Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC)

Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) is health insurance for international students that helps cover medical costs in Australia. It is a condition of your student visa that you maintain OSHC for the duration of your studies.

OSHC assist international students to meet the costs of medical and hospital care while in Australia. It also includes ambulance cover and limited pharmaceuticals. It does not cover dental, optical or physiotherapy.

The Department of Home Affairs requires almost all student visa applicants to have OSHC. There are a few exemptions for students from Sweden, Norway and Belgium, who may already have special arrangements under their own national schemes. Check with the Department of Home Affairs to find out if special arrangements apply to you and if you are exempt from the requirement to purchase OSHC.

You can purchase your health cover from one of the following Australian Government-approved providers:

You can find out more about OSHC by visiting the Private Health Insurance Ombudsman.

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