Having a Baby in Australia as a Visa Holder: Complete Cost & Payment Guide (2025-26)

Having a baby in Australia is one of the biggest milestones for any family — but if you're on a visa, there are extra questions to answer. How much will hospital cost? What payments can you get? Do you need Medicare? This guide covers everything from hospital bills to Centrelink entitlements.

Hospital Costs: What Will You Pay?

The cost of having a baby in Australia varies enormously depending on your Medicare status and whether you choose public or private care.

Scenario	Estimated Cost	Who Pays?
Public hospital, with Medicare	$0 (free)	Medicare covers everything as a public patient
Public hospital, no Medicare	$8,000 – $20,000+	You pay the full bill as an ineligible patient
Private hospital, with insurance	$1,500 – $5,000	Excess + gap fees (varies by policy)
Private hospital, no insurance	$12,000 – $30,000+	Full cost including obstetrician, anaesthetist
C-section (public, with Medicare)	$0	Emergency or planned — covered by Medicare
C-section (private)	$15,000 – $35,000+	Surgeon, anaesthetist, longer hospital stay

Critical: If you don't have Medicare and don't have private health insurance with obstetric cover, you could face a bill of $10,000–$30,000 or more. Some hospitals require a deposit of $5,000–$10,000 upfront. Check your coverage early in pregnancy.

Use our Baby Cost Calculator to estimate your total costs including hospital, essential items, and ongoing expenses for the first year.

Medicare Eligibility by Visa Type

Whether you can access free public hospital care depends on your Medicare eligibility.

Visa Type	Medicare Eligible?
Permanent visas (189, 190, 801, 100, 143, etc.)	Yes — full Medicare
Partner visas (820, 309)	Yes — full Medicare
Humanitarian/Refugee visas (200–204, 866)	Yes — full Medicare
New Zealand citizens (444)	Yes — full Medicare
Temporary visas from RHCA countries (UK, Ireland, NZ, etc.)	Limited — essential treatment only
Student visas (500)	No — must have OSHC
Temporary work visas (482, 494)	No — need private insurance
Visitor visas (600)	No

RHCA Note: If you're from a Reciprocal Health Care Agreement country (UK, Ireland, New Zealand, Sweden, Netherlands, Belgium, Finland, Italy, Malta, Norway, Slovenia), you may get limited Medicare coverage. This typically covers medically necessary treatment but pregnancy is generally NOT covered under RHCA unless it's an emergency. Check with Medicare directly.

Centrelink Payments for New Parents

Several Centrelink payments are available when you have a baby. Your eligibility depends on your visa type, how long you've been in Australia, and your income.

Parental Leave Pay (PLP)

Parental Leave Pay provides up to 22 weeks at the national minimum wage ($183.58/day before tax, as of 2025-26). That's approximately $18,175 total.

To qualify, you must:

Be the primary carer of a newborn or recently adopted child
Meet the work test: worked at least 10 of the 13 months before birth, with at least 330 hours (roughly 1 day/week) in that 10-month period
Earn under $168,865/year individually
Be an Australian resident (permanent visa or qualifying temporary visa)
Have served any applicable NARWP waiting period (2 years for PLP)

Work Test Tip: The work test counts work done anywhere in the world. If you worked full-time overseas before migrating, that almost certainly meets the 330-hour requirement. Bring payslips, employment contracts, or tax returns as evidence.

Family Tax Benefit (FTB)

Family Tax Benefit is an ongoing payment to help with the costs of raising children.

FTB Part A: Up to $6,323.44/year per child under 13 — based on family income
FTB Part B: Up to $4,508.16/year — extra for single-income families with a child under 5
NARWP: 1-year waiting period for permanent visa holders; partner visa holders may access via their Australian partner

Newborn Supplement & Newborn Upfront Payment

If you're not eligible for PLP, you may receive the Newborn Supplement instead:

Newborn Upfront Payment: $604 lump sum (for first child)
Newborn Supplement: Up to $2,190.98 for your first child, paid over 13 weeks as part of FTB Part A
You must be receiving FTB Part A to get these payments

Dad and Partner Pay

Dad and Partner Pay is now part of the combined PLP scheme (as of July 2023). Both parents can share the 22 weeks of Parental Leave Pay between them. The non-birth parent needs to meet the same work test and income test.

Calculate Your Baby Costs & Payments

Get a personalised estimate of hospital costs, Centrelink payments, and first-year expenses.

Use Baby Cost Calculator

Documents to Prepare

Having your paperwork ready before the baby arrives saves enormous stress. Here's your checklist:

Before the Birth

Passport — yours and your partner's
Visa grant letter — from the Department of Home Affairs
Medicare card — enrol before the birth if possible
Private health insurance card — if applicable
Employment records — payslips and employment letters for PLP work test (including overseas work)
Bank account details — for Centrelink payments
Tax File Numbers — both parents need a TFN
Hospital pre-admission forms — most hospitals require these at 28-36 weeks

After the Birth

Birth certificate application — the hospital will give you forms; lodge with your state's Births, Deaths and Marriages registry
Medicare enrolment for baby — add baby to your Medicare card at a Services Australia office
Centrelink newborn claim — claim FTB, Newborn Supplement, and PLP through myGov
Baby's passport — if baby is not an Australian citizen, you may need to arrange a visa

Citizenship Tip: If one parent is an Australian citizen, the baby is automatically an Australian citizen at birth regardless of where they're born. If neither parent is a citizen, your baby may need their own visa. Contact the Department of Home Affairs before the birth to understand your options.

Prenatal Care on a Visa

If you have Medicare, all standard prenatal care is covered:

GP visits — bulk-billed in many cases. Use our Bulk Billing Finder to find a bulk-billing GP near you
Ultrasounds — Medicare rebate applies (some out-of-pocket cost at private clinics)
Blood tests and pathology — fully covered at public pathology labs
Hospital midwife clinics — free at public hospitals
Specialist obstetrician — free if referred through the public system; gap fees if private

If you don't have Medicare, you'll need private health insurance or be prepared to pay for all appointments out of pocket. A private obstetrician charges $3,000–$8,000 for pregnancy management, on top of hospital fees.

Do You Need Private Health Insurance?

If you have Medicare, private health insurance is optional but has benefits:

Choice of obstetrician — in the public system, you see whoever is available
Private room — public hospitals often have shared rooms
Shorter wait times for non-emergency procedures

If you don't have Medicare, private health insurance with obstetric cover is essential. Be aware of the 12-month waiting period for obstetric cover on most policies — you need to be insured well before getting pregnant.

Planning Ahead: If you're on a temporary visa without Medicare and planning a pregnancy, take out private health insurance with obstetric cover at least 12 months before your expected due date. Compare policies on privatehealth.gov.au.

Payment Summary by Visa Situation

Your Situation	What You Can Likely Get
Permanent visa, in Australia 2+ years	PLP + FTB + Newborn + CCS + Medicare
Permanent visa, less than 1 year	Medicare only (NARWP for other payments)
Partner visa (820/309) with citizen partner	FTB (via partner) + Newborn + Medicare
Humanitarian visa	All payments — no NARWP
Temporary work visa (482)	Nothing — need private insurance for birth
Student visa (500)	Nothing — OSHC may cover some costs

Use our Centrelink Calculator to get a personalised estimate of your payments, and the NARWP Countdown tool to check your waiting period dates.

In this article