Private health insurance and ambulance cover in Australia
What Medicare does not cover, visa health insurance conditions, and whether ambulances are free in each state.
In short
Private health insurance is optional cover on top of Medicare, for things Medicare does not pay for or only partly pays for. Medicare does not cover ambulances or most dental care. Some temporary visas require you to keep health insurance.
What to do
Permanent residents
Decide whether you want private health cover. You can compare policies on the government site.
Temporary visa holders
Some temporary visas require you to keep health insurance. Check your visa conditions.
What you need to know
Permanent residents
- Compare private health cover on the government site if you want it
Temporary visa holders
- Visa condition 8501 (adequate health insurance) applies to some visas, including 482, and to dependants, per a law firm's article
- Medicare's reciprocal agreements may not satisfy it, and travel insurance is not enough, per the same article
- Your grant letter lists your conditions
Check the Home Affairs visa details page for your own visa conditions.
Details for your state or territory
Tap your state to see its rules.
South Australia
Permanent residents
Medicare covers a lot, but ambulance is not free in South Australia. Consider ambulance cover.
Temporary visa holders
Some temporary visas require you to keep health insurance. Check your visa conditions, and consider ambulance cover.
Ambulance services aren't free in SA, per the SA Government migration site. Check the Home Affairs visa details page for your own visa conditions.
Last checked 8 Oct 2026.
New South Wales
Permanent residents
Ambulances are not free in NSW and Medicare does not cover them. NSW Ambulance says members of private health funds are exempt from its fees, so check your cover.
Temporary visa holders
Some temporary visas require you to keep health insurance. Ambulances are not free in NSW, so check that your cover includes them.
NSW Ambulance says cover depends on your policy level, so confirm it with your health fund. Check the Home Affairs visa details page for your own visa conditions.
NSW Ambulance: accounts and fees ↗
Last checked 12 Oct 2026.
Victoria
Permanent residents
Ambulances are not free in Victoria and Medicare does not cover them. Ambulance Victoria sells a yearly membership that covers emergency transport.
Temporary visa holders
Some temporary visas require you to keep health insurance. Ambulances are not free in Victoria, so check your cover or consider an Ambulance Victoria membership.
Private health funds set their own ambulance cover and may not cover everything, per the Victorian Department of Health. Check the Home Affairs visa details page for your own visa conditions.
Ambulance Victoria membership ↗Ambulance fees (Victorian Department of Health) ↗
Last checked 12 Oct 2026.
Queensland
Permanent residents
Ambulance treatment and transport is free for Queensland residents, including when they travel in other parts of Australia. Decide separately whether you want private health cover.
Temporary visa holders
Some temporary visas require you to keep health insurance. Check your visa conditions. Queensland says ambulance treatment and transport is free for Queensland residents.
People who do not live in Queensland are charged, and Medicare does not cover ambulance costs. The page read does not define who counts as a resident for a new arrival, so ask the Queensland Ambulance Service. Check the Home Affairs visa details page for your own visa conditions.
Ambulance care and costs (Queensland Ambulance Service) ↗
Last checked 12 Oct 2026.
Western Australia
Permanent residents
Ambulances are not free in Western Australia. St John WA charges patients, so check whether your health insurance covers it.
Temporary visa holders
Some temporary visas require you to keep health insurance. Ambulances are not free in Western Australia, so check that your cover includes them.
St John WA says private health insurance may cover its fee, and that some concession holders pay less. Check the Home Affairs visa details page for your own visa conditions.
Last checked 12 Oct 2026.
Tasmania
Permanent residents
Ambulance Tasmania provides a free service to Tasmanian residents within Tasmania. Decide separately whether you want private health cover.
Temporary visa holders
Some temporary visas require you to keep health insurance. Check your visa conditions. Ambulance Tasmania says its service is free to Tasmanian residents within Tasmania.
Exceptions include motor vehicle and workplace accidents covered by insurance. Visitors are invoiced. The page read does not define who counts as a resident for a new arrival, so ask Ambulance Tasmania. Check the Home Affairs visa details page for your own visa conditions.
Ambulance costs if you live in Tasmania ↗
Last checked 12 Oct 2026.
Australian Capital Territory
Permanent residents
Ambulances are not free in the ACT. You must pay the fee even if you did not ask for the ambulance, so check whether your health insurance covers it.
Temporary visa holders
Some temporary visas require you to keep health insurance. Ambulances are not free in the ACT, so check that your cover includes them.
Most aged pension and health care concession card holders get free ambulance services within the ACT, and accounts can be paid by instalment. Check the Home Affairs visa details page for your own visa conditions.
Ambulance fees and charges (ACT Emergency Services Agency) ↗
Last checked 12 Oct 2026.
Northern Territory
Permanent residents
Ambulances are not free in the Northern Territory. St John NT says you won't have to pay if you are a St John member or your private health fund includes ambulance cover.
Temporary visa holders
Some temporary visas require you to keep health insurance. Ambulances are not free in the Northern Territory, so check that your cover includes them or consider St John cover.
St John NT says an emergency ambulance could cost more than $1,000. Check the Home Affairs visa details page for your own visa conditions.
Ambulance costs and cover (St John NT) ↗
Last checked 12 Oct 2026.