Studying or staying in Australia requires careful financial and health planning. One of the most important requirements is maintaining valid health insurance throughout your stay. Since international students and most temporary visa holders are generally not covered under Australia’s public healthcare system (Medicare), appropriate private health insurance is required for visa compliance.
Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC)
OSHC is a compulsory health insurance requirement for international students in Australia. It helps students access essential medical services while reducing high medical costs and is a mandatory condition for the Student Visa (Subclass 500).
What OSHC Typically Covers
- General Practitioner (GP) consultations
- Hospital treatment (public hospitals and limited private hospital services depending on the policy)
- Emergency ambulance services (coverage varies by state and provider)
- Limited benefits for prescription medicines
- Some medical tests and specialist services with partial benefits
Important Points About OSHC
- OSHC must remain valid for the entire duration of the student visa
- Maintaining OSHC is mandatory under visa condition 8501
- Dependents (spouse and children) can be included under family policies
- Standard OSHC generally does not cover dental, optical, or physiotherapy unless extra cover is purchased
- For short-term courses or non-student visa categories, OSHC may not be required depending on the visa type
Best OSHC Providers in Australia
OSHC must be purchased from Australian Government-approved providers. Plans are available for singles, couples, and families.
At Expert Education and Visa Services, we help students choose suitable OSHC plans based on visa requirements, course duration, and budget.
Approved Providers
- Bupa Australia
- Medibank
- ahm OSHC
- nib OSHC
- Allianz Care Australia
Overseas Visitor Health Cover (OVHC)
OVHC is designed for temporary residents and visa holders who are not eligible for OSHC but still require private health insurance while living in Australia.
Commonly Used By
- Visitor visa holders
- Temporary Skill Shortage visa holders
- Working Holiday visa holders
- Bridging visa holders
- Temporary Graduate Visa (Subclass 485) holders
Students transitioning from OSHC to a Subclass 485 visa are generally required to switch to OVHC to maintain continuous health insurance coverage.
Key Points About OVHC
- Required for many temporary visa holders under visa condition 8501
- Continuous coverage is important when transitioning from OSHC to OVHC
- Covers hospital treatment and contributes toward GP consultations depending on the plan
- Higher-level plans may include dental, optical, and physiotherapy
- Some policies include limited pharmaceutical benefits
- Flexible payment options such as monthly, fortnightly, or annual payments may be available.
OSHC vs OVHC: Quick Comparison
|
Feature |
OSHC (Student Cover) |
OVHC (Visitor/Worker Cover) |
|
Visa Type |
Student Visa (Subclass 500) | Visitor, Graduate (485), Work, Working Holiday Visa. |
|
Requirement |
Mandatory for student visa holders | Required for many temporary visa holders |
|
Coverage Style |
Basic student-focused health cover | Multiple coverage levels available |
|
Payment Style |
Usually paid upfront | Flexible payment options available |
Overall Summary
- OSHC is mandatory for international students in Australia
- OVHC is mainly for temporary residents, workers, and 485 visa holders
- Maintaining valid health insurance is important for visa compliance
- Students moving to a 485 visa must switch from OSHC to OVHC
- Extra services like dental and optical usually require additional cover
At Expert Education and Visa Services, we assist students and visa holders in selecting suitable OSHC or OVHC plans based on visa type, stay duration, and budget requirements.