Your health

As an international student, you are financially responsible for your health care costs in Australia. As part of this responsibility, the Australian Government requires you to hold Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) while you are studying in Australia on your student visa.

Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC)

OSHC will cover your medical costs if you get sick or hurt in Australia. It will also cover hospital care, some prescription medicines and emergency ambulance transport. Your provider can help you navigate Australia’s healthcare system and link you to resources to help you stay healthy and well while you are studying.

You will need to arrange OSHC before you arrive in Australia, as well as maintain it for the duration of your time in Australia.

Deakin's preferred OSHC provider is Bupa. You can learn more about OSHC and apply for it on the Bupa website.

Or, you can choose your own OSHC provider. If you would like to choose your own provider, you can visit the Australian Government website or Study Australia and research other eligible OSHC providers.

OSHC does not cover any illness or disability you had prior to arriving in Australia. It also does not cover optical or dental appointments. We suggest you see your regular doctor, dentist and optometrist for a check-up before you depart for Australia. This way, you can confirm your medications and vaccinations are up to date, and you can bring any prescriptions you need with you.

For more information about OSHC, read our dedicated page.

Deakin's health and wellbeing services

No matter which Deakin campus you choose to study at, you will have access to a range of health and wellbeing services designed to support your happiness and success as an international student.

Our campus medical centres provide a range of medical services from doctors and nurses – as an international student, you can get free health check ups here. We also have experienced psychologists and social workers who offer counselling, a range of sporting clubs and gyms, as well as disability support, LGBTIQ+ services and spiritual wellbeing services.

It’s important to note that smoking is prohibited everywhere at Deakin: there is no smoking allowed on Deakin grounds, buildings and carparks, and this includes vaping and e-cigarettes.

Your finances

Studying overseas is a significant financial undertaking. It’s important that you consider your living costs and plan how you are going to pay for your expenses.

One of the conditions of your student visa is that you have enough money to pay for your travel, study costs, living expenses and your stay in Australia.

You will need to consider your fees (which will require payment at regular intervals during your studies), your accommodation, which includes rent but also utilities (electricity, gas, internet), transport to and from Deakin, and groceries, activities and incidentals.

Learn more about how much it will cost to live in Australia

Before you arrive in Australia, we recommend you estimate your expenses and make a budget. Here are some tools which will help you do this:

• The Study Australia website has a helpful cost-of-living calculator that will help you understand how much things will cost in Australia.
• The Study Melbourne website has a range of resources for international students, including information about Australian currency and our banks.
• You can use MoneySmart’s budget planner to make your budget.
• You might like to think ahead and research getting part-time work in Australia.

Bringing money into Australia

There are several ways you can bring your money into Australia. You should bring some cash with you on the plane, but we suggest that you don’t carry large amounts with you when you travel.

There are banks at the airport where you can exchange foreign currency, and several ATMs for withdrawing Australian dollars. If you have a bank card or debit card with international functionality, it may be easier to keep your funds in your bank account at home and just withdraw cash as needed from ATMs.

You may also choose to use a credit card (with a PIN – signatures are no longer accepted in Australia), travellers’ cheques or international funds transfers.

Try to have at least $1500–$2000 AUD (either in travellers’ cheques or in your bank account) when you arrive to cover initial accommodation and living expenses for your first couple of weeks.

If you choose, you will be able to open a bank account when you arrive in Australia.