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How soon should I obtain health insurance for a Non-Imm O-A visa application from Australia?

Non-Immigrant Visa O-A Health Insurance Requirements Visa Application Process Thailand Immigration Expat Advice Travel Insurance

Nov 4, 2025

17 days ago

Mike **********

ORIGINAL POSTER

How soon should I get health insurance before applying for non imm O-A visa from Australia?

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TLDR : Answer Summary

It's advisable to obtain health insurance just before applying for the Non-Imm O-A visa. You typically do not need insurance at the time of application, but you must have it for the duration of your visa. Insurance should start around the time of your flight to cover any travel issues, and your visa will be valid for either the length of the insurance or one year, whichever is shorter. It's crucial not to start your insurance too early, as this could waste coverage time. For prolonged stays, you should consider obtaining a policy with two years of coverage to secure options for future extensions.

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Paul ******

Get insurance for when your plane takes off, to cover any travel issues.

Visa period will be until insurance expires or length of visa, whichever sooner, so don't start insurance too soon. Do investigate insurance immediately, it can take time to qualify, just keep start date flexible till you buy plane ticket.

17 days ago

Greg ***********

you should get an insurance with a two years coverage, because only then you can get into the "second year" of a 365-days Non-Imm-O/A Visa by doing a border-bounce shortly before the visa validity expires . . . . . .and keep in mind, if you go from the first year of the visa and after the second year, to the "1-year Extension of Stay Permit", Immigration will not accept a foreign insurance any more. From the "1-year extension" onward, only a tgia-listed Thai private insurance will be accepted

17 days ago

Vin *********

You do not need insurance when you apply.

You need insurance for the visa duration.

As an example, your flight to Thailand is on Dec 31 and you arrive on Jan 1.

You apply for insurance with a policy date of 1 Jan.

You apply for a visa to match 1 Jan.

Bear in mind, the visa will be dated when approved. You can then contact insurance and have it start earlier if you change to an earlier flight.

17 days ago

Mike ******

@Vin ********

Catch 22. The OA visa will not approved unless health insurance documents are submitted with the EVisa application. I know this because I got one approved by the Los Angeles Consulate last year. Upon entering Thailand the End of Stay stamp date will conicide with the end date of the health insurance.

17 days ago

Vin *********

@Mike *****

as stated, get insurance with start date of policy to be day of arrival in Thailand AND SUBMIT FOR VISA...... and end date MIGHT be end date of visa. Insurance might be later depending on policy.

I know this because I have done it several times; this year most recently.

17 days ago

Mike ******

@Vin ********

1) You do not know when the OA Visa will be issued. . 2) The Health Insurance policy must be vaild when you apply for the OA Vias on the Evisa website. 3) The fasteest I have gotten the OA approved was 14 days.

17 days ago

Vin *********

@Mike *****

1. It will be issued before you fly. (If you put in 6-8 weeks in advance no issues...) 2. It does not state when you apply. It states for the period. Screenshot is attached. NEVER heard of any country requiring it for application, just for entry/duration. 3. Great! Same with me...

17 days ago

Mike ******

@Vin ********

I have applied for an OA Visa in 2017, 2022 and 2024. In 2017 health insuarnce was not required. For 22 and 24 the LA Consulate required health insurance documents that proved the policy was valid and was in efffect as part of the applciation on Evisa. The Evsia also required flight reservation fo Thailand. This was the Los Angeles Thai Consulate so if you do not appy with them then your applicatiion experience could be different.

17 days ago

Vin *********

@Mike *****

Wash DC embassy. And LA consulate. 2021, 2023, 2025. No time was health insurance required to be active for the application. Just the certified letter from the insurance company that the policy dates were active when the visa was.

17 days ago

Mike ******

@Vin ********

No. I always had to send in the proof of Health Insurance with the Evisa applcation. Why would a Health Insurance company write a letter without an active policy? Also, it is not a letter but an OA Visa Health Insurance Certificate wtih the approriate stamps and signautures from the Health Insurance executives.

16 days ago

Vin *********

@Mike *****

agreed! Same. But the policy start date does not have to be during the application. It starts when you arrive, not when you apply. If you pay for policy, and it starts on 60 days.... when your trip starts! Attached is the letter arranged to the most recent application; in February 2025 for my arrival in March 2025.

16 days ago

Reply to

Vin *********

Tod *********

Well you need it to apply for the visa thru either thai consulate there (canberra or sydney)

I'd say get it just before you are going to apply <- the reason for that is, when you enter on a new Non-OA visa you get stamped in for a year OR as long as your mandatory health insurance is valid for up to a year..

That means if you get the insurance too far before you apply, you're just burning your policy down not being here and when you do show up you only get stamped in until the end of the policy (which if you get it too early can be several months before you arrive here)

17 days ago

Reply to

Tod *********

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When should my O-A visa health insurance be valid if I apply early?

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