras (100% back on one dental check per year) | $350 | $11.67 | Go to Site |
 |
Black 50 saver (includes no gap dental check-ups) | $400 | $13.05 | Go to Site |
 |
Classic ($250 per visit with no gap for the first visit every year) | $700 | $55.03 | Go to Site |
Quotes based on a single policy for a visitor in NSW.
How does OVHC work for pregnancy?
Most OVHC policies will cover pregnancy, but at a reduced rate compared to other covered treatments. That’s because not everyone needs pregnancy-related services and it’s generally not considered an unexpected medical need.
Insurers who cover pregnancy at a reduced rate (typically in a basic policy) will pay your hospital accommodation fees in a public hospital, but the rest will be up to you, including doctors fees, delivery fees, blood tests, ultrasounds and anesthesia.
However, some insurers do offer higher levels of private pregnancy cover that also include your choice of an obstetrician. These insurers will offer full cover for pregnancy within their mid or top-level policies.
For private pregnancy, you will have a waiting period of 12-months before you can use it. That means you will have to buy your policy well before you get pregnant.
What if my visa has changed?
If you are switching visas, there are situations where you’ll want to reconsider your health insurance options.
If you are switching from one visa that requires health cover to another one that also does, then your best bet is to just carry on with the OVHC cover that you already have. One example would be if you are on a temporary graduate visa (485) and are switching over to a temporary skill shortage visa (482).
If you are switching from a visa that requires health cover to one that doesn’t, then you are not required to keep your OVHC. However, you should strongly consider keeping it so that you’re not unprotected. An example of this would be if you are switching from a temporary skill shortage visa (482) over to a working holiday visa (417). If your situation is the reverse of this, you’ll need to take out OVHC before you can get your new visa.
If you are switching from a visa that requires OVHC to a visa that includes Medicare cover like a permanent resident visa (PR), you can keep your OVHC as long as you want but you should strongly consider switching to a domestic health insurance policy for the following reasons:
- Tax benefits. Residents making a certain amount of money per year can be charged an additional tax unless they have private health cover. OVHC policies don’t count.
- Immediate savings. Domestic policies can be cheaper than OVHC policies.
- Future savings. If you are 31 or older, you need to get health insurance within 12 months of getting your PR. Otherwise, you can end up paying a penalty down the line when you do finally get private insurance. Again, OVHC doesn’t count.
What is the cheapest OVHC?
The Budget Workers Cover from Health.com.au currently offers the cheapest policy in the market at $15 per week. It only covers your in-hospital visits and doesn’t include visits to the GP or specialists, dental work (even if it is in-hospital) or natural therapies. This is common for most basic/budget policies.
Even a basic/budget policy will usually be enough as far as your visa is concerned.
Can you get Overseas Visitors Health Cover with no waiting periods?
The good news is, once you buy your health cover - it’s active straight away. However, some treatments have a waiting period.
Waiting periods are the amount of time you have to wait before you can get health insurance benefits. The times can vary based on the treatment, for example, 12 months for pregnancy or 2 months for dental.
The only way you can typically get out of your OVHC waiting periods is if you already served them with another insurer and you’re switching to a similar policy with a new insurer. If you are taking out OVHC for the first time, you’ll have to put in the wait.
Do couples and families need Overseas Visitors Health Cover?
If your visa requires you to have health insurance and the other members of your family are coming over on the same visa as you, everyone will be required to have OVHC. Most insurers offer singles, couples and family policies so that you can all be covered under the same policy.
There are a couple of situations where your family members may not be required to have OVHC:
- They are on a different visa that doesn’t require health insurance
- They are covered under a reciprocal health care agreement between Australia and their home country
- They are Australian citizens or permanent residents
What is condition 8501?
You know that visa requirement we’ve been talking about? That’s requirement 8501, and it means your visa won’t be approved without health cover in place.
To meet condition 8501, your insurance must:
- Be fully comprehensive
- Provide cover that is equivalent or better than Medicare
- Cover prescriptions
Most OVHC policies are designed to meet these requirements, but it never hurts to double check with your insurer, employer and/or immigration agent to make sure.
Which visas need mandatory health insurance?
Here is a list of common Australian workers visas and whether or not they require you to have private health insurance.
| Visa Number | Visa Name | Description | Health care requirement? |
|---|---|---|---|
| 405 | Investor Retirement | For self-funded retirees without any dependants. | yes |
| 408 | Temporary Activity | For workers on temporary assignments like entertainers, athletes and researchers | yes |
| 417 | Working Holiday | For young people who want to work while travelling Australia | no |
| 400 | Temporary Work (Short Stay Specialist) | For workers who do highly specialised, short-term work like managers, professionals and tradespeople | no |
|
457 (replaced by the 482 in March 2018) |
Temporary Work (Skilled) | Allowed skilled workers to live and work for up to four years | yes |
| 482 | Temporary Skill Shortage | For skilled workers to live and work for up to four years in order to fill labour shortages in Australia | yes |
| 485 | Temporary graduate | Allows international students who have recently graduated from an Australian uni to live, work and study in Australia | yes |
| 489 | Skilled Regional (Provisional) | For overseas skilled workers to live and work in regional Australian locations for up to four years. | yes |
| BVA | Bridging visa | For people who are switching to a new visa and waiting for the application to process. Also for people making arrangements to leave Australia. | Only if the visa you are applying for requires it |
Find the health cover you need
What visa are you applying for?
Select your visa type to instantly compare and apply for a relevant policy.
Visa type
Take a close look at the eligibility requirements when applying for a visa, or contact the Department of Immigration and Border Protection to find out if condition 8501 applies to you
What’s not covered?
There are some conditions and treatments that OVHC won’t cover at all regardless of the insurer or policy level. Here are a few of the most common:
- Ambulance rides that aren’t considered an emergency
- Elective cosmetic surgery like a nose job or breast implants
- Procedures that Medicare does not cover like podiatry
- IVF and other assisted reproductive services
- Services provided outside of Australia
- Treatment arranged in advance of your arrival in Australia
- Bone marrow and organ transplants
The exact list of excluded services varies between insurers, so take a closer look at the policy document before choosing a policy.
Which health funds offer visitors health cover in Australia?
| Health fund | Hospital cover for overseas visitors | Extras cover available or included? | More info |
|---|---|---|---|
 |
|
| More info |
 |
|
| More info |
 |
|
| More info |
 |
|
| More info |
 |
|
| More info |
| Health fund | Hospital cover for overseas visitors | Extras cover available or included? | More info |
|---|---|---|---|
| Allianz Global Assistance |
|
| More info |
| Australian Unity |
|
| More info |
| Bupa |
|
| More info |
| Frank Health Insurance |
|
| More info |
| hbf |
|
| More info |
| HCF |
|
| More info |
| hif |
|
| More info |
| health.com.au |
|
| More info |
| IMAN |
|
| More info |
| Medibank |
|
| More info |
| nib |
|
| More info |
Reciprocal Health Care Agreements – do you still need OVHC?
If you’re from one of 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:
Even with Medicare cover, it’s still a good idea to get Overseas Visitor Health Cover because it covers you for the following (whereas Medicare won’t):
- Emergency ambulance rides
- Dental work (only with some policies)
- Medical evacuation to your home country if you need it
- Your own private room in a private hospital (or as a private patient in a public hospital)
- Your choice of doctor
- Natural therapies (only on some policies)
In addition to that, if you make more than $90,000 per year and you don’t have private health insurance, you will be required to pay a tax called the Medicare Levy Surcharge. With OVHC, you can avoid that tax.
Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC)
Most students are also required to have private health cover as a condition of their visas, so you can think of Overseas Student Health Cover as the student version of Overseas Visitors Health Cover.
In fact, the requirement is exactly the same: the health cover needs to meet condition 8501. So many OSHC policies and OVHC policies are the same product, just marketed differently.
For more information on how OSHC works and how to choose a policy, check out our comprehensive OSHC guide.
Common questions about Australia, health insurance and visas
Picture: Unsplash
Pl advise
Pl advise me how can I do visitor health insurance for tourist visa (600) with short stay about 30 days?
Hi Jayakar!
Here is how to apply for a visitor health insurance for a tourist visa.
You’ll need to provide a range of documents to support your application for a 600 visa. Depending on your country of origin and your visa stream, the requirements will vary. Contact your nearest immigration office outside of Australia for details on what you will need to provide in order for your visa application to be accepted. For example, if you are going on vacation then you will need to provide the following to qualify for the tourist stream:
– A completed visa application form
– Certified copies of the biographical pages of your passport
– A recent passport-sized photograph
– A certified copy of your birth certificate
– Evidence of sufficient funds for your trip, such as bank statements
– A copy of your travel itinerary
– Information to show that you intend to return to your home country
– All documents must be certified copies, and any documents not in English must be accompanied by accredited English translations.
For more information, you may use this link.
Hope this helps!
Best Regards,
Nikki
parents have sub class 600 with visa condition 8501,8101& 8201. Please suggest a policy which suits the above conditions
Hi Tanya,
Thanks for your inquiry. Please note that we are not affiliated with any company we feature on our site and so we can only offer you general advice.
You can also have a look on this page and compare your options for health insurances for parents visiting Australia.
You may click the name of your preferred insurance to know more details and you may click the green “Go to site” button to submit an online application through their official site.
Unfortunately, we cannot recommend a specific insurance or say what is best.
Best regards,
Rench
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 subclass 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