Who can get it
To be eligible, you must have been living in Finland before arriving in Australia.
If you’re here on a student visa, you’re not eligible for Medicare.
You may be able to get medical treatment in Australia under the Reciprocal Health Care Agreement (RHCA) if you’re travelling to, leaving from, or diverted to Australia, and you needed treatment during your voyage or flight.
The RHCA doesn’t apply if you travel to Australia for medical treatment.
If you’re in Australia for a short time and don’t need medical care, there’s no need to enrol.
If you’re a diplomat
If you’re a diplomat, you and your family are eligible to enrol in Medicare while you’re posted here.
This means the cover under the agreement will apply for as long as you’re in Australia.
If you’re not eligible for Medicare
If you’re not eligible for Medicare, you can’t claim a benefit for treatment you have in Australia. If you need to lodge an income tax return in Australia, you may be eligible for a Medicare levy exemption. This applies if you weren’t eligible for Medicare for all or part of the financial year. You’ll need to get a Medicare Entitlement Statement from us to do this.
Learn more about the Medicare levy exemption on the Australian Taxation Office website.
What’s covered
The agreement covers:
- medically necessary care out of hospital
- medically necessary care as a public patient in a public hospital including inpatient and outpatient services
- some PBS prescription medicines at the general rate.
Learn more about the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS).
How to enrol in Medicare
You’ll need to give us copies of your supporting documents. These documents don’t need to get certified. To enrol in Medicare you will need to download and complete the Medicare enrolment form. Follow the instructions on the form to enrol.
Documents you need to give us if you’re a citizen
If you’re a Finnish citizen, you’ll need to supply both:
- your Finnish passport
- evidence of current visa.
If you weren’t living in Finland before arriving in Australia, you’ll need to give us 2 documents to prove you usually live in Finland.
Documents you need to give us if you’re not a citizen
You’ll need to supply your passport, your current visa, and either:
- your valid Sickness Insurance Card from the Finnish Social Insurance Institution
- your valid European Health Insurance Card with the initials FI
- 2 documents proving you live in Finland.
This could include:
- a work contract
- a rental or lease agreement or bond receipt
- a bank statement
- evidence of child enrolled in childcare or school
- property or contents insurance
- gas, electricity, water or rates account.
Documents must have a date marked on them.
Extending Medicare eligibility
You can extend you and your family’s Medicare eligibility online if it's about to expire. Learn more about extending Medicare eligibility.
When your cover starts and ends
Your cover starts the day you arrive in Australia.
If you’re a Finnish citizen, it ends when your visa expires.
If you’re not a Finnish citizen, it ends when the first of these expires:
- your Finnish health insurance
- your European Health Insurance Card
- your visa.
If you get medical treatment in Australia before you enrol in Medicare, you may get a Medicare benefit for it.
Once you enrol in Medicare, you should submit a claim. We’ll then be able to tell you if you can get a benefit under the agreement or not.