Your medical cover will depend on your visa.

If you are a tourist visa or working holiday visa holder:

You have to organise an international medical insurance from your home country that will cover all medical and hospital expenses, rapatriation… in Australia.

If you are a citizen of the following countries, there is a special agreement with the Australian government that will allow you to be covered by the Medicare insurance: New Zealand, The United Kingdom, The Republic of Ireland, Sweden, The Netherlands, Finland, Italy, Malta, Norway.
Since different rules were applied for each of these countries, we advise you to consult the Australian official Health website and read the relevant information.

The law is that the Australian government has made sure that all international students are legally covered for the essential medical expenses, at a reasonable rate, that this insurance is compulsory and is an integral part o the student visa. It is called the Overseas Students Health Cover (OSHC).

General Introduction :
This insurance is compulsory for all student visa holders and the cost varies according to the length of your stay and if you are alone or accompanied by your family:

Conditions:
- You have to pay the OSHC costs (not superior to one year) directly to the selected Australian institution, at the same time as your tuition fees.
- The OSHC will cover you as soon as you arrive in Australia.
- You will receive your membership card from your institution. The card is a magnetic card with your full name and expiry date on it. You have to present it to all your medical visits at general practitioners or hospitals. If the medical centre or surgery accepts « bulk billing », you don’t need to pay one cent. *
- The name of the insurance company that provides the OSHC depends on the institution you have chosen : the most common ones are Medibank Private , World Care

Costs
3 months : Single AU$85.50 ; Family AU$171
6 months : Single AU$171 ; Family AU$342
9 mois : Single AU$256.50 ; Family AU$513
12 mois : Single AU$342 ; Family AU$684

The OSHC covers:
- General medical consultations
- Public hospitals in a shared room (NB: some hospital may charge you extra ; enquire before being operated) ; private hospitals may accept you but you will have to pay extra
- Ambulance
- Medication (at a maximum rate of AU$150/year per person)

The OSHC does not cover:
- Pregnancy and IVF
- Medications you have been prescribed in your home country; considered as a chronic treatment
- Treatments following an accident
- Dentist
- Eye specialists (except for eye tests)
- Physiotherapy and other natural medecine therapies
- Personal liability

As a student visa holder, it is up to you to make sure your OSHC is valid during the whole length of your stay in Australia. You have to renew your membership if you need to renew your student visa or if your cover has expired before the end of your visa.

If you need to renew your membership, you just need to visit the office of your OSHC's insurance company with your passport and visa and pay the amount corresponding to the remaining length of stay.

- If you wish to be covered for other treatments not included in your OSHC cover, you should enquire with your insurance provider about some extra cover for dental, eye, acupuncture purposes….

- Once in Australia, if you need to visit a doctor, try to select carefully whom to visit : consultation prices can vary from AU$35 to AU$60. Generally a surgery can be more expensive than a medical centre. Avoid the specialists or dentists, the bill will double easily !!!

- If you need to visit a doctor and you have not received your membership card yet, pay the doctor, keep the receipt and as soon as you obtain your card, go and visit the office of your OSHC insurance to get refunded. Be aware that your OSHC insurance won’t refund you 100% of the costs.