Australia Health Insurance

Australia is one of the countries in the world that requires you to have health insurance, even if you are an international student who is only residing in the country temporarily. This health care program is referred to as the Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) and is incredibly important for you to understand and purchase before you go to Australia.

Why Do I Need OSHC?

This insurance helps to meet the costs of medical care, hospital care, pharmaceuticals, and ambulance services while in Australia. If you are someone that has a student visa or if you are applying for a student visa, you must get an OSHC. There are only three exceptions for this rule:

If you are a Norwegian student covered by the Norwegian National Insurance Scheme.
If you are a Swedish student covered by the National Board of Student Aid or by Kammarkollegiet.
If you are a Belgian student covered under the Reciprocal Health Care Agreement with Australia.
If you fall into any of these three categories, you will be covered by the insurance from your home country and you do not have to purchase OSHC for yourself or any of the family members that are coming to the country with you.

How do I purchase OSHC and What Does it Cover?

You can arrange to pay for your OSHC plan through your university, or you can purchase them yourself online. The Department of Health and Aging website can help you make decisions as to who to choose for your OSHC provider.