Moving to Australia from New Zealand?
Get all information you need to make a successful and stress-free move across the ditch.
Medicare is Australia’s main healthcare government-funded scheme. New Zealand citizens can enrol in Medicare immediately (recommended a week after you arrive) if you can prove you’ve moved to Australia (see below).
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, and of course, Doctors will happily still see you but it will cost more because you aren’t registered with them.
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.
There are many things to consider when moving to Australia, and whether you can still get the prescription medication you need is high on the list.
There also might be an operation you’ve been told you might need, and you want to know if you will be covered under Medicare and how much it will cost.
New Zealanders who are 67 years or older and live in Australia should be eligible for an Australian Age Pension. As long as they meet the resident, income, and asset eligibility criteria.
Please note that the eligibility criteria have recently been changed, so you will need to wait until you are now 67 to receive the Australian Age Pension if you were born on or after 1 January 1957. Read more below.
Under Australia’s international social security agreement with New Zealand, NZ citizens living in Australia can apply for the Australian Age Pension (over 67 years, see below), Disability Support Pension (DSP) (if they are severely disabled), and Carer Payment (if they are caring for a partner on DSP), irrespective of whether they are protected or non-protected SCV holders.
The cost of having a baby will vary depending on whether you give birth in the public or private system. In Australia, pregnancy care in a public hospital or birth centre is free because it is covered by Medicare, which covers New Zealanders on an SCV, Australian citizens, and some visitors to Australia.
We are eligible for Parental Leave Pay as New Zealand citizens living in Australia on an SCV and don’t have to wait the two-year wait period for newly arrived residents. However, you do need to meet the income and work tests. Read more below.
In Australia, you receive antenatal care from your GP, midwife, or obstetrician, and you will have very similar options for your child’s birth as in New Zealand.
When researching and planning your pregnancy and the birth of your baby, remember that as an SCV holder, you have the same rights as an Australian citizen covered by Medicare Australia or your private health insurance.
If you have any recent experience claiming Parental Leave Pay, please share your feedback below in the comment section. This information will be incredibly helpful for expecting parents moving to Australia.
Editors note: I was pregnant when I moved to Australia. I was traveling back to New Zealand regularly, and planned to have my baby NZ, so I was close to my family. I received most of my pregnancy and birth-care in New Zealand.
However, on the few occasions that I did need help in Australia, I found my GP easy to register with and get good advice from. I had to take my son to the hospital when he was just over 1 month old and I was so impressed by the service and care I received in Brisbane.
In this post you will find information on:
In Australia, Medicare does cover all or some of your costs. Medicare can cover some or all of your expenses during your pregnancy and the birth of your baby. Medicare covers:
Medicare Safety Nets can help lower out-of-pocket medical costs for out-of-hospital services.
When you spend over a certain amount in a calendar year, you’ll get a higher amount back from Medicare. So, if you need to see a doctor, get tests regularly, or are part of a family, you could save money with Medicare Safety Nets.
If you’re part of a family or couple, you can combine your costs by registering as a family member and registering for Medicare Safety Nets.
When your baby is born, you can also add them to your Medicare Safety Net family. You can do this when you enrol your baby in Medicare. You do this after the birth of your baby.
So, under Medicare, you get free care and delivery in the public health system, but you won’t be able to choose your doctor or midwife.
In the private system, you can choose your doctor, but you will need to pay for the care or take out private health insurance. Medicare and your health fund will cover some of the costs of a private hospital stay, but you may still have to pay extra fees (known as ‘out-of-pocket’ costs).
Be sure to check that your private health insurance covers maternity care, and if there is a waiting time before you can claim.
It can be difficult to understand the costs of different care options. If unsure, talk to your doctor, hospital, or health fund, or call Pregnancy, Birth, and Baby.
Families can access health care and financial benefits, including Medicare, newborn payments, child care payments, and parental leave pay.
You can read about the Australian Government payments here: http://www.pregnancybirthbaby.org.au/medicare-and-other-benefits.
Some government payments require a two-year waiting period for newly arrived residents. However, as NZ citizens living in Australia on an SCV, we meet the residence rules and do not need to wait.
You can enrol in Medicare Australia soon after you arrive in Australia. Find out how to apply, what you’re entitled to, and the costs of healthcare in my Medicare Australia post.
There’s a lot of information about payments and services available to help you raise your child or children on the Services Australia website, and you can check if you are eligible for payments.
Centrelink allows you to submit a claim for some payments as early as three months before your baby’s due date. The above article runs you through your options for claiming.
These payments should be available to New Zealanders living in Australia on an SCV:
If you’re not eligible for Parental Leave Pay, you may still be able to get both Newborn Upfront Payment and Newborn Supplement.
Parental Leave Pay is a payment for up to 100 days, or 20 weeks, while you care for a child born or adopted from 1 July 2023. This includes the old Dad and Partner Pay of 2 weeks.
Services Australia has all the information you need about eligibility, payment amounts, income and work tests. Please read the following content to understand your rights:
If your child’s birth or entry into care is before 1 July 2023, your family will be assessed under the old rules. This means your family may be able to get up to 18 weeks of Parental Leave Pay and up to 2 weeks of Dad and Partner Pay. This is regardless of when you choose to start your payment.
If your child’s birth or entry into care is on or after 1 July 2023, Parental Leave Pay and Dad and Partner Pay are combined into one payment. It increased from 90 days, or up to 18 weeks, based on a 5-day work week, to 100 days or 20 weeks. They also changed the income test, work requirements and who can get it.
If your child’s birth or adoption is from 1 July 2024, there are more proposed changes to Parental Leave Pay, subject to legislation passing. The proposed changes include the total Parental Leave Pay available to families increasing to 26 weeks by 2026. From 1 July 2025, there may also be changes to how you can share your payment with your partner if you have one.
Read more here on the Services Australia website, Paid Parental Leave scheme changes.
Services Australia use your adjusted taxable income to determine your Parental Leave Pay eligibility. You may meet the family income test if you don’t meet the individual income test.
They’ll look at your income from the financial year before either (whichever date is earlier):
To get Parental Leave Pay, you must have an individual adjusted taxable income of either:
You can use a family income test if you don’t meet the individual income test. You can get Parental Leave Pay if your and your partner’s adjusted taxable income is up to $364,350 or less in the 2023-24 financial year. Your partner is the person you’re in a relationship with on the date you claim. This limit will apply to your income if you don’t have a partner.
If you are unclear on the above, you can read examples of meeting the family income test on the Services Australia website, meeting the income test.
To meet the work test, you need to have worked for both (they count 10 months as 295 days and 13 months as 392 days):
There are many activities that count as work, including paid leave. You can include any periods of time that you worked or did an approved activity in the 10-month period. You can include work for multiple employers and combine approved activities to meet the work test. You can’t have more than a 12-week gap between each work day in that 10-month period.
The Services Australia website, work requirements, has more about the work test and examples to help you apply it.
I regularly read the Services Australia website for information on New Zealand citizens living in Australia on an SCV and our eligibility for Parental Leave Pay and Dad and Partner Pay. It can often be confusing and open to interpretation. However, it does state that if you hold a Special Category Visa (SCV), you may be exempt from the Newly Arrived Resident’s Waiting Period:
New Zealand citizens claiming payments in Australia – Non-protected SCV holders:
If you have served, or have an exemption from, the Newly Arrived Resident’s Waiting Period, you may be eligible to claim:
Exemptions from the Newly Arrived Resident’s Waiting Period for Parental Leave Pay:
You may not have to wait to receive Parental Leave Pay if any of the following apply:
We also meet the residence rules for getting Parental Leave Pay for a child born or adopted after 1 July 2023.
Please mention the above to a Services Australia representative when you contact them. Hopefully it will help. The general consensus from visitor feedback is that it really depends on who you end up talking to.
The Newborn Upfront Payment and Newborn Supplement is a lump sum and an increase to your Family Tax Benefit Part A payment when you start caring for a baby or child that’s recently come into your care. Kiwis on an SCV are eligible for this, but you must not be getting Parental Leave Pay for the same child.
You can read more about the Newborn Upfront Payment and Newborn Supplement on the Services Australia website.
I highly recommend the Australian government website Pregnancy, Birth and Babies. Go there for all your questions.
There is great general information on having a healthy pregnancy, keeping fit, you and your baby’s wellbeing, etc. It also contains all the info on checkups, screenings and scans, if you have complications during pregnancy and if things go wrong.
You should discuss your plans for taking leave with your employer before your baby is born and give them written notice 10 weeks before starting your leave.
If you plan to get Parental Leave Pay, you need to tell your employer, as they may need to provide the funds.
Use the Supporting Working Parents website to learn about your workplace rights while pregnant, during parental leave, or upon returning to the workplace.
As a New Zealander on an SCV you have the same decisions to make as an Australian citizen.
There is a lot to consider when planning the birth of your baby. Pregnancy, Birth and Baby’s have everything you need to know about the birth, including your options, what happens during labour, and what to expect immediately after.
They also have information on what will happen to your baby and the tests that are usually done, plus what can happen if there are complications during birth.
Remember you have the same rights as an Australian citizen covered by Medicare Australia or private health insurance.
Your baby will not be an Australian citizen if you are both in Australia on a non-protected SCV.
If you were born in Australia, and at least one of your parents was an Australian citizen or Permanent Resident when you were born, you are an Australian citizen by birth.
Your baby will be able to apply for Australian citizenship if they live in Australia until they are age 10: https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/citizenship/certificate/get-a-certificate#Overview.
New Zealanders with a child born in Australia who is not an Australian citizen at birth should apply for New Zealand citizenship by descent and a passport for the child as soon as they are born. Do not wait until you have a family emergency requiring you to travel overseas. New Zealand citizenship by descent and passport applications take up to 30 working days to be processed and cost AU$407. Urgent requests take up to 10 working days and cost AU$622.
Life is similar in Australia to NZ in terms of bringing up children. The culture, pre-schools and kindergartens, schooling, and extracurricular activities are similarly organised and available, but with more options because of the population. A lot of life is lived outdoors because of the sunny climate of most of Australia.
Schools and the government encourage and support sport. Even some schools offer surfing as a subject. Sports are one of the main reasons some families move to Australia. It gives a talented sporty child many opportunities for world-class training and competitions.
You will meet families, kids, and people through your community, so if you get involved in hobbies and activities around where you live, you will give yourself a good chance to make friends. There are antenatal classes, pre-school activities, and free things to do in your city, so search for your local community socials or websites and get out there! Australians love to talk!
Here you can find info and advice on bringing up a baby and child in Australia:
Pregnancy, Birth and Baby is funded by the Australian Government and operated by Healthdirect Australia. This is a fantastic resource for New Zealanders living in Australia with a family.
Pregnancy, Birth and Baby will help answer all your questions after arriving in Australia. They offer a fantastic helpline. I called them to ask a question on behalf of a visitor and they were terrific.
Here is helpful information about having a baby in Australia from the Australian government website, Human Services. It covers before, during, and after birth, as well as tools and information.
The Australian government also supports Raisingchildren.net.au, which provides ad-free parenting videos, articles, and apps backed by Australian experts.
The below posts might interest you:
If you’ve read the above content and the answer to your question isn’t there, please comment below, and I’ll research the answer for you.
If you need advice on moving to Australia from New Zealand, I’ve created a helpful little questionnaire to help. It takes less than 30 seconds to complete, so give it a try!
If you are making plans to move to Australia, applying for health insurance is an important part of the process. Aside from that, it’s always a good idea to prepare for the unexpected.
In Australia, the public health system Medicare covers most Australian residents’ healthcare needs. However, Medicare does not cover everything, and you can choose to take out private health insurance to get a wider range of healthcare options and more comprehensive coverage.
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.
If you would like to help me, you can use one of my referral partners.
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