Commonwealth Seniors Health Card and state Seniors Cards

Services Australia (Centrelink); state Seniors Cards are issued by state governmentsVerified 22 Oct 2026Official pages checked daily

If you have reached Age Pension age but do not get the Age Pension, you can apply to Services Australia for a Commonwealth Seniors Health Card (CSHC). With the card you pay the concession price for PBS medicines, doctors may bulk bill you, and you may get higher Medicare Safety Net benefits. It has an income test only, with no assets test. Separately, each state government has its own Seniors Card (from age 60 in NSW and VIC). State cards are based on your age and your weekly work hours, and the benefits (public transport, business discounts) differ from state to state.

Key facts

CSHC age: Age Pension age or over¹
CSHC other conditions: You are not getting an income support payment from Centrelink or the Department of Veterans' Affairs (DVA); you provide your and your partner's TFN (or have an exemption); you meet the identity requirements; and you pass the income test¹
CSHC income limits (from 20 September 2026): Your yearly income must be under: A$105,048.00 for a single person; A$168,076.00 combined for a couple; A$210,096.00 combined for a couple separated due to illness, respite care or prison. Add A$639.60 for each child in your care²
How CSHC income is worked out: Your (and your partner's) adjusted taxable income, plus deemed income from account-based income streams (such as an account-based pension). The limits are adjusted on 20 September each year in line with the CPI²
CSHC assets test: There is no assets test²
CSHC benefits: Medicines at the concession price under the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS); doctors may bulk bill you (the doctor decides); higher benefits through the Medicare Safety Net once your out-of-pocket and out-of-hospital medical costs pass the threshold; and some extra concessions from state and local governments and businesses³
CSHC residence rules: On the day you claim, you must live in and be in Australia and be an Australian citizen, a permanent visa holder or a Special Category visa holder. While you hold the card, you must live in Australia as an Australian resident or SCV holder⁴
CSHC newly arrived resident's waiting period: If you are a new Australian resident, you may have to wait 2 years or 4 years (there are exemptions)⁴
NSW: Seniors Card / Senior Savers Card: Aged 60 or over (or turning 60 within 3 weeks), living in NSW, and an Australian citizen or permanent resident. If you do not work, or do paid work for an average of 20 hours a week or less over 12 months, you get the Seniors Card (includes the Gold Opal Card and public transport concessions across Australia). If you average more than 20 hours a week, you get the Senior Savers Card (no transport concessions). Both are free, and the card arrives in about 21 days⁵
VIC: Seniors Card / Seniors Business Discount Card: Aged 60 or over (50 or over for First Nations people), an Australian permanent resident and living in Victoria. If you do paid work for less than 35 hours a week or are fully retired, you get the Seniors Card (concession public transport fares, free travel in two adjacent zones on weekends, a free seniors myki, no fishing licence needed, and more). If you work more than 35 hours a week, you get the Seniors Business Discount Card (business discounts only). Free; you can apply from about 3 weeks before your 60th birthday, and processing takes about 4 weeks⁶
QLD: Seniors Card / Seniors Card +go / Seniors Business Discount Card: You must be a permanent resident of Queensland and live in Queensland for at least 6 months of the year. You get the Seniors Card or Seniors Card +go (the +go card also works as a go card for public transport in South East Queensland) if you are 65 or over and do paid work for less than 35 hours a week (averaged over 12 months), or aged 60–64, working less than 35 hours and holding a Commonwealth Pensioner Concession Card, Health Care Card or a DVA Gold, White or Orange Card. Anyone aged 60 or over can get the Seniors Business Discount Card. Free; you can apply from 2 months before your 60th birthday, and the card arrives within 4 weeks. Phone 13 74 68⁷

Who is this for, and what are the requirements?

CSHC: you have reached Age Pension age (currently 67) but are not getting the Age Pension or another Centrelink or DVA income support payment (for example because your assets are over the pension limit).
CSHC: you are an Australian citizen, a permanent visa holder or an SCV holder, and you live in and are in Australia on the day you claim. New residents must first complete a waiting period of 2 or 4 years (there are exemptions).
CSHC: your yearly income (including deemed income from account-based income streams) is under the limit. There is no assets test.
State Seniors Cards: issued by state governments based on your age (from 60 in NSW and VIC, generally from 65 in QLD) and your weekly paid work hours, not your income. All require you to be an Australian citizen or permanent resident living in that state.
If you are on a temporary visa, such as a student or work visa, you cannot get the CSHC or the NSW, VIC or QLD Seniors Cards.

How do I do it? Steps and process

Work out which card is right for you
If you get the Age Pension, you automatically have a Pensioner Concession Card and do not need the CSHC. If you have reached Age Pension age but do not get the pension, apply for the CSHC. State Seniors Cards and the federal card are independent, so you can have both.
Get your CSHC information ready
Your and your partner's TFN; financial details (notice of assessment, tax return, proof of income, savings and overseas accounts, investments, income stream schedules, and your super fund's latest annual statement); partner and separation details; if you have lived overseas, your visa details, the date you became a citizen and the periods you lived in other countries; and if you have recently stopped working, a separation certificate and payslips.
Apply for the CSHC in myGov
Sign in to myGov, then go to Centrelink, Make a claim or view claim status, Make a claim, Concession Cards, Get started, Apply for a Concession card, follow the prompts and upload your documents. If you do not have a myGov or Centrelink account, register and prove your identity first. If you cannot apply online, call the Centrelink older Australians line on 132 300 or fill in the Claim for a Commonwealth Seniors Health Card form (SA296). If your previous card was cancelled less than 26 weeks ago, use form SA296a to reclaim.
Provide documents and get your card
Provide any extra documents within 14 days of submitting your claim. Once approved, the card appears in the digital wallet in the Express Plus Centrelink app and is also posted to you. If you do not qualify, you get a letter in your myGov Inbox and can ask for a review.
Then apply for your state's Seniors Card
NSW: apply online on the Service NSW website with a MyServiceNSW account (you need 2 identity documents, 1 of which proves citizenship or permanent residence), or call 13 77 88 or visit a service centre. VIC: apply online at Seniors Online (seniorsonline.vic.gov.au) with your green Medicare card ready. QLD: apply online at qld.gov.au, call 13 74 68, apply by post or visit a Queensland Government Service Centre. One application covers all three Queensland cards, and you are given the card with the most benefits you qualify for.
Using your card
Show your card when you see a doctor or buy medicines (for Medicare services, show your Medicare card as well). Show your state Seniors Card on public transport and at participating businesses. States recognise each other's Seniors Cards for public transport concessions, so take your card when you travel interstate.

What documents do I need?

CSHC: your and your partner's TFN
CSHC: notice of assessment, tax return or proof of income; details of savings, overseas accounts, investments and income streams; your super fund's latest annual statement (for a self-managed super fund, a member statement for each fund)
CSHC: partner details (including nationality and income) or separation details; if you have lived overseas, visa details, the date you became a citizen and the periods you lived in other countries
NSW Seniors Card: a MyServiceNSW account, 2 identity documents (such as a driver licence, green Medicare card, passport, citizenship certificate or Pensioner Concession Card), your postal address and date of birth
VIC Seniors Card: your green Medicare card (a paper application needs a witnessed statutory declaration)
QLD Seniors Card: one of your Centrelink Customer Reference Number, DVA file number, Queensland driver licence number or Queensland adult proof of age card number

What should I watch out for?

CSHC and the Age Pension: if you get the Age Pension, you automatically have a Pensioner Concession Card, which gives more concessions. The CSHC is for people who have reached the age but cannot get the pension (for example because their assets are too high). If you get the Age Pension, you do not need the CSHC.
Income test details: account-based income streams (an account-based pension or annuity) bought or changed on or after 1 January 2015 are deemed, and those held by a partner aged 60 or over also count. If you are not sure, call 132 300.
Newly arrived resident's waiting period: according to the website, if your permanent visa was granted on or after 1 January 2019, you wait 4 years for the CSHC; if it was granted before then, 2 years. Parents who migrate to Australia later in life usually have to complete this full period. In the meantime, check whether there are other concession cards you can get.
State Seniors Cards and the CSHC are different things. State cards have no income test, and their benefits are mainly public transport and business discounts. The state government concessions you get vary by state. According to the Victorian website, all Australian states and territories recognise each other's Seniors Cards for public transport concessions.
NSW: if you retire or reduce your work to under 20 hours a week (averaged over 12 months), you can switch your Senior Savers Card to a Seniors Card and get the transport concessions. After applying, you can also add a digital card in the Service NSW app.
The VIC and QLD websites both warn that applying is free. Do not use websites that charge a fee to apply for you.
If you live in WA, SA, TAS, ACT or NT, each state and territory has its own Seniors Card rules and state concessions. Check your state's official website. CSHC holders should also check their state government website for state concessions.
This page is an unofficial plain-English summary of public information. Whether you can get a card, and what concessions it gives, depends on Services Australia and the state government websites. It is not immigration, legal or financial advice.

What has changed recently?

2026-09-20
The CSHC income limits were updated in the routine CPI adjustment on 20 September 2026 (the facts on this page show the updated figures).Source: servicesaustralia.gov.au ↗

Common questions

What concession cards can seniors get if they do not get the Age Pension?

If you have reached Age Pension age (currently 67) but do not get the Age Pension, you can apply to Services Australia for a Commonwealth Seniors Health Card (CSHC), which has an income test but no assets test. Each state government also has its own Seniors Card, from 60 in NSW and VIC and generally from 65 in QLD, based on age and weekly work hours. You can have both. Age Pension recipients automatically get a Pensioner Concession Card instead.

What is the income limit for the Commonwealth Seniors Health Card? Is there an assets test?

There is no assets test, only an income test. From 20 September 2026, your yearly income must be under A$105,048.00 for a single person, A$168,076.00 combined for a couple, or A$210,096.00 combined for a couple separated due to illness, respite care or prison, plus A$639.60 for each child in your care. Income means your and your partner's adjusted taxable income plus deemed income from account-based income streams. The limits are adjusted on 20 September each year.

What benefits does the Commonwealth Seniors Health Card give? Are medicines cheaper?

Yes. With the CSHC you pay the concession price for medicines under the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS). Doctors may bulk bill you, although the doctor decides. Once your out-of-pocket and out-of-hospital medical costs pass the threshold, you get higher benefits through the Medicare Safety Net. Some state and local governments and businesses offer extra concessions; check your state government website. Show the card when you see a doctor or buy medicines, along with your Medicare card.

My parents have PR. How long until they can apply for the Commonwealth Seniors Health Card?

According to the website, if their permanent visa was granted on or after 1 January 2019, they wait 4 years; if it was granted before then, 2 years. There are exemptions. Parents who migrate later in life usually have to complete the full waiting period, and can check for other concession cards in the meantime. They must also have reached Age Pension age, pass the income test, and live in and be in Australia on the day they claim.

Can I get the NSW Seniors Card at 60? What if I am still working?

Yes. You can apply if you are 60 or over (or turning 60 within 3 weeks), live in NSW, and are an Australian citizen or permanent resident. If you do not work, or average 20 hours or less of paid work a week over 12 months, you get the Seniors Card with the Gold Opal Card and transport concessions. If you average more than 20 hours, you get the Senior Savers Card, with no transport concessions. Both are free, and the card arrives in about 21 days.

What is the difference between the Victorian Seniors Card and the Seniors Business Discount Card?

The difference is your work hours and the benefits. If you do paid work for less than 35 hours a week or are fully retired, you get the Seniors Card, with concession public transport fares, free weekend travel in two adjacent zones, a free seniors myki and more. If you work more than 35 hours a week, you get the Seniors Business Discount Card, which gives business discounts only. Both require you to be 60 or over (50 for First Nations people) and a permanent resident living in Victoria.

How old do I need to be for the Queensland Seniors Card?

Generally 65 or over, doing paid work for less than 35 hours a week averaged over 12 months, for the Seniors Card or Seniors Card +go. People aged 60–64 who work less than 35 hours and hold a Pensioner Concession Card, Health Care Card or a DVA Gold, White or Orange Card also qualify. Anyone 60 or over can get the Seniors Business Discount Card. You must be a Queensland permanent resident living there at least 6 months a year. It is free.

Does a Seniors Card give discounts on public transport?

Yes, depending on the card. The NSW Seniors Card includes the Gold Opal Card and transport concessions across Australia, but the Senior Savers Card does not. The Victorian Seniors Card gives concession fares, free weekend travel in two adjacent zones and a free seniors myki, while the Seniors Business Discount Card gives business discounts only. In Queensland, the Seniors Card +go also works as a go card in South East Queensland. States recognise each other's Seniors Cards for transport concessions, so take your card when travelling interstate.

Answers are based on the verified content of this page — the official source always prevails.

Where can I check the official information?

Commonwealth Seniors Health CardServices Australia · servicesaustralia.gov.au
Income test for a Commonwealth Seniors Health CardServices Australia · servicesaustralia.gov.au
Benefits of a Commonwealth Seniors Health CardServices Australia · servicesaustralia.gov.au
Residence rules for a Commonwealth Seniors Health CardServices Australia · servicesaustralia.gov.au
Apply for a NSW Seniors Card or NSW Senior Savers CardService NSW · service.nsw.gov.au
Seniors Card (Victoria)Victorian Government (Seniors Online) · seniorsonline.vic.gov.au
Applying for a Seniors Card (Queensland)Queensland Government · qld.gov.au

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The AI answers using this guide and official Australian government websites.

Age Pension

The Age Pension is the Australian Government's main income support payment for people aged 67 and over. It is paid by Services Australia through Centrelink. It is not automatic: you must pass an income test and an assets test, and you normally need to have been an Australian resident for 10 years, including at least 5 years in a row. The rates change on 20 March and 20 September each year. If you get the Age Pension, you automatically get a Pensioner Concession Card.