Who can get it
To be eligible, you must have been living in Sweden before arriving in Australia.
If you’re here on a student visa you’re eligible.
You may be able to get medical treatment in Australia under the Reciprocal Health Care Agreement (RHCA) if you’re travelling to, leaving from, or diverted to Australia, and you needed treatment during your voyage or flight.
The RHCA doesn’t apply if you travel to Australia for medical treatment.
If you’re in Australia 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 eligible to enrol in Medicare while you’re posted here.
This means the cover under the agreement will apply for as long as you’re in Australia.
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. 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
If you’re a Swedish citizen, you’ll need to supply both:
- your Swedish passport
- evidence of your current visa.
If you weren’t living in Sweden before arriving in Australia, you’ll need to give us 2 documents to prove you usually live in Sweden.
Documents you need to give us if you’re not a citizen
You’ll need to supply your passport, your current visa, and either:
- your valid Health Insurance Certificate from a Swedish Social Insurance office
- your valid European Health Insurance Card with the initials SE
- 2 documents proving you live in Sweden.
This could include:
- a work contract
- a rental or lease agreement or bond receipt
- a bank statement
- evidence of child enrolled in childcare or school
- property or contents insurance
- gas, electricity, water or rates account.
Documents must have a date marked on them.
When your cover starts and ends
Your cover starts the day you arrive in Australia.
If you’re a Swedish citizen, it ends when your visa expires.
If you’re not a Swedish citizen, it ends when the first of these expires:
- your Swedish 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 in Medicare, you should submit a claim. We’ll then be able to tell you if you can get a benefit under the agreement or not.