How Do I See a GP or Specialist in Australia in 2026?
Why you usually start with a GP in Australia, how referrals to specialists work, and what Medicare does and does not cover.
You book a GP first. In Australia a specialist appointment normally has to come through a referral from a general practitioner — you cannot simply ring a specialist's rooms and make your own booking. That is the position set out on the Department of Home Affairs' Settle in Australia: Health and Wellbeing page, the federal government's settlement guide for new arrivals, as at the July 2026 version of that page.
For someone who has just landed as a permanent resident, this is usually the first real surprise of Australian health care: the system is built around a front door, and that door is the local doctor.
Do I need a GP referral to see a specialist?
Yes, in the ordinary course. The Department of Home Affairs' settlement guidance states plainly that you must be referred to a specialist by your GP instead of just ringing to book an appointment.
A specialist is a doctor who works in a specific area of medicine — the official page gives podiatry for feet and paediatrics for children as examples — and has deeper knowledge and skill in that field than a GP, along with treatment specific to it. The referral is what connects the two.
Why does Australia put GPs at the front door?
Because the GP's job is to work out what is actually going on before anything narrower happens. A GP diagnoses and treats illness or refers a patient to a specialist; they have some knowledge and skill across all aspects of medicine, and often join with other GPs to provide a 24-hour service.
For you, that means the first appointment does more than produce a piece of paper. Common problems get treated there. Anything that needs a narrower skill set gets referred, with the GP's assessment attached. It also means the first appointment is worth preparing for — bring a short list of what has been happening, when it started, and any medicines you already take, so the referral that comes out of it points to the right specialty.
What do I do first after arriving as a new permanent resident?
Enrol in Medicare before you worry about anything else. Medicare is the federal government service that pays for and provides health care and medicine, and migrants, refugees and humanitarian entrants generally have immediate access to health care under it, depending on their visa.
To enrol, you visit a Medicare Service Centre office seven to 10 days after arriving in Australia and bring your passport or travel documents; the office sits inside a Services Australia service centre that also houses Centrelink and My Aged Care. The Department and Services Australia share client information electronically to support the enrolment process. Eligibility turns on individual circumstances and visa conditions, so treat the above as general information only, not personalised advice, and check the current official pages before relying on it for your own situation.
Once enrolled, Medicare covers free public hospital care, helps with the cost of out-of-hospital care, and subsidises medicines. It does not cover dental care, optical care or ambulance transport.
How much will a GP or specialist appointment cost?
Both GPs and specialists charge a fee for their service. In most cases you pay for the care up front, then claim a refund of part of the payment through Medicare; the government returns most of the fee.
Some GPs bulk bill, which means they charge the patient nothing and Medicare pays them a fixed fee per service directly. Whether a practice bulk bills can change, and the official advice is to ask your health care provider at the time you make the appointment. Where a gap remains between the doctor's fee and the Medicare refund, some private health insurance policies assist with it.
How do I find a doctor near me?
The National Health Services Directory on healthdirect can be used to search for services close to you, and most areas have several hospitals and doctors' practices to choose from. State and territory health departments publish their own local information as well.
Choosing a GP matters more than new arrivals usually expect, because that GP is your route to everything else. The official guidance lists four things worth weighing: location, cost, how well you get along with them, and how busy the practice gets.
What if it is an emergency, or I need hospital care?
All serious medical emergencies should be dealt with by ringing 000. Triple zero is the emergency number for ambulance, police and fire services.
Public hospitals are open to people sent there by a doctor, those with a grievous injury, and those taken there by ambulance. Your family doctor, a specialist, or a doctor in a hospital's emergency section can all arrange for a person to go to hospital. There may be a wait, because the seriousness of the injury decides how quickly you see a doctor, and the hospital chooses the doctor who treats you. Public hospitals also run outpatient services, where non-emergency cases can wait a long time.
Private hospitals exist to offer a choice of doctor and choice of timing. You pay for the doctor and for the stay; Medicare covers some of the doctor's fee but not the hospital fees, and private health insurance often covers much of the rest. If you are taken to hospital by ambulance, you must pay a fee for the transport.
What about medicines, and care Medicare does not cover?
Medicines are subsidised under the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS), administered by Services Australia. Your doctor prescribes, and the local chemist dispenses; chemists are found in most shopping centres. Basics that need no prescription, such as paracetamol or antacids, are sold in supermarkets.
Dental care is expensive and outside Medicare, as are optical care and ambulance transport. Private health insurance extras packages often include dental cover, and ambulance cover is sold either within a policy or separately at a much lower price. The federal government runs a comparison site for private health funds, and the Australian Taxation Office provides rebates for private health insurance depending on your level of income, with a surcharge for not having cover if you are aged 31 years or older.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I book a specialist directly without seeing a GP?
Not through the normal route. The Department of Home Affairs' settlement guidance says you must be referred to a specialist by your GP rather than ringing to book an appointment yourself. The GP appointment is the step that decides whether specialist care is needed, and which specialty.
Do I have to pay to see a GP?
You pay the doctor's fee first and then claim a refund of most of it through Medicare. Some GPs bulk bill, meaning you pay nothing at the time and Medicare pays the doctor a fixed fee per service; ask when booking.
When can I enrol in Medicare after arriving?
The guidance is to visit a Medicare Service Centre seven to 10 days after arrival, bringing your passport or travel documents. Migrants, refugees and humanitarian entrants generally have immediate access to health care under Medicare, depending on their visa.
Does Medicare cover dentists, glasses or ambulances?
No. Medicare does not cover dental care, optical care or ambulance transport. Private health insurance can cover these, either as part of a policy or, for ambulances, as separate cover bought at a much lower price.
What number do I call in a medical emergency?
Call 000. Triple zero reaches ambulance, police and fire brigade services, and all serious medical emergencies should be dealt with by ringing it. If you are transported to hospital by ambulance, you will be charged a fee.
Can my GP send me to hospital?
Yes. Your family doctor, a specialist, or a doctor in a hospital's emergency section can arrange for a person to go to hospital. Public hospitals accept people sent by a doctor, people with a grievous injury, and people brought in by ambulance.