You can enrol in Medicare if you have a permanent resident visa. You’ll need to give us both:
- a current passport or ImmiCard
- proof of permanent residence from the Department of Home Affairs.
We need copies of these documents for each person you want to enrol. You don’t need to get your documents certified.
If you don’t have these documents, tell us. We’ll talk to you about other options.
When you live overseas after you enrol
If you live overseas for more than 12 months, you won’t be eligible for Medicare. You’ll need to enrol again when you move back to Australia.
You’ll need to give us:
- a current passport for each person
- 2 documents proving your family now live in Australia dated within the last 6 months.
Proving you now live in Australia
You can prove you live in Australia by giving us either:
- 2 documents from Australia
- one document from Australia and one from where you last lived.
| Documents from Australia | Documents from the other country |
|---|---|
| Proof of rental or lease agreement, and gas or electricity account in the same name | Proof you sold your property |
| Proof of purchase of property, and gas or electricity account in the same name | Proof you ended your lease |
| Proof you have a job | Proof your job ended |
| Proof your child is enrolled in childcare, school or university | Proof you moved household goods or furniture |
| Proof you have a current bank account in Australia | Proof you closed your bank account |
| Proof of health, property or contents insurance | Proof you cancelled health, property or contents insurance |
If you don’t have these documents, tell us. We’ll talk to you about other options.
You don’t need to get your documents certified.