How Much Does It Cost to See a Doctor in Australia? GP, Emergency, Medicines and RHCA Countries (2026)

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Short answer: if you come from a country with a Reciprocal Health Care Agreement (RHCA) with Australia, such as the United Kingdom, Ireland or New Zealand, you may get some public healthcare and subsidised medicines through Medicare. If you come from anywhere else, including Latin America, South Africa and most of Asia, you are usually not eligible for Medicare, so you pay as a private patient and claim back from your OSHC or overseas visitor insurance.

The government benchmark for a standard GP consultation (MBS item 23) is AUD 45.05 from 1 July 2026, and OSHC pays 85% of that MBS fee for a GP visit. What a clinic actually charges varies, so check the clinic’s published fees. This guide is based on Australian Government pages accessed on 15 November 2026 and is general information only.

1. Medicare, RHCA or private insurance: who pays?
2. RHCA countries and what they cover
3. How much does a GP visit cost?
4. How much does the emergency department cost?
5. Prescription medicines and the PBS
6. How to see a GP: step by step
7. Emergency and after-hours numbers
FAQ

1. Medicare, RHCA or private insurance: who pays?

Medicare is Australia’s public health insurance scheme. The Department of Home Affairs says that in most cases visitors are not eligible for Medicare and are responsible for all costs during their stay, including care in public and private hospitals. Anyone who is not eligible for Medicare is treated as a private patient, in the public system as well as the private one. Home Affairs strongly recommends private health insurance for all visitors who are not eligible for Medicare.

Your situation	How a GP visit is usually paid
Australian citizen or permanent resident (enrolled in Medicare)	Medicare; free if the GP bulk bills
Visitor or student from an RHCA country	Medicare for some care, depending on the agreement, plus your own insurance
Student from a non-RHCA country (e.g. Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, South Africa)	Pay the clinic, claim from OSHC; you pay any gap
Working holiday maker or tourist from a non-RHCA country	Pay the clinic, claim from OVHC or travel insurance if your policy covers GP visits

Student visa (subclass 500) holders must keep Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) for their whole stay: Home Affairs lists condition 8501 as mandatory for the 500. For the Working Holiday (417), Work and Holiday (462) and Visitor (600, Tourist) visas, 8501 is discretionary, so check your grant notice or VEVO.

2. RHCA countries and what they cover

The PBS website lists Australia’s current RHCAs as: United Kingdom, Ireland, New Zealand, Malta, Italy, Sweden, the Netherlands, Finland, Norway, Belgium and Slovenia. Countries not on the list, such as Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, South Africa, India and China, have no agreement.

RHCAs are not a substitute for insurance. Services Australia says the agreements help with emergency care and care that can’t wait until you get home, and that you still need your own travel health insurance. Cover differs by country. Examples from Services Australia pages:

Country	What the agreement covers (examples)
United Kingdom	Medically necessary care out of hospital, public hospital care as a public patient, and some PBS medicines at the general rate. You must have been living in the UK before arriving.
New Zealand	Public hospital care as a public patient and some PBS medicines. Visits to a GP are not covered under the agreement.
Italy	Out-of-hospital and public hospital care, and some PBS medicines, for 6 months or until your visa expires, whichever comes first.

Students: privatehealth.gov.au says students from the UK, Sweden, the Netherlands, Belgium, Slovenia, Italy or New Zealand can also apply for Medicare under their RHCA, but students from Norway, Finland, Malta and Ireland are not covered by those agreements. Reciprocal Medicare access does not exempt you from OSHC. Some students from Sweden, Norway or Belgium may be exempt from buying OSHC under their own national schemes; check with Home Affairs.

3. How much does a GP visit cost?

Services Australia defines bulk billing as not having to pay for your medical service: the doctor claims directly from Medicare. It only applies if you are enrolled in Medicare and the doctor agrees to bulk bill; not all doctors do. From 1 November 2025, bulk billing incentives were extended to all Medicare-eligible patients. If you have no Medicare, expect to pay the clinic’s private fee even at a clinic advertised as bulk billing.

MBS item (from 1 July 2026)	Schedule fee
Item 23: GP consultation at the clinic, 6 to under 20 minutes	AUD 45.05
Item 36: GP consultation at the clinic, at least 20 minutes	AUD 87.10

The schedule fee is a benchmark, not a price list. Private clinics set their own fees, and charges vary from clinic to clinic, so check the clinic’s published fees or ask when you book; evenings, weekends and longer consultations usually cost more.

How OSHC and OVHC pay

OSHC: the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing OSHC fact sheet says OSHC pays a benefit equal to 85% of the MBS fee for GP visits. Under the OSHC Deed, 85% is the minimum benefit; some policies may pay more, so check your policy terms. For item 23 that is about AUD 38.29 (45.05 × 85%; your insurer calculates the final amount). You pay the gap between that and the clinic’s fee. Some clinics can bill your OSHC insurer directly so you pay only the gap; otherwise pay in full and claim online with your receipt.
OVHC or travel insurance: GP cover, excesses and claim rules vary widely between policies. Read your policy before you need it.

4. How much does the emergency department cost?

Public hospitals will treat anyone who needs urgent care, but patients without Medicare are charged. The South Eastern Sydney Local Health District (NSW Health) says people without a Medicare card are charged to see the emergency doctor, tests such as pathology and X-ray or CT are charged separately, and citizens of non-RHCA countries must pay for all consultations, tests and treatment.

Each state and hospital sets its own fees. As an example, the Victorian Department of Health publishes these estimated average costs for 2026-27 for patients not covered by Medicare:

Service (Victoria, 2026-27 estimate)	Cost
Emergency department, not admitted	AUD 644 per day
Outpatient, medical	AUD 386 per encounter
Overnight, medical ward	AUD 1,957 per day
Intensive care unit	AUD 6,881 per day

Doctors’ fees, diagnostics and drugs may be billed on top, and these figures are a state guideline only; the hospital’s invoice is what counts. Home Affairs notes that for routine health care, a GP appointment is normally the most cost-effective option. If you are unsure where to go, call healthdirect on 1800 022 222.

5. Prescription medicines and the PBS

The Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) subsidises many prescription medicines for Australian residents with a current Medicare card and for visitors from RHCA countries. Eligible RHCA visitors can show their passport at the pharmacy.

PBS patient co-payment (PBS website: amounts as at 1 July 2026)	Amount
General patient, maximum per prescription (from 1 January 2026)	AUD 25.00
Concessional patient	AUD 7.70
Safety Net threshold (general / concessional)	AUD 1,748.20 / AUD 277.20

Without Medicare or RHCA eligibility you pay the non-subsidised price, which the pharmacist can tell you. OSHC only gives limited pharmacy benefits: up to AUD 50 per item and AUD 500 a year for a single policy (AUD 1,000 for a couple or family policy), according to privatehealth.gov.au and the OSHC fact sheet.

6. How to see a GP: step by step

Find a clinic: use the healthdirect Service Finder, an online booking platform or your university health service. Clinic pages often list the languages each doctor speaks, including Spanish and Portuguese.
Ask about fees when you book: the private patient fee and whether the clinic can bill your OSHC insurer directly.
Bring: your passport, insurance card or app, and a list of medicines and allergies in English.
Arrive 10 to 15 minutes early. Some clinics charge for late cancellations or missed appointments.
Keep your receipt and claim from your insurer. Referrals to specialists, blood tests and scans are charged separately.

7. Emergency and after-hours numbers

Number	When to call
000 (Triple Zero)	Life-threatening emergencies: ambulance, police or fire. Go straight to the emergency department; you do not need a GP first.
1800 022 222 (healthdirect)	Free, government-funded health advice 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You can talk to a nurse or doctor about whether to see a GP, go to urgent care or go to hospital. In Victoria it is also called NURSE-ON-CALL.
131 450 (TIS National)	Free phone interpreting; ask to be transferred to healthdirect.

Ambulance costs are not covered by Medicare and vary by state. OSHC includes emergency ambulance cover; if you hold OVHC or travel insurance, check that your policy includes it.

FAQ

Q1: Can I use Medicare as an international student?

Only if you come from an RHCA country whose agreement covers students: privatehealth.gov.au lists the UK, Sweden, the Netherlands, Belgium, Slovenia, Italy and New Zealand. Students from Norway, Finland, Malta and Ireland, and students from non-RHCA countries such as Brazil, Colombia or South Africa, are not covered. All student visa holders still need OSHC unless an exemption applies.

Q2: How much does a GP visit cost in Australia without Medicare?

There is no fixed price. Fees vary from clinic to clinic, so check the clinic’s published fees. The government benchmark for a standard GP consultation (MBS item 23) is AUD 45.05 from 1 July 2026, and OSHC pays 85% of that MBS fee; you pay any gap.

Q3: Is a bulk billing clinic free for me?

Only if you are enrolled in Medicare and the doctor bulk bills you. Without Medicare, you normally pay the clinic’s private fee and claim from your OSHC or other insurance.

Q4: Do I pay to go to a public hospital emergency department?

Yes, if you are not eligible for Medicare. Hospitals set their own fees. For example, the Victorian Department of Health lists an estimated average cost of AUD 644 (charged per day) for non-admitted emergency department care in 2026-27, with tests and doctors’ fees possibly billed separately. In a life-threatening emergency, call 000 first.

Q5: Are prescription medicines subsidised for visitors?

Only for Medicare holders and visitors from RHCA countries, who pay up to AUD 25.00 per PBS prescription as a general patient from 1 January 2026. Others pay the non-subsidised price; OSHC covers up to AUD 50 per item and AUD 500 a year for a single policy.

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Sources

Sources (accessed 15 November 2026)

Australian Government Department of Home Affairs (CC BY 3.0 AU). Victorian Department of Health content used in line with that site’s copyright page (© State Government of Victoria).

Information updated: 15 November 2026. Clinic fees and insurance benefits are set by each clinic and insurer; visa conditions are as shown on your grant notice or VEVO.

Disclaimer: 1. This article is general information only and is not migration or legal advice. 2. We have a qualified education agent counsellor (QEAC #2822) who can help with study planning, but visa decisions rest with the Australian Government. 3. Figures and rules are as shown on official pages accessed on 2026-11-15. 4. Course details, fees, start dates, and migration policies are subject to change. Please check the latest announcements from the school and the Australian Department of Home Affairs.
For personalised study or migration planning, please contact our professional advisory team.
Registered Migration Agent MARA: 2519162
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