Overseas Visitors Health Cover

Overseas Visitors Health Cover (OVHC) is health insurance for international visitors wishing to travel or work in Australia.
OVHC helps you cover the cost of:

• medical treatment when you’re in hospital
• emergency ambulance transport
• medical costs to get you back home
• some prescription medicines (for Visitors Plus members only)
• medical services provided by a doctor or specialist out of hospital (for Visitors Plus members only).
• It also helps you to meet your visa health insurance condition 8501.

As a visitor to Australia, you will not be eligible for Medicare (the public health insurance system for Australian residents) unless: 

• You’re an Australian or New Zealand citizen or 
• You’re an Australian permanent resident or 
• You’re visiting from a country that has Reciprocal Health Care Agreements with Australia (check out the Services Australia website to confirm what you are covered for, as this depends on the country you’re visiting from)

Without access to Medicare, paying for medical treatment can be very expensive. Some streams of Australian temporary visas may require you to take out this insurance (talk to your immigration consultant and visit the Department of Immigration and Border Protection website for more information).

Visit our business partner Allianz Care Australia for more information.