Health checks and visa applications
Health checks are a necessary part of Australia’s visa programmes. They are in place to ensure that public health risks and costs are not increased by visitors and migrants to Australia. The type of health check a visa applicant is required to undertake, depends on their country of origin or residence, their length of stay and their intended activities while in Australia.
The Department of Home Affairs uses data from the World Health Organisation (WHO) to differentiate between countries that are lower risk for Tuberculosis (TB) and countries that are higher risk. This categorisation helps determine whether a visa applicant is generally required to undertake immigration health checks. Below is a table listing all the countries that are considered as lower risk for Tuberculosis.
Lower risk countries for Tuberculosis
American Samoa
Albania
Andorra
Antigua and Barbuda
Argentina
Aruba
Australia
Austria
Bahamas
Bahrain
Barbados
Belgium
Belize
Bermuda
Bonaire
Saint Eustatius & Saba
Bouvet Island
Bulgaria
Canada
Cayman Islands
Chile
Christmas Island
Cocos (Keeling) Islands
Cook Islands
Costa Rica
Croatia
Cuba
Curacao
Cyprus
Czech Republic
Denmark
Dominica
Egypt
Estonia
Falkland Islands
Faroe Islands
Finland
France
French Polynesia
Macedonia (Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia)
Germany
Gibraltar
South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
Greece
Grenada
Guadeloupe
Heard and McDonald Islands
Hungary
Iceland
Iran
Ireland
Israel
Italy
Jamaica
Japan
Jordan
Kosovo
Kuwait
Lebanon
Liechtenstein
Luxembourg
Malta
Mauritius
Mexico
Monaco
Montenegro
Montserrat
Netherlands
Netherlands Antilles
New Caledonia
New Zealand
Niue; Norfolk Island
Norway; Oman
Palestinian Authority
Pitcairn Island; Poland
Portugal; Puerto Rico
Reunion Island
Saint Lucia
Samoa
San Marino
Saudi Arabia
Serbia
Seychelles
Sint Maarten (Dutch)
Slovakia
Slovenia
Spain
Saint Helena (Ascension and Tristan da Cunha) Saint Kitts and Nevis
Svalbard & Jan Mayen
Sweden
Switzerland
Tokelau
Tonga
Trinidad and Tobago
Tunisia
Turkey
Turks and Caicos Islands
United Arab Emirates
United Kingdom (British citizen)
United States of America
Uruguay
Vatican City
Virgin Islands (US)
Virgin Islands (British)
Wallis and Fortuna Islands
How will I know if I need a health check for my visa application?
If your registered migration agent or lawyer has lodged the application on your behalf, they will advise you about whether you will need a health check. Alternatively, if you are lodging the visa application yourself, a flag will appear stating you will need to arrange health examinations. It is recommended that you organise the health checks as soon as possible to ensure a ‘decision ready’ application and avoid any processing delays.
How much do they cost and where can I get a health check done?
The cost of health checks vary, depending on the country and provider. The Department of Home Affairs has a list of panel physicians located around the world, that are approved to undertake health checks for Australian immigration purposes. You are only able to undertake health checks from one of these approved providers. Health checks undertaken by other providers will not be accepted by the Department of Home Affairs for the purposes of your visa application. Information on approved providers can be found on the Department’s website on the following link.
If you’re looking to stay in Australia for less than 6 months
Regardless of the country of your passport or where you resided in the past 5 years, you will generally not be required to undertake a health check if you are applying to visit or stay in Australia for no more than 6 months. The exception to this is if you fit one of the following scenarios:
Intend on working or getting trained at a child care centre in Australia (Medical examination and chest x-ray)
Intend on working as or studying to be a doctor, nurse, dentist or paramedic (Medical examination, chest x-ray, HIV test, Hepatitis B and C test)
Are pregnant and intend on having the baby in Australia (Hepatitis B test)
Are 75 years of age or older and applying for a visitor visa (Medical examination)
If you are not from the list of countries in the table above and plan on entering a health care facility or hospital in Australia (Medical examination and chest x-ray)
If you’re staying Australia for more than 6 months
If you are from a lower TB risk country, you will generally not be required to undertake a health check unless you fit one of the exceptions listed in the previous paragraph. If you are a passport holder of a higher TB risk country (a country not listed in the table above) or have spent more than 3 months in the past 5 years in a higher TB risk country, then you will be required to undertake the following health checks:
Under 11 years of age (Medical examination)
Over 11 years of age (Medical examination and chest x-ray)
If you fit one of the exceptions in the previous paragraph, the health checks required for those circumstances
Mandatory health checks for permanent and provisional visa applicants
If you are applying for a permanent resident visa or a provisional visa such as the onshore subclass 820 partner visa, health checks are mandatory. For citizens of lower TB risk countries, the following health checks are required:
Under 11 years of age (Medical examination)
Between 11 and 15 years of age (Medical examination and chest x-ray)
15 years of age and older (Medical examination, chest x-ray and HIV test)
For citizens or those who have spent more than 3 months in the past 5 years in higher TB risk countries, the required health checks are as follows:
Under 2 years of age (Medical examination)
Between 2 and 11 years of age (Medical examination and TB screening)
Between 11 and 15 years of age (Medical examination and chest x-ray)
15 years of age and older (Medical examination, chest x-ray and HIV test)
For those who fit within one of the scenarios listed earlier, the relevant health checks would apply.
Part of our service at Titan Migration is to advise all of our visa application clients about whether they will be required to undertake health checks. If necessary, we can also arrange the appointments on behalf of our clients. If you need assistance with your visa application or health checks, contact us or book in an appointment online to speak with our registered migration agent.
About Peter Chang
Peter Chang is a registered migration agent based in the Western Sydney hub of Parramatta, Australia. He is the co-founder of Titan Migration, a consultancy specialising in providing Australian immigration advice and visa assistance services.