Last reviewed: 30 October 2026 by TAG Legal Team
Quick answer: A DVA Gold Card pays for treatment of all your health conditions. A White Card pays only for conditions DVA has accepted, plus some it covers without a claim, like mental health. Under the MRCA, you can get a Gold Card at 60 or more impairment points, or if you're eligible for the Special Rate Disability Pension or the Additional Disablement Amount.
Key facts
- A Gold Card covers treatment for all health conditions. A White Card covers accepted conditions plus some conditions DVA treats without a claim. (DVA: Veteran Card)
- Under the MRCA, the main Gold Card routes are 60 or more impairment points, eligibility for the Special Rate Disability Pension or, once you reach age pension age, eligibility for the Additional Disablement Amount. (DVA: Veteran Gold Card, DVA: ADA)
- If you already hold a Gold Card under the VEA, your Gold Card entitlements did not change on 1 July 2026. (DVA: VEA veterans)
- If you have at least one day of continuous full-time service, DVA may fully fund mental health treatment without you having to show service caused the condition. You apply for it separately from a compensation claim, for example in MyService. (DVA: Veteran Card for specific conditions)
What's the difference between a DVA Gold Card and a White Card?
Both are issued by the Department of Veterans' Affairs (DVA), and both are a Veteran Card. The difference is what they pay for.
A Gold Card pays for clinically necessary treatment of all your health conditions, whether or not they're related to your service. A White Card pays for treatment of the conditions DVA has accepted as service related, plus a small group of conditions DVA covers without a claim.
- What it covers: White Card: Accepted conditions, plus some conditions covered without a claim. Gold Card: All health conditions.
- How you usually get it: White Card: A condition is accepted, or you apply for free mental health care. Gold Card: Meeting a Gold Card threshold (see below)
- Mental health treatment: White Card: Yes, if you meet the service requirements. Gold Card: Yes.
The card you hold isn't a verdict on your service. It reflects where your claims are up to, and that can change.
What does a DVA White Card cover?
A White Card pays for treatment of the conditions listed against it. If DVA has accepted your tinnitus and a knee condition, the card covers treatment for those two things: GP visits, specialists, allied health and medicines connected to them.
It also covers some conditions under non-liability health care, where DVA pays for treatment without deciding whether service caused the condition:
- Mental health: any mental health condition, if you have at least one day of continuous full-time service. That includes reservists with continuous full-time service. Some other service also qualifies, such as disaster relief or border protection service, or a serious service-related training accident. You still need to apply. (DVA: Veteran Card for specific conditions)
- Cancer and pulmonary tuberculosis: covered for certain types of service, such as operational or peacekeeping service. Eligibility depends on what kind of service you had, so check with DVA. (DVA: cancer and pulmonary TB)
What a White Card doesn't cover is everything else. A chest infection, a weekend footy injury or an unrelated skin check falls back on Medicare and your private cover. That gap is why so many veterans ask about the Gold Card.
Who is eligible for a DVA Gold Card?
There's no single Gold Card application for most veterans. Since 1 July 2026, new claims are made under the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 2004 (MRCA), and the main routes to a Gold Card are: (DVA: VEA veterans, DVA: Veteran Gold Card)
- 60 or more impairment points from your accepted service-related conditions.
- Being eligible for the Special Rate Disability Pension (SRDP). This is generally for veterans under age pension age with 50 or more impairment points who receive incapacity payments and can't work more than 10 hours a week because of their accepted conditions. (CLIK: SRDP, DVA: SRDP)
- Being eligible for the Additional Disablement Amount (ADA). This is new from 1 July 2026, for veterans who have reached age pension age, have at least 70 impairment points and a lifestyle rating of at least 6, and aren't receiving incapacity payments or SRDP. (DVA: ADA)
A few other things worth knowing:
- Already have a Gold Card under the old VEA? You keep it. (DVA)
- Accepted conditions under the DRCA? From 1 July 2026 you can reach the 60-point route too. You need either a new condition accepted under the MRCA or your accepted conditions to have worsened by at least 5 points since your last assessment. (DVA: DRCA veterans)
- Over 70 with qualifying service? DVA says veterans with qualifying service will continue to be eligible for a Gold Card at age 70 under the new law. (DVA: Introduction to the VETS Act, DVA: Veteran Card)
- Partners and dependants of some veterans can also be eligible. A wholly dependent partner may be eligible for a Gold Card for life if the veteran's death was accepted as service-related, or if the veteran was eligible for SRDP or ADA or had 80 or more impairment points. Automatic Gold Cards for dependants of certain deceased VEA veterans continue after 1 July 2026. The rules depend on the veteran's circumstances. (DVA: Compensation for dependants, DVA: VEA partners)
For most veterans, the Gold Card comes from permanent impairment being assessed across all their accepted conditions. More conditions accepted and properly assessed can lift the total.
Can a White Card turn into a Gold Card?
Yes, and that's the path most veterans take. You claim, DVA accepts one or more conditions, and you get a White Card. As more conditions are accepted and assessed, your impairment points can add up to the 60-point threshold.
That's why it pays not to leave conditions off a claim. A sore shoulder, a sleep disorder or hearing loss might each seem minor on their own, but each accepted condition counts towards the total.
If you're not sure where your claims stand, a free claims assessment looks at your service history, what's already accepted and what might still be claimable.
Do I need a claim to get a card at all?
Not always. If you have at least one day of continuous full-time service, you can apply for a White Card for mental health treatment without a compensation claim. You can do it yourself in MyService. (DVA: Veteran Card for specific conditions)
Where TAG Legal comes in is the compensation side: the claims that get conditions accepted and assessed. We're a law firm, and we manage the claim end to end, Australia-wide. That means gathering the evidence, dealing with DVA for you and handling reviews if a decision goes the wrong way. See our DVA claims services.
What should I do with my card once I have it?
Use it. Plenty of veterans carry a card for years without knowing what it gets them.
- Give your card details to your GP and ask them to note your accepted conditions on your file.
- Keep your decision letters. They list exactly which conditions are accepted. If a condition isn't on the list, treatment for it generally isn't covered.
- Your digital Veteran Card is also in MyService.
- If an accepted condition gets worse, you can ask DVA to reassess it.
Our DVA claims FAQ answers the most common questions about cards and claims.
Frequently asked questions
Is a Gold Card better than a White Card?
A Gold Card is broader. It pays for treatment of all your health conditions, while a White Card pays only for accepted conditions and some conditions DVA covers without a claim, like mental health.
How many points do you need for a DVA Gold Card?
Under the MRCA, 60 or more impairment points from accepted service-related conditions. You can also get one if you're eligible for the Special Rate Disability Pension, or the Additional Disablement Amount once you reach age pension age.
How do I get a Gold Card from DVA?
For most veterans, there's no separate application. A Gold Card follows from your accepted conditions reaching 60 impairment points, or from being eligible for the Special Rate Disability Pension or Additional Disablement Amount.
Did the Gold Card rules change on 1 July 2026?
New claims are now made under the MRCA. If you already held a Gold Card under the VEA, you keep it. Veterans with accepted DRCA conditions can now reach a Gold Card through the MRCA 60-point route.
Can I get a White Card without a claim?
Yes, for mental health. If you have at least one day of continuous full-time service, DVA can fund treatment of any mental health condition without deciding whether service caused it. You apply for it, for example in MyService.
Does a White Card cover my GP visits?
Yes, for the conditions on your card. A GP visit for something unrelated generally falls back on Medicare.
Can TAG Legal help me move from a White Card to a Gold Card?
TAG Legal helps veterans claim the conditions that count towards the 60-point threshold, and have them assessed. We manage the claim end to end and deal with DVA for you.
Get a free claims assessment.
If this brings things up for you
- Open Arms: Veterans & Families Counselling, free and confidential, 24/7: 1800 011 046
- Lifeline, 24/7 crisis support: 13 11 14
- In an emergency, call 000.
General information only. This article is general information about Australian veterans' entitlements as at the "last reviewed" date above. It is not legal advice and does not take your circumstances into account. The law and DVA policy change. Before acting, get advice about your own situation. TAG Legal Pty Ltd is an incorporated legal practice regulated by the Law Society of New South Wales.
