Who must have Overseas Visitor Health Cover in Australia?
Overseas Visitor Health Cover is a form of private health insurance that covers people who come to live and work in Australia. Specifically, it’s designed to ensure that visitors to Australia meet the conditions of their visa.
That’s because some visas have a requirement that anyone included on the visa is covered by an adequate level of health insurance. This is known as ‘condition 8501’.
Below are the visas issued by the Australian Government that require all individuals to be covered by health insurance.
Australian Visas requiring Overseas Visitor Health Cover
Bridging visas
- BVA 010 – Bridging Visa A
- BVB 020 – Bridging Visa B
- BVC 030 – Bridging Visa C
- BVE 050 – Bridging Visa E
Student and education visas
- 500 – Student
- 590 – Student Guardian
- 485 – Temporary Graduate (Graduate Work, Post-Study Work, Replacement stream)
Work and training visas
- 403 – Temporary Work (International Relations)
- 407 – Training
- 408 – Temporary Work Activity
- 482 – Temporary Skill Shortage
Working holiday visas
- 417 – Working Holiday
- 462 – Work and Holiday
Visitor and short-stay visas
- 600 – Visitor (Tourist)
- 771 – Transit
Family and parent visas
- 461 – New Zealand Citizen Family Relationship
- 870 – Sponsored Parent
Retirement visas (closed to new applicants)
- 405 – Investor Retirement
- 410 – Retirement
Other visas that may benefit from OVHC
OVHC is a requirement of some visas, but with others it’s still worth considering, even if it’s not strictly necessary. Below are the visa types where individuals commonly choose to get protected by OVHC:
Working visas
- 188 Business Innovation & Investment (Provisional)
- 400 Temporary Work (Short Stay Activity)
- 401 Temporary Work (Long Stay Activity)
- 402 Training and Research
- 416 Seasonal Worker Program
- 457 Skilled Temporary Work
- 476 Skilled Recognised Graduate
- 489 Skilled Regional (Provisional)
- 491 Skilled Work Regional (Provisional)
- 494 Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (Provisional)
Visitor visas
- 300 Prospective Marriage Visa
- 580 Guardian Visa
- 601 Electronic Travel Authority
- 651 eVisitor
According to the Australian Government, all visitors to Australia are “strongly recommended” to get private health insurance, whether or not it is a visa condition. This ensures visitors are covered for any unplanned medical and or hospital care they may need while in Australia.
What’s covered by Overseas Visitor Health Cover?
Overseas Visitor Health Cover insures policyholders if they incur hospital or medical expenses while they’re in Australia.
At its most basic, it’s designed to replace the cover that Australian citizens and permanent residents are eligible for through Australia’s public health insurance system (Medicare). For example, in most instances it covers medically-necessary hospital admissions and a portion of doctor’s fees.
It also typically covers the cost of ambulance services for medically-necessary transport (which is not covered by Medicare).
Most providers offer different levels of Overseas Visitor Health Cover for visitors to choose from. Here’s are the types of policies that are generally available:
Basic Overseas Visitor Health Cover
Provides the minimum level of medical and hospital cover to meet the requirement of relevant visas.
Standard Overseas Visitor Health Cover
Covers the basics, plus a level of out-of-hospital cover for local doctors and specialists, as well as prescription medications.
High-level Overseas Visitor Health Cover
Covers in- and out-of-hospital services, plus a level of Extras cover including minor dental and optical cover.
Top-level Overseas Visitor Health Cover
Covers all of the above plus a wide range of Extras benefits including major dental, optical, physio cover and the likes of hearing aids.
When is Overseas Visitor Health Cover not necessary?
- You’re an Australian citizen or permanent resident who’s eligible for Medicare.
- Your visa does not have condition 8501 attached (OVHC may still be worth considering nonetheless).
- You’re from a country that has a Reciprocal Health Care Agreement (RHCA) with the Australian Government (e.g. Belgium, Finland, Ireland, Italy, Malta, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Slovenia, Sweden, United Kingdom).
- You hold a student visa (subclass 500 and 590), in which case you need Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) instead.
- Short-term transit passengers who don’t enter Australia or stay only briefly may not need OVHC, depending on their visa conditions.
Who offers OVHC in Australia?
You can purchase Overseas Visitor Health Cover from a wide range of providers in Australia, including:
- AIA
- Allianz
- Australian Unity
- Bupa
- CBHS International Health
- HIF
- HCF
- IMAN Australian Health Plans
- Medibank
- nib
How to compare Overseas Visitor Health Cover
Premium costs
The premiums for OVHC vary depending on which provider issues your cover. You may be able to find the exact same (or a very similar) level of cover for a cheaper price if you shop around multiple insurers.
Coverage level
First of all, make sure the policies you’re comparing satisfy the requirements of your visa. Beyond that, check that you’ll be covered for the treatments and services that are most relevant for you and that you’re not going to be paying for cover you won’t need.
Insurer’s network of medical professionals
Ideally, look for a provider with a wide network of doctors, consultants and other healthcare professionals. This can help you access the healthcare you need, when you need it, while minimising out-of-pocket costs.
Additional benefits
If you’re torn between a number of providers, it can be worth considering the extra benefits on offer from each before deciding. That includes the likes of phone and online support, telehealth services, plus special offers and discounts.
How much does Overseas Visitor Health Cover cost?
The cost of health insurance for overseas visitors will be personalised to each policy based on the visa type, the level of cover, how many people are covered by the policy and the excess level chosen. Here’s a bit more detail on each of these points:
- What visa you’re on Insurers consider the type and purpose of the visa when calculating your premiums. Generally, visitors on working visas have lower OVHC premiums compared to those on holiday visas or visas for other purposes.
- What you’re covered for Naturally, you’ll have lower premiums if you choose the most basic level of cover that meets your visa requirements. If you want to be covered for additional treatments and services – like cover for pregnancy and birth – these will be reflected in your premiums.
- Who’s covered Your policy will be more expensive if it also covers a spouse and/or dependents. Just bear in mind that all individuals listed on your visa will need to be covered by the policy if there is a health insurance requirement.
- What’s your excess Depending on the provider, you may be able to choose the level of excess on your policy. This is the amount you’ll need to pay to the insurer if you make a claim. Choosing a higher excess should lower your premiums.
How do I get the cheapest OVHC?
Chris Whitelaw, General Manager - Health Insurance
"Just because health insurance is a requirement for your visas, it doesn’t mean you should overpay for the privilege. Take the time to compare a few Overseas Visitor Health Cover options and pay particular attention to what’s covered by each. Some more expensive policies will offer cover well beyond your visa requirements, with inclusions you might not need from a health perspective either. Pay for a good level of cover for what you need – nothing more and nothing less."
Chris Whitelaw, General Manager - Health Insurance
