If you’re a New Zealand citizen

To enrol in Medicare you need to prove you live in Australia.

You can enrol if you provide proof that you’ll be living here for the next 6 months.

You can also enrol if you either:

  • have lived in Australia for 6 months or more in the last 12 months
  • live here and have applied for permanent residency.

You can enrol any time in the 6 months after you first arrive in Australia.

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

Find out what documents you need to enrol.

Until you enrol, you can get care under the Reciprocal Health Care Agreement. This covers essential treatment in a public hospital. You can’t enrol or get a Medicare card until you prove you live in Australia.

Page last updated: 3 March 2022.
QC 60320

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