Reciprocal Health Care Agreements (UK)
Travel insurance is essential for visits to Australia whether a tourist or a working holidaymaker/ gap year , it is essential to have at least a minimum of health insurance.
Australia and the UK have a reciprocal agreement with for heath care but this only covers basics in an emergency.
The following is a short summary of the cover provided. It is still very important to have travel insurance from a UK Insurance provider.
Period of cover
If you are a resident of the United Kingdom, Sweden, Finland, Norway or the Netherlands you are covered for the duration of your approved visit to Australia.
As a resident of Malta or Italy you are covered for a period of six months from the date you arrive in Australia.
Access to cover
Reciprocal health care agreements cover treatment that is medically necessary. Medically necessary treatment means any ill-health or injury which occurs while you are in Australia and requires treatment before you return home.
Your entitlements
As a resident of one of these countries you are entitled to the following for any ill-health or injury requiring treatment while in Australia:
If you will be receiving treatment you can enrol at Medicare offices throughout Australia. If you receive treatment before you enrol, Medicare benefits will be back paid for eligible visitors.
Travel insurance is essential for visits to Australia whether a tourist or a working holidaymaker/ gap year , it is essential to have at least a minimum of health insurance.
Australia and the UK have a reciprocal agreement with for heath care but this only covers basics in an emergency.
The following is a short summary of the cover provided. It is still very important to have travel insurance from a UK Insurance provider.
Period of cover
If you are a resident of the United Kingdom, Sweden, Finland, Norway or the Netherlands you are covered for the duration of your approved visit to Australia.
As a resident of Malta or Italy you are covered for a period of six months from the date you arrive in Australia.
Access to cover
Reciprocal health care agreements cover treatment that is medically necessary. Medically necessary treatment means any ill-health or injury which occurs while you are in Australia and requires treatment before you return home.
Your entitlements
As a resident of one of these countries you are entitled to the following for any ill-health or injury requiring treatment while in Australia:
- Free treatment as a public in-patient or outpatient in a public hospital
- Subsidised medicines under the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme
- Medicare benefits for out-of-hospital medical treatment provided by doctors through private surgeries and community health centres.
If you will be receiving treatment you can enrol at Medicare offices throughout Australia. If you receive treatment before you enrol, Medicare benefits will be back paid for eligible visitors.
To enrol in Medicare you will need:
- your passport with a valid visa
- to provide, in some cases, identification showing you are enrolled in your country's national health scheme. If your application to enrol in Medicare is approved, you will receive an Australian reciprocal health care card in the post.
- medicines not subsidised under the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme
- dental work and allied health services
- treatment arranged before your visit to Australia
- accommodation and medical treatment in a private hospital
- accommodation and medical treatment as a private patient in a public hospital
Healthcare for visitors from the United Kingdom, Sweden, Finland, Norway, the Netherlands, Malta and Italy (PDF 180k)
