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.

If you’re here 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. But, 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.

Read 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.

Read 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.

Documents you need to give us if you’re a citizen

You’ll need to show your passport, evidence of your current visa, and either:

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

Documents you need to give us if you’re a citizen

You’ll need to show your non Norwegian passport, your current visa, and either:

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

When you’re not eligible

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