Health

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Meeting our health requirement

Australia enjoys some of the best health standards in the world. To maintain these standards, most visa applicants must meet minimum health standards before we will grant them ​a visa. We call this 'meeting the health requirement'. We may assess your health as part of the visa application process.

Find out information on:

• who needs health examinations
• what health examinations you need
• when to have health examinations
• how to arrange health examinations
• what will happen at your health examinations appointment and after your examinations
• health undertakings 
  
• ​Special consideration for children born and ordinarily resident in Australia who do not meet the health requirement
  
• health waivers​​

Why you must ​meet t​he health requirement

Making sure visa applicants meet the health requirement:

• protects the Australian community from public health and safety risks, especially active tuberculosis
• helps us control how much we spend on services like social security benefits, allowances and pensions
• ensures Australian citizens and permanent residents can access health and community services that are in short supply.
  

Most visa applicants must meet the health requirement.

Your family members might also have to meet our health requirement even if they are not migrating to Australia. This will depend on what visa you apply for.

To meet the health requirement you must be free from any disease or condition that is:

• a significant healthcare and community service cost to the Australian community
• likely to limit the access of Australian citizens and permanent residents to healthcare and community services that are in short supply by placing demand on those services. We call this prejudicing access.
  

You might have to have health examinations to prove you meet the health requirement. A Medical Officer of the Commonwealth (M​OC)​ will assess the results of your examinations. If you have a significant medical condition, the MOC will advise us whether the condition is likely to:

• threaten public health
• result in significant healthcare and community service costs
  
• place a demand on healthcare or community services that are in short supply.​
  

The MOC will consider what kind of services a hypothetical person with the same kind and severity of condition would need. They will advise us on that basis.

When the MOC gives us advice they can only consider your medical situation, not your other personal circumstances. For example, the MOC cannot consider whether having private health insurance or enough money to pay for treatment will impact your use of available public services.​

The MOC might also recommend we ask you to sign a health undertaking.​
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