daylesford

I am be making a trip down to aus next week for my initial entry/holiday after my visa grant in May07. We only plan to move over to austrlia at a later date. Must I setup my medicare account during this trip ?

Thanks

sprite_green

Hi - sorry I can't answer your question, but I would be interested to see if anyone else can shed some light.

Have (hopefully) modified the title to attract some attention.

SG

moneypenny20

No you don't need to do anything on a validation trip. Save it all for when you move over permanently.

JAJ

Others have found that the 12 month deadline to take out private health cover without an age 30+ loading starts ticking when you validate.

moneypenny20

Forgot that one but on the other hand presumably you would end up paying as much for the time you are not living here as you would with the loading. Don't know, we haven't taken out private and we are waaay over 30

sme

I didn't ! They took it from when we took up residence.

lonndongeek

This is probably the wrong place to ask this, but it's worth a try...

My fiancée (Australian citizen) and I (de-facto spouse) are moving to Adelaide at the end of the month. My fiancée came to the UK before she was 30 and now that she has been here for 7 years is over 30.

Does anybody know if she'll have 12 months to get private healthcare without 30+ loading as she left Australia before she was 30? Or will we have to pay the 30+ loading for her?

Cheers

Steve

Wendy

I've just asked about that funnily enough.

The insurance company and Medicare both say it's from the date you are eligible for medicare. However they won't clarify if your eligible for medicare when you activate your visa, or when you register for it.

So still no wiser

jce

I dont have a definitive answere but i think the best way is not to register for medicare on the validation trip and do it when you finally arrive for good. That way the date on the medicare system is the date you registered rather than the date of first entry. When you validate the visa you are eligible to register for medicare but i dont think there is anything to say that you have to register?

The health insurers like a letter from medicare that shows the date of registration to give you the discount if you are over 30.

Wendy

The only thing that is confusing is that Medicare are notified of your arrival by Immigration. So are you classed as 'resident', therefore eligible for it when you arrive, or when you register

moneypenny20

If I remember rightly when we registered with Medicare they had to have proof of residency. If you are just validating you won't have that. It's all such a long time ago

JAJ

You do not need that if you are a newly arrived migrant - visa will do.

Pollyana

That may have been cos you're married to an Aussie - I think they have to prove residency in order to register when they get back to Aus.

moneypenny20

Ahhh, it was his fault.......again

Wendy

Isn't it always