Overseas Student Health Cover ( OSHC)
What is OSHC?
In accordance with requirements set by the Department of Home Affairs, all international students must maintain adequate health insurance covering the entire duration of their stay in Australia. This is a mandatory condition of your student visa — Visa Condition 8501 — which requires the visa holder and all included family members to be covered by an approved Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) policy from an approved health insurance provider for the full length of their student visa.
Failure to maintain continuous OSHC coverage may constitute a breach of your visa conditions, which can have serious consequences for your student visa status.
Choosing the Right Policy
A number of approved health insurance providers offer OSHC, each with varying levels of coverage, inclusions, and pricing depending on individual student needs. While policy features may differ, all approved OSHC policies must meet the minimum standard required to satisfy student visa conditions.
The cost of OSHC generally depends on several factors, including:
- The duration of your course of study
- The level of cover selected (e.g. single, couple, or family policy)
- The health insurance provider chosen
Our Trusted OSHC Partners
Choosing the right policy at the most competitive price is our priority. We have established partnerships with several of Australia’s most reputable health insurance providers, giving you the flexibility to select the cover that best suits your needs and budget:
Our experienced consultants are on hand to help you compare options, understand your coverage, and select the right OSHC policy to meet your student visa requirements — at a highly competitive price.
Contact us today to arrange your OSHC policy:
Phone: +61 2 8021 8988
Email: info@smartstudyaustralia.com.au
Overseas Visitor Health Cover ( OVHC)
What is OVHC?
International applicants wishing to travel to, work in, or temporarily reside in Australia must hold an appropriate health insurance policy covering the full duration of their stay. Overseas Visitor Health Cover (OVHC) is the category of health insurance designed to meet this requirement for a broad range of temporary visa holders.
Who Needs OVHC?
OVHC applies to a wide range of visa categories, including:
- Visitor visas (Subclasses 300, 580, 590, 600, 601)
- Bridging visas
- Working visas (Subclasses 482, 485, 400, 401, 476, 491, 408, etc.)
- Working Holiday visas (Subclasses 417 & 462)
Important note for recent graduates: If you are a recent international graduate applying for a Temporary Graduate Visa (Subclass 485), you will need to transition from your existing OSHC policy to an OVHC policy in order to meet the health insurance requirements attached to this visa.
Policy Types and Costs
As with OSHC, OVHC is available in a range of policy types depending on your personal circumstances:
- Single policy — for individual applicants
- Couple policy — for applicants with a partner
- Family policy — covering a partner and dependent children under 18 years of age
The cost of your OVHC policy will vary depending on the type of cover selected, the duration of your visa, and the insurance provider chosen.
Flexible Payment Options
Unlike OSHC — which typically requires the policy to be pre-purchased for the entire duration of your student visa — OVHC offers greater flexibility, with the option to pay your premiums on a monthly basis rather than as a single upfront payment.
Overseas Visitor Health Cover ( OVHC)
Manage Your Existing Policy
If you already hold a policy with one of our partner providers, you can log in directly to manage your cover:
For further details about OSHC or OVHC, or to discuss which policy is right for your circumstances, please contact our team:
Phone: +61 2 8021 8988
Email: info@smartstudyaustralia.com.au