Healthcare in Australia
Who gets Medicare, when you must have private insurance, and what happens to your health cover in Israel.
✓ Checked against the sources: October 2026⚠️ This isn't medical advice. It's general information checked against official sources.
Medicare: who qualifies and how to enrol
Medicare is the public health system. You can enrol only while living in Australia, and only if you are one of these:
- An Australian or New Zealand citizen.
- A permanent resident, or someone who has applied for permanent residency (under conditions).
- A temporary resident covered by a special ministerial order.
You enrol online through myGov or with a form, using your passport and visa details. Israel has no reciprocal health care agreement with Australia, so on an ordinary temporary visa you usually aren't eligible for Medicare.
Source: Services Australia: Enrolling in Medicare · privatehealth.gov.au: Overseas visitors
On a temporary visa: overseas visitors health cover
Without Medicare, treatment and hospital stays can be very expensive. If you come on a work visa, such as subclass 482 or 485, or on a visa with condition 8501, you need Overseas Visitors Health Cover (OVHC) that meets your visa's requirements. Students need Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC).
🔒 2 more sections in this guide
- 🛡️ Private cover for residents, and the cost of waiting
- 🇮🇱 Your Israeli health cover while abroad
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