If you're in Australia on a temporary visa, you generally won’t have access to the public healthcare system. Overseas Visitors Health Cover (OVHC) can help cover eligible hospital, medical and ambulance costs, and may be required if your visa includes condition 8501.
What is OVHC?
OVHC is a type of private health insurance specifically for overseas visitors and temporary residents in Australia. It’s different from the private health insurance products available to Australian residents, instead providing cover for people who are not eligible for Medicare, Australia’s public healthcare system. It also satisfies visa condition 8501, a condition on some visas that requires the holder to have adequate health cover for the entire length of their stay in Australia.
What does OVHC cover?
Most OVHC policies will provide hospital cover and emergency ambulance services. Depending on the plan and provider, cover may also extend to out-of-hospital medical services, prescription medicines and other healthcare costs during your stay.
OVHC policies are available in different tiers, ranging from more basic cover through to mid and top-level options. Higher-tier policies generally include a broader range of hospital treatments and medical services, while lower-tier policies tend to offer more limited cover.
Here’s a closer look at what may be included:
Hospital cover
Hospital cover helps cover the costs if you’re admitted to hospital during your stay in Australia. It will generally include:
- Medical services provided in hospital, covering many or most of the clinical categories.
- Emergency ambulance services
- Accident and emergency department treatment (this may depend on being admitted as a patient)
- Hospital accommodation and theatre fees
- Benefits towards doctors’ fees while admitted to hospital
- Medication received during a hospital stay
Out-of-hospital medical services
This is cover for medical treatment received outside hospital, such as:
- GP consultations
- Specialist consultations
- Pathology
- Radiology
- Allied health services
- Outpatient pregnancy services
- Outpatient psychiatric services
Prescription medication
Many OVHC policies provide benefits towards prescription medicines and pharmacy items, although annual limits generally apply.
Repatriation and funeral expenses
Some insurers include cover for medically necessary repatriation to your home country or benefits towards funeral expenses should you pass away while in Australia.
Extras cover
Extras cover helps pay towards everyday healthcare services received outside hospital that aren’t covered by standard hospital policies, such as:
- Dental treatment
- Optical services
- Physiotherapy
- Chiropractic treatment
- Osteopathy
- Podiatry
- Psychology
- Remedial massage
Extras cover is often offered as a combined policy with hospital cover, but you can choose to take it out separately to your OVHC plan.
Extras cover works differently to hospital cover, reimbursing only part of the cost of treatment up to annual limits and benefit caps, meaning you will still need to pay some of the cost yourself. Higher levels of extras cover typically come with higher annual limits and benefit caps, which means you can claim more back over the course of a year and may have lower out-of-pocket costs for services.
What does OVHC not cover?
Each health plan will have specific exclusions and limitations, which will be outlined in your policy documents. However, there are some treatments and situations that are commonly excluded across most OVHC policies.
Most OVHC policies won’t cover:
- Treatment that isn’t considered medically necessary
- Health examinations required for visa applications or migration purposes
- Elective cosmetic surgery
- Treatment received outside Australia
- Treatment provided by practitioners or providers not recognised by the insurer
- Experimental or unproven treatments
Some treatments may also only be available on select top-tier policies, such as:
- Organ transplants
- Bone marrow transplants
- Assisted reproductive services, including IVF
OVHC policies also won’t cover treatment received during a waiting period.
What are the waiting periods on OVHC?
A waiting period is the amount of time you need to hold your policy before you can claim benefits for certain services or treatments.
Waiting periods vary between types of treatment, but standard waiting periods for hospital cover are:
- Pre-existing conditions (12 months)
- Pregnancy and birth-related services (12 months)
- Inpatient psychiatric treatment, rehabilitation and palliative care (2 months)
Extras services also come with waiting periods, usually ranging from 2–6 months with longer waiting periods for services such as major dental (12 months), laser eye surgery and hearing aids (24 months).
If you receive treatment during the applicable waiting period, you’ll usually need to pay the full cost yourself.
Who needs OVHC?
Many temporary visa holders in Australia are required to have OVHC as a condition of their visa. Visa condition 8501 requires visa holders to maintain ‘adequate’ health insurance for the duration of their stay in Australia. If this condition applies, it will be listed on your visa grant documentation.
These are the visas that require or may require you to hold an appropriate level of health cover and take out OVHC during your stay in Australia:
| Mandatory | May be required |
|---|---|
| 403 Temporary Work (International Relations) | 408 Temporary Activity |
| 407 Training | 417 Working Holiday |
| 482 Temporary Skill Shortage / Skills in Demand | 461 New Zealand Citizen Family Relationship |
| 485 Temporary Graduate | 462 Work and Holiday |
| 590 Student Guardian | 600 Visitor (Tourist) – only in certain streams or circumstances |
| 870 Sponsored Parent | 771 Transit |
Even if OVHC isn’t required as part of your visa conditions, it can still be important during your stay in Australia. Without cover, you’ll be responsible for paying the full cost of your healthcare yourself, which can add up to thousands of dollars without insurance or Medicare access.
Do I need OVHC if I’m covered under a Reciprocal Health Care Agreement (RHCA)?
While most temporary visa holders are not eligible for Medicare, visitors from some countries may have limited access under an RHCA.
As of 2026, Australia has RCHAs with 11 countries:
- Belgium
- Finland
- Ireland
- Italy
- Malta
- The Netherlands
- New Zealand
- Norway
- Slovenia
- Sweden
- The United Kingdom
What you’re entitled to under an RHCA varies depending on the agreement between Australia and your home country, but it may include:
- Medically necessary treatment as a public patient in a public hospital, including inpatient and outpatient services
- Medically necessary out-of-hospital treatment
- Some PBS prescription medicines at the general patient rate
In some cases, RHCA access may help satisfy the requirements of visa condition 8501. However, reciprocal healthcare access doesn’t take the place of private health insurance and only provides limited cover.
If you want cover beyond this, you’ll still need to take out an OVHC policy.
How much does OVHC cost?
The cost of OVHC varies depending on a range of factors:
- Visa type: whether you’re on a visitor or working visa and if it’s subject to condition 8501 affects the type of cover available and the overall pricing.
- Level of cover: cover can be basic, medium or top level. Higher levels generally cost more because they include more services and higher benefits.
- Insurer: pricing varies between providers depending on how broad their product range is and what benefits are included.
- Excess amount: the excess amount typically ranges from $0 to $500. Choosing a higher excess usually reduces your premium.
- Who’s covered: cover for a single person will be cheaper than a couples or family plan.
Here are the typically monthly costs you could expect to pay for your OVHC plan:
| OVHC type | Monthly cost range |
|---|---|
| Working cover (8501 condition) | $65 – $563 |
| Working cover (no 8501 condition) | $65 – $644 |
| Visitors cover (8501 condition) | $180 – $869 |
| Visitors cover (no 8501 condition) | $106 – $869 |
| Source: Compare Club, May 2026. Quotes are for single-person OVHC policies across a range of insurers and with varying excess levels. Plans for couples and families could cost significantly more. |
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Will OVHC cover all my medical costs?
Even if a treatment is covered by your OVHC policy, it doesn’t necessarily mean all costs will be paid in full. You may still have out-of-pocket expenses, commonly referred to as ‘the gap’.
This can happen if:
- Your doctor charges more than the benefit paid by your insurer
- The hospital charges fees above the policy limit
- Your policy only pays a set amount towards treatment
- Certain services are only partially covered
The amount you’ll need to contribute yourself can vary significantly depending on the insurer, hospital and medical provider, so it’s important to check your policy documents carefully before receiving treatment.
How to compare OVHC policies
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Make sure it meets your visa requirements
If your visa has condition 8501, your OVHC policy needs to meet this requirement. Most providers will make this clear in the policy details, but it is worth confirming before you choose a policy.
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Match the cover to your needs
Think about the healthcare services you are likely to use, or may need in future. For example, if pregnancy cover could be relevant, or if you want help with dental, optical or prescriptions, check whether these are included and whether any limits or waiting periods apply.
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Compare the real cost, not just the premium
The cheapest policy is not always the cheapest overall. Compare the premium with things like excesses, benefit limits, waiting periods and possible gap payments, so you have a clearer idea of what you may need to pay if you make a claim.
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Avoid paying for cover you don’t need
Think about the services you’ll actually need. If you mainly need hospital cover, a simpler policy may offer better value than paying for one with a long list of extras you are unlikely to use.
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Consider what the provider offers beyond the policy
Some OVHC providers offer added benefits such as online GP consultations, member discounts, health support services or access to provider networks. These can add value, especially if they help you access care more easily or reduce everyday costs.
How to buy OVHC through Savvy
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Fill out the form
Tell us who needs cover, your visa type and the level of cover you’re looking for.
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Connect with an advisor
A health insurance expert will contact you to discuss options on a temporary visa.
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Take out your policy
Choose your OVHC plan and you’ll be covered for your time in Australia!
