Frank Mid Workers Plus Bundle
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Allianz Care Australia Overseas Standard Student Health Cover
Bupa Short Stay Visitors Cover
Overseas Visitor Health Cover, or OVHC, is a type of health insurance made for people in Australian on a visa. If you're visiting Australia on a working visa or tourist visa, then an OVHC policy will give you the health cover that you need to meet your visa requirements. It also will make sure you don't pay a crazy amount of money if you need treatment while you're here.
Overseas Student Health Cover, or OSHC, is a special type of policy specifically made for students. If you're on a student visa then you'll need OSHC, except in a few very specifc circumstances. Your school or university might have an agreement with a particular insurer to make it easier, but you can also buy your own policy.
Anyone in Australia on a working, tourist or student visa will need 'adequate health insurance' for the duration of their trip. This is generally detailed in the 8501 visa condition. For most folks, that will mean OVHC or OSHC.
There are only a couple of exceptions to this rule:
The 461 visa is make for relatives of New Zealanders living in Australia. While kiwis have access to Medicare, 461 visa holders don't, and will need to take out health insurance (OVHC).
Find out what health insurance you need for the 590 Visa and how to get cover for pre-existing conditions.
Find out who is eligible for the 188 Business Visa, how much it costs, the health and financial requirements, and age restrictions.
Find out who the 870 Sponsored Parent visa is for, what the requirements are and how you can apply.
Are you applying for your student 500 visa? You may need Overseas Student Health Cover.
Everything you need to know about the health insurance requirements of the 417 visa and how to find the right cover.
Australia has Reciprocal Health Care Agreements in place with 11 countries, allowing visitors from those countries to access subsidised medical treatment under the Medicare system while in Australia.
Compare health insurance policies that satisfy your entry requirements and find out how to get covered when travelling to Australia on a 489 visa.
While health insurance isn’t mandatory for Electronic Travel Authority (601 visa) holders you should get adequate health cover before arriving in Australia.
Find an adequate level of private health insurance to cover any medical costs incurred during your trip to Australia on a subclass 600 visa.
My wife and I have 410 visas and live more than halfof every year in Aus. Do we need ovhc still as we live here for most of the year. We have a home here and pay all the required taxes etc.
Hi Peter,
Yes, you need to maintain adequate health insurance while in Australia on a 410 visa, regardless of how much of the year you live there. While you are likely not eligible for Medicare, 410 visa holders are subject to visa conditions requiring them to have private health insurance that is equivalent to Medicare.
My wife and I currently have an astonishingly expensive OVHC policy to support our Subclass 870 visas. However, we are from United Kingdom, which has a reciprocal arrangement with Australia, and also have Reciprocal Arrangement Medicare cards.
Do we still need this expensive OVHC medical insurance?
Hi Bernie,
If you’re in Australia on the 870 Sponsored Parent visa, you’ll need Overseas Visitor Health Cover (OVHC) while you stay to satisfy the 8501 visa condition, while also ensuring you’re able to pay any medical costs while in Australia.