OSHC: health cover for international students in Australia

Overseas Student Health Cover is a visa condition for the subclass 500. You must hold it for the entire length of your visa, not just your course.

What it covers

OSHC broadly mirrors Medicare: visits to a doctor, public hospital treatment, ambulance, and a limited set of prescription medicines. Providers include Bupa, Medibank, Allianz Care, nib, and a few others. Your university often has a preferred provider, but you can choose your own.

What it does not cover well

Dental, optical, physiotherapy, and similar extras are minimal or excluded unless you buy a higher tier. Pre-existing conditions can have waiting periods, and pregnancy usually has a 12-month wait.

The visa trap: gaps

Your OSHC must run from your arrival to the end of your visa. If you extend your visa, extend your cover first. A lapse, even a short one, is a breach of condition 8501 and can affect future applications. Buy cover that ends after your expected visa end date, not exactly on your course end date.

Family members

If you add a partner or children to your visa, they need to be on your OSHC policy too. Single, couple, and family policies are priced differently.

Getting money back

If you leave Australia early or move to a visa that gives you Medicare access, you can usually claim a partial refund for the unused period.