Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) FAQs

Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) is health insurance that can help cover you for hospital and medical treatments while you study in Australia. It helps pay towards the cost of things like visiting a general practitioner (GP) or specialist, and some inpatient hospital treatments. OSHC is a mandatory requirement for most international students wishing to travel to and study in Australia.

You need to purchase an OSHC policy to be eligible for a student visa, and the policy needs to cover you for the full duration of your expected time in Australia. When you purchase an OSHC policy with Bupa, you’ll instantly receive a verification letter to submit with your visa application.

For more information, download the OSHC brochure (PDF, 1.4MB).

You need to purchase Overseas Student Health Cover before you can apply for a student visa. This means you need to pay for OSHC upfront, but your cover won’t actually commence until the day you arrive in Australia.

We know that plans change, so if you need to adjust the start date or duration of your OSHC after your initial purchase, simply contact us.

Your cover start date should be the same day you plan to arrive in Australia. If you don’t know your exact arrival date, select the date 28 days before your course commences.

The Department of Home Affairs provides guidance on the length of student visas, and these timeframes can be used to calculate how long you’ll need OSHC for. As a rough guide:

• If your course is 10 months or less, you’ll need cover for 1 month longer than your course.
• If your course is more than 10 months, and finishes between January and October, you’ll need cover for 2 months longer than your course.
• If your course is more than 10 months, and finishes in November or December, you’ll need cover until 15 March the following year.

If your travel or study dates change and you need to modify your OSHC, get in touch.

It’s important that you have an active OSHC policy during your time in Australia. If your cover expires, it may be a breach of your visa conditions, which could affect your ability to extend your visa or apply for permanent residency.

An expired policy also means you won’t be covered for any hospital or medical services. These could be very expensive if you get sick or injured.

If you need to extend or modify your cover, get in touch today.

No. Even if you’re on a break between study periods, you need an active OSHC policy while living in Australia.

Cancelling your cover while you’re still in Australia may breach your visa conditions. This could prevent you from staying in Australia, extending your visa, or applying for permanent residency.

You can apply to temporarily suspend your policy if you’re travelling outside of Australia for more than 3 consecutive months. You’ll need to provide your visa grant letter, as well as your travel documents. If you’re deemed eligible for a policy suspension, you’ll be paid a pro rata refund amount calculated according to your visa end date. Download the Important Information Guide (PDF, 2.8MB) to learn more, or get in touch to discuss your options.

Of course! If you have an OSHC policy with another health insurance provider but want to switch to Bupa, get in touch today.

Your previous provider will give you a clearance certificate. We'll use this to recognise any waiting periods you’ve already served on your previous policy, as long as the services are included in your Bupa cover and there is no break between your previous cover and your new Bupa cover. This is known as continuity of cover.

However, we don’t automatically recognise any waiting periods that were waived by your previous insurer. Only the actual time served on your previous policy will count towards waiting periods with Bupa.

You can purchase Overseas Student Health Cover for singles, single parents, couples, and families – so if you have any dependants living with you in Australia, they can be covered by the same policy.

However, if your family member has their own student visa, or if they’re a member of your extended family, they’ll need to purchase their own health insurance.

If your family member is working in or visiting Australia, they might be eligible for our Overseas Visitors Cover instead.

Your Bupa OSHC covers you for a range of hospital, medical, pharmacy, and ambulance services during your time as a student in Australia.

If you want cover for additional services like dental and optometry, you can add extras cover to your policy after your initial purchase.

Read about what’s included with your OSHC, or download the Important Information Guide (PDF, 2.8MB) for a full rundown of your policy’s inclusions and exclusions.

myBupa is our online members portal. It lets you manage your cover and update your information at any time.

Simply sign in to myBupa, go to your account, then select ‘Update contact details’.

If you haven’t created a myBupa account yet, register today.

You need your Bupa OSHC membership card to access health cover at hospitals and clinics.

Your school might give you instructions on how to collect your physical membership card. If not, simply sign in to myBupa, go to ‘Cover’, then ‘Order a membership card’. Make sure you’ve entered your new Australian mailing address in the contact details section.

If you have an Android or iOS smartphone, there’s no need to wait for a physical card. Download the myBupa app for iOS or Android to access your digital membership card today.

The Australian Government has a comprehensive list of medical services and treatments, with recommended prices for each. This is known as the Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) fee.

Your OSHC will pay up to 100% of the MBS fee for eligible services, but if your doctor or specialist charges more than the MBS fee, there may be a leftover ‘out-of-pocket’ amount which you’ll need to pay.

A gap payment, also known as an out-of-pocket cost, is the difference between what a health service costs and what your health insurance covers.

For example, if you pay $150 to visit a specialist, and your health insurance covers $100, that leaves a difference of $50. This is the out-of-pocket cost which you’ll need to pay yourself.

Always ask your health provider about the cost of treatment upfront. If you’re visiting a general practitioner (GP), try making an appointment with a Bupa-friendly doctor or booking an online consultation through Blua.

You can also reduce or remove costs with Bupa’s Medical Gap Scheme. If a doctor or hospital uses the Medical Gap Scheme for your treatment, they agree to only charge Bupa members up to a certain amount. These hospitals are also known as Members First or Network hospitals.

Some GP clinics previously received an extra payment from Bupa when treating international patients. This sometimes meant you did not have to pay an out-of-pocket fee for your appointment.

From 27 June 2026, Bupa will no longer make this extra payment to GP clinics. As a result, some GP clinics may review how they bill international patients and may choose to charge an out-of-pocket fee – sometimes known as a ‘gap’ – for your appointment.

Each GP clinic makes its own billing decisions, and determines whether it passes on gap fees or not. We encourage you to check with your GP clinic how international customers are billed before attending your appointment, so you can understand you will be required to pay a gap.

Bulk billing is when a GP clinic bills Medicare directly for your visit, meaning a person who is eligible for Medicare pays nothing out of pocket. The Australian Government recently expanded a payment called the Bulk Billing Incentive to encourage more GPs to bulk bill, but this only applies to Medicare-eligible patients. As an international student or visitor, you are not eligible for Medicare, which is why some things may be changing for you.

Billing practices vary by GP clinic. It is best to check with your specific clinic to understand how they bill international patients.

From 27 June 2026, Bupa will no longer pay an extra payment to GP clinics where incentive payments are available for Medicare eligible patients.

As international patients are not covered by Medicare, incentive items will return 'benefit is not payable' when you claim.

This does not change what you are covered for under your Bupa product and Bupa will continue to pay for eligible outpatient services as per your product entitlements.

OSHC does not cover the cost of interpreters, but we have multilingual consultants at Bupa stores who are happy to help.

For personal health questions, property assistance, and general tax and legal inquiries, you can also call Bupa’s 24/7 Student Advice Line for support in more than 150 languages.

The fastest way to lodge a claim is through myBupa. Simply sign in, go to ‘Make a claim’, and fill out the online form.

You can also claim:

• with the myBupa app
• by filling out a claim form (PDF, 865KB) and posting it to us.

Sign in to myBupa to view your full claims history. If you don’t have a myBupa account yet, register today.

Your claims history is also available through the myBupa app.

Bupa’s general communications are normally sent to the main policyholder, but claims information is treated differently. Claims information might include the amount of money we’ve paid, and tax statements. We understand this can be sensitive information.

Every individual listed on a health insurance policy over the age of 15 can choose their own communication preferences, meaning they can choose whether we send their claims information directly to them or the main policyholder. These settings can be changed in myBupa.

Bupa handles customer data in accordance with our privacy policy.

It depends on whether it’s an emergency or not.

An emergency is a serious illness or injury that poses an immediate risk to your life or long-term wellbeing. In an emergency, you should call 000 (triple zero). They will send an ambulance to take you to hospital if required.

A non-emergency is an illness or injury that needs treatment but isn’t immediately life-threatening. In a non-emergency, try making an appointment with a Bupa-friendly doctor or book an online consultation through Blua.

Read more about what to do if you feel sick, or learn about the difference between doctors and hospitals.

If you arrive in Australia and get sick, but don’t have your membership card yet, you should still go see a doctor. You may have to pay for your treatment upfront then make a claim to be reimbursed later.

If you've got an Android or iOS smartphone, you don’t need to wait for a physical membership card. Download the myBupa app to access your digital membership card today.

In Australia, local doctors are known as general practitioners (GPs). You’ll be able to see any GP with your OSHC membership.

A Bupa-friendly doctor is a GP who has agreed to submit your claim directly to Bupa. This helps reduce or eliminate any payment on the day of your appointment.

OSHC members can also book and attend online GP appointments 24/7 through Blua, with 100% of costs covered^{^}.

A specialist is a medical practitioner who is highly skilled in a specific area, like psychiatrists or dermatologists.

Your GP might send you to a specialist if they think specific expertise is needed to diagnose or treat your health condition. To see a specialist you’ll need a referral from your GP.

In Australia, a pharmacy is often called a ‘chemist’. This is where you go if you need medication.

Some medications require you to see a doctor and get a prescription (or ‘script’). Other common medications can be bought ‘over-the-counter’, meaning you don’t need to see a doctor before purchasing them.

Your OSHC policy helps to pay for a range of prescribed medication (within per person and yearly limits) including:

• medicines prescribed to you as an outpatient from a hospital
• medicines prescribed to you by a doctor or specialist
• medicines listed on the Pharmaceutical Benefit Scheme (PBS) Schedule.

Some exclusions apply. It’s always best to get in touch with us to check whether the medication you’ve been prescribed is covered by your policy.

Moving to a new country can be as challenging as it is exciting. Get prepared by reading about what to expect when you arrive in Australia.

You can also explore Bupa’s health articles for expert advice on how to take care of your mind and body during difficult times.

Selected prescription contraception items are generally covered by OSHC (up to per person and yearly limits).

Get in touch to check whether the medication you’ve been prescribed is covered.

As a general rule, if a prescribed medication is listed on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) schedule, and is covered by Medicare for residents and citizens, then your OSHC will help pay for it (up to per person and yearly limits). This includes PrEP and PEP.

Make an appointment with a Bupa-friendly doctor or book an online health consultation through Blua to discuss a prescription. PEP is also available from the emergency departments of most Australian public hospitals and sexual health clinics.

Get in touch for further support, or to check whether a medication you’ve been prescribed is covered by your OSHC.

For sexual health, HIV, and STI tests, schedule an appointment with your closest Bupa-friendly doctor.

Ask for a quote before your appointment to calculate any out-of-pocket costs, or get in touch to check whether a test or procedure will be covered by your OSHC.

Bupa's OSHC products cover pregnancy-related services including Pregnancy and Birth, Miscarriage and Termination of Pregnancy, and Outpatient Pregnancy Services. It does not cover you for Assisted Reproductive Services.

As of 30 June 2026, there is no waiting period if the duration of your cover is 24 months or more. If you hold an OSHC policy that is less than 24 months, the standard 12-month pregnancy waiting period still applies.

Your cover for pregnancy-related services will depend on whether you’re admitted to hospital for treatment (inpatient) or treated out of hospital (outpatient).

As an inpatient, your Bupa OSHC will help cover hospital and medical costs for pregnancy, child birth, miscarriage, and termination of pregnancy, including:

• accommodation for overnight or same-day stays
• operating theatre, intensive care and labour ward fees
• pharmaceuticals approved by the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS), provided as part of your treatment
• fees charged by doctors, surgeons, anaesthetists or other specialists
• most diagnostic tests (recognised by Medicare as medically necessary) such as blood tests and x-rays
• a private room, where available and clinically appropriate. Conditions apply. Contact us for more information.

For Outpatient Pregnancy Services related to investigating or treating conditions associated with pregnancy, childbirth, miscarriage, or termination of pregnancy, we'll pay up to 100% of the Medicare Benefits Scheme (MBS) fee for the cost of medical services provided by doctors or specialists in or out of hospital. These providers may charge more than the MBS, meaning you’ll need to pay the difference. You can always ask for a quote before beginning treatment to check what your out-of-pocket costs might be.

Waiting periods, fund and policy rules apply. For more details, refer to the Important Information Guide (PDF, 2.8MB).

Yes. Costs associated with miscarriage and termination of pregnancy are covered by OSHC. What you’re covered for will depend on whether you’re treated out of hospital (outpatient) or admitted to hospital (inpatient).

Waiting periods, fund and policy rules apply. For full details, refer to the Important Information Guide (PDF, 2.8MB).

Contact our 24/7 Student Advice Line at any time for further support.