For visa holders & international students
Start with the one thing that decides everything: your visa. It sets whether you need OSHC or OVHC. From there, compare cover level, waiting periods and the exclusions students most often miss.
ⓘ General comparison information only — not personalised migration, legal or medical advice. Prices shown are indicative starting points, not quotes. Verify your visa's cover requirements with the Department of Home Affairs or a qualified professional.
Your visa decides your cover type. These are framed by situation — we don't rank insurers on price, because pricing here is indicative and not verified.
New Student Visa 500 holder
You need OSHC for the whole visa, bought before arrival. Student-only insurers like ahm keep it simple; the big funds (Bupa, Medibank, nib, Allianz) all sell compliant OSHC too.
Sold by ahm and other major funds · reviewed 2026-05-22
Check my visaGraduating to a 485 visa
Your OSHC stops being valid — switch to OVHC before the student visa ends. Most major funds sell OVHC; compare on waiting periods, not just price.
Sold by nib and other major funds · reviewed 2026-05-22
Check my visaSponsored worker (482)
Condition 8501 requires compliant OVHC. Confirm in writing whether your employer pays — many expect you to arrange it yourself.
Sold by Allianz Care and other major funds · reviewed 2026-05-22
Check my visaLiving or working regionally (491)
Make sure the insurer’s hospital agreements cover your regional area, not just the capital cities.
Sold by Allianz Care and other major funds · reviewed 2026-05-22
Check my visaIndicative single-adult starting prices to orient you — not quotes. Your actual premium depends on your dates, cover level, excess and policy type.
| Provider | Cover type | Visa types | Indicative from | Notable |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Medibank | Both OSHC + OVHC | 500, 485, 482, 491, bridging | ~$40/mo* | Large hospital network across Australia |
| Bupa | Both OSHC + OVHC | 500, 485, 482, 491, bridging | ~$38/mo* | Instant policy certificate on purchase |
| nib | Both OSHC + OVHC | 500, 485, 482, 491, bridging | ~$37/mo* | Fast online setup, strong regional coverage |
| Allianz Care | Both OSHC + OVHC | 500, 485, 482, 491, 494, bridging | ~$35/mo* | Competitive pricing, good for regional visas |
| AIA | OVHC only | 485, 482, 491, bridging | ~$60/mo* | Includes wellness perks and member benefits |
| ahm | OSHC only | 500 | ~$35/mo* | Simple, affordable student cover |
* Indicative single-adult starting price, not a quote. Couple and family cover cost more. Always get a dated quote for your exact circumstances.
Pick your visa subclass. The visa → cover-type mapping is factual general information; use it as a starting point, then verify your exact requirement officially.
You need
Watch out —
This mapping is general information. Confirm your specific requirement with the Department of Home Affairs.
What matters: Buying compliant OSHC before you fly.
OSHC must cover your entire 500 visa and be active from arrival. Buy before boarding.
Cover type: OSHC
What matters: One couple policy vs two singles.
A couple policy usually beats two single policies — but only if you both need the same period.
Cover type: OSHC couple
What matters: Dependants must be covered too.
Anyone on your visa must be covered. Family cover exists at every major fund.
Cover type: OSHC family
What matters: No gap between OSHC and OVHC.
Switch before the student visa ends. A gap can breach Condition 8501.
Cover type: OVHC
What matters: Compliant OVHC under 8501.
Confirm your employer’s role and check regional hospital coverage.
Cover type: OVHC
What matters: OSHC/OVHC rarely include extras.
Extras are usually a separate add-on — weigh the extra premium against expected use.
Cover type: Extras add-on
OSHC is for student visa (500) holders and is mandatory. OVHC is for most other temporary visas (485, 482, 491, bridging). Your visa decides which one you need.
A couple or family policy usually costs less than separate singles for the same dates — but everyone on your visa must be covered.
Many services have waiting periods — pre-existing conditions and pregnancy especially. Switching insurers can reset them.
Prescription benefits are capped (per-item and annual limits). Extras like dental and optical are usually a separate add-on, not part of base cover.
Some providers offer direct billing at partner clinics (no upfront payment); availability varies by location and provider network.
Cover must be active from arrival. When switching (e.g. OSHC → OVHC at graduation), line the dates up so there's no gap.
Arrivly does not confirm visa compliance for any individual. Users should verify the cover requirements for their visa and circumstances through official sources or a qualified professional. We hold no insurer affiliate relationships yet, so no commission influences this page.
Strengths
Limitations
Strengths
Limitations
Ignore the marketing. Your visa subclass alone determines whether you need OSHC or OVHC:
Condition 8501 (adequate health cover for your whole stay) applies to most temporary visas. Verify yours via the Department of Home Affairs.
Government and provider references. Editorial citations — not affiliate links.
Which visas require OSHC vs OVHC, and Condition 8501
Checked 2026-05-22
Definitions of OSHC / OVHC and what each broadly covers
Checked 2026-05-22
Provider names and cover categories only — prices are indicative and still require per-policy verification
Checked 2026-05-22
Written by the Arrivly editorial team
Arrivly is built by people who went through the Australian international-student and skilled-migration journey themselves. Every plan on this page was checked manually against the provider's own website or published documents.
Tell us your visa subclass and we'll show whether you need OSHC or OVHC, plus the exclusions to check before you buy.
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