Telehealth in Australia for International Visitors: Complete Guide (No Medicare Needed)
Telehealth in Australia for International Visitors: Complete Guide (No Medicare Needed)
If you are physically in Australia, you can see a qualified clinician by telehealth without a Medicare card. Private telehealth services charge a flat fee that anyone can pay, so tourists, international students, working holiday makers and temporary visa holders can all use them. In one short consultation you can get health advice, an online prescription, a medical certificate, or a referral, sent straight to your phone.
One extra step makes prescriptions seamless. Applying for a free Individual Healthcare Identifier (IHI) through myGov lets you receive electronic prescriptions on your phone, which you can fill at any Australian pharmacy. You must be in Australia to apply, and you must be in Australia for the consultation itself.
Falling ill far from home is stressful enough. Working out how to see someone about it, in a country whose health system you do not know, without a Medicare card, can feel like a second problem stacked on the first. The good news is that getting care in Australia as an international visitor is more straightforward than most people expect, and you do not need to be in the Medicare system to do it.
This guide is the complete picture: who this is for, why no Medicare card is needed, what you can and cannot get, how the IHI works, and when you should seek in person or emergency care instead. It links to detailed guides on each step, and to our telehealth consultation service which you can book instantly.
Who Can Benefit From This Guide
If you are visiting or temporarily living in Australia and you are not in the Medicare system, this guide is written for you. That includes:
- Tourists and holidaymakers who get unwell during their trip and need care quickly.
- International students who need a sick note for university, a repeat script, or advice on a minor illness.
- Working holiday makers who move around the country and rarely have a regular local clinic.
- Temporary visa holders and new arrivals who are not yet eligible for Medicare.
The single most important condition is location. Everything in this guide assumes you are physically in Australia at the time of your consultation. Australian registered clinicians provide telehealth to people who are in Australia. Consulting from another country is a different legal situation and is not what this service is for.
Why You Do Not Need a Medicare Card
Medicare is Australia’s public health scheme, and it subsidises care for citizens, permanent residents, and some others. Most international visitors are not enrolled in it. That worries people, because they assume no Medicare card means no care. It does not.
Private telehealth services do not rely on Medicare at all. They charge a simple, upfront fee that is the same for everyone, whether or not you hold a Medicare card. You pay the fee, you have your consultation, and you receive your outcome. There is no rebate to claim and no eligibility test to pass. For a visitor, this is often the fastest and clearest way to get help.
What You Can Get From a Telehealth Consultation
Within the scope of practice, a telehealth clinician can handle most everyday, non emergency health needs. As a visitor, you can typically get:
| What you need | How telehealth helps |
|---|---|
| Health advice and diagnosis | Assessment of common problems such as colds and flu, sore throats, urinary tract infections, skin concerns, allergies and headaches, with a clear plan for what to do next. |
| An online prescription | Where clinically appropriate, a prescription sent to your phone as an electronic script, which you take to any Australian pharmacy. |
| A medical certificate | A certificate for work or study after a clinical assessment, delivered by email, with the same standing as one from an in person clinic. |
| A specialist referral | A referral letter to a specialist when your care needs it, without seeing someone in person first purely for the paperwork. |
| A blood test request | A pathology request so you can have tests done at a collection centre, within the clinician’s scope. |
A quick note on who you see. At Intouch Healthcare, every consultation is delivered by an AHPRA registered Australian nurse practitioner. The Australian College of Nurse Practitioners describes nurse practitioners as senior clinicians with the authority to diagnose and treat people of all ages, prescribe medicines, order tests and refer. If you are curious how the role compares to a doctor, our guide on nurse practitioner vs GP explains it in full.
BOOK TELEHEALTH CONSULTATIONWhat Is The Individual Healthcare Identifier (IHI) And Why Does It Help?
This is the part that trips visitors up, so it is worth getting clear. An Individual Healthcare Identifier is a free 16 digit number that identifies you for healthcare purposes in Australia. It holds your identity details, not your medical information. Australian citizens, permanent residents and visitors to Australia are all eligible for one.
Here is the key point for prescriptions. You do not need an IHI to have a consultation or to receive care. You do need one to receive an electronic script on your phone. Without an IHI, a clinician can still issue a paper style script that is sent to a pharmacy for you, but the smooth phone based eScript experience needs the identifier. For a visitor who wants medication quickly and conveniently, getting an IHI first is worth the few minutes it takes.
How To Get An IHI
- Make sure you are in Australia. You must be in the country when you apply so your identity can be verified.
- Create or sign in to a myGov account.
- Link the Individual Healthcare Identifiers service and follow the prompts, using your passport with a valid Australian visa to verify your identity.
- If you cannot apply online, you can request an IHI using the paper form with certified copies of your identity documents, though this takes longer.
Once you have your IHI, you are set up to receive eScripts from any Australian telehealth service, including our telehealth consultation service.
How A Visitor Telehealth Appointment Works: Step By Step
- Choose your service, whether that is a general consultation, a prescription, a medical certificate or a referral, and pay the flat fee upfront. No Medicare card is required.
- Describe your symptoms and history through a short form or over the phone or video, from wherever you are in Australia.
- Speak with an AHPRA registered nurse practitioner, who assesses you and checks whether telehealth is safe and appropriate for your situation.
- Receive your outcome. Your script, certificate or referral is sent to your phone or inbox, usually within minutes of the call ending.
What Does It Cost And Are Any Medicines Needed?
The consultation is a flat private fee, and you can see current pricing on the telehealth consultation page. Because most visitors are not in the Medicare system, there is no rebate, so the fee you see is the fee you pay.
Medicines are separate. As a visitor without Medicare, you generally pay the full price of any medication at the pharmacy, because the subsidised Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme price applies to people who are eligible for it. Visitors from the 11 Reciprocal Health Care Agreement countries may access some subsidised medicines for medically necessary treatment. If you have visitor or travel health insurance, keep your receipts, since some policies reimburse consultation and medication costs. Always check your own policy.
When Telehealth Is Not The Right Choice
Telehealth is excellent for everyday, non-emergency care, but it is not right for every situation. Seek in person or emergency care if any of the following apply:
- You have a medical emergency such as chest pain, difficulty breathing, severe bleeding, a suspected stroke, a severe allergic reaction, or loss of consciousness. Call 000 immediately.
- Your problem needs a hands on physical examination, a procedure, or imaging that cannot be arranged remotely.
- You need a medicine that is not suitable for telehealth. Schedule 8 medicines and certain Schedule 4 medicines, such as strong painkillers and sedatives, are not prescribed this way.
- Your symptoms are severe, getting worse quickly, or simply do not fit a common, easily assessed problem.
If you are unsure how serious something is and it is not an emergency, you can call the free government health advice line, healthdirect, on 1800 022 222 at any hour for guidance from a registered nurse. In a genuine emergency, always call 000.
How Intouch Healthcare Works For International Visitors
Intouch Healthcare is a private fee, nurse practitioner led telehealth service, which makes it a natural fit for international visitors. No Medicare card is needed, the fee is the same for everyone, and our clinicians are available seven days a week. In a single consultation you can get advice, an online prescription, a medical certificate, or a specialist referral, delivered to your phone. To see what is covered and to book, visit our services page.
BOOK TELEHEALTH CONSULTATIONFrequently Asked Questions
Q: Can international visitors use telehealth in Australia?
Yes. If you are physically in Australia, you can use a private telehealth service regardless of your visa type or Medicare status. You pay a flat consultation fee, and you can receive advice, prescriptions, medical certificates and referrals.
Q:Do I need Medicare for telehealth in Australia?
No. Private telehealth services do not rely on Medicare. They charge an upfront fee that is the same for everyone, so tourists, students, working holiday makers and temporary visa holders can all use them without a Medicare card.
Q: Can I see a doctor in Australia without a Medicare card?
Yes. Without a Medicare card you access care privately rather than through the public rebate system. A private telehealth consultation is often the fastest option, and at Intouch Healthcare every consult is with an AHPRA registered nurse practitioner.
Q: What is an IHI and do I need one?
An Individual Healthcare Identifier is a free 16 digit number that identifies you for healthcare purposes. You do not need one to have a consultation, but you do need one to receive an electronic prescription on your phone. You can apply through myGov while you are in Australia.
Q: Can I get a prescription as a tourist in Australia?
Often, yes. After a clinical assessment, a nurse practitioner can issue a prescription where it is appropriate. With an IHI, it arrives as an eScript on your phone to fill at any pharmacy. Visitors usually pay the full price of medicines, since the subsidised price applies to eligible residents.
Q: Do I have to be in Australia for the consultation?
Yes. Australian registered clinicians provide telehealth to people who are located in Australia. You also need to be in Australia to apply for an IHI. Consulting from overseas is a different legal situation and is not what this service covers.
Q: What if my country has a Reciprocal Health Care Agreement with Australia?
Visitors from the 11 agreement countries may access some Medicare subsidised care for medically necessary treatment. Coverage is limited and does not extend to planned or private services, so many visitors still choose a flat fee private telehealth consult for speed and simplicity.
