Australia is a beautiful and irresistible country to visit. With scenic beaches, thrilling wildlife and many other adventures to look forward to, having an adequate health cover would be the last thing to cross your mind.
With all the travel across the countries, it is important to ensure you are protected at the time of accident or illness while in Australia. So, if you are traveling to Australia on a visitor visa, you must know that you are mandated to buy Overseas Visitor Health Cover (OVHC).
It is one of the key visa requirements therefore, you should be well aware of what you need to consider when purchasing an OVHC in Australia. The following blog will help you with answers.
What are the Different Types of Australian Visitor Visas?
The first thing that you have to look out for is the type of your visitor visa. Your level of health coverage will depend on the type of visitor visa you have. Following are the six different visitor visa types for Australia:
- Electronic Travel Authority: With this visa you can visit Australia for business or personal reasons for example, attending conferences or business fairs, and likewise. Remember that you are not allowed to work on this visa. You can visit frequently within a year and stay for maximum three months.
- eVisitor: With this visa, you can visit Australia as a tourist or for voluntary working purposes. You can visit frequently within a year and stay for a maximum three months. You are allowed to voluntarily work but, not for profit reasons.
- Transit visa: With this visa, you and your dependent children can travel through Australia on route to somewhere else for up to 72 hours.
- Visitor visa: Visitor visa (subclass 600) allows you to visit the country as a tourist or visitor for business purposes for up to 3, 6 or 12 months.
- Working holiday visa: This visa is for young people between 18 years to 30 years, wanting to visit the country for holiday or work purposes for maximum one year.
When is OVHC Required for Visitors in Australia?
Australia has many visa types, each having different OVHC insurance requirements, so it is important to crosscheck with your provider about the right policy for you and your family.
However, when it comes to visitor visas, OVHC is mandatory for all visitor visas whose country does not have a Reciprocal Health Care Agreement with Australia. Nevertheless, the government of Australia strongly believes that all international visitors must have OVHC before they enter the country.
Following is a list of countries having Reciprocal Health Care Agreements with Australia:
- New Zealand
- United Kingdom
- Republic of Ireland
- Italy
- The Netherlands
- Belgium
- Sweden
- Finland
- Malta
- Slovenia
What are the Key Factors to look out for while buying OVHC in Australia?
Know your Health Needs
Primarily, find out what your healthcare needs are. Sit back and think carefully, what are the important things you need the health coverage for. Buying a health cover which does not resonates with your health needs is waste of money, and we are sure you would not want that for yourself, or your family. A basic cover will provide you coverage for general practitioner, emergency ambulance services, prescribed medications, and alike. Check, if these suits your health needs and accordingly choose the OVHC.
Consider your Policy’s Benefits
Australia’s healthcare system is very expensive i.e., being an international visitor (or student), not everyone can bare these expenses. Therefore, all international visitor visa holders must have an adequate OVHC policy. It helps you pay the medical and hospital bills easily which otherwise would have you cost you your pocket. Note that each OVHC policy has different coverage and benefits, so, speak to your provider to know your health insurance better.
Compare First Buy Later
It is best advised to compare OVHC policies from major providers before buying one. This will help you find the best and affordable policy. Speaking of which, Budget Policy is one such platform, where you can compare and buy OVHC (or OSHC) policies that fits your healthcare needs and budget.
Conclusion
Budget Policy is the leading health insurance facilitator of major providers across Australia. With our team of experts, you can be rest assured that you will get the right coverage for you and your family.