How much does overseas visitors health cover cost?

OVHC prices vary based on several factors. In the comparison table above, policies range from about $49 a month for basic visitor hospital cover up to more than $600 a month for top-level hospital and medical cover. Your age, the level of cover you choose (for example hospital only or hospital and extras) and the length of your stay all impact the final price. Comparing policies from different providers is the best way to find a suitable option.

Are pre-existing conditions covered by OVHC for tourists?

Most basic OVHC policies do not cover pre-existing conditions. A pre-existing condition is any illness or medical condition you had signs or symptoms of, or were diagnosed with, before taking out your policy. Some higher level policies might offer limited cover after a waiting period but it is crucial to check the specific product disclosure statement of your chosen policy.

What types of visitor visas require overseas visitors health cover?

While OVHC is strongly recommended for all visitors, it is not mandatory for every visitor visa. The Australian government may impose condition 8501 on some visas which means you must maintain adequate health insurance for the duration of your stay. This condition is discretionary for the 600 visitor visa depending on its specific stream. It is essential to check your visa grant notice to see if condition 8501 applies to you.

Can I extend my overseas visitors health cover if I extend my stay in Australia?

Yes, in most cases you can extend your OVHC policy if you extend your visitor visa. You should contact your health insurance provider before your current policy expires to arrange an extension. Make sure your health cover dates align with your new visa period to avoid any gaps in coverage.

Does OVHC cover dental, optical or physiotherapy treatments?

Basic OVHC policies typically focus on hospital and medical expenses and usually do not include cover for general dental, optical or physiotherapy treatments. If you anticipate needing these services during your visit, you may need to purchase a higher level OVHC policy that includes extras cover or pay for these services yourself.

What if my country has a Reciprocal Health Care Agreement with Australia?

If your country has a Reciprocal Health Care Agreement RHCA with Australia, you might be eligible for some essential medical treatment through Medicare. However, RHCA coverage is often limited to immediate necessary medical care and may not cover ambulance services, prescription medications or private hospital stays. It is still highly recommended to take out OVHC for comprehensive protection and peace of mind during your visit.

What happens if I need to make a claim on my OVHC policy?

The claims process varies slightly between providers but generally involves a few key steps. For GP visits you usually pay upfront then submit your receipt and a claim form to your insurer for reimbursement. For hospital stays your insurer may be able to directly bill the hospital or doctor. Always keep all your medical invoices and receipts and contact your OVHC provider for specific claim instructions before seeking treatment where possible.

Compare health insurance for visitors in Australia

If you plan to holiday down under, you need cover for unexpected medical costs.
The best solve is a visitor OVHC policy, which can be had for a few bucks a day.
Even with travel insurance, OVHC is still a good idea, because they are specific to the Aussie health care system.

20 of 29 results

Finder Score	Visa Compliant	Pregnancy cover	Medical repatriation	Price
8.4 Great Allianz Care Australia Hospital Care Workers	8.4 Great		$500	$20,000	From $72.50	Get quote View details Compare product selectionCompare	loading
8.6 Great Medibank Overseas Visitors Starter Hospital and Medical	8.6 Great		$250, $750		From $55.65	Get quote View details Compare product selectionCompare	loading
7.7 Great Medibank Overseas Visitors Core Hospital and Medical	7.7 Great		$500	Up to $50,000	From $157.90	Get quote View details Compare product selectionCompare	loading
7.2 Great Medibank Overseas Visitors Comprehensive Hospital	7.2 Great		$500	Up to $50,000	From $166.95	Get quote View details Compare product selectionCompare	loading
7 Great Allianz Care Australia Hospital Care Visitors	7 Great		$500	$5,000	From $180.00	Get quote View details Compare product selectionCompare	loading
6 Standard Medibank Overseas Visitors Premier Hospital and Medical	6 Standard		$500	Up to $50,000	From $660.00	Get quote View details Compare product selectionCompare	loading
9.3 Excellent HCF Short Stay Visitor Visa	9.3 Excellent		$250, $500, $750		From $49.00	View details Compare product selectionCompare	loading
9.2 Excellent Bupa Short Stay Visitors Cover with Freedom 50 Extras	9.2 Excellent		$250		From $74.23	View details Compare product selectionCompare	loading
9.1 Excellent Bupa Short Stay Visitors Cover with Budget Extras 60	9.1 Excellent		$250		From $83.58	View details Compare product selectionCompare	loading
8.9 Great Bupa Short Stay Visitors Cover with Freedom 60 Extras	8.9 Great		$250		From $103.88	View details Compare product selectionCompare	loading
8.8 Great Bupa Short Stay Visitors Cover with Your Choice Extras 60	8.8 Great		$250		From $114.48	View details Compare product selectionCompare	loading
8.7 Great Bupa Short Stay Visitors Cover	8.7 Great		$250		From $53.13	View details Compare product selectionCompare	loading
8.6 Great HIF Visitor Saver	8.6 Great	Optional	$250, $500		From $160.85	View details Compare product selectionCompare	loading
8.6 Great Australian Unity Basic Overseas Visitors Cover Most Loved	8.6 Great		$500	$20,000	From $80.95	View details Compare product selectionCompare	loading
8.2 Great Bupa Short Stay Visitors Cover with Top Extras 60	8.2 Great		$250		From $159.88	View details Compare product selectionCompare	loading
7.9 Great HCF Essentials Visitor Visa	7.9 Great		$250, $500, $750		From $135.20	View details Compare product selectionCompare	loading
7.8 Great Australian Unity Mid Overseas Visitors Cover Most Loved	7.8 Great		$500	$20,000	From $143.50	View details Compare product selectionCompare	loading
7.6 Great Bupa Short Stay Visitors Cover with Top Extras 75	7.6 Great		$250		From $211.03	View details Compare product selectionCompare	loading
7.3 Great Bupa Explorer Visitors Cover with Freedom 50 Extras	7.3 Great		$250		From $237.09	View details Compare product selectionCompare	loading
7.2 Great Bupa Explorer 50 Visitors Cover	7.2 Great		$250		From $246.29	View details Compare product selectionCompare	loading

Showing 20 of 29 results

Finder Score for overseas health insurance

To make comparing overseas health insurance even easier, we developed the Finder Score. Factors like price, hospital cover, extras cover, emergency travel, and more are weighted and scaled across 50+ policies from 15+ providers to produce a score out of 10. The higher the score, the more competitive the policy.

Read the full methodology

Do visitors need health insurance?

Unlike some other Australian visas, it's not a requirement for tourists to get health insurance for the 600 visa. However, just because it’s not mandatory, doesn’t mean you don’t need cover. The Department of Home Affairs strongly recommends private health insurance for anyone coming to Australia on a 600 visa. This is for two very important reasons:

Without it you'll need to pay for all your own medical costs in Australia, whether it’s a dental check up or a trip to the hospital emergency room after a serious accident.
Injury and sickness is unpredictable, particularly while travelling, so getting health insurance for tourists is an important part of the pre-flight checklist for experienced travellers.

What do I get with OVHC?

Overseas Visitors Health Cover (OVHC) is a type of health insurance designed specifically for visitors to Australia. It can cover you for:

Hospital treatment, accommodation and theatre fees

Doctor, surgeon and specialist fees

Emergency ambulance transportation fees

Prescriptions and General Practitioner (GP) consultations

Reciprocal Health Care Agreements

Medicare is Australia’s public healthcare system, and generally it only covers Australian citizens and permanent residents. Most visitors to Australia aren’t eligible, unless there is a Reciprocal Health Care Agreement in place. This means that if you are visiting Australia from any of the following countries, you may be partially covered by Medicare. Australia has an RHCA with the following countries:

The United Kingdom
The Republic of Ireland
New Zealand
The Netherlands
Belgium
Italy

Malta
Sweden
Slovenia
Norway
Finland

OVHC waiting periods

While domestic health insurance policies have waiting periods before you can claim, they don't make sense for visitors, as you'll need coverage from the first day you arrive. As such, most visitor OVHC policies have zero waiting periods. Pre-existing conditions are the exception. Basic visitor policies exclude them, and higher-level policies that do cover them apply a waiting period first, so check the policy's product disclosure statement before you buy.

Just a quick note here - some of the student and working OVHC policies do have waiting periods, especially for the more complex cover types. So if you change from a visitor visa to a working or student visa, you will usually start a new policy, and waiting periods can apply on that new cover.

FAQs about health insurance for visitors

OVHC prices vary based on several factors. In the comparison table above, policies range from about $49 a month for basic visitor hospital cover up to more than $600 a month for top-level hospital and medical cover. Your age, the level of cover you choose (for example hospital only or hospital and extras) and the length of your stay all impact the final price. Comparing policies from different providers is the best way to find a suitable option.
Most basic OVHC policies do not cover pre-existing conditions. A pre-existing condition is any illness or medical condition you had signs or symptoms of, or were diagnosed with, before taking out your policy. Some higher level policies might offer limited cover after a waiting period but it is crucial to check the specific product disclosure statement of your chosen policy.
While OVHC is strongly recommended for all visitors, it is not mandatory for every visitor visa. The Australian government may impose condition 8501 on some visas which means you must maintain adequate health insurance for the duration of your stay. This condition is discretionary for the 600 visitor visa depending on its specific stream. It is essential to check your visa grant notice to see if condition 8501 applies to you.
If your country has a Reciprocal Health Care Agreement RHCA with Australia, you might be eligible for some essential medical treatment through Medicare. However, RHCA coverage is often limited to immediate necessary medical care and may not cover ambulance services, prescription medications or private hospital stays. It is still highly recommended to take out OVHC for comprehensive protection and peace of mind during your visit.
The claims process varies slightly between providers but generally involves a few key steps. For GP visits you usually pay upfront then submit your receipt and a claim form to your insurer for reimbursement. For hospital stays your insurer may be able to directly bill the hospital or doctor. Always keep all your medical invoices and receipts and contact your OVHC provider for specific claim instructions before seeking treatment where possible.

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Written by

Gary Ross Hunter

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Gary Ross Hunter has over 6 years of expertise writing about insurance, including life, health, home, and car insurance. Having reviewed hundreds of product disclosure statements and published over 800 articles, he loves simplifying complex insurance topics for everyday readers. Gary has contributed to major outlets like Yahoo Finance, The Sydney Morning Herald, and news.com.au, and holds a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in English Literature from the University of Glasgow, along with a Tier 2 General Advice certification, ensuring his work adheres to ASIC’s RG146 standards. See full bio

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Gary Ross has written 554 Finder guides across topics including:

Health, home, life, car, pet and travel insurance
Managing the cost of living

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Health insurance for visitors

If you're visiting Australia on a 600 visa, overseas visitors health cover (OVHC) can pay for any unexpected medical bills. Compare OVHC policies below.

Key takeaways