Pricing is based on a single live 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 2024 but are subject to change.
Key takeaways
- 489 visa holders need to hold adequate health insurance as part of your visa requirements.
- These OVHC policies are all visa condition 8501 compliant.
- Even if your country has an RHCA with Australia, it does not cover all treatments.
Do I need health insurance on a 489 visa?
If you're on or applying for a 489 visa, you need to fulfil Condition 8501 of your visa which requires you to have adequate health insurance in place.
All the Overseas Visitors Health Cover (OVHC) policies above are designed to meet this criteria. When you take out cover, they will email you a confirmation letter, which you can attach to your visa application.
What's covered with OVHC?
Can 489 visa holders access Medicare?
You usually can't receive subsidised health care services from the public health system Medicare, unless you're from a country that Australia has a Reciprocal Health Care Agreement (RHCA) with. These countries include the United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland, New Zealand, Sweden, The Netherlands, Finland, Belgium, Norway, Slovenia, Malta and Italy.
However, Medicare doesn't cover everything. Even if you're covered by a RCHA, you will still have to pay for ambulances, dental, optical, physio and chiro.
How long do I have to wait before I can claim?
Just like domestic health insurance, OVHC policies have different waiting periods applied to different services. The Australian Government sets the waiting periods for hospital treatments so they do not differ between health funds:
- 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.
What are the waiting periods for out of hospital treatment?
If you're planning to purchase extras cover with your OVHC policy for out-of-hospital services such as dental or physiotherapy, each health fund can set the waiting periods for these services individually, so remember to take this into account when comparing policies.
Who offers OVHC in Australia?
The following providers offer health insurance for 489 visa holders, which is fully compliant with the Australian Department of Border Protection and Immigration requirements relating to working visas:
- Allianz Care Australia
- Australian Unity
- Bupa
- Frank Health Insurance
- HBF
- HCF
- HIF
- nib
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."
General FAQs about the 489 visa
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