How do I choose an Overseas Visitor Health Cover policy? 

Are you planning a trip to Australia? We’re looking forward to welcoming you to our shores very soon. Before you board your flight, we recommend you buy Overseas Visitor Health Cover – health insurance to cover you for any accidents, injuries or illnesses while you’re in Australia (and in some cases, it may be a condition of your visa).    

Whether you’re here to visit loved ones, travel around or work temporarily, here’s everything you need to know about Overseas Visitor Health Cover (OVHC), including how to choose the right policy. 

Do I need Overseas Visitor Health Cover to visit Australia?  

If you’re coming to Australia on a working visa with visa condition 8501, Overseas Visitor Health Cover is a requirement of your visa (which means your visa may be cancelled if you don’t have a current OVHC policy). And if you’re heading Down Under for study, you must have Overseas Student Health Cover for your student visa, so make sure you buy a policy before you arrive in Australia.  

How do I choose an Overseas Student Health Cover policy?

For visitors on other types of visas, Overseas Visitor Health Cover isn’t mandatory, but it is highly recommended. That’s because visitors aren’t eligible for free hospital treatment under Medicare, the public health system for Australian residents. So if you have an accident, injury or illness while you’re in Australia, and you don’t have Overseas Visitor Health Cover, you could be facing a bill of more than $1,000 for just one day of hospital treatment. 

Visitors from countries which have Reciprocal Health Care Agreements with the Australian Government are eligible to apply for Medicare. So if you’re planning to be in Australia for an extended period and you’re from the UK, New Zealand, Italy, Sweden, Belgium or Slovenia, you can apply for Medicare here. Keep in mind you’ll still need Overseas Visitor Health Cover to meet healthcare costs that Medicare doesn’t cover. 

We also recommend getting travel insurance to support you for things that Overseas Visitor Health Cover doesn’t cover, such as repatriation in a medical emergency.  

Do I need health insurance if there’s a Reciprocal Health Care Agreement? 

There are 11 countries that have Reciprocal Health Care Agreements with the Australian Government. Citizens from those countries are entitled to some level of free healthcare in Australia if it’s medically necessary and cannot wait until you return to your home country (you may have to pay a portion of the costs yourself, known as a co-payment). 

The types of services and treatments covered by the Reciprocal Health Care Agreement are different depending on which country you’re from, and limits apply. In some cases, your eligibility for treatment under the Reciprocal Health Care Agreement may depend on the type of visa you have. 

Australia has a Reciprocal Health Care Agreement with these countries: 

• Belgium 
• Finland 

• the Republic of Ireland 
• Italy 
• Malta 
• the Netherlands 
• New Zealand 
• Norway 
• Slovenia 
• Sweden 
• the United Kingdom. 

You can find out more information about Reciprocal Health Care Agreements at the Services Australia website. 

What does an Overseas Visitor Health Cover policy cover? 

Every Overseas Visitor Health Cover policy is different, depending on what the health insurer offers, but as a general rule, it should cover hospital admissions, emergency ambulance treatment and transport, and some doctor fees. Depending on the level of cover you choose, your policy might also cover things like medications, X-rays and other tests, and treatment by a GP (general practitioner – a doctor for routine healthcare). 

Many health insurers also offer cover for ‘Extras’ – which means care from healthcare professionals outside of hospital, such as physiotherapists, opticians and dentists. 

How do I find the right Overseas Visitor Health Cover?  

The right Overseas Visitor Health Cover for you depends on your budget, healthcare needs and the length of your visit.  

You can do an Overseas Visitor Health Cover comparison by searching what’s offered by different health insurers for the level of cover you need. These are the insurers offering OVHC policies, and you can find their contact details here: 

• Alllianz Care Australia 
• Australian Unity 

• Bupa Health Insurance 
• CBHS Health 
• Frank 
• GMHBA 
• HBF 
• HCF 
• HIF 
• Medibank 
• NIB 
• Peoplecare 
• Westfund 

Remember to check: 

• What’s covered, and what the limits are 
• Waiting periods, especially for pre-existing conditions (note that some insurers permanently exclude pre-existing conditions) 
• Whether it’s the right policy for your visa (if relevant). 

If your visa changes after you’ve bought your Overseas Visitor Health Cover policy, contact your insurer to find out whether you need to change to a different policy. 

Trudie McConnochie

Writer and Researcher

Knowledge is power – that’s the guiding principle behind everything Trudie writes, and it’s a philosophy she brings to her work at healthslips.com.au. By breaking down complex information into easy-to-understand blogs and stories, she aims to empower Australians to make the best choices and an informed decision around private health insurance.

Trudie understands firsthand some of the complexity of private health insurance having moved to Australia from New Zealand and having to navigate a vastly different public healthcare system and health insurance structure.

Trudie holds a Bachelor of Communication Studies (journalism major) from the Auckland University of Technology.

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