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Eligibility for Medicare Card

Everyone who lives in Australia—excluding Norfolk Island residents—is eligible for a Medicare card if they:

• hold Australian citizenship
• hold New Zealand citizenship (documentation required)
• have been issued with a permanent visa
• have applied for a permanent visa (excludes an application for a parent visa—other requirements apply. Call us for more information).

Visitors to Australia from a country that has a Reciprocal Health Care Agreement with Australia are also eligible for medically necessary treatment.

Supporting documentation

You need to provide documents to support your residency in Australia, or your severing of ties with the previous country of residence if:

• you are an Australian citizen returning to Australia to live after living overseas for more than five years. Read more about Medicare enrolment for returning residents.
• you are a New Zealand citizen requesting enrolment as a permanent resident. Read more about Medicare enrolment for New Zealand citizens.

In some cases both residency and severance documentation may be needed.

Norfolk Island

Residents of Norfolk Island are not eligible to enrol in Medicare. However, Australian citizens who have been living in Australia, and move to Norfolk Island, will be eligible for Medicare on return visits for up to five years.