Travel outside Australia

There are rules about how long your Low Income Health Care Card remains current when you travel outside Australia.

If you leave Australia to live in another country, we’ll cancel your card when you depart.

If your travel is short term, your card will remain current for up to 6 weeks. After 6 weeks, we’ll cancel your card and you’ll need to reapply once you return to Australia.

When and how to tell us about your travel

When you hold a Low Income Health Care Card, you need to tell us if you’re leaving Australia and either of the following apply, you:

  • are going to live in another country
  • will be away for more than 6 weeks.

If your Centrelink online account is linked to myGov, sign in now to tell us about your travel plans. If you don’t have a myGov account or a Centrelink online account you’ll need to create them.

Sign in to myGov

You can also use your online account to get information on how your travel could affect your payments and concession cards.

If you can’t use an online account, tell us your travel plans by either:

Australia’s immigration department will tell us when you leave. They will also tell us when you return.

Read more about payments while outside Australia.

Page last updated: 24 November 2023.
QC 31221