Visiting from Norway

Who can get it

To be eligible you must have been both:

• living in Norway before arriving in Australia
• a member of the Norwegian National Insurance Scheme.

If you’re here on a student visa you’re not eligible.

You may be able to get medical treatment in Australia under the Reciprocal Health Care Agreement (RHCA) if both of the following apply:

• you’re travelling to, leaving from, or diverted to Australia
• the need for treatment arose 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 not eligible to enrol in Medicare while you’re posted here.

You are not covered under the agreement.

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.

You need to give us both your:

• current visa
• Norwegian or non-Norwegian passport.

We also need either:

• proof you have valid insurance in the Norwegian National Insurance Scheme
• your valid European Health Insurance Card with the initials NO.

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.

It ends when the first of these expires:

• your Norwegian 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 your claim. We’ll then be able to tell you if you can get a benefit under the agreement or not.