What Is OSHC? How to meet this essential student visa requirement

Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) Australia

As an international student planning to study in Australia, it's important to note that perfect health insurance is a compulsory requirement for your visa approval by the Department of Home Affairs. Australia is one of the countries where you cannot undertake your studies without adequate health insurance, and the Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) is the ideal option to consider.

Medical expenses in Australia can be quite expensive, and the OSHC requirement is essential in meeting your medical expenses while studying in Australia. Once your admission has been approved, your institution will inform you of this requirement and guide you on how to pay for one if necessary. You can either pay directly yourself via one of the approved providers or make some arrangements with your institution.

For self-sponsored students, getting an OSHC might seem like a daunting task, but the good news is that it's relatively easy. On the other hand, scholarship students need not worry about the process as their institution usually makes arrangements for them while processing their admission documents. However, all international students in Australia, except those from Norway, Belgium, and Sweden, must get an OSHC. These countries have been covered by other insurance schemes by their nations or covered under reciprocal health care with Australia.

How do you get your Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC)?

To get your overseas student health coverage (oshc insurance):

👉You can either meet an agent to arrange one for you
👉Or make arrangements with your institution.
👉Or you can buy one directly from an approved provider.
-Contact the provider,
-Get your policy and pay.

Here is a list of six approved providers that offer adequate health insurance to students at a reasonable cost based on an agreement with the Department of Health. The amount varies per provider, but usually, you can find the cheapest OSHC providers from your institution. The following OSHC providers are the most popular:

Things to be aware of about your overseas student health cover

When applying for an Australian student visa, there are some important things you need to know about your health cover.

You must have a policy number,
know the dates when your health cover starts and finishes,
be familiar with the terms and conditions of your policy, and
know the name or type of your Health Cover.

Even if your education provider arranged your health cover for you, you should still be aware of all the information mentioned above. This information will be required during your visa application process, and there is an easy step-by-step process for an Australian student visa online application that can guide you through it.

It's important to know when your health cover starts and ends because you can only enter Australia from the day after your policy begins, not before. If you're already in Australia, you must maintain your health cover, so be sure to renew it when it finishes. If you change your visa status, inform your OSHC provider as policies differ per visa.

You must maintain your OSHC until you leave Australia, without any gap in the renewal process. If you're accompanied by family, you should get a family policy covering you and your family.

Note that Overseas Student Health Cover doesn't cover everything. It doesn't pay for general treatment, such as dental, optical or physiotherapy. However, it covers all medical visits, some hospital treatment, ambulance cover, and limited pharmaceuticals.

For more information about this requirement, contact your institution or check the website of the Australian Department of Home Affairs.

Good luck with your student visa application and we hope to see you soon in Australia! 😃 Don't forget to share your experience with us and give us a thumbs up if you found this post helpful. For the requirements for an Australian student visa, please check the post links below.

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