DVA provides reimbursement of travel expenses to Veteran Card holders and an attendant (if required) who need to travel for:
- treatment covered by their Veteran Card
- medical or rehabilitation assessments arranged by DVA.
DVA can also reimburse travel related to an appeal, for example to attend a hearing at the Veterans’ Review Board. Contact us directly for advice on your eligibility for travel assistance related to appeals.
Travel reimbursement claims can be submitted online or by mail. More information is available at Travel for treatment | Department of Veterans' Affairs.
Meal Reimbursements
If you submit a claim for trips undertaken from 1 July 2025, DVA will automatically provide a payment for meals for round trips above 100 km without the need to provide a receipt. The rate payable depends on the distance travelled, and if overnight accommodation was needed.
For trips taken before 1 July 2025, you can still apply for reimbursement of meals. However, you will need to provide a receipt and details about the reason you incurred the cost as part of your travel.
Accommodation Reimbursements
If you need to stay overnight, costs will be reimbursed as follows:
- For commercial accommodation, if your receipt is less than DVA’s threshold amount (based on Australian Taxation Office rates), you will automatically receive a full reimbursement. If the receipt is above the threshold, you will need to provide details explaining why the higher amount was reasonably incurred to be fully reimbursed.
- For private or subsidised accommodation, DVA will reimburse you at a standard rate. As with meals and commercial accommodation, you can submit a claim for a higher amount with a receipt and details of the reason the cost was higher than the threshold.
Meal and accommodation rates will be available on the DVA website.
There is no change to entitlements for Veteran Card holders accessing travel assistance under the Veterans' Entitlements Act 1986 (VEA), including travel for treatment of conditions covered under Non-Liability Health Care (NHLC) arrangements until 1 July 2026, when all travel entitlements will be reimbursed under the MRCA.
Updates to My Service
A range of updates have been made to the way travel claims are processed and displayed in MyService for those eligible under MRCA and DRCA. From 1 July 2025:
- Claim statuses will now be available in MyService for all new MRCA and DRCA travel claims.
- Developed in response to veteran feedback, these enhancements will improve the claims process.
Visit the DVA website for more information. If you want to talk to someone you can:
- Phone us between 8am and 5pm, Monday to Friday on 1800 VETERAN (1800 838 372).