International students and their families are required to pay for health insurance in Australia through the Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) scheme prior to being issued with a visa. It is your responsibility to ensure that your OSHC remains valid throughout your stay in Australia.

Norwegian and most Swedish students do not need to obtain OSHC because these countries have a national health scheme or other arrangements that provide acceptable health insurance for them while they are overseas. For the OSHC requirement to be waived, Norwegian students should have documentation proving that they are covered by the Norwegian National Insurance Scheme. Swedish students should have proof that they have insurance provided by CSN International (the Swedish National Board of Student Aid).

AIPS recommends Medibank Private for your health insurance requirements and can facilitate your initial payments and renewal fees for you. Your letter of offer from AIPS will outline fees payable for your OSHC and will need to be lodged with AIPS together with course enrolment costs.

Costs for OSHC are determined by how long you are going to be in Australia and most health funds will have comparative premiums. For single student cover you are likely to pay about AUD$348 per year and if you are travelling with a family you need to apply for family cover.

On receipt of your payment AIPS will issue a confirmation receipt which DIAC requires as proof of OSHC cover for visa applications. Your full Medibank Card will be issued on International Orientation Week.

You will be covered from the date of your arrival into Australia.

OSHC covers most medical expenses and the cost of hospital care while in Australia including emergency ambulance and some prescription drugs. It will not cover dental and optometry and other ancillary services but you are able to take out additional cover which will include these. Your cover also does not include any pre-existing illnesses or conditions.


Student Health Cover for AusAID Students
If you are a student sponsored by AusAID, you will not need to pay the OSHC yourself. You will, however, need to provide proof that AusAID supports your application.

Student Health Cover for Students from Norway and Sweden
Students applying from Norway and most Swedes do not need to obtain OSHC because the Department of Health and Aged Care has advised that these countries have a national health scheme or other arrangements that provide acceptable health insurance for them while they are overseas.

For the OSHC requirement to be waived, Norwegian students should have documentation proving that they are covered by the Norwegian National Insurance Scheme.

Swedish students should have proof that they have insurance provided by CSN International (the Swedish National Board of Student Aid). OSHC is available to Norwegian and Swedish nationals if they require it.