OSHC for couples and families: what you pay

Bringing a partner or children on your student visa? You will need OSHC that covers them too — and the price steps up from a single policy.

How family pricing works

OSHC is usually sold in three tiers:

• Single — just you
• Couple — you and one adult partner
• Family — you, your partner and dependent children

A couple policy typically costs roughly double a single premium. A family policy costs more again and scales with the number of dependants.

What to check

• Who is included — confirm whether your partner and each child are covered, and any age limits for dependants.
• Waiting periods — pregnancy and pre-existing condition waits still apply; plan ahead if you are starting a family.
• Extras — dental and optical for children are optional add-ons.
• Length — family cover must still meet condition 8501 for the full visa period.

Indicative family cost

Using public 2026 rate sheets, a family policy for 12 months is roughly 2.8–3.0× the single premium, depending on the insurer. Use our comparison tool to estimate your exact stay.

Before you buy

Compare couple and family totals across all five providers — the cheapest single policy is not always the cheapest once you add family members.