Overseas Student Health Cover is compulsory under condition 8501 of your student visa, and most students simply buy whichever policy the university bundled into the offer letter. That is almost never the cheapest one. Here is what all the approved providers actually charge.
These are the insurers approved by the Australian Government to sell OSHC. Any of them satisfies your visa condition. The differences that matter are price, how quickly you can be seen, and how easy the provider makes it to claim.
| Provider | Per month | Per year | Over a 2-year degree | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ahm | ≈ AUD 52 | AUD 623 | ≈ AUD 1,246 | Cheapest single |
| nib | ≈ AUD 57 | AUD 684 | ≈ AUD 1,368 | |
| Bupa | ≈ AUD 63 | AUD 756 | ≈ AUD 1,512 | |
| Medibank | ≈ AUD 64 | AUD 768 | ≈ AUD 1,536 | |
| Allianz Care | ≈ AUD 67 | AUD 806 | ≈ AUD 1,612 |
2026 rates, single cover. CBHS International Health also offers OSHC and is worth quoting if you want a smaller not-for-profit insurer. Premiums are reviewed annually, usually in April, and multi-year policies are priced at a discount — we confirm the live figure before you pay.
The spread between cheapest and dearest is about AUD 183 a year. Over a two-year master's that is roughly AUD 366 — not life-changing, but it is money you give away by accepting whatever the university sent you.
The cheapest provider for a single student is not the cheapest for a family. ahm wins on single cover. For couples and families, Allianz Care is cheapest — and Medibank, which is mid-priced for singles, becomes the most expensive family option by thousands of dollars. Anyone who says "just take ahm, it's cheapest" without asking who is travelling with you has not done the comparison.
| Cover type | Cheapest | Approximate cost per year | Most expensive |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single | ahm | AUD 623 | Allianz Care, AUD 806 |
| Couple | Allianz Care | ≈ AUD 4,597 | Varies by provider |
| Family | Allianz Care | ≈ AUD 8,900–10,000 | Medibank, over AUD 14,000 |
Family cover means the student plus a partner and children. Published family figures vary between AUD 8,917 and AUD 9,972 depending on source and start date, which is why we quote a range and confirm the exact premium with the insurer before you pay.
If you and your partner each hold your own student visa, buy two single policies — not a couple's policy. Two singles is normally the cheaper route by a wide margin. A couple's policy is only the right choice when one of you is a dependant on the other's visa. Insurers price couple and family cover well above double the single rate because of the volume of pregnancy claims, so the maths is not what most people assume.
On a family policy the gap between cheapest and dearest is over AUD 4,000 a year — more than the visa application fee. If you are bringing family on a Subclass 500 Subsequent Entrant, this is one of the most consequential cost decisions you will make.
Condition 8501 of the Subclass 500 student visa requires you to hold adequate health insurance for your entire stay in Australia. Not for your course. For your stay.
| Rule | What happens if you get it wrong |
|---|---|
| Cover starts on or before your arrival date | A gap of even one day breaches condition 8501 |
| Cover runs to visa expiry, not course end | Your visa normally extends past your final semester |
| Premium paid upfront, before you lodge | The certificate is part of your visa evidence |
| Every dependant on the visa is covered | An uncovered spouse or child can hold up the application |
| Only approved OSHC providers count | Ordinary travel insurance is not OSHC and will be refused |
| Cover must not lapse mid-course | A lapsed policy is grounds for visa cancellation |
Your university cannot make you use their provider. Most offer letters arrive with a policy already bundled in, because the university has a commercial arrangement with that insurer. You are entitled to decline it and arrange your own with any approved provider — just send the university your certificate.
GP consultations are covered at 100% of the Medicare Benefits Schedule fee. Specialist appointments, x-rays and blood work are covered at 85% of the MBS fee.
If a clinic charges above the MBS rate, you pay the difference — so ask whether they bulk bill OSHC patients before you book.
Every OSHC policy covers accident and emergency treatment at a minimum of 100%, at the rate set by each state and territory.
All insurers hold agreements with private hospitals, but which hospitals and at what level differs by policy. If a particular hospital matters to you, check before choosing.
Emergency ambulance and on-the-spot emergency treatment are covered by most policies.
A non-emergency ambulance trip is not covered. If you call an ambulance and the case is not assessed as an emergency, you will be billed for it personally.
The twelve-month pregnancy waiting period catches married students out every year. If you and your spouse are planning a family in Australia, the policy pays nothing toward the birth in the first twelve months, and an uncomplicated delivery in a private hospital runs into several thousand dollars. Plan the timing, or budget for it.
Apply online and the certificate is normally emailed as soon as payment clears — often in a few minutes for a card payment. You need that certificate before you can lodge your visa, so it is one part of the process that does not have to slow you down.
Extending or changing the dates on an existing policy takes longer — allow one to two business days, because the insurer has to reissue the document.
We compare the approved providers against your actual situation — how long your visa runs, whether your spouse and children are coming, and when you arrive — then arrange the policy and send the certificate for your visa file. There is no charge to you for this.
Tell us your visa status and which provider you have in mind, and we will come back with the real premium for your situation — not a range from a table.
Book Free CounsellingWe may receive a commission from the insurer or comparison partner if you take out a policy through us. It costs you nothing extra — OSHC premiums are set by the insurer and are identical whether you buy direct or through an agent. We will tell you which provider is cheapest for your situation even when it is not the one that pays us most.
OSHC is health insurance designed for international students in Australia. It pays toward doctor visits, hospital treatment and emergency ambulance while you study, and holding it is a condition of your student visa. Without it your visa can be cancelled.
Yes. Condition 8501 of the Subclass 500 requires you to hold adequate health insurance for your entire stay in Australia. You buy it before lodging the visa application and it must start on or before the day you arrive.
For a single student in 2026, roughly AUD 623 to AUD 806 a year. ahm is cheapest at about AUD 52 a month, then nib at 57, Bupa at 63, Medibank at 64 and Allianz Care at 67. For couples and families the ranking changes — Allianz Care is cheapest for couples at around AUD 4,597 a year and for families at roughly AUD 8,900 to 10,000, while Medibank can exceed AUD 14,000 for a family.
It depends who is travelling with you. ahm is cheapest for a single student. Allianz Care is cheapest for couples and families. Choosing on someone else's recommendation without matching it to your own cover type can cost over a thousand Australian dollars a year.
For the whole time you are in Australia on the student visa, not just your course length. The visa usually runs past your final semester, and cover must extend to visa expiry or your departure, whichever is later. If your OSHC lapses you breach condition 8501 and your visa can be cancelled.
Yes, and the order matters: buy the new policy first, then cancel the old one. Never cancel first — a gap of even one day breaches your visa condition. Your previous insurer should refund the unused portion of the premium on a pro rata basis.
Usually not. If you and your partner each hold your own student visa, two single policies are normally cheaper than one couple's policy. A couple's policy only makes sense when one of you is a dependant on the other's visa. Insurers price couple and family cover well above double the single rate because of the volume of pregnancy claims.
Your spouse and children, if they are named on your student visa. Every dependant must be covered for the full visa period, and this is where the choice of provider matters most — family premiums vary by thousands of dollars between insurers.
Once you finish studying you are no longer eligible for OSHC and must move to Overseas Visitor Health Cover. If you are applying for a Subclass 485 Temporary Graduate visa you need a policy that specifically satisfies that visa's health insurance requirement — not every OVHC policy does, so check before you buy. We can arrange the transition.
If your most recent substantive visa was a student visa, OSHC remains the correct cover while you are on a bridging visa. If you are unsure how long you need it for, buy twelve months — if the new visa is granted sooner you can cancel and be refunded for the unused portion.
For a new policy paid by card, normally within minutes by email. If you are extending or changing dates on an existing policy, allow one to two business days because the insurer has to reissue the document.
Only in specific circumstances. The usual grounds are: your student visa was refused, you never took up studies in Australia, you had to leave early for reasons outside your control, you were granted another visa such as permanent residency, you were outside Australia for a continuous period of three months or more, or you can show equivalent cover with another insurer for the same period. A visa refusal normally entitles you to a full refund — you will need the refusal letter, a cancelled CoE or a withdrawal letter as evidence. Send it to us and we will handle the cancellation with the insurer.
Activate your membership on the insurer's website once you land in Australia, entering your details exactly as they appear on the policy certificate. Allow 7 to 10 business days for the card to reach your Australian address. If you need help, contact your insurer directly — Medibank and ahm on 134 148, Bupa on 1800 888 942, nib on 1800 775 204, Allianz Care on 13 67 42, CBHS on 1300 174 538. From outside Australia, use the international numbers on your certificate.
Basic OSHC does not cover dental, optical or physiotherapy unless you add Extras. It applies a twelve-month waiting period to pre-existing conditions and to pregnancy, and a non-emergency ambulance trip is not covered.
Premiums quoted are 2026 published rates and are indicative. OSHC prices are reviewed annually, usually in April, and vary with policy length and start date. We confirm the exact premium with the insurer before you pay anything. This page is general information, not financial advice — read the policy document before you buy.
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