Moving to Australia from New Zealand?
Get all information you need to make a successful and stress-free move across the ditch.
Medicare is a publicly funded universal health care scheme in Australia. Operated by the government authority Medicare Australia, Medicare is the primary funder of health care in Australia, funding primary health care for Australian citizens and permanent residents (except for those on Norfolk Island).
Residents are entitled to subsidised treatment from medical practitioners, eligible midwives, nurse practitioners and allied health professionals who have been issued a Medicare provider number and can also obtain free treatment in public hospitals.
As an NZ Citizen, you are eligible for Medicare Australia. However, you need to either live in Australia for 6 months or provide proof that you’ll be living there for the next 6 months.
I’ve been advised by mutliple visitors that there is a 2 to 3 months wait for Medicare applications to be processed. This is inconsistant with their website, which states 16 calendar days to process an application from the date they recieve it.
They do state that, some applications may take longer if the Department of Health and Aged Care need to assess them.
Therefore, get your application ready to go before you leave NZ and apply asap when you arrive in Australia. However, make sure you application is complete (see below).
The info you will find below in this post:
To enroll in Medicare Australia, you must first demonstrate that you are either living in Australia or have moved there permanently. The requirements for enrollment are as follows:
You can enroll within 6 months of arriving in Australia.
It’s recommended to wait at least one week after your arrival before applying. This gives Medicare time to receive your visa details from the Department of Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs.
Once your application is accepted, you will be sent a Medicare card, though it may take a few weeks to arrive. In the meantime, you can use a digital version of your Medicare card as soon as your application is processed.
To access your digital Medicare card, download the Express Plus Medicare app and log in. You’ll need a myGov account linked to your Medicare online account to use the app. If you don’t have these accounts, you can set them up and then download the app.
You can enrol in Medicare either:
You can enrol in Medicare online as either an individual or a family through your myGov account and easily track the progress of your application.
To enrol online, you and your family members must meet the following requirements:
For family enrolment:
If you already have a myGov account, simply sign in and follow the steps to enrol in Medicare. If you don’t have one, you’ll need to create an account first.
If your application is approved, they’ll contact you with your next steps. They’ll also send you your Medicare card in the mail to the address you gave them.
If you’re unable to enrol online, you can complete a Medicare enrolment form and submit it by mail or email, along with your supporting documents, to Medicare Enrolment Services.
If submitting by email, include “Medicare enrolment” in the subject line to ensure faster processing.
As a New Zealand citizen residing in Australia, you need to provide two residency documents from the below (2 documents from Australia, or 1 document from Australia and 1 from NZ).
Documents from another country:
Documents from Australia:
As you can see from the above, these documents support the fact that you have moved to Australia and plan to live there for the foreseeable future, not just on holiday and wish to get cheap healthcare while there. Most rental agreements in Australia are for a minimum of one year, or if you moved your furniture over, you are not going to move it back in a hurry, etc.
You can read more on the Medicare Australia website, about the documents you need if you’re a New Zealand citizen to prove your identity and residency.
When submitting your documents, make sure they:
If you are visiting Australia, you may be eligible for care under the Reciprocal Health Care Agreement, which covers essential treatment in a public hospital. However, you cannot enrol in Medicare or receive a Medicare card until you provide proof that you live in Australia.
You can read more in my Australian Health Care System post.
You can find the below information on the Medicare’s eligibility criteria webpage.
You can enrol in Medicare if you live in Australia and you’re any of these:
You can also enrol if you’re a citizen or permanent resident of any of these: Norfolk Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Christmas Island or Lord Howe Island. You may be able to enrol if you’re visiting from a Reciprocal Health Care Agreement country.
The PBS rebate is deducted before being sold to you. From 1 January 2024, you may pay up to $31.60 for most PBS medicines or $7.70 if you have a concession card. The Australian Government pays the remaining cost (except brand premiums and certain other allowable charges).
The PBS Schedule lists all of the medicines available to be dispensed to patients at a Government-subsidised price. The Schedule is part of the wider Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme managed by the Department of Health and Aged Care and administered by Services Australia.
Find out exactly how much your medication will cost in my costs of medication and operations in Australia post.
If your doctor has Bulk Bills (rather hard to find but more common for concession card holders), you should not have to pay anything for an appointment with your doctor.
If they do not bulk bill, you will need to pay the ‘gap’ between the Medicare rebate and the fee if the surgery will do the rebate on the spot, or the entire amount (most common). If you pay the entire amount you need to apply to Medicare for the rebate, in person or via the post.
The Medicare scheduled fee for a standard appointment is approximately $29.45 and the doctor’s fee can be around $40. Your out-of-pocket expenses are what is taken into account if you register for the Medicare Safety Net.
The Australian Government Department of Health website has a tool for finding and understanding the costs of medical specialist services across Australia, including operations. You can search for a procedure or service or browse by category.
Find out how much your operational or specalist will cost in my costs of medication and operations in Australia post.
Under the PBS, the government subsidises the cost of medicine for most medical conditions. Most of the listed medicines are dispensed by pharmacists, and used by patients at home. Some medicines are dangerous to administer and need medical supervision (such as chemotherapy drugs) and are only accessible at specialised medical services, usually hospitals.
The PBS Schedule lists all of the medicines available to be dispensed to patients at a Government-subsidised price. The Schedule is part of the wider Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme managed by the Department of Health and Aged Care and administered by Services Australia.
They now have the schedule online and it is updated every month. This online searchable version contains:
The Scheme is available to all Australian residents who hold a current Medicare card. Overseas visitors from countries with which Australia has a Reciprocal Health Care Agreement (RHCA) are also eligible to access the Scheme (New Zealand).
You will need to provide your Medicare card every time you present your script to the pharmacist to receive subsidised medication.
You can read more about PBS on their website and search the PBS schedule to see if your medication is covered and what you can expect to pay.
In Australia, the government has a Continence Aids Payment Scheme, which is a yearly non-taxable payment to assist eligible people who have permanent and severe incontinence to meet some of the cost of their continence products.
As a New Zealand citizen who holds a Special Category Visa (SCV), you have permanent residency rights under the Australian Citizenship Act 2007, therefore you are eligible for the scheme.
You should be able to find everything you need to know on the Continence Foundation of Australia website.
For more information on Medicare visit: https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/individuals/contact-us.
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If you’ve read the above content and the answer to your question isn’t there, please write a comment below and I’ll research the answer for you. Please note, if the answer to your question is in the content above, I will not reply. Sorry, I just get too many questions these days and I can’t keep up.
If you need advice on moving to Australia from New Zealand, I’ve created a helpful little questionnaire to point you in the right direction. It takes less than 20 seconds, so give it a go!
Hi… I’m JJ Smith.
I’m the creator and editor of Moving to Australia and have been for 15 years! I know everything there is to know about New Zealanders moving their families and life to Australia. Either from first hand experiences and research or through the questions from visitors to this website… and I’m here to help!
I love helping people via Moving to Australia.
Providing the answers to questions we all ask when deciding whether to make the move from New Zealand to Australia. Even giving individual specific advice where needed.
I have learned a lot over the last 15 years from personal experience and through interacting with visitors. This is my job, making sure the information here is comprehensive and up to date.
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Sonia
December 30, 2024 at 6:47 pmHi there,
I am taking treatment for breast cancer in NZ. We are NZ citizens and would like to move to Australia. As I need long term treatment , can I get Medicare ? Is Medicare covers chemotherapy? Am I eligible to apply for citizenship after 4 years ? Your input will be beneficial.Thanks
JJ Smith
March 6, 2025 at 1:41 pmHi Sonia,
I’m really sorry for not replying sooner. Your email was lost with a handful of others when I was having email problems.
I’m also sorry to hear about your situation, and I hope your treatment is going well. Here’s some information that may help.
As a New Zealand citizen moving to Australia, you are eligible for Medicare under the Reciprocal Health Care Agreement (RHCA). This will cover medically necessary treatment, but it has limitations.
Does Medicare Cover Chemotherapy? – Yes, Medicare does cover chemotherapy, but the level of coverage depends on whether the treatment is provided in a public hospital or private setting.
– If treated as a public patient in a public hospital, your chemotherapy will generally be covered by Medicare.
– If treated in a private hospital, Medicare may cover part of the costs, but you may have out-of-pocket expenses unless you have private health insurance.
– Some chemotherapy medications are also subsidized under the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS), reducing the cost. You can read more about that in my costs of medication and operations in Australia post: https://www.movingtoaustralia.co.nz/costs-of-medication-and-operations-in-australia/.
As an NZ citizen, you can apply for permanent residency through the direct pathway to citizenship, after you meet the 4-year residency requirement. There is no income threshold or health check required. Read more about that here: https://www.movingtoaustralia.co.nz/citizenship-pathway-for-new-zealanders-in-australia/.
Wishing you all the best with your treatment and move.
Please feel free to email me back any further questions you have.
Emily
November 17, 2024 at 10:45 pmHey this is really helpful thanks but is it up to date? I am an aussie citizen moving back to Australia after 11 years away. I rang medicare today and they said it takes at least 6 weeks to register for medicare and you can only do it once you arrive in the country. Your information says wait a week after arriving to register then you get your medicare number straight away. Which is correct?? I am keen but the time period for being eligible for health services with a valid medicare number is a big factor in my deicison to move or not.
JJ Smith
November 19, 2024 at 2:54 pmHi Emily,
Thank you for your comment.
You will get your Medicare number after they have approved your application. By straight away, I mean you don’t have to wait for your physical Medicare card to arrive (3-4 weeks), they will give your number so you can start using it.
As you would have read, I have been advised by my visitors that there is a 2-3 months wait for Medicare applications to be processed.
I thought as an Australia citizen, you might have been able to find your old Medicare number, but I’ve just read that if you have been overseas for more than 5 years, you need to re-enrol. What a hassle.
So you are going to have to apply for Medicare and wait 6 weeks, to 3 months for them to approve your application.
Hope the above helps.
Stefan
August 30, 2024 at 9:57 amHi there,
With Medicare what do we do to cover our self’s before we get Medicare. Do we just get travel insurance we are moving from New Zealand
JJ Smith
September 19, 2024 at 12:55 pmHi Stefan,
Thank you for your comment. Sorry for the large delay in replying.
It is recommended that you get private travel health insurance, but you will still get help from the Australian healthcare system as a New Zealand citizen.
Until you enrol with Medicare Australia, you can get healthcare under the Reciprocal Health Care Agreement New Zealand has with Australia. This covers essential treatment in a public hospital. You can’t enrol or get a Medicare card until you prove you live in Australia.
The Reciprocal Health Care Agreement between New Zealand and Australia provides temporary coverage for medically necessary care in a public hospital and access to prescription medications at a lower price. However, it is important to note that it is only designed as a temporary measure, and longer-term treatment may require returning to New Zealand.
However, the Australian High Commission still recommends that people take out suitable insurance cover for the period of their travel. Reciprocal health care agreements do not replace the need for private travel health insurance.
Hope the above helps.
Please feel free to email me back any further questions you have.
Good luck with your move to Australia.