Your health insurance requirements on a bridging visa will depend on the visa you're applying for.
If you're on a 457 visa, 485 visa, or any any visa with condition 8501 (a requirement that you take out health insurance) you'll need Overseas Visitors Health Cover (OVHC). If you are unable to access any form of Medicare benefits, in most cases you can purchase OVHC.
If you have an interim or full Medicare card, you can purchase a private health insurance policy for Australian residents.
If you're on a student visa Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) will meet your cover needs.
However, Belgian, Norwegian and some Swedish students can opt out of taking out OSHC and instead be covered under their respective countries' Reciprocal Health Care Agreements (RHCAs) with the Australian Government.
*Pricing is based on a single male planning to live and work in the State of New South Wales on a working visa who is not applying for permanent residency, 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 and are subject to change. Table displays health funds from Finder partners.
"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:
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."
OSHC is designed to help international students cover the cost of medical and hospital care they receive while in Australia. This type of cover is a mandatory requirement for overseas students residing in Australia on a temporary student visa. OSHC provides a financial safety net for international students, including cover for:
OVHC is designed for most overseas visitors who hold a temporary visa. It covers a portion of the medical expenses they incur while in Australia, including:
Medicare forms the basis of Australia’s public healthcare system. It provides free or subsidised cover for a range of medical services, including:
Medicare doesn’t cover everything. It won't cover treatment in a private hospital, ambulance costs, a portion of doctors’ bills or extras benefits such as optical and dental treatment. In addition, only some temporary visa holders from countries with an RHCA are eligible for cover under Medicare.
The 8501 visa condition, also referred to as health insurance requirement 8501, requires student visa holders and many working visa holders to maintain an adequate level of health insurance cover while in Australia. Cover must be in place for the duration of your stay and if you fail to make the necessary arrangements, your application for a visa will be refused.
Condition 8501 applies to several popular visas, including:
It depends on what type of insurance you need: OVHC if you're a visitor, OSHC if you're a student and Medicare if you come from a country with a RHCA with Australia.
If you need to apply for OVHC, you can purchase cover from health funds and general insurers based in Australia, or choose a policy issued by an insurer in another country. There are many policies to choose from, but remember that in some cases you will need to choose a policy specifically designed to suit your type of visa.
OSHC can be arranged through your educational institution or purchased online through the website of an OSHC provider. Even if your education provider recommends a specific insurer, you are free to select the OSHC provider of your choice.
To apply for Medicare, you can complete a Medicare Enrolment Application form, which is available from the Department of Human Services website. However, if you’re visiting Australia from an RHCA country and wish to enrol in Medicare you’ll need to provide your passport and a valid visa, and possibly identification that shows you are enrolled in your country’s national health care scheme.
The following countries have RHCAs with Australia:
Despite its many advantages, the Medicare system doesn't cover everything. It doesn’t cover:
Happily, these and many more medical services can be covered if you take out OVHC or OSHC.
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