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Pregnancy and newborn care on a visa in Australia

Key facts

  • If you're on a visa, you can get healthcare for yourself and your baby during and after pregnancy and birth.
  • The cost will depend on what type of visa and health insurance you have.
  • If you can't enrol in Medicare, you can apply for private health insurance for overseas visitors.
  • If you come from a country that has a reciprocal healthcare agreement with Australia, urgent medical treatment is free.
  • If your baby's other parent is not an Australian citizen or permanent resident, your baby will be on the same visa as you.

    • Can I get care for myself and my baby if I’m on a visa?

    If you're on a visa, you can get care for yourself and your baby during and after pregnancy and birth. However, the costs will depend on the type of visa and health insurance you have.

    In Australia, care during pregnancy is provided by midwives, doctors and obstetricians. You can use the public or private health system (Opens in new tab).

    Am I covered by Medicare during my pregnancy?

    Medicare (Opens in new tab) is the government program that helps with the cost of healthcare. It's available for Australian residents (people living in Australia) and some visitors to Australia.

    Medicare covers many pregnancy and newborn healthcare costs, including:

    You can enrol in Medicare if you are:

    You may be able to enrol in Medicare if you are from a country that has an agreement with Australia. However, this cover is more limited.

    Find out how to enrol in Medicare (Opens in new tab). After you enrol, you'll be sent a Medicare card.

    Am I covered by a reciprocal healthcare agreement?

    The following countries have a reciprocal healthcare agreement (Opens in new tab) with Australia:

    • Belgium
    • Finland
    • the Republic of Ireland
    • Italy
    • Malta
    • the Netherlands
    • New Zealand
    • Norway
    • Slovenia
    • Sweden
    • the United Kingdom

    If you come from one of these countries, you should be able to get free urgent medical treatment. You can also apply for limited Medicare cover.

    Each agreement is a bit different — find out how it applies to you (Opens in new tab). For example, people on student visas from Finland, Malta, Norway or the Republic of Ireland are not included.

    Urgent treatment means emergencies and health conditions that must be treated now, before you can return to your home country.

    You will need to buy private health insurance (Opens in new tab) to cover other things such as:

    Do I need private health insurance?

    If you are on a visa and can't get a Medicare card you may need to pay the full cost of any medical treatment. For this reason, you should take out private health insurance cover while you are visiting.

    This is called Overseas Visitors Health Cover (OVHC).

    For some types of visas, you must have OVHC before you can get the visa. You should get OVHC even if your visa doesn't say you must.

    Private health insurance can cover the costs of your pregnancy care and birth. You may need to wait up to 12 months for parts of the cover to start. This is called the 'waiting period'.

    Some insurance policies may not cover pregnancy and birth. Check what your health insurance covers before you become pregnant.

    A hospital stay can be very expensive, so think about getting hospital cover. Even with private health insurance you might need to pay for some of your care. This is the patient contribution or 'gap' payment.

    To find out more about how private health cover works, go to the Australian Government's private health insurance information website (Opens in new tab).

    What type of health insurance do I need if I'm a student?

    Overseas students in Australia need Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC). If you are on a temporary student visa, you must have OSHC for the whole time you are in Australia.

    If you have dependants on your student visa, make sure they are included in your OSHC policy.

    OSHC can cover you for pregnancy care and birth, however there is usually a waiting period of 12 months. This means that you will not be covered for pregnancy care or birth for the first 12 months you are insured.

    However, you will be covered for emergency treatment. Be sure to check the details with your insurance provider as not all OSHC policies are the same.

    There are a few insurance providers that offer OSHC.

    Find out more on OSHC insurance, including a list of providers (Opens in new tab).

    What happens if I have no insurance and I become pregnant?

    If you have no insurance, you can still get healthcare during pregnancy, birth and afterwards (Opens in new tab). However, you'll have to pay the full cost of your care and care for your baby. Call your local hospital to find out about their fees.

    Will my baby be an Australian citizen?

    If your baby is born in Australia, and at least one parent is an Australian citizen or permanent resident, they will automatically be an Australian citizen.

    If neither parent is an Australian citizen or permanent resident, your baby will not be an Australian citizen.

    What kind of visa will my baby have?

    If your baby is born in Australia when you and their other parent are on a visa, the baby will automatically have the same visas as you and their other parent.

    If you're on a visa and the other parent is not an Australian resident or on a visa, your baby will have the same visa as you.

    If when your baby is born you're applying for a visa for yourself in Australia, your baby will be added to your own visa application.

    You will need to tell the Australian Government Department of Home Affairs (Opens in new tab) about your baby's birth. Then your baby can be added to your visa or visa application.

    Will my baby have Medicare?

    You can enrol your baby in Medicare if your baby is:

    You might also be able to enrol your baby in Medicare if you come from a country that has a reciprocal healthcare agreement with Australia.

    Find out more about how to enrol your baby in Medicare (Opens in new tab).

    Will my baby need private health insurance?

    If your baby can't get Medicare, add them to your private health insurance. If your baby needs any treatment after they're born, it could cost a lot of money if you don't have health insurance.

    Talk to your insurance provider about healthcare cover for your baby as soon as you can.

    How can I get help if I speak a language other than English?

    The Australian Government provides free interpreters and a free translation service (Opens in new tab) to help you talk to Services Australia. You can use an interpreter if you have questions about Medicare.

    If you need an interpreter for healthcare appointments, you can call the Australian Government's Translating and Interpreting Service, TIS National (Opens in new tab), on 131 450. This is usually free of charge.

    Resources and support

    More information and support are available from these services and organisations:

    Speak to a maternal child health nurse

    Call Pregnancy, Birth and Baby to speak to a maternal child health nurse on 1800 882 436 (Opens in new tab) or video call. Available 7am to midnight (AET), 7 days a week.

    Last reviewed: July 2024

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