Health insurance in Australia.
Most visitors can’t use Medicare, and many visas carry condition 8501. Here is what each visa asks for, who gets Medicare, and what to check.
The rules
What Australia asks of you.
Checked against official sources on 23 October 2026. Rules change, so the broker confirms them again before you apply.
- Condition 8501: stay insured
If your visa has condition 8501, you must keep adequate health insurance for your whole stay in Australia. Check your visa grant for it.
Source: immi.homeaffairs.gov.au - Some visas need an Australian insurer
For some visas, you must show a current policy with an Australian registered health insurer, for you and every family member on the visa.
Source: immi.homeaffairs.gov.au - Minimum cover: the OSHC standard
Home Affairs suggests cover equal to student OSHC: hospital, doctors, tests, medicines and ambulance. Waits should be no longer than 12 months for pre-existing conditions and pregnancy, and 2 months for the rest.
Source: immi.homeaffairs.gov.au - Work visas: OVHC
Applicants for the 482 and 485 visas, and other visas with condition 8501, need Overseas Visitors Health Cover. Family on the visa must be insured too.
Source: privatehealth.gov.au - Students: OSHC for the whole visa
Student visa holders must keep Overseas Student Health Cover for the whole visa. Only a small number of insurers sell it.
Source: privatehealth.gov.au - OSHC pays little for medicines
OSHC pays up to $50 per medicine, with a cap of $500 a year for a single policy or $1,000 for a family. It does not cover dental, optical or physio.
Source: privatehealth.gov.au - Medicare for 11 countries
Visitors from the UK, Ireland, New Zealand, the Netherlands, Sweden, Finland, Norway, Belgium, Italy, Malta and Slovenia get emergency public hospital care free. It does not cover private hospital care.
Source: privatehealth.gov.au - Reciprocal Medicare can exempt you
If you are covered by a reciprocal agreement and enrol in Medicare after you arrive, you can ask Home Affairs for an exemption. You still need cover to get the visa.
Source: privatehealth.gov.au
Most temporary visa holders can’t use Medicare. Without cover, a public hospital can charge more than $1,000 a day in hospital fees alone. Visitors from the 11 reciprocal countries get emergency public care free.
Source: privatehealth.gov.auLocal or international
We compare both. You keep the one that fits.
Some visas ask for a policy from an Australian registered health insurer, and students must buy OSHC from an approved one. For other visas, an overseas plan may work if it meets the Home Affairs minimum.
- Local plans
Plans sold in Australia. Often cheaper, sometimes required for your visa. Filed by a broker licensed in Australia.
- International plans
Plans that cover you in Australia and beyond, and stay with you if you move again. Filed by our international broker partner.
What to look for
Choosing a plan in Australia.
Ankyro checks each of these on every plan, so you don’t have to read the fine print.
- It meets your visa
Check your visa for condition 8501, and whether it needs an Australian registered insurer. Buy the type of cover your visa names.
- Waiting periods
Look for waits no longer than the OSHC limits: 12 months for pre-existing conditions and pregnancy, 2 months for the rest.
- Medicines
Visitor and student plans pay little for medicines. Cancer drugs can cost tens of thousands of dollars, so check the limit.
- Extras
OSHC does not pay for dental, optical or physio. Add extras cover if you need them.
Step by step
Getting covered in Australia.
- 01Read your visa grant for condition 8501. If it’s there, you must hold adequate health insurance for your whole stay. Some visas also name an Australian registered insurer.
- 02Buy OSHC or OVHC for everyone on the visa. Students buy OSHC from 1 of 6 approved insurers, such as Bupa or Medibank. Applicants for the 482 and 485 need OVHC, for family members too.
- 03Show the policy to Home Affairs. For a 485, your current OSHC counts when you lodge. Home Affairs then asks for a 485-compliant policy before it grants the visa.
- 04From a reciprocal country? Enrol in Medicare after you land. You can’t enrol from overseas. Once enrolled, you can ask Home Affairs for an exemption from the visa health cover rule.
- 05Stay paid up and report visa changes. Care you get while your payments are behind can’t be claimed. Tell your insurer when your visa or Medicare status changes.
- 06Switch cover when your student visa ends. OSHC stops when the student visa does. Move to OVHC or a resident policy before it lapses.
Common mistakes
3 we see all the time.
- 01Thinking reciprocal Medicare covers everything. It does not cover private hospital care, and some agreements end after a set time.
- 02Falling behind on payments. You can’t claim for care received while in arrears.
- 03Thinking Medicare means you can skip OSHC. Students from reciprocal countries still need it.
Real published prices, and the 6 things that move yours.
Questions
People also ask.
What is visa condition 8501?+
It means you must keep adequate health insurance for your whole stay in Australia. It is mandatory on some visas and added by the officer on others.
Which countries have a reciprocal health care agreement with Australia?+
The UK, Ireland, New Zealand, the Netherlands, Sweden, Finland, Norway, Belgium, Italy, Malta and Slovenia. Each agreement has its own limits.
Do international students need OSHC if they get Medicare?+
Yes. Reciprocal Medicare does not replace OSHC. Some students from Sweden, Norway or Belgium may be exempt, so check with Home Affairs.
Can I use an overseas insurer for an Australian visa?+
Sometimes. Home Affairs says Australian or overseas insurers may be acceptable, but some visas ask for a policy with an Australian registered insurer.
Other countries
Going somewhere else?
Most UK visas don’t ask for private insurance. You pay a yearly surcharge instead, and it opens the NHS. Here is what the surcharge buys, and what you still pay for.
03Dubai and the UAEIn Dubai, no insurance means no visa. Your employer covers you, but not always your family. Here are the rules, and what the basic plan leaves out.
04PhilippinesThe retiree visa asks for a medical certificate, not a policy. The new nomad visa does ask for cover. Here is what each visa needs, and how PhilHealth works for foreigners.
05NetherlandsIf you live or work in the Netherlands, Dutch basic insurance is the law. A few people are exempt. Here is who must sign up, by when, and what it costs in 2026.
06CanadaEach province runs its own health plan, and some make you wait. The super visa has strict insurance rules. Here is how Ontario and BC differ, and what the super visa needs.
07Saudi ArabiaIn Saudi Arabia, no insurance means no iqama. Your employer pays for you and your family, and visitors need a policy too. Here is who pays, and what each policy covers.
08JapanIf you live in Japan, joining public insurance is the law. A private plan can only sit on top. Digital nomads are the exception.
09GermanyEveryone in Germany must be insured, and a residence permit needs cover equal to the public system. Here is how to choose, and what gets rejected.
10SingaporeThe national plan is for citizens and PRs. Hospital bills for foreigners are high, and families are often left out. Here is what to check.
11ThailandRetirement visas have hard minimums, the DTV has none, and public care is not free for foreigners. Here are the rules, and what to check.
12SpainSpain has the strictest visa insurance rules in Europe: a Spanish-authorised insurer, no co-pays, no waiting periods. Here is what passes.
13MalaysiaPublic hospitals charge foreigners full price, and work schemes only cover injuries at work. Here is what each pass asks for, and what to check.
14QatarMost visitors need a QAR 50 a month policy before Qatar issues a visa. The law covers expats too, but that part is still rolling out. Here are the rules.
15FranceThe public system is open to residents, but not on day 1 if you don’t work, and it only pays part of each bill. Here is how to cover the gaps.
16PortugalThe visa asks for travel medical cover. The public system opens once you are a resident. In between, and after, here is what to check.
17MexicoNo visa asks for it, so many expats skip it. Then a private hospital asks for payment first. Here is how cover really works in Mexico.
18ItalyWorkers join the public system for free. Retirees and nomads need private cover for the visa, then pay at least €2,000 a year to join. Here are the rules.
19South KoreaStay more than 6 months and you must join the national plan. Before that, and for your share of each bill, you need your own cover.
20VietnamOnly long local contracts come with public cover, and most expats use private hospitals anyway. Here is what the rules say, and what to check.
21Bali and IndonesiaMost Indonesian visas don’t ask for insurance. But hospitals ask for payment first, and serious cases fly to Singapore. Here is what to check.
22GreeceThe consulate takes travel cover for the visa. The residence permit then asks for full health cover. If you don’t work for a Greek employer, that means a private plan.
23ColombiaNomads and retirees need a private policy with exact wording. Residents who work must join the public EPS system. Here are the rules.
24Costa RicaResidents must pay into the Caja, whatever private plan they have. Nomads need their own cover for the visa. Here is how it fits together.
25USAThe US has no public plan you can simply join. Some visas set minimum cover. Others leave it to you. Here is what a J-1 needs, who can use the Marketplace, and what plans cost.
26SwitzerlandBasic health insurance is compulsory for everyone who lives in Switzerland. You have 3 months to sign up. Here is how it works, and what to check.
27IrelandNon-EEA students must hold private medical insurance. Everyone else gets public care once they count as living in Ireland for 1 year. Here is what to check.
28Dominican RepublicThe residence visas for retirees and rentistas ask for a medical certificate, not an insurance policy. Public care is limited. Private care is good but costly.
29New ZealandStudent visas require insurance. A work visa of 2 years or more may open public health care. ACC covers accident injuries. Here is what to check.
30IsraelIn Israel, the public system is for residents. If your life is centred there, you join a health fund (kupat holim). If not, you need private cover.
31Hong KongPublic hospitals in Hong Kong are cheap for eligible persons. Many foreigners are not on that list. Here is who is, what the rest pay, and what to check in a plan.
32ChinaIf you work in China on an employment permit, your employer must enrol you in social insurance. That includes basic medical cover. Here is how it works, and what to check on top.
33ArgentinaEmergency care is open to everyone. For other care at national hospitals, foreigners without permanent residence must show insurance or pay first. The rules are new, so check them.
34IndiaWe found no official rule that ties health insurance to an Indian work visa. We also could not confirm a public scheme for foreign residents. So the plan is yours to choose. Here is what to check.
35TurkeyA residence permit application needs valid health insurance for the whole permit. Most new expats buy a private policy. The public SGK system opens later, after 1 year of residence.
36BrazilThe digital nomad visa needs health insurance valid in Brazil. The public system is open to migrants by law. Many expats add a private plan for speed.
37PanamaThe Pensionado visa asks for a health certificate, not an insurance policy. The public system is tied to the Caja. Private care is the main option for most expats.
38South AfricaStudy and exchange visas ask for proof of cover from a registered medical scheme. Public clinics offer free primary care. Here is what to check.
39KenyaKenya’s public fund is run by the Social Health Authority (SHA). A foreigner who lives in Kenya for more than 12 months pays into it. Shorter stays need travel health insurance instead.
40TaiwanTaiwan has one national health insurance. Foreigners with a residence certificate can join. If you have a job, you join through your employer. If not, there is a wait.