If you hold an Australian student visa, Overseas Student Health Cover is not optional. The Department of Home Affairs requires you to maintain OSHC for the full duration of your stay, and you typically need to pay the entire premium upfront before your visa is granted. That makes the annual cost a practical budgeting question before you even book a flight.
The short answer for 2026 is that a single student can expect to pay roughly AUD 623 to AUD 806 per year for basic OSHC, depending on which of the five government-approved insurers you choose. That works out to about AUD 52 to AUD 67 per month. Couple and family policies cost more, and adding extras cover pushes the price higher again. There is no single fixed price across providers, because each insurer sets its own premium while meeting the same minimum benefits required under Australian law.
Why the price range exists
Australia has five approved OSHC providers in 2026: ahm, nib, Bupa, Medibank, and Allianz Care. A sixth provider, CBHS, exited the OSHC market in October 2025. All five remaining insurers comply with the same legislative minimums, so the core hospital and medical cover is comparable. What differs is the premium each charges, along with practical features like the size of their direct-billing network, the quality of their app, and the extras packages they offer.
Among single-student policies, ahm tends to sit at the lower end of the range, while Allianz Care is typically at the higher end. The gap between the cheapest and most expensive single cover is around AUD 180 per year, which adds up over a three-year degree. Some quotes published earlier in 2026 showed single rates from approximately AUD 478 to AUD 632, but the figures most widely cited by mid-2026 sit in the AUD 623 to AUD 806 band. Premiums change periodically, and the exact number you see on a given day depends on when you request the quote and any short-term promotions an insurer may be running.
Single, couple, and family cover: the numbers
The annual premium scales with the number of people on the policy. As a rough guide for 2026:
- Single cover: roughly AUD 623 to AUD 806 per year
- Couple cover: roughly AUD 1,100 to AUD 1,500 per year
- Family cover: roughly AUD 1,600 to AUD 2,400 per year
Family policies often cost 1.8 to 2.5 times the single rate, depending on the provider and the ages of the family members. The Australian Government’s PrivateHealth.gov.au website offers a neutral comparison tool where you can check current premiums across all registered OSHC insurers without being steered toward any particular brand.
What drives the price up or down
Several factors move your premium beyond the base rate.
Extras cover. Basic OSHC meets the visa requirement, but it does not include dental check-ups, optical appointments, or physiotherapy. If you add extras cover, your annual premium rises. The increase depends on the level of extras you choose and the provider’s pricing structure.
Age. Some insurers apply age-based pricing, particularly for older students or dependants on a family policy. A 30-year-old student may pay more than a 20-year-old for the same level of cover.
Length of cover. You pay for the entire visa period upfront. If your course runs for two years and your visa covers an additional few months beyond that, you will be quoted a total premium that covers that full stretch. Dividing that total by the number of years gives you the effective annual cost, but the upfront payment is for the whole period.
Policy structure. Couple and family policies cost more because they cover more people. A couple policy covers the student and one partner, while a family policy covers the student, a partner, and any dependent children.
What the minimum cover actually includes
All five providers must meet the minimum benefits set by the Overseas Student Health Insurance Act. That means every policy covers hospital treatment, medical services (GP and specialist consultations), ambulance services, and a limited set of pharmaceutical benefits. The differences between insurers are not about whether you get treated in an emergency. They are about price, how easily you can find a provider that bills the insurer directly, how you manage claims, and whether the insurer’s app and customer service work for you.
How to get your own number
Because premiums are not uniform and can change during the year, the most reliable way to get a figure that applies to you is to request a quote from each provider for your specific circumstances. You can do this directly on the insurers’ websites or use the government comparison tool at PrivateHealth.gov.au, which lists current premiums for all registered health insurers in Australia. That tool does not sell policies or take commissions; it simply displays the rates each insurer has lodged.
When you compare quotes, make sure you are looking at the same type of cover. One insurer’s basic single policy should be compared against another’s basic single policy, not against a policy that bundles extras. The cheapest premium is not necessarily the best fit if you will need frequent access to a particular direct-billing network or want a smoother digital experience for claims.
Paying upfront and avoiding gaps
You will need to pay the full OSHC premium for your visa period before the Department of Home Affairs finalises your student visa. If you arrange cover that starts on the day you arrive in Australia, you avoid a gap in coverage that could complicate your visa compliance. Some students choose to begin their policy a few days before arrival, which adds a small amount to the total but eliminates any risk of being uninsured on day one.
Once you have paid, the insurer issues a certificate of cover. You submit that certificate as part of your visa application. Keep a copy for your own records, because you may need to show it when you use medical services in Australia.
The annual cost of OSHC in 2026 is not one number, but the range is narrow enough to budget around. A single student should plan for something between AUD 600 and AUD 810 per year for basic cover, with the final figure depending on provider choice, any extras you add, and the length of cover you need to purchase upfront.
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