Health Care Information for Visitors to Australia

This page aims to provide prospective visitors to Australia with information about accessing and paying for health care during their stay.

In this section:

The Australian Health Care System

The major part of Australia's public health care funding system is called Medicare. It is a high quality system which provides eligible people with access to free treatment as a public (Medicare) patient, as well as free or subsidised treatment on a private basis by doctors (both general practitioners and specialists), participating optometrists or, in certain circumstances, dental surgeons. Eligibility for Medicare also gives access to the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) which covers most prescription pharmaceuticals provided by pharmacies. People who are eligible for Medicare can enhance their choices through private health insurance designed for their needs.

For people who are not eligible for Medicare, the private health care sector provides very high quality services. Private health insurance designed for their needs is available, as described below.

Health care costs in Australia are comparable to costs in other developed countries. Anyone who may need to, or intends to, receive medical treatment during their stay in Australia, should make sure that he or she is able to pay the cost or that he or she is covered by adequate health insurance.

For a more detailed description of the Australian health care system see The Australian Health Care System: An Outline and other publications of this Department at and of the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare at http://www.aihw.gov.au/

Access to Medicare

Medicare eligibility is generally restricted to people living permanently in Australia who are:

Australian citizens;
permanent Australian residents (who have permanent visas);
New Zealand citizens; or
certain persons with applications for permanent visas under consideration (excluding applicants for some parent visas or applicants for protection visas who have also applied for a parent visa*).

Although people visiting Australia or living temporarily in Australia generally do not have access to Medicare there are some exceptions, such as:

Australian citizens who go overseas retain their access to Medicare for any return visits to Australia for up to five years from when they were last residing in Australia; and
visitors from countries with which Australia has a Reciprocal Health Care Agreement. These people have restricted access to Medicare.

To find out if you are eligible to enrol in Medicare you can telephone Medicare on 132 011 (local call cost if calling from within Australia) or visit a Medicare office. Medicare office locations and enrolment forms are also available from the Medicare Australia web site. (Once on the Medicare Australia website the Medicare enrolment form can be accessed by clicking on Your Health, then 'Forms', then 'Medicare Forms", then 'Medicare Enrolment Form'. A list of office locations can be accessed by clicking on Your Health', then Where to find us'.)

If you know you are eligible for Medicare you will need to go to a Medicare office to enrol, taking appropriate documentation with you. You can either telephone 132 011 (local call cost if calling from within Australia) or visit a Medicare office to confirm what documentation you will need to provide to enrol in Medicare.

Visitors to Australia Covered by Reciprocal Health Care Agreements

Australia has Reciprocal Health Care Agreements with nine countries - Ireland, Italy, Finland, Malta, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden and the United Kingdom. Under these Agreements, residents of these countries have restricted access to Medicare while visiting Australia.

These Agreements give visitors from these countries access to Medicare and the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme for the treatment of an illness or injury which occurs during their stay, and which requires treatment before returning home (that is, these Agreements cover immediately necessary medical treatment). The Agreements do not allow for visitors to access Medicare or the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme where the treatment is not immediately necessary. Prearranged and elective treatment is not covered.

In Australia there are both public and private hospital services. The Agreements provide for free accommodation and treatment as public hospital services, but do not cover treatment as a private patient in any kind of hospital. People who choose to be treated as a private patient, either in a private or public hospital, will be responsible for all of their health costs, including doctors' fees.

Eligible visitors who are admitted as public patients during their visit to Australia should tell hospital staff that they wish to be treated as a Medicare public patient under a Reciprocal Health Care Agreement. They may be required to produce evidence of their eligibility. Visitors can phone 132 011 (local call cost if calling from within Australia) or visit a Medicare office to confirm what documentation they will need to provide. Medicare office locations are available from the Medicare Australia web site. (Once on the Medicare Australia website, a list of office locations can be accessed by clicking on Your Health', then Where to find us'.)

Each of the Agreements provides access to affordable medicines under the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme. Eligible persons are asked to produce evidence of their eligibility when presenting prescriptions at community pharmacies. Further information on this requirement can be obtained by telephoning the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme Information Line on 1800 020 613. Only medicines prescribed for immediately necessary treatment are covered.

Each Agreement is different from the others.

The Agreements with Finland, Italy, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and the United Kingdom provide free care as a public patient in public hospitals, subsidised out-of-hospital medical treatment under Medicare, and subsidised medicines under the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme.

The Agreement with New Zealand and the Agreement with Ireland provide free care as a public patient in public hospitals and subsidised medicines under the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme, but do not cover out-of-hospital medical treatment.

Visitors from Finland, Ireland, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden and the United Kingdom are covered for the duration of their stay in Australia, while visitors from Italy and Malta are covered for a period of six months only.

The Agreements do not cover all health services. Some services not covered under the agreements are:

Ambulance cover
Dental care
Medical evacuation to your home country
Funerals
Treatment in private hospitals, or as a private patient in a public hospital
Treatment that is not immediately necessary
Elective treatment
Treatment that has been pre-arranged before arrival in Australia

For this reason it is highly recommended that all visitors to Australia from Reciprocal Health Care Agreement countries buy health or travel insurance designed for overseas visitors.

If you are staying temporarily in Australia for an extended period and will be covered by an Agreement, you may be able to enrol in Medicare by visiting a Medicare office with your passport. If you are from Italy or the Netherlands, you will also need to show proof that you are enrolled in your home country's health system. You can telephone 132 011 (local call cost if calling from within Australia) or visit a Medicare office to confirm what documentation you will need to provide. Medicare office locations are available from the Medicare Australia website (Once on the Medicare Australia website a list of office locations can be accessed by clicking on 'Public', then 'Medicare', then 'Office Locations').

Students from overseas studying in Australia are not covered by the Reciprocal Health Care Agreements. Overseas students need to take out special health insurance for students, as described below.

Further information about the Reciprocal Health Care Agreements can be obtained at any Medicare office (132 011), or the Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing ((02) 6289 7312 or 1800 020 103).

Other Visitors to Australia

Diplomats

The Reciprocal Health Care Agreements, with the exception of the New Zealand Agreement, provide diplomats and their families with full access to the Medicare health system for the duration of their stay. They are not restricted to immediately necessary treatment, or to being treated in a public hospital. Diplomats and their families are covered by Medicare for medical care as private patients in a public or private hospital.

Students from Overseas

Swedish and Norwegian students are not required to have OSHC, provided they and their dependents hold appropriate health insurance from their own country.

Students should buy OSHC before they come to Australia to cover them from when they arrive. Students will also need to maintain OSHC throughout their stay in Australia.

For more information on OSHC see http://www.health.gov.au/internet/wcms/publishing.nsf/Content/health-privatehealth-consumers-oshc.htm

Health Insurance for Visitors from Overseas

People without access to Medicare are responsible for all health costs incurred in Australia. For this reason it is highly recommended that all overseas visitors to Australia (including visitors from Reciprocal Health Care Agreement countries who have only restricted Medicare access) arrange suitable insurance cover. Domestic private health insurance for Australian residents, as provided by the organisations registered under Australian health law, is not suitable for visitors to Australia because this insurance is a supplement to Medicare and will therefore not adequately cover the costs of a person who is not eligible for Medicare.

Private health insurance for overseas visitors in Australia is available from Australian registered health organisations, insurance brokers and general insurers. To obtain contact details for insurers offering private health insurance for overseas visitors, telephone the Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing on (02) 6289 7531 (from overseas 61 2 6289 7531).

Bringing Medicines into Australia and Taking Them Out

Visitors who are taking medication for existing medical conditions should bring their own supply. Medicines brought into and taken out of Australia may be subject to import and export controls (see http://www.tga.gov.au/import/index.htm and http://www.tga.gov.au/export/index.htm).

Other Information about Visiting Australia

The Australian Government Department of Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs web site provides information on visas, custom issues, quarantine issues and other related matters.