How to Get Your Own Medicare Card and Number When You Turn 15 in Australia
If you are 15 or older and already enrolled in Medicare on someone else's card, you can get your own Medicare card and number. Apply online through Medicare linked to myGov when eligible, or use form MS011 if you need to stay on the existing card or cannot complete the request online.
AU Australia
Documents & Identity ~ 10 min read
14 FAQ
Updated 2026-08-26
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If you are 15 or older and already enrolled in Medicare, you can get your own Medicare card and number. If you meet the online eligibility rules, sign in to Medicare through myGov, select My card, then Get a new card and number. Your new Medicare card number is shown after you submit the request, and you can access a digital Medicare card straight away. Services Australia sends the physical card to your postal address in about 3 to 4 weeks. If you want to remain on your existing family card as well as have your own card, or you cannot use the online service, use the Application to copy or transfer from one Medicare card to another form MS011.
What you need
- Be 15 years of age or older.
- Already be enrolled in Medicare.
- For the online method, be living in Australia and be an Australian citizen, New Zealand citizen or permanent resident visa holder.
- For the online method, be on only one Medicare card and have other people listed on your current card.
- For the online method, no other person can be acting on your behalf for Medicare purposes.
- For the online method, you must not be in the care of a state or territory child protection authority.
- Have your Medicare online account linked to myGov for the online method.
- Confirm or update the postal address to which Services Australia will send the physical card.
- Confirm or update your bank account details so Medicare benefits can be paid to the correct account.
- If using form MS011, provide the completed form and your identification. People listed on the form who are 15 or older must sign where required.
Eligibility
You can get your own Medicare card and number once you are 15 or older if you are already enrolled in Medicare. You can choose to transfer from the existing Medicare card to a new card, which removes you from the old card, or in appropriate circumstances be copied to a new card so you remain active on the existing card as well. The online self-service option has additional eligibility rules: you must be living in Australia, be an Australian citizen, New Zealand citizen or permanent resident visa holder, be on only one Medicare card, have other people on your current card, not have another person acting for you for Medicare purposes and not be in the care of a state or territory child protection authority. If you do not meet the online requirements, you can use form MS011.
How to do it
- Check that you are already enrolled in Medicare and are at least 15 years old.
- Decide whether you want to transfer to your own Medicare card and leave the existing card, or stay active on the existing card and be copied to a new card.
- If you want to use the online method, make sure Medicare is linked to your myGov account.
- Sign in to myGov or the myGov app and open Medicare.
- Select My card.
- Select Get a new card and number.
- Choose the option indicating that the new card is for you and follow the prompts.
- Confirm or update your postal address. Services Australia will send the physical Medicare card to this address.
- Confirm or update your bank account details so Medicare benefits can be paid directly to you.
- Review the information and declaration, then submit the request.
- After a successful online request, note your new Medicare card and number. You can access a digital Medicare card straight away.
- Wait for the physical Medicare card to arrive by post, normally in about 3 to 4 weeks.
- If you cannot complete the request online, or you need the copy or transfer option handled using a form, complete form MS011, Application to copy or transfer from one Medicare card to another.
- Send form MS011 and the required identification using the email or postal address printed on the form. Services Australia advises using copy or transfer in the email subject line when sending it by email.
- If your change affects your family circumstances, check whether your Medicare Safety Net registration also needs to be updated because getting a new card does not automatically change your Medicare Safety Net family.
Can you get your own Medicare card when you turn 15?
Yes. Services Australia allows a person who is 15 or older and already enrolled in Medicare to get their own Medicare card and number.
You do not need to wait until you turn 18. From age 15, you can manage important Medicare matters independently, including getting your own card and updating the bank account used for Medicare benefits.
Do you have to leave your parent's Medicare card?
No. Services Australia provides two different options.
Transfer to your own Medicare card
If you transfer to a new Medicare card, you are removed from the old Medicare card. Your new card has its own Medicare card number and your name appears on the new card.
This is the standard result when an eligible person uses the online Get a new card and number service.
Stay on the family card and get your own card
You can also be copied to a new Medicare card. When you are copied rather than transferred, you remain active on the existing Medicare card and also receive your own card.
Services Australia's form MS011 specifically gives the example of a person aged 15 or older who wants their own card while remaining on their parent's Medicare card.
A person can be listed on a maximum of 2 Medicare cards at the same time.
Who can get their own Medicare card online?
To use the online Get a new card and number service, you must meet all of the following requirements:
- you are living in Australia
- you are an Australian citizen, New Zealand citizen or permanent resident visa holder
- you are 15 or older
- you are currently on only one Medicare card
- there are other people on your current Medicare card
- someone else does not act on your behalf for Medicare purposes
- you are not in the care of a state or territory child protection authority
If you do not meet these online requirements, you may still be able to obtain your own Medicare card using form MS011.
What if you are already on 2 Medicare cards?
You cannot use the standard online process for your own card while you are already active on more than one Medicare card. Services Australia instructs people in this situation to leave the additional Medicare card before applying for their own card online.
Because you can only be active on 2 Medicare cards at the same time, your existing card arrangements should be checked before making another request.
How to get your own Medicare card through myGov
If your Medicare online account is linked to myGov and you meet the online eligibility requirements, the process is completed online.
- Sign in to myGov or use the myGov app.
- Open Medicare.
- Select My card.
- Select Get a new card and number.
- Follow the prompts and indicate that the new card is for you.
- Confirm your postal address.
- Confirm or update your Medicare bank account details.
- Review the information and submit the request.
Services Australia displays your new Medicare card and number after a successful submission. Keep a record of the new number for future use.
Will you get a new Medicare number?
Yes. The online service is specifically for getting your own Medicare card and number. When the request has been completed successfully, Services Australia displays the new card details and number.
Your Medicare card number identifies the card on which you are enrolled. This means the card number on your new individual card is different from the number of the family Medicare card you were previously using.
Can you use your new Medicare card immediately?
Yes. After completing the online request, you can access a digital Medicare card straight away through the available myGov Medicare services while you wait for the physical card.
This means you do not need to wait several weeks for the plastic card before using your new Medicare details where a digital card is accepted.
How long does the physical Medicare card take to arrive?
Services Australia states that the new physical Medicare card will arrive in about 3 to 4 weeks.
The card is mailed to the postal address recorded during the request, so check that your address is correct before submitting.
What if you want to stay on your parent's card?
If you want your own Medicare card but also want to remain active on your parent's or another existing Medicare card, you can use the copy option rather than transferring off the old card.
Form MS011, Application to copy or transfer from one Medicare card to another, distinguishes between these options:
- Transfer means you move to the new card and are no longer active on the old card.
- Copy means you are added to a new card but remain active on the original card as well.
This can be useful where a young person needs independent access to a Medicare card but the family also wants them to remain listed on the existing family card.
How to apply using Medicare form MS011
If you cannot get your own card online, complete form MS011, Application to copy or transfer from one Medicare card to another.
The person listed as person 1 on the form must provide:
- the completed form
- the required signatures from people listed on the form who are aged 15 or older
- their own identification
Services Australia states that supporting documents submitted with this form do not need to be certified.
You can send the completed form and documents using the email address or postal address shown on the form. If sending the application by email, Services Australia asks you to include copy or transfer in the subject line.
Do your parents need to approve your own Medicare card?
Services Australia states that a person can get their own Medicare card from age 15. The standard online process is completed through that person's Medicare online account when they meet the eligibility rules.
If form MS011 involves copying or transferring people to another person's Medicare card, signatures can be required from the relevant cardholder and from people aged 15 or older who are listed on the form, depending on the request being made.
Do you need identification?
The online process verifies the request through your linked Medicare and myGov account. If you use form MS011, the applicant listed as person 1 must provide their own identification with the application.
Services Australia states that the supporting identification sent with form MS011 does not need to be certified.
Do you need to update your bank account at 15?
Services Australia advises that a young person needs to update their bank details to receive Medicare benefits themselves, whether they get their own Medicare card or remain on their parent's card.
During the online own-card process, Services Australia displays the bank details already held for Medicare and allows you to update them before submitting the request.
Check these details carefully so Medicare benefits are not paid into an account that you do not recognise or no longer use.
Does getting your own card change your Medicare Safety Net family?
No. Services Australia specifically states that getting your own Medicare card does not automatically change who is included in your Medicare Safety Net family.
If your family circumstances have changed, check your Medicare Safety Net registration separately and update it where necessary.
What happens to the old Medicare card if you transfer?
If you transfer to your own card, you are no longer active on the old Medicare card. Other people who remain on the old card continue to use their Medicare arrangements.
If you were the contact person for the Medicare card you leave, Services Australia assigns a new contact person for that card.
Can you later add another person to your Medicare card?
Yes. Once you have transferred to your own Medicare card, you can request to add eligible people to it. For someone aged 15 or older, Services Australia provides an online invitation process when the eligibility requirements are met.
Different procedures apply when adding children under 15 or where the online requirements are not met.
What is the fastest way to get your own Medicare card?
For an eligible person aged 15 or older, Services Australia describes the online Medicare account process through myGov as the quickest and easiest method.
The key advantage is that your new Medicare card number is displayed after submission and a digital version is available straight away, while the physical card follows by post in about 3 to 4 weeks.
Frequently asked questions
Can I get my own Medicare card at 15?
Yes. If you are 15 or older and already enrolled in Medicare, Services Australia allows you to get your own Medicare card and number.
Do I need to wait until I am 18 to get my own Medicare card?
No. You can get your own Medicare card from age 15 if you are already enrolled in Medicare.
Can I stay on my parent's Medicare card and also get my own card?
Yes. Services Australia allows a person to be copied to a new Medicare card while remaining active on the existing card. Form MS011 can be used for this type of copy request. A person can be active on no more than 2 Medicare cards at the same time.
What is the difference between copying and transferring to a new Medicare card?
If you transfer, you leave the old Medicare card and move to the new one. If you are copied, you remain active on the existing card and are also added to the new card.
How do I get my own Medicare card online?
Sign in to myGov, open Medicare, select My card, then Get a new card and number. Follow the prompts, confirm your address and bank details, review the declaration and submit.
Will I get my own Medicare number?
Yes. Services Australia's online process gives you your own Medicare card and number. Your new card details are displayed after a successful request.
How long does a new Medicare card take to arrive?
Services Australia states that the physical card normally arrives at your postal address in about 3 to 4 weeks.
Can I use Medicare before the physical card arrives?
Yes. After successfully requesting your own card online, a digital Medicare card is available straight away through the relevant myGov Medicare service.
What if I cannot get my own Medicare card online?
Complete form MS011, Application to copy or transfer from one Medicare card to another, and send it with the required identification using the email or postal address shown on the form.
What identification do I need with form MS011?
The applicant listed as person 1 must provide their own identification. Services Australia states that supporting documents sent with the form do not need to be certified.
Can I apply online if I am already on 2 Medicare cards?
No. The online own-card service requires you to be on only one Medicare card. Services Australia instructs people who are on more than one card to leave the additional card before applying online.
Do I need to update my bank details when I turn 15?
Services Australia advises young people to update their bank details so Medicare benefits can be paid to them. This applies whether they get their own card or remain on their parent's Medicare card.
Does getting my own Medicare card remove me from my family's Medicare Safety Net?
No. Getting a new Medicare card does not automatically change your Medicare Safety Net family. If your family circumstances have changed, update the Medicare Safety Net registration separately where necessary.
Is there a fee to get my own Medicare card?
Services Australia does not list an application fee for the process of getting your own Medicare card and number.
Official sources
Services Australia - Get your own Medicare card and numberServices Australia - Medicare online account help: Get your own Medicare card and numberServices Australia - Application to copy or transfer from one Medicare card to another form MS011Services Australia - Application to copy or transfer from one Medicare card to another MS011 PDFServices Australia - What happens when your child turns 15Services Australia - Medicare cardRelated procedures
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