Health requirements
To ensure students’ health and safety while studying, it is a requirement of the Department of Home Affairs that international students applying for a student visa have and maintain Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) from an approved Australian health insurance provider for the duration of their student visa. Australian Government visa regulations also require you to meet minimum health standards before a visa is granted. For further advice on this requirement please consult the Australian High Commission or Embassy in your country.
Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC)
OSHC assists international students to meet the costs of medical and hospital care they may need while in Australia. OSHC also includes ambulance cover and limited pharmaceuticals.
Students must organise their health cover before they apply for a visa.
Exceptions
You do not need OSHC if you are a:
- Norwegian student covered by the Norwegian National Insurance Scheme
- Swedish student covered by the National Board of Student Aid or by Kammarkollegiet
- Belgian student covered under the Reciprocal Health Care Agreement with Australia
You must organise your health cover before you apply for a visa.
While students may obtain Overseas Student Health Care from the provider of their choice, UWA’s preferred OSHC provider is Medibank.
The key benefits of their policy include the following:
- Market leading level of Pharmacy Benefits
- Best in market Mental Health Coverage
- 100% of costs for Ambulance Callouts or Emergency Transportation
Refer to the full cover summary for further details.
International students who are not on a student visa are strongly encouraged to purchase visitors health cover for their time in Australia. Further details about health cover options are available from Medibank's Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC).
To obtain health cover from another insurer, refer to the Australian Government's Private Health website for options. You are strongly encouraged to read the relevant health cover policy documents for information regarding what is and is not included in the cover.
It is also recommended you have your eyes and teeth checked before departure. Dental work and spectacles are not covered under OSHC and are relatively expensive in Australia. You can, however, purchase cover for these ancillary services at an extra cost.
Purchasing your health cover
The University can arrange health insurance cover through Medibank for international students joining for the first time. This means you pay the insurance cover at the same time as your first semester tuition fee. When you arrive in Australia you can register and order your physical membership card via the Medibank OSHC App or the Medibank website.
Renewal of cover
It is the student's responsibility to ensure their health cover is current for the full length of their visa. Expired health cover is a violation of your student visa and exposes you to potentially high medical costs. To renew your health insurance, contact your health insurance provider directly.
Medibank OSHC members can renew their cover:
- via the Medibank OSHS App; or
- online via the Medibank website; or
- by calling Medibank on 134 148.
Enquiries and claims
For those students with cover through Medibank a dedicated Medibank representative is at Student Central each day of the week, Monday to Friday 11am to 4pm.