The Medical Treatment visa (subclass 602) is an Australian temporary visa for persons who need to travel to Australia to receive medical treatment (or a related procedure), or for persons who are accompanying and supporting a family member or friend who is the patient. The visa allows the holder to remain in Australia for the period of treatment. It replaced the earlier short-stay (subclass 675) and long-stay (subclass 685) medical treatment visas, which have been repealed. The 602 can be applied for from outside or inside Australia.

For current eligibility requirements, valid stay periods, fees, and health insurance requirements, refer to the DHA subclass 602 Medical Treatment visa page.

• Migration Regulations 1994 — Subclass 602 (Medical Treatment) — visa criteria
• DHA: Medical Treatment visa (subclass 602) — immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/medical-treatment-602

Who can apply — patient and supporter

There are two categories of applicant for the subclass 602:

• The patient — the person who is seeking medical treatment, a medical procedure, or consultation in Australia
• The supporter — a person who is accompanying and supporting the patient during their treatment; the supporter must have a genuine and continuing relationship with the patient (family member, carer, or close friend)

A supporter can apply for the 602 in their own right, linked to the patient's visa application or existing 602. The supporter's visa is generally coterminous with the patient's visa — it exists to enable the support relationship during the treatment period.

Medical treatment purpose

The visa is for persons who are receiving or intend to receive:

• Medical treatment by a registered medical practitioner or specialist in Australia
• A dental procedure
• Rehabilitation services
• Other health or medical services for which travel to Australia is the purpose

The treatment must be the genuine and primary reason for the visit — the visa does not cover a situation where medical treatment is incidental to another purpose (such as tourism or visiting family). For treatment that is incidental to a short visit, the standard Visitor visa (subclass 600) may be more appropriate depending on the circumstances.

Adequate health insurance requirement

A key condition of the subclass 602 is that the holder must have adequate health insurance for the duration of the stay in Australia — or otherwise be financially responsible for all health costs incurred. Australia's Medicare system does not cover visitors on temporary visas (unless from a country with a Reciprocal Health Care Agreement — RHCA). Adequate insurance must cover the actual medical treatment being received in Australia, as well as emergency health costs. For countries with a Reciprocal Health Care Agreement with Australia, some Medicare coverage may apply. For current RHCA country list and insurance requirements, refer to the DHA adequate health insurance page.

Stay period

The stay period granted under the subclass 602 is linked to the expected duration of the medical treatment. It is not a fixed short-term or long-term visa by default — the length of stay authorised depends on the treatment plan submitted with the application. For current maximum stay periods and how extensions are handled, refer to the DHA 602 page.

Work rights

The subclass 602 generally does not authorise the holder to work in Australia. The visa purpose is medical treatment — work rights are not a feature of this visa. If a person on a 602 needs to work in Australia, they would generally need to apply for an appropriate work visa that permits work alongside the medical treatment circumstances.

Health and character requirements for the applicant

Despite the visa's purpose being medical treatment, the applicant must still meet Australia's standard health and character requirements for the visa to be granted. This means the patient must not pose a significant healthcare cost to Australia beyond the treatment being specifically sought — other underlying conditions may still be assessed. The health requirement in this context is assessed in light of the specific treatment purpose. For current health assessment procedures, refer to the DHA health requirements page.

Applying from inside Australia — onshore 602

The subclass 602 can also be applied for by a person who is already in Australia on another temporary visa (such as a visitor visa) and whose medical circumstances require them to remain for treatment. In these cases, the person should apply before their current visa expires to maintain lawful status during assessment (and will typically be issued a Bridging Visa A while the 602 is assessed). For more on bridging visas, see the bridging visas page.

The subclass 602 is the standard visa for persons who travel specifically to Australia for medical treatment that is not available (or not available at the same quality or cost) in their home country. Australia has a well-regarded medical system, and the 602 is used by patients from a range of countries seeking specialist procedures, cancer treatment, transplants, and other complex care. The adequate health insurance requirement is important — without insurance, holders are personally liable for all treatment costs at the private rates charged to overseas patients. For current fees, application checklist, and the Form 26 (Medical Examination) requirements, refer to the DHA 602 page.