OSHC and CoE for an Australia Student Visa, Explained Plainly
OSHC is compulsory health insurance, required before your visa is granted. CoE is the university's Confirmation of Enrolment, issued after you accept your offer and pay the deposit, and you cannot lodge a visa without it.
Two acronyms that arrive early, cause a lot of confusion, and hold up more applications than they should.
The full sequence from admission to visa lodgement.
Health cover
What OSHC is
Overseas Student Health Cover. Compulsory health insurance for every international student in Australia, required for the full length of your visa, and required before your visa is granted.
Cost: roughly AUD 800 to 1,000 per year for a single student, varying by provider and by how many years you pay upfront. Family cover costs considerably more.
When you pay: before you lodge your visa application. Your policy number goes into the application.
It is genuinely useful cover, not just a formality. It handles doctor visits, hospital treatment, ambulance and most prescriptions, with limits and waiting periods worth reading.
Providers
Choosing an OSHC provider
A handful of approved providers operate, and coverage is broadly similar because the minimum standard is set by regulation.
Compare on three things: total cost for your full visa length, how easy claims are, and whether your university has a preferred partner. Many universities arrange OSHC for you as part of accepting your offer, which is usually simpler and occasionally more expensive than arranging it yourself.
What not to do: buy the cheapest policy from a provider you cannot reach from Pakistan if the paperwork goes wrong before you travel.
Enrolment
What a CoE is
Confirmation of Enrolment. The official document your university issues once you have accepted your offer and paid the required deposit.
This is the document that unlocks your visa application. You cannot lodge a subclass 500 without it.
Your CoE states your course, your provider, your start and end dates, your CRICOS course code and your tuition. Everything on it must match what you say in your visa application.
The difference
CoE vs offer letter
The difference confuses almost everyone at first.
Think of the offer as the invitation and the CoE as the confirmed seat.
Timing: usually a few days to two weeks after your deposit clears, though it can take longer at peak intake periods, which is exactly when you can least afford the delay.
Order of operations
Where these sit in your timeline
- Apply for admission
- Receive an offer, conditional or unconditional
- Meet any conditions
- Accept and pay the deposit
- Arrange OSHC
- Receive your CoE
- Lodge your visa application with both in hand
The full sequence is on the how to apply page, and the visa requirements they feed into are on the student visa guide.
If it goes wrong
The money question people ask next
If your visa is refused after you have paid a deposit and OSHC, what happens?
This is one more reason to check your chances before the money starts moving rather than after. See the visa chance checker.
Planning
Budget for both
OSHC is the cost families most often leave out of their planning entirely, and the deposit is the one they underestimate.
Free, in rupees, and it includes OSHC.
Common questions
01What is OSHC?
Overseas Student Health Cover, the compulsory health insurance required for your Australian student visa.
02How much does OSHC cost?
Roughly AUD 800 to 1,000 a year for a single student, more for family cover.
03Do I need OSHC before applying for my visa?
Yes. Your policy must be in place and covers the full length of your intended stay.
04What is a CoE?
Confirmation of Enrolment, issued by your university after you accept your offer and pay the deposit. You cannot lodge a visa without it.
05How long does a CoE take?
Usually a few days to two weeks after the deposit clears, longer during peak intake periods.
06Can I get a CoE without paying a deposit?
Generally no. The deposit is what triggers it.
07Is my OSHC refunded if my visa is refused?
Usually yes, subject to the provider's policy. Your tuition deposit is subject to the university's refund policy. The visa fee is not refunded in any case.
08What if my course dates change?
Your CoE has to be reissued, and your visa application must match it. Tell your university before you lodge anything.
Before the deposit leaves your account
The order that saves families money: check your chances, then commit funds.
Free, four minutes.
Read next: how to apply, step by step and the full cost breakdown.