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.
Pricing is based on a single person living in New South Wales on a temporary work visa, who 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 October 2026 but are subject to change.
Overseas Visitors Health Cover is a type of health insurance designed for people who come to work in Australia on a temporary basis. Its aim is to ensure you have access to adequate health cover while you are here, as you aren't generally eligible for Medicare. You must have started your cover from your first day in Australia.
In order to comply with the Skills in Demand (SID) (482 visa) (previously the 457 visa), OVHC must be at least equivalent to public hospital cover and include cover for theatre, intensive care, labour ward, ward drugs and emergency department costs. It must also cover day surgery accommodation and treatment, some surgically implanted prosthetics, ambulance transport, PBS listed medications and MBS listed medical services.
They'll also send you a certificate to put with your visa application that proves you have health insurance in place.
If your partner or children are coming with you on your 482 visa, they'll need health cover too. Most insurers offer couple and family policies, so you can all be covered under one policy.
You'll need to show evidence of adequate cover when you apply for your visa, usually a letter or certificate from your insurer. Once your visa is granted, condition 8501 means you must keep that cover for your whole stay, so don't let it lapse.
A basic Overseas Visitor Health Cover policy will pay benefits towards the following:
As with most private health insurance, there are certain service and treatment exclusions that OVHC will not cover, including:
Visitors on a 482 visa from countries which have a Reciprocal Health Care Agreement (RHCA) with Australia may be able to use Medicare instead of OVHC. This is because they're eligible to receive subsidised health care treatment via Medicare, Australia's public health system.
Australia has agreements in place with the United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland, New Zealand, Sweden, The Netherlands, Finland, Belgium, Norway, Slovenia, Malta and Italy.
If you're visiting from any of these countries on a 482 visa, you may be able to enrol in Medicare when you arrive in Australia. There are exceptions. Irish and New Zealand citizens don't enrol in Medicare in the usual way: they show their passport to access public hospital treatment, and they don't get a Medicare card or Medicare benefits for out-of-hospital care. Visitors from Italy and Malta are only covered for 6 months from the date they arrive, so a longer stay will still need OVHC.
RHCAs don't cover ambulance transportation, dental care, elective surgery, medical evacuation, private patient treatment in a private or public hospital or any treatment that is not immediately necessary. So even if you're eligible for Medicare, you might be wise to consider taking out OVHC as well.
When comparing OVHC policies from various insurance providers, it pays to keep the following in mind:
Get cover quickly and easily for your stay in Australia.
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If you’re an international student travelling to Australia on a student visa, you’ll need to take out Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC).
On the 482 health insurance policy, is the employer supposed to provide it for the processing of my visa or its my responsibility as an employee to have the health insurance policy in place?
Hi Vhipoka,
It’s your responsibility as the employee to have the health insurance in place to meet 482 visa requirements. You are legally obligated to ensure you and your family members have adequate health insurance for the duration of your stay, and payment is your responsibility. Hope this helps!
I was granted 482 visa, but I was born in 1960, it seems that some insurance companies do not have medical insurance policies for people of this age, please give me some advice. (by the way, I have been having a medical insurance which may cover me in Australia.) Thanks.
Hi Ski-wa Lai, thanks for your questions.
I’ve had a look through a few different OVHC policies, and I haven’t been able to find any terms that exclude people over a certain age from coverage. On a 482 visa the Australian government mandates that you have OVHC, so a policy needs to be available. On a quick check, I was able to get to the payment page for both Medibank and nib’s OVHC quote with a 1960 birthdate when I tested them.
If you have any issues, the best bet would likely be to call one or more of the OVHC providers directly and see if they can advise you on any issues you might face.
Good luck!
How should I move to Australia with work permit visa or company sponsorship design
Hi Amtepe, TSS 482 visas are only available to staff hired by employers in specific industries who have an agreement allowing them to seek out employees for roles where Australia has a shortage of skilled staff. You’d need to apply for one of those jobs first.