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Home > Study > Requirements of study > Insurance

Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC)

One of the requirements you need to meet before applying for a student visa to Australia is having adequate health insurance cover for the duration of your stay in Australia.

What is Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC)?

Overseas Student Health Cover, or OSHC for short, is a type of health insurance created for international students studying in Australia.

This is not to be confused with 'Outside School Hours Care', which is also called OSHC, but relates to care provided for school children outside school hours.

If details about your OSHC are not included in your student visa application, then your visa will be refused. The purpose of OSHC is to cover certain medical or hospital bills that may arise during your stay. All students must have adequate OSHC from the day they arrive in Australia until they return home.

Overseas Student Health Cover, or OSHC for short, is a type of health insurance created for international students studying in Australia.

This is not to be confused with 'Outside School Hours Care', which is also called OSHC, but relates to care provided for school children outside school hours.

If details about your OSHC are not included in your student visa application, then your visa will be refused. The purpose of OSHC is to cover certain medical or hospital bills that may arise during your stay. All students must have adequate OSHC from the day they arrive in Australia until they return home.

Who are the OSHC insurers?

There are currently six insurers that provide OSHC in Australia:

ahm OSHC
Allianz Care Australia (Peoplecare)
BUPA Australia
CBHS International Health
Medibank Private
NIB OSHC

There are currently six insurers that provide OSHC in Australia:

ahm OSHC
Allianz Care Australia (Peoplecare)
BUPA Australia
CBHS International Health
Medibank Private
NIB OSHC

Learn more about Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC)

There is a useful OSHC fact sheet that is published by the Australia Government Department of Health and Aged Care which provides a good overview of OSHC.

There is a Deed for the provision of Overseas Student Health Cover, which is a legal agreement between the OSHC providers and the Australian Government. The deed sets out the conditions that the OSHC provider must comply with. This includes outlining what is covered, as well as other areas such as the protection and use of personal information. There are also OSHC - Explanatory guidelines for consumers available to read as well.

Yes, you can transfer or change your OSHC insurance provider when you are in Australia. You must make sure however that you maintain coverage as a condition of your student visa.

Canstar is a comparison site that compares product across many different brands and categories. They have produced a useful comparison of Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) options.

Yes, you can transfer or change your OSHC insurance provider when you are in Australia. You must make sure however that you maintain coverage as a condition of your student visa.

Only students from Sweden, Norway or Belgium may be elgibile for exemptions to OSHC in Australia.