Health and safety
Deakin University is a safe and friendly environment for international students, with 24-hour campus security, access to fitness centres, healthy food and all sorts of student support.You can also use the on-campus medical and counselling centers for free with your Overseas Student Health Cover.
Overseas Student Health Cover
If you are coming to Australia on a Student Visa, you will most likely need to arrange Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC). If you are bringing your spouse or children, they may also need to be covered under your OSHC.
Having OSHC means that you can access healthcare services in Australia – like going to the doctors or hospital – and your OSHC provider will cover some or all of the cost, depending on how it is billed.
Your OSHC must be valid the entire time you’re in Australia on your student visa.
There are some exceptions for students from Sweden, Norway, or Belgium as you may be covered under your own national schemes.
Finding an OSHC
Deakin has partnered with Australian insurance company BUPA to offer students pre-arranged OSHC. If you pay your OSHC fee with your tuition fees, you will automatically be covered by BUPA's overseas student health cover for the whole time that you are enrolled at Deakin. You can review the policy details to check whether this policy is right for you.
Students who go with BUPA's pre-arranged health care will receive their BUPA OSHC card from Deakin/BUPA staff at the on-campus Enrolment and Orientation session.
Your BUPA policy becomes active from the date you arrive in Australia. You can change your OSHC start date to the date of your arrival in the country by contacting BUPA directly before or after you arrive. If you have paid for days when you were not yet in Australia, a refund will be provided at the completion of your policy. You will need to provide supporting evidence such as a new visa grant notice or a record of movement from the Department of Home Affairs to show as evidence of your arrival date.
For information about BUPA OSHC cover and COVID-19, please visit the BUPA website.
Different providers will offer different services and benefits. You can find out more about other Australian OSHC providers on the Department of Health website.
Students who seek their own OSHC provider will need to contact their OSHC to find out when they will receive their card.
Your OSHC and student visa
Your Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) must cover the entire duration of your student visa. Deakin calculates the length of your OSHC based on your course length and advice from the Department of Home Affairs which outlines the typical visa end dates.
| Length of course | Length of student visa |
|---|---|
10 months or longer, finishing at the end of the Australian academic year (November to December) | You will usually be granted a visa stay period to 15 March of the following year |
10 months or longer, finishing from January until October | You will usually be granted a visa stay period of 2 months longer than the course |
Less than 10 months | You will usually be granted a visa stay period 1 month longer than the course |
If you choose BUPA's pre-arranged OSHC, your BUPA policy becomes active from the date you arrive in Australia. If your plans have changed, you can change your OSHC start date to the new date of your arrival in the country by contacting BUPA directly before or after you arrive. If you have paid for time that you were not yet in Australia, a refund will be provided at the completion of your policy. You will need to provide supporting evidence such as a new visa grant notice or a record of movement from the Department of Home Affairs to show as evidence of your arrival date.
Postgraduate research students
The length of stay for postgraduate research students is generally six months longer than the usual relevant period set out in the table above.
Staying healthy at Deakin is easy
Just like when you’re on holidays, settling into a new country can turn your normal health and fitness routine upside down. Here at Deakin, there are lots of ways you can stay healthy – with a wide range of sporting clubs, gyms and health food options on campus, it’s easy to maintain a healthy lifestyle.
Read more about where to eat on campus
Read more about fitness and sporting facilities on campus
We have doctors, nurses and counsellors on campus
Whether it’s a general check-up or some medical advice, our on-campus medical centres can help. Our doctors and nurses provide the highest level of care to all Deakin students and staff – and it won’t cost you anything under your OSHC. We also have a free and confidential counselling service.
Read more about our campus medical centres and services
Read more about our counselling service
Safety and security on campus
We have campus security guards working 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You can contact them directly by phone or with our SafeZone mobile phone and tablet app. The SafeZone app can be downloaded to any iOS or Android device and it works at each of our campuses.
Download the SafeZone app and register with your campus
Find out more about safety and security on campus