Travel & transport

DVA's Travel for Treatment program helps with the cost of getting to treatment that your Veteran Card covers, within Australia. For journeys on or after 1 July 2026, DVA assesses travel-for-treatment claims under the improved MRCA. A few older matters (such as travel linked to a VEA claim lodged before 1 July 2026) stay under the VEA.

• Gold Card (Veteran Card – All Conditions): travel to treatment for any condition the card covers.
• White Card (Veteran Card – Specific Conditions): travel to treatment for the conditions your card covers, such as accepted service-related conditions.
• Help can include fares, a car allowance, parking and tolls, meals and accommodation, plus costs for an attendant if you need one.
• Not covered: travel to the Administrative Review Tribunal (ART), treatment outside Australia, or getting to your usual rehabilitation program activities.

Source: DVA – Travel for treatment; DVA – Claim travel expenses under the improved MRCA

Under the older rules (journeys before 1 July 2026), the car rate and distance rules were different – for example, 46.3 cents per km under the VEA. See the older-journey links in 'How to claim' below.

Source: DVA – Claim travel expenses under the improved MRCA; DVA – Booked Car with Driver; DVA – How to claim travel expenses in MyService; DVA – VEA travel, journeys before 1 July 2026

If it was reasonable to stay overnight to get treatment, DVA can repay accommodation for you and your attendant. Reasons can include a long trip, needing to stay close for medical observation, very early or late appointments, or not being able to travel after treatment.

Standard amounts from 1 July 2026:

• Subsidised accommodation (such as hospital accommodation): $141.00 per person per night
• Private accommodation (staying with family or friends): $59.60 per person per night
• Meals, round trip 101–400 km: $19.10 per person
• Meals, round trip 400 km or more: $38.80 per person
• Meals with an overnight stay: $108.50

Commercial accommodation (hotels, motels) needs a receipt and is repaid up to the Australian Taxation Office guide rate for the area – for example $230 a night in Sydney and $175 in Melbourne. DVA lists rates for each capital city and many country centres. If you paid more, you can ask for a higher amount and explain why.

Short of money? If paying up front would cause you financial hardship, ask DVA about pre-payment. DVA checks the actual costs after your trip and either tops up the payment or asks you to repay the difference.

Source: DVA – Claim travel expenses under the improved MRCA

With BCWD, DVA books a taxi or hire car from home to your treatment and pays the driver, so you pay nothing. It is meant for people who are older or more vulnerable, so you need to meet the access rules.

• Gold Card holders can use it for any treatment the card covers if they are 80 or older, legally blind, living with dementia, or get Special Rate (TPI) or are EDA, ADA or SRDP eligible.
• Gold Card holders aged 79 or under can also use it if they have a medical condition in one of DVA's listed categories – for example, a condition that makes public transport hard, a condition that severely limits independence, or recent surgery. You state the category, not your diagnosis.
• White Card holders can use it under similar rules when travelling for treatment of an accepted or NLHC-covered condition.
• If you live a long way from treatment, DVA may arrange a flight when it's clinically needed and the most suitable and economical option.

How to book: use Book transport in MyService (best for trips more than 48 hours ahead) or call 1800 550 455. Family, friends, your health provider or a representative can book for you. Bookings made after hours may not be confirmed until the next business day, so book weekend or after-hours trips during office hours. Tell DVA if you need a wheelchair-accessible vehicle, an attendant or an assistance dog. On a return trip, ask the driver for a 'Right of Return' card to arrange your ride home.

Not eligible for BCWD? You can still pay for taxi, rideshare, community or public transport and claim the fare back.

Source: DVA – Booked Car with Driver (BCWD) service; DVA – How to book transport in MyService

• Online: use Claim travel expenses in MyService. One claim can hold up to 40 expenses, but DVA suggests about 10 at a time. You can save an unfinished claim, but it is deleted if you don't touch it for 90 days.
• Paper: use form D0800 Claim for Travelling Expenses.
• Receipts: attach them for most costs. You don't need receipts for car kilometres, private accommodation, or meals at or below the standard amount – but keep any receipts you don't send in case DVA asks.
• Payment: goes into the same bank account as your DVA pension or payment, with a letter explaining the amount.
• When to claim: DVA asks you to claim as soon as possible after you travel. For VEA journeys before 1 July 2026, the limit is 12 months after the trip; later claims are only considered in exceptional circumstances.

Journeys before 1 July 2026 are assessed under the Act that applied when you travelled, even if you claim later: see VEA travel claims or MRCA or DRCA travel claims.

Source: DVA – How to claim travel expenses in MyService; DVA – D0800 form; DVA – Claim travel expenses under the improved MRCA; DVA – Appeal a travel expense decision

• Veterans' Review Board: DVA may repay your travel to attend a VRB hearing or to get evidence for one. You can claim this in MyService – choose the appointment location when you enter the trip.
• The VRB can also run your hearing by phone or video if you can't attend in person. See VRB hearings.
• DVA medical exams: travel to a medical examination DVA asked you to attend can be repaid.
• ART hearings: travel to the Administrative Review Tribunal is not covered under the current rules.
• Ambulance: in an emergency always call 000. DVA may pay for ambulance transport that is medically needed for a condition your card covers. Tell the paramedics you have a Veteran Card. If you get an ambulance bill for a covered condition, don't pay it – ask the ambulance provider to send it to DVA, or contact DVA.

Source: DVA – Claim travel expenses under the improved MRCA; DVA – How to claim travel expenses in MyService; VRB – VRB hearings; DVA – Ambulance transport

If an accepted service-related condition affects your mobility, DVA has a few kinds of vehicle help.

• Motor Vehicle Compensation Scheme (MVCS) – MRCA: if you are clinically assessed as unable to drive, or be driven, safely without modifications, DVA may pay part or all of the cost of modifying your car or a car you buy, or of a modified vehicle. It may also cover repairs to funded modifications, extra insurance, and a replacement once the vehicle is 8 years old and no longer safe or suitable. A driver-trained occupational therapist assesses what you need. Ask through a compensation claim form, a letter, your needs assessor or rehabilitation assessor, or by contacting DVA.
• Vehicle Assistance Scheme (VAS) – VEA: now closed to new claims. If you already get VAS help, you can keep using it, or claim under MRCA if you meet the criteria. Current amounts include up to $19,905 towards a replacement car every two years, and a running and maintenance allowance of $3,086.20 a year.
• Rehabilitation Appliances Program (RAP): if a health professional assesses a clinical need, RAP can fund vehicle modifications such as hoists and rotating seats, wheelchair carriers and customised driving controls, as well as mobility aids like electric scooters and wheelchairs.
• GST-free cars: some veterans (for example Gold Card holders with TPI) may not have to pay GST when buying or leasing a car or car parts. The ATO decides eligibility.

Source: DVA – Motor Vehicle Compensation Scheme; DVA – Vehicle Assistance Scheme; DVA – Rehabilitation Appliances Program; DVA – Supply of cars or car parts GST-free

Discounts on things like car registration, public transport fares and other local charges are set by state and territory governments, not DVA. They often use your DVA card to check eligibility, but each government decides who qualifies and what you get, so it varies a lot between states.

• NSW: Service NSW – Veterans
• Vic: see the Victorian Government's veterans concessions page, linked from DVA’s discounts and concessions page
• Qld: Queensland Government – Concessions
• WA: Concessions available in Western Australia
• SA: SA.GOV.AU – Concessions
• Tas: Tasmanian Government Concessions
• ACT: ACT Government – Key concessions
• NT: NT – Concessions and payments

• Some agencies need a DVA letter as proof. You can make some letters yourself in MyService, or call 1800 VETERAN.
• If you move interstate, some state agencies want your Veteran File Number prefix to match your new state. Ask DVA about a new number and card if needed.

Source: DVA – Discounts and concessions

On holiday in Australia: if you need covered treatment while away, travel help is based on where you are staying. After treatment DVA generally helps you get back to your holiday accommodation, not home. DVA also can't pay costs for others in your travel party. Consider travel insurance.

Overseas: your Gold or White Card is not valid outside Australia.

• Tell DVA before you leave (1800 VETERAN or MyService). DVA will explain what care you can get overseas and how to claim.
• Overseas, DVA only covers treatment of your accepted service-related conditions, not NLHC or PAMT conditions. Get travel insurance that covers everything else.
• DVA doesn't pay overseas travel costs such as flights or transport between appointments, medical evacuation, or bringing you home.
• Claim overseas medical costs with the MEPI webform or form D1181 – see Medical care while overseas. From overseas, call +61 2 6289 1133.
• If you live overseas and need to travel for treatment, contact DVA to talk it through.

Source: DVA – Claim travel expenses under the improved MRCA; DVA – Medical care while overseas; DVA – Ambulance transport

• Before booking a far-away specialist, ring DVA to check whether they count as your PWATA. A letter from your doctor explaining why you need that provider can help.
• Keep a simple travel log for each appointment: date, provider, kilometres, parking and toll receipts. It makes claims quick.
• Put the costs for one appointment in one claim – it's easier to track and can mean faster payment.
• Ask DVA before booking flights, as they may need approval first.
• Keep your Veteran Card (or the digital card in MyService) handy for ambulances and providers.
• Check your state's concessions page – rego and transport discounts can change.
• A trained advocate can help if a travel decision seems wrong.

Experiences collected October 2026. Got a correction? Use the feedback form.

• dva.gov.auTravel for treatment
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• dva.gov.auClaim travel expenses under the improved MRCA
  View source
• dva.gov.auBooked Car with Driver (BCWD) service
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• dva.gov.auHow to book transport in MyService
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• dva.gov.auHow to claim travel expenses in MyService
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• dva.gov.auClaim for Travelling Expenses (D0800)
  View source
• dva.gov.auClaim travel expenses under the VEA for journeys prior to 1 July 2026
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• dva.gov.auClaim travel expenses under the MRCA or DRCA for journeys prior to 1 July 2026
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• dva.gov.auAppeal a travel expense decision for travel for treatment
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• dva.gov.auAmbulance transport
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• dva.gov.auMedical care while overseas
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• dva.gov.auMotor Vehicle Compensation Scheme
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• dva.gov.auVehicle Assistance Scheme
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• dva.gov.auSupply of cars or car parts GST-free
  View source
• dva.gov.auAids, equipment and modifications through RAP
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• dva.gov.auDiscounts and concessions
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• vrb.gov.auVRB hearings
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• vrb.gov.auVeterans' Review Board – How to apply
  View source

All links opened and checked 2026-10-02.