Documents you need if you’re a permanent resident

You need to provide documents that prove your identity and residency.

You can enrol in Medicare if you have a permanent resident visa. You’ll need to give us both:

  • a current passport or Immicard
  • proof of permanent residence from the Department of Home Affairs.

We need these for each person you want to enrol.

You don’t need to get your documents certified.

Complete a Medicare enrolment form and mail or email it with your documents to Medicare Enrolment Services.

If you don’t have these documents, tell us. We’ll talk to you about other options.

When you live overseas after you enrol

If you live overseas again for more than 12 months, you’ll no longer be in Medicare. You’ll need to enrol again when you move back to Australia.

You’ll need to give us:

  • your completed Medicare enrolment form
  • a current passport for each person
  • 2 documents per family proving you now live in Australia.

You don’t need to get your supporting documents certified.

You can also give us your old Medicare card numbers.

Proving you now live in Australia

You can prove you live in Australia by giving us either:

  • 2 documents from Australia
  • one document from Australia and one from where you last lived.
Documents from Australia Documents from the other country
Proof of rental or lease agreement, and gas or electricity account in the same name Proof you sold your property
Proof of purchase of property, and gas or electricity account in the same name Proof you ended your lease
Proof of job Proof you ended your job
Proof your child is enrolled in school, childcare or university Proof you moved household goods or furniture
Proof you’ve opened a bank account A statement showing you closed your bank account
Proof of health, property or contents insurance Proof you cancelled health, property or contents insurance

Complete a Medicare enrolment form and mail or email it with your documents to Medicare Enrolment Services.

If you don’t have these documents, tell us. We’ll talk to you about other options.

Page last updated: 6 September 2022.
QC 60319