Best OVHC Policies for travel in Australia

We compared dozens of Overseas Visitor Health Cover policies to find some of the best policies for visitors and tourists.

Best Cheap cover: CBHS International Overseas Worker Base Hospital

CBHS logo

Why we like it: CBHS International Overseas Worker Base Hospital is the cheapest working visa compliant cover on Finder, so lets you get the basics covered for your time in Australia. It covers a huge range of hosptial services, meaning that the most common treatments you mnight require cover for should be covered. It doesn't cover complex hospital treatments or any out of hospital services, so may be a good choice for someone young, with simple health needs, looking for a cheap policy.

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Best Value Cover: Frank Mid Workers Plus Bundle

Frank Logo

Why we like it: Frank Mid Workers Plus Bundle scored the highest Finder Score of all OVHC policies on Finder, meaning it offers the best value of any policy.

It's a mid-tier policy and offers quite a bit more than the minimum requirements of the 8501 working visa condition. This includes cover for more complex hospital treatments, including child birth, as well as a range of out-of-hospital treatments like dental, optical and physio.

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Best for students: Allianz Overseas Student Health Cover

Allianz Care Logo

Why we like it: Allianz Overseas Student Health Cover is one of the most affordable options for your student visa health cover requirements. It meets all the requirements, and will keep you healthy while you finish your studies.

We picked Allianz in partocular because it's a large, trustworthy company with a global presence, and has a really big network of on-campus support services. Even if your university doesn't have on-campus support available, Allianz offers a 24/7 emergency and medical assitance helpline.

Best for tourists: Bupa Short Stay Visitors Cover

Bupa Logo

Why we like it: Bupa Short Stay Visitors Cover is one of the cheapest policies available for tourists on a 600 visa, to make sure you have adequate health cover during your trip. It's basic, affordable and will keep you healthy.

What is OVHC?

Overseas Visitor Health Cover, or OVHC, is a type of health insurance made for people in Australian on a visa. If you're visiting Australia on a working visa or tourist visa, then an OVHC policy will give you the health cover that you need to meet your visa requirements. It also will make sure you don't pay a crazy amount of money if you need treatment while you're here.

What is OSHC?

Overseas Student Health Cover, or OSHC, is a special type of policy specifically made for students. If you're on a student visa then you'll need OSHC, except in a few very specifc circumstances. Your school or university might have an agreement with a particular insurer to make it easier, but you can also buy your own policy.

Do I need OVHC?

Anyone in Australia on a working, tourist or student visa will need 'adequate health insurance' for the duration of their trip. This is generally detailed in the 8501 visa condition. For most folks, that will mean OVHC or OSHC.

There are only a couple of exceptions to this rule:

  • If you're an Australian citizen: If you are an Aussie citizen or permanent resident, or become one at some stage, you'll have access to public health care in Australia.
  • If you have a reciprocal health care agreement (RHCA): 11 countries have a RHCA that gives them acces to public health care in Australia. This is sometimes all you need for your visa, but not always. Students especially will probably still need OSHC.
  • If you have travel insurance: If you're in Australia as a tourist, then a comprehensive travel insurance policy from your home country may be enough to cover you.

Frequently asked questions

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A seasoned journalist with over 10 years of experience in news, politics and finance reporting, Tim has previously held roles at the ABC, SBS and Fairfax Media. Tim’s expert insights have been quoted in The Australian, The Daily Telegraph, The Courier Mail and more. He regularly appears on TV and radio, and has been interviewed on 7 News, Sunrise, SBS News, ABC Local, 3AW and 5AA. Tim is passionate about simplifying complex insurance topics for Australian consumers. He holds a Bachelor of Arts (Politics) from Macquarie University and a Tier 1 General Insurance (General Advice) certification, which meets the requirements of ASIC Regulatory Guide 146 (RG146). If you’re interested in a media interview with Tim, please reach out to our PR team at aupr@finder.com. See full bio

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Gary Ross Hunter has over 6 years of expertise writing about insurance, including life, health, home, and car insurance. Having reviewed hundreds of product disclosure statements and published over 800 articles, he loves simplifying complex insurance topics for everyday readers. Gary has contributed to major outlets like Yahoo Finance, The Sydney Morning Herald, and news.com.au, and holds a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in English Literature from the University of Glasgow, along with a Tier 2 General Advice certification, ensuring his work adheres to ASIC’s RG146 standards. See full bio

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2 Responses

    Default Gravatar
    BernieMarch 17, 2025

    My wife and I currently have an astonishingly expensive OVHC policy to support our Subclass 870 visas. However, we are from United Kingdom, which has a reciprocal arrangement with Australia, and also have Reciprocal Arrangement Medicare cards.
    Do we still need this expensive OVHC medical insurance?

      AvatarFinder
      SarahMarch 18, 2025Finder

      Hi Bernie,

      If you’re in Australia on the 870 Sponsored Parent visa, you’ll need Overseas Visitor Health Cover (OVHC) while you stay to satisfy the 8501 visa condition, while also ensuring you’re able to pay any medical costs while in Australia.

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