Overseas Visitors Health Care Cover (OVHC) is a type of health insurance designed specifically for international visitors coming to Australia. It can cover you if you become unwell or are involved in an accident while visiting or temporarily residing in Australia.
Some of the costs OVHC may cover, depending on the policy, include:
- Hospital fees
- General practitioner (GP) fees
- Ambulance transport
- Some pharmacy costs
You may also be able to get coverage for ‘extras’ treatments like dental, physiotherapy, optical and chiropractic services. These may be add-on options for your policy and could raise the cost of your premiums.
Your purpose in Australia can impact which type of OVHC you need:
If you're coming to study at an Australian university or with another education provider, you'll need Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC).
If you're coming to Australia for work, or plan to work while you're here, you'll need working visa cover.
Both are explained below, with Canstar's expert picks for each.
Canstar is not providing advice about visas or visa requirements. For guidance on your specific visa conditions, contact the Department of Home Affairs or a registered migration agent.
Overseas Student Health Cover: The details
Most students coming to Australia to study need to have Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC), and you'll need to pay for insurance to cover you for the full length of your visa before you arrive.
All OSHC policies cover the same core hospital and medical treatments—including GP visits, in-hospital services, pharmacy medicines and ambulance—but prices and benefit levels vary, and differences add up over a longer visa.
There are five insurers currently approved to offer OSHC in Australia: ahm, Allianz, Bupa, Medibank, and nib.
Canstar Research tip: Overseas Student Health Cover
"All five OSHC providers generally cover the same core hospital and medical treatments, so the main differences are price and benefit levels. For most single students, choosing a product is straightforward. If you're coming with a partner or family, it's worth comparing, as the cheapest provider for singles isn't the cheapest for families." - Keely Robinson, Canstar Ratings Manager
Overseas Student Health Cover: Canstar's Expert Picks
FOR MOST STUDENTS: AHM Health Insurance, Overseas Student Health Cover
Based on our April 2026 assessment, ahm is the cheapest OSHC for single students and covers everything you'd expect—GP visits, hospital treatment, prescription medicines and ambulance. It's a business of Medibank, one of Australia's largest health insurers, so its claims process and customer support are well established. ahm has won Canstar's Outstanding Value Award for OSHC two years running.
$631 covers a single student for a 1-year visa, correct as at April 2026—the lowest 1-year premium in our assessment.
FOR FAMILIES: Allianz, Overseas Student Health Cover
Family OSHC prices vary a lot between providers, and Allianz is around $1,800 cheaper than the next option for a family on a one-year visa. All OSHC providers generally cover the same core treatments, so families comparing on price generally aren't giving up the essentials.
$9,937 covers a family for a full year, correct as at April 2026—16% less than the next cheapest provider.
Moving from a student visa to a working visa?
If you graduate and move onto a working visa—such as the 485 Temporary Graduate visa—you might not be eligible for OSHC anymore. Instead, to meet your new visa's health insurance condition, you'll need Working Visa Health Cover. When you switch, you may want to check whether your new insurer can transfer any waiting periods you've already served—many can, but details vary.
Working visa health cover: The details
If you hold a working visa with condition 8501, you are required to maintain adequate health insurance while you're in Australia. This condition applies to many working visas, including the 482 Temporary Skill Shortage, 485 Skilled Graduate, and 417 Working Holiday visas.
Working visa cover is less regulated than OSHC and products vary a lot between providers. The most important distinction isn't the brand, it's the type of cover. See our picks below.
Canstar Research tip: Working visa health cover
"Working visa health cover ranges from basic hospital-only policies to comprehensive plans with GP, specialist, and prescription cover. The right pick depends on how much cover you actually want beyond meeting your visa condition." - Keely Robinson, Canstar Ratings Manager
Working Visa Health Cover: Canstar's Expert Picks
FOR KEEPING COSTS DOWN: HBF Health Insurance, Overseas Working Visa Hospital
HBF is the cheapest working visa health cover available based on our April 2026 assessment and, unlike most budget options, there's no excess (upfront cost per hospital visit). That means, if you do end up in hospital, there's no upfront cost before your cover kicks in. It covers what you need to meet visa condition 8501, nothing more. If you don't expect to need regular GP visits or prescriptions, this is a simple, low-cost option.
As at April 2026, $719 covers a single for a full year—the lowest out of all those in our database with $0 excess.
FOR STRONG HOSPITAL COVER: nib, Budget Working Visitor Cover
Most working visa insurers only cover in-hospital medical services up to the standard government rate, so when specialists charge more (and many do), you pay the difference out of pocket. nib is the only provider currently offering 100% back on in-hospital medical services, removing that risk. For around $5 a month more than the next-cheapest coverage, that's a big difference. The provider is also an Outstanding Value Award winner this year.
As at April 2026, $775 covers a single for a full year, with a $100 excess per hospital admission.
FOR COVER BEYOND HOSPITAL: nib, Standard Visitor Cover
nib's Standard cover adds GP visits, specialist appointments, and prescription medicines on top of the strongest hospital cover available, including 100% back on in-hospital medical services. It costs more than the hospital-only options, but without medical cover, a single GP visit can cost $80 or more out of pocket.
As at April 2026, $1,387 covers a single for a full year for hospital plus medical cover with a $100 excess.
What international workers need to know about health cover
What’s covered by working visa health insurance?
The cheapest working visa health insurance products are generally hospital-only: they cover you if you're admitted to hospital, but you pay 100% out of pocket for GP (doctor) visits, specialist appointments, and prescription medicines. More comprehensive products add medical cover on top of hospital, but can cost up to three times more.
Both types meet visa condition 8501. Which one you choose depends on how you think you'll use the health system.
What does working visa health cover typically include?
Cover levels and inclusions vary between providers and products. When comparing policies, it helps to know exactly what your money is buying. Here is how the two standard working visa health cover tiers typically stack up:
What’s covered: Hospital-only vs. hospital + medical
- Emergency hospital treatment: Covered by both.
This pays for your care when you are admitted to a hospital in an emergency. - Surgery and in-hospital care: Covered by both.
This covers operations, doctors, and specialists who treat you while you're admitted. - Ambulance cover: Varies across both tiers.
Emergency transport rules depend heavily on your provider and which Australian state you live in. - Doctor (GP) visits: Only covered by hospital + medical.
A hospital-only policy won't pay for standard visits when you're sick or need general medical advice. - Specialist appointments: Only covered by hospital + medical.
This includes seeing a specialist doctor after being referred by your GP. - Prescription medicines: Only covered by hospital + medical.
This helps cover the cost of private scripts and medicines prescribed by your doctor. - Pathology and radiology: Only covered by hospital + medical.
This covers blood tests, X-rays, scans, and other diagnostic imaging.
Looking for extras? Some providers also offer combined cover that includes everyday services like dental and optical. Though, these products tend to cost more, so check with your provider and consider if the extra premium is worth it for you.
What working visas require health insurance?
There are plenty of working visas available in Australia, and most require health insurance. These include, but are not limited to:
- 482 Temporary Skill Shortage visa
- 485 Temporary Graduate visa
- 417 Working Holiday visa
- 462 Work and Holiday visa
When you apply for health cover, make sure it will satisfy the conditions specific to your visa type. Use the Department of Home Affairs Visa Finder to find out which working visa you need.
If your home country has a reciprocal health care agreement with Australia, you may be able to enrol in Medicare. Visitors from countries with reciprocal health care agreements may still need to buy health insurance as a condition of their visa, but Medicare may cover certain treatments where medically necessary.
Since you can’t enrol in Medicare from outside Australia, you should make sure you have adequate health cover before you arrive. Medicare also only covers treatment in public hospitals and with select healthcare providers, so consider whether you'd like private health insurance either way.
Plus, if you’re earning an income in Australia, not having adequate private health cover might mean you have to pay more tax, in the form of the Medicare Levy Surcharge (MLS).
What costs are not covered by working visa or student health insurance?
Not all your medical costs will be covered under a working visa or OSHC policy. Many non-essential services will not be covered. For example:
- Procedures not recognised by Medicare (Australia’s public health system)
- Elective cosmetic surgery
- Non-emergency ambulance
- IVF and other assisted reproductive services
What is offered by a working visa or OSHC policy will differ from fund to fund, so it’s important to read relevant policy documents, such as the Private Health Information Statement (PHIS), carefully before signing up.
Does Medicare cover overseas visitors?
Residents and citizens of countries that have reciprocal health agreements with Australia may have some level of subsidised health cover, providing access to necessary medical treatment in Australia’s public health system.
These countries currently include Belgium, Finland, Italy, Malta, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, the Republic of Ireland, Slovenia, Sweden, and the United Kingdom.
Note that this agreement will only cover basic medical needs. Depending on your visa conditions, you may still be required to hold private health insurance.
What to consider when comparing overseas visitor health cover policies
OVHC policies vary in price and inclusions, so it’s a good idea to compare before you choose one.
Some factors you could consider include:
- The cost of the premium
- What is and isn’t covered
- How much the excess is
- Whether you want optional extras
It’s a good idea to determine whether your chosen policy covers the requirements of your visa and consider the coverage you receive, rather than basing your decision purely on cost.
Who offers student visa health cover (OSHC)?
The providers that offer OSHC, according to Canstar’s database, include:
- ahm
- Allianz Care
- Bupa
- Medibank Private
- nib
Who offers working visa health cover?
The providers that offer working visa health cover, according to Canstar’s database, include:
- Allianz Care
- Australian Unity
- Bupa
- GMHBA, trading as Frank Health Insurance
- HBF
- HCF
- HIF
- Medibank Private
- nib
- Westfund
How we selected our expert picks
Canstar assessed all approved OSHC providers and 10 Working Visa Health Cover providers across price and features. Our expert picks are based on the 2026 assessment data conducted in April 2026 and are selected by Canstar's Research Team — they are not influenced by commercial relationships. Some of the provider links on this page are commercial links, which means Canstar may earn a fee if you click through and buy a product. If a provider doesn't have a commercial relationship with Canstar, they are still included if the data supports it. For more information, see how we get paid.
OSHC providers assessed
ahm, Allianz, Bupa, Medibank, nib
Working visa providers assessed
Allianz, Australian Unity, Bupa, Frank Health Insurance, HBF, HCF, HIF, Medibank, nib, Westfund
Premiums correct as at April 2026. This article provides general information only and does not take into account your individual objectives, financial situation or needs. Consider whether any product is appropriate for you before making a decision. Confirm current premiums and features directly with the provider. Refer to the relevant product disclosure statement and target market determination before purchasing. This article relates to health insurance products only. Canstar does not provide advice about visas or visa requirements. For information about your visa conditions, visit the Department of Home Affairs at homeaffairs.gov.au or speak with a registered migration agent.
