Health and Medicare in Australia
Australia’s public health care system is called Medicare. Under the scheme, Australians are entitled to:
- Subsidized visits to doctors, specialists and dentists
- Free emergency hospital care
As a New Zealand Citizen in Australia you automatically qualify for free emergency hospital care. You need to obtain a Medicare card to qualify for subsidized doctors, specialists and dentist’s visits.
How to obtain a Medicare card
If you are a New Zealand citizen moving to Australia permanently you can apply for a Medicare card. You will need to provide 2 of the following documents:
- Sale of New Zealand property agreement
- Cessation of lease agreement for rental of property in New Zealand
- Termination of New Zealand employment (acceptance of resignation by employer)
- Transit document for household goods, and/or furniture (from NZ to Australia)
- Closure of NZ bank accounts, cancellation of health or property/contents insurance.
- Purchase of Australian property (purchase agreement—gas/electricity account/s in same name)
- Lease agreement for rental of property in Australia—gas/electricity accounts in same name
- Evidence of employment in Australia
- Evidence of children at school/university in Australia
- Private health insurance in Australia, opening of bank accounts, property/contents insurance.
Once you have these documents ready, take them and your passport to your local Medicare office to apply.
If you need medical care before you have applied for Medicare, don’t worry. You are able to claim back the cost (or part of the cost) once your Medicare application is submitted.
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