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Overseas Visitors health cover (OVHC)

When visiting and working in Australia, our Overseas Visitors Health Cover - OVHC gives you the confidence to access affordable, quality health services when you need them.

Get a quote
Illustration of a $150 gift card offer for overseas visitor health cover members.

Get a $150 e-Gift card% when you join eligible OVHC cover for workers

Take out eligible Basic, Mid, Top or Top Plus Overseas Visitors Health Cover by 31 March 2026 and stay for 6 weeks%. Excludes partially and fully subsidised Health Cover. T&Cs apply.

Get a quote

What's Overseas Visitor Health Cover (OVHC)?

Overseas Visitors Health Cover is private health insurance for people living in Australia on a visitor’s, working visa or other temporary visa. It can cover costs for:

  • hospital admissions for medically necessary surgery and hospital stays.
  • medical expenses like doctor’s fees.
  • general treatment for allied health services like dental, optical, and physiotherapy.

For more information, see Overseas Visitors Cover explained.

POPULAR VISAS

Find health cover to match your needs while you're working or holidaying in Australia. We cover singles, couples and families.

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Visitor or tourist visas

Cover for visas 600, 601, 651 and more.

If you’re holidaying in Australia or if you have family visiting, our range of cover options can provide peace of mind and help pay for essential or emergency medical treatment.

Visas we cover
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Work visa

Cover for visas 485, 482, 408, 407, 403, 457, 870 and more.

If you’re temporarily working in Australia, our range of cover options are designed to suit your budget and health needs.

Visas we cover

Why choose hcf?

Make your visit to Australia easy with our affordable health cover. As the nation’s third largest health insurer, you can rely on us to have the experience to help manage your health in Australia.

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Certificate of insurance

Buy online and you will receive your Certificate of Insurance letter via email, so you can get your visa requirements underway.

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Visa condition 8501

Our Overseas Health insurance policies, excluding Visitors Cover, meet the Australian Government's requirements for adequate health insurance (visa condition 8501). 

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Large national medical network

We offer a large network of doctors and private hospitals, which offers greater choice and options to lower costs if you, or your loved ones, need treatment (subject to cover selected).

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24/7 helpline

If you or your family need to find a doctor or hospital, or have questions about your health, call our 24/7 helpline on 13 68 42 and press 2. Our friendly experts speak many different languages and are ready to assist you.

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Get going, keep going with the HCF Healthful app

Improve and manage your health and wellbeing with access to a personalised Health Score, 24/7 digital coach and more# with the HCF Healthful app.

Download HCF Healthful
csia 2025 customer service organisation of the year - government/not-for-profit logo

AWARD-WINNING CUSTOMER SERVICE

We're proud to have been recognised at the 2025 Australian Service Excellence Awards, taking home the Customer Service Organisation of the year in the Government/Not for Profit category.

Learn more

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

We understand there’s a lot to know about healthcare when moving to a new country. To see a full guide of our customer help information, visit our FAQ hub, call us on 13 68 42 or visit one of our locations.

Each health insurance company has different ways of calculating the cost of Overseas Visitors Health Cover.

The cost depends on factors like:

  • your visa type.
  • the level and duration of cover.
  • the number of people included in your cover.

Get a quote.

We cover working visas (including 482, 485, 403, 407, 408, 457 and 870)and visitor visas (including 600, 601 and 651) and more.

We also cover bridging visas, student visas, and family and partner visas. We cover singles, couples and families.

For more information, see Visas we cover.

There are two levels of healthcare in Australia:

  • Public health system (Medicare): This provides Australian residents with free or reduced cost access to medical providers – like doctors (GPs) and medical specialists – as well as public hospital services.  
  • Private health system: This is something you opt into. It can include services like private hospital treatment, ambulances, dental and physiotherapy. The treatments and procedures you can claim for will depend on the level of insurance you choose.

For more information, see The Australian healthcare system.

The Australian Government has Reciprocal Health Care Agreements (RHCAs) with 11 countries: Belgium, Finland, Italy, Malta, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Republic of Ireland, Slovenia, Sweden and United Kingdom.

RHCAs allow eligible visitors from these countries to access some free or reduced cost healthcare services through Medicare. All international visitors should consider private health insurance to cover services generally not included under the RHCAs, like private hospital treatment and dental services.

For many visitors, private health insurance is a visa requirement so check your requirements before applying for your visa.

For more information, see Reciprocal Health Care Agreements.

Each health insurance company has different ways of calculating the cost of Overseas Visitors Health Cover.

The cost depends on factors like:

  • your visa type.
  • the level and duration of cover.
  • the number of people included in your cover.

Get a quote.

We cover working visas (including 482, 485, 403, 407, 408, 457 and 870)and visitor visas (including 600, 601 and 651) and more.

We also cover bridging visas, student visas, and family and partner visas. We cover singles, couples and families.

For more information, see Visas we cover.

There are two levels of healthcare in Australia:

  • Public health system (Medicare): This provides Australian residents with free or reduced cost access to medical providers – like doctors (GPs) and medical specialists – as well as public hospital services.  
  • Private health system: This is something you opt into. It can include services like private hospital treatment, ambulances, dental and physiotherapy. The treatments and procedures you can claim for will depend on the level of insurance you choose.

For more information, see The Australian healthcare system.

The Australian Government has Reciprocal Health Care Agreements (RHCAs) with 11 countries: Belgium, Finland, Italy, Malta, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Republic of Ireland, Slovenia, Sweden and United Kingdom.

RHCAs allow eligible visitors from these countries to access some free or reduced cost healthcare services through Medicare. All international visitors should consider private health insurance to cover services generally not included under the RHCAs, like private hospital treatment and dental services.

For many visitors, private health insurance is a visa requirement so check your requirements before applying for your visa.

For more information, see Reciprocal Health Care Agreements.

Important Information

# Eligibility criteria apply. For more information see hcf.com.au/healthful

% Offer is open between 12:01am AEDT on 1 December 2025 to 11:59pm AEDT on 31 March 2026 ("Offer Period"). To be eligible for this offer, you must be aged 18 years or over, you must take out a policy issued by HCF under its visa-compliant Overseas Visitors Health Cover range i.e. Basic, Mid, Top and Top Plus products (excluding any partially or fully subsidised Health Cover) ("Eligible Policy"), you must not have been an HCF policyholder on a HCF health insurance policy in the two (2) months prior to taking out the Eligible Policy, you must start your Eligible Policy during the Offer Period, and you must maintain the same Eligible Policy and pay your Eligible Policy premium on time for at least 42 days. Within four (4) weeks of you becoming eligible, HCF will provide you with a VISA e-Gift card for the value of $150 AUD. Only one (1) VISA e-Gift card is available per Eligible Policy. HCF may, at its discretion, not permit this offer to be combined with other offers. If this promotion is not capable of being conducted as anticipated due to reasons beyond HCF’s control, HCF may modify, suspend, terminate or cancel the promotion at any time (except in relation to members that have taken out an Eligible Policy prior to the amendment or termination).

HCF acknowledges the traditional custodians of the lands and water upon which we work and live. We acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ rich history as traditional healers and scientists, who have taken care of the health of the land and its people for thousands of years. We give thanks to elders past and present, who we have much to learn from on our reconciliation journey. View our Reconciliation Action Plan