Subclass 602 medical evidence: treating doctor letter, Form 1507 and hospital payment confirmation (2026)

For a Subclass 602 (Medical Treatment visa) application made to receive medical treatment or donate an organ, the evidence turns on three documents: a letter from your treating doctor in Australia, Form 1507 where it applies, and written confirmation that the hospital or doctor is satisfied with how the treatment will be paid for. That is what the Department of Home Affairs lists on its Medical Treatment visa (Subclass 602) page as at August 2026, read together with Subclass 602 of the Migration Regulations 1994.

The failure point is rarely any single document. It is the gap between them. Subclass 602 asks whether arrangements for the treatment and for paying for it have both been concluded, and whether the treatment would leave an Australian worse off in accessing medical services. A doctor's letter that describes a condition but not a plan, or a hospital letter that confirms a booking but says nothing about cost, leaves one side of that test unanswered.

What does the treating doctor's letter have to say?

The Department asks for a letter from your treating doctor in Australia, and it is specific about the four things it must cover:

your medical condition
the treatment that will be required
an estimate of the timeframe
an estimate of the cost involved

The same letter is expected whether you are coming for treatment or to donate an organ. Two practical consequences follow from the wording. First, the letter has to come from the doctor in Australia who will treat you — a letter from a doctor in your home country describing your history does not replace it. Second, both estimates matter: a timeframe without a cost, or a cost without a timeframe, is a half-answer to what the page asks for.

This letter is also separate from your health examinations. You can do those before applying or wait until the Department asks; either way, they sit alongside the treatment evidence rather than inside it.

Do I need Form 1507, or not?

Form 1507 (Evidence of intended medical treatment, includes consultation) is required only when both of these are true:

you are applying in Australia, and
you do not hold a substantive visa — meaning a visa other than a bridging visa, a criminal justice visa or an enforcement visa.

If you are outside Australia, or you are in Australia on a substantive visa, the form is not part of your evidence. The logic is straightforward: without a substantive visa, there is no other visa record to show why you are in Australia, so the Department asks you to state the intended treatment on the form itself.

How is the payment side proved, and who has to sign?

The financial documents do two different jobs. One is showing you have access to enough money to pay for treatment and to support yourself and anyone coming with you. The other is showing the provider accepts the arrangement.

For the second job, the Department asks for a letter from your treating doctor or hospital saying they are satisfied with the arrangements for payment. Where treatment will happen in a public hospital, that letter carries extra conditions.

Who issues it	What it must do
Public hospital	Come from the financial officer or the administration department of the hospital, provide written proof that it has approved your treatment and the arrangements to pay all the costs, and confirm that no Australian will be disadvantaged in accessing medical services as a result of your treatment
Private hospital	Provide written proof from the hospital that it has approved your treatment and the arrangements to pay all the costs
Treating doctor	Confirm the doctor is satisfied with the arrangements for payment

The public hospital route is the one most often got wrong. A clinician's letter, or a letter from a ward or department that is not the financial officer or the administration, does not meet the stated requirement — and it also has to carry the "no Australian disadvantaged" confirmation, not just the payment statement.

Alongside it, the Department asks for proof of funds for treatment, travel and living costs, including the expenses of anyone accompanying you, and letters from any Australians who will be supporting you during your stay.

Why "arrangements concluded" is where applications fall over

Subclass 602 of the Migration Regulations 1994 requires, for the medical treatment case, that arrangements for the treatment have been concluded and that arrangements have been concluded for payment of all costs, with the applicant not becoming a public burden. A separate clause requires that granting the visa would not result in an Australian citizen or permanent resident being disadvantaged in accessing medical treatment. The Department's eligibility page says the same thing in plainer words: in most circumstances you must pre-arrange payment to show the treatment will not cost an Australian government or public authority money.

Read as a chain, each document answers one link:

the doctor's letter establishes the condition, the treatment, the timeframe and the cost
the hospital or doctor payment letter establishes that the provider accepts the arrangement and, for public hospitals, that no Australian is disadvantaged
Form 1507 establishes the intended treatment where you have no substantive visa to establish it for you

Assume an applicant who has a specialist's letter confirming a diagnosis and a surgery date, but nothing from the hospital's financial or administration office. The condition is evidenced, the treatment is evidenced, but the cost side is not, and neither is the no-disadvantage point. The file reads as treatment arrangements in progress rather than concluded.

This is also why the Department's warning matters: it may decide your application without requesting further information from you. Evidence you could have supplied later is not held in reserve for you.

This article describes published requirements in general terms and is not personalised advice on any individual case; the Department's current page and the Regulations are what a decision-maker applies, and anyone whose situation is unusual should check the official wording or get professional advice before relying on it.

What happens if the evidence is incomplete?

If the application is refused, the Department tells you in writing why it was refused and whether you have a right to a review of the decision. The application charge is not refunded if the application is refused.

Documents in a language other than English need English translations, and the Department's guidance is to include as much supporting information as possible at the time you apply, rather than treating the upload step as a first draft.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the doctor's letter have to come from a doctor in Australia?

Yes, where you are applying to receive medical treatment or donate an organ. The Department asks for a letter from your treating doctor in Australia covering your condition, the required treatment, an estimated timeframe and an estimated cost. A letter from a doctor overseas can support your history but does not meet this requirement.

Is Form 1507 needed for applications lodged outside Australia?

No. Form 1507 is required only when you apply in Australia and do not hold a substantive visa. A substantive visa is any visa other than a bridging visa, a criminal justice visa or an enforcement visa.

Can the treating doctor sign the payment letter for public hospital treatment?

Not on the public hospital pathway. If you will be treated in a public hospital, the letter about payment arrangements must come from the financial officer or the administration department, and must confirm that no Australian will be disadvantaged in accessing medical services as a result of your treatment.

Does the cost figure have to be a final bill?

The Department asks for an estimate of the cost involved, not a finalised account. What matters is that the estimate comes from the treating doctor in Australia and sits alongside a payment arrangement the hospital or doctor has confirmed.

Are health examinations part of the medical evidence?

They are separate. You can complete health examinations before you apply or wait until the Department asks you to have them, and they are required in addition to the details you provide about the treatment you are seeking in Australia.

Will the Department ask me if something is missing?

Not necessarily. The Department states it may decide your application without requesting further information, so documents not lodged with the application may never be asked for.