Health cover for temporary visitors in Australia (2026)

Last reviewed: 13 October 2026

In short: Australia has Reciprocal Health Care Agreements with 11 countries. Eligible visitors get medically necessary care as public patients in public hospitals, and some PBS medicines at the general rate. Eligibility and the documents needed differ by country.

RuleWhat applies
Health cards acceptedUnplanned care during a temporary visit⚠ Not yet verified
What the card coversUnplanned care during a temporary visitMedically necessary care as a public patient in a public hospital, including inpatient and outpatient services, and some Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) medicines at the general rate. For some countries (for example the United Kingdom) medically necessary care out of hospital is also covered after enrolling in Medicare; for others (for example Ireland and New Zealand) cover is for public hospital care only. The agreement does not apply to people who travel to Australia for medical treatment. Only residents of the countries with an agreement (Belgium, Finland, Ireland, Italy, Malta, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Slovenia, Sweden, the United Kingdom) are eligible, and eligibility rules differ by country. [1]
Private care coveredUnplanned care during a temporary visitNo [1]
Repatriation coveredUnplanned care during a temporary visit⚠ Not yet verified
Planned treatment coveredUnplanned care during a temporary visit⚠ Not yet verified
Body to contactUnplanned care during a temporary visitServices Australia (Medicare) administers the agreement. Visitors from Ireland do not enrol in Medicare and do not get a Medicare card. [2]

Notes

  • Which card or document is accepted differs by country: the pages read list a European Health Insurance Card with the country's initials for several partner countries (for example IE, IT, NL, NO, SE, UK) and national cards or other proof for others (for example Malta, New Zealand). No single card is accepted for all.
  • Cover exists only for residents of the 11 countries with a Reciprocal Health Care Agreement. Visitors from other countries, including EU states without an agreement, are not covered by the agreements.
  • Cover under the agreements is for care as a public patient; the pages do not extend it to private hospital care.
  • Repatriation is not mentioned on the Services Australia pages read, so no value is shown.
  • Nine of the eleven country pages state that the agreement does not apply if a person travels to Australia for medical treatment; the Malta and Netherlands pages do not repeat it, so no single national value is shown.

Sources

  1. Services Australia: Visiting from the United Kingdom (Internet Archive snapshot of 23 November 2025) (consulted 13 October 2026) · all sources
  2. Services Australia: Visiting from Ireland (Internet Archive snapshot of 20 January 2026) (consulted 13 October 2026) · all sources

Compare all countries →

General information, not legal advice. Rules change: check the official source before you fly or ride.