NZ Travel Insurance: What Is and Isn't Covered

It helps to know what New Zealand's accident scheme and its public health system do and do not provide for visitors. Accident cover exists, and visitors are included, but it has clear limits, and Immigration New Zealand says visitors will need to pay for any health care they need.

This guide explains what you are and are not entitled to as a visitor, what travel insurance typically covers, common exclusions, what to check for adventure activity cover, and how to buy a policy and make a claim. It gives general information only and gives no cost figures. Policies differ widely, so always read your own policy wording and check current rules with the organisations named below.

If you are planning activities such as bungy, skiing or rafting, read this together with our guide to adventure activities and operator safety in New Zealand. For hiking hazards, see our nature and wildlife safety guide, and for wider trip planning, our first-time traveller planning guide.

Do You Need Travel Insurance to Visit New Zealand?

Travel insurance is not a requirement for entering New Zealand on an NZeTA. Immigration New Zealand's NZeTA requirements cover things such as being in good health, meeting the character requirements, being a genuine visitor, having enough money and holding onward travel. Insurance is not on that list.

Immigration New Zealand does, however, strongly recommend it. Its guidance says you will need to pay for any health care or medical help you need in New Zealand, and recommends full medical insurance for your stay. In a few cases insurance is required for other visa types, for example Immigration New Zealand says you must provide evidence of health insurance when applying for a Fee-paying Student Visa and some working holiday visas.

So the honest answer is that insurance is not compulsory for a typical NZeTA visit, but it is strongly recommended. For the wider entry rules, see our guide to New Zealand travel requirements. If you are eligible and your plans are settled, you can request your NZeTA here.

What Visitors Can and Cannot Get From New Zealand's Public Health System

Publicly funded health care in New Zealand is mainly for citizens, residents and some other groups. Immigration New Zealand says that, in general, people on temporary visas to visit, study or work cannot get publicly funded health care, and that you will need to pay for any health care or medical assistance you need in New Zealand.

Health New Zealand sets the detailed eligibility rules. Its guidance explains several exceptions and limited-range services that matter to visitors:

Accident treatment: Health New Zealand says ACC can cover treatment for accidents and personal injuries regardless of residential status, but a claim must be accepted by ACC before it funds treatment.
Other limited services: Health New Zealand lists a limited range of services for people who are not otherwise eligible, such as immunisations and Well Child services for tamariki, and diagnostic and treatment services for people who have, or are suspected of having, an infectious disease where that addresses a public health risk. Each has its own criteria.
Reciprocal agreements: New Zealand has agreements with Australia and the United Kingdom that give some visitors from those countries access to some publicly funded services.

Reciprocal health agreements with Australia and the United Kingdom

Under the Australian agreement, Australian citizens, permanent residents and other Australian residents on a temporary visit (up to two years) can access publicly funded hospital and maternity services and pharmaceutical benefits when a provider considers the treatment immediately necessary. Australian visitors are not entitled to publicly funded emergency ambulance transport, and they cannot use subsidised GP care other than pharmaceuticals.

Under the United Kingdom agreement, UK citizens who are ordinarily resident in the UK and on a temporary stay can access treatment that a medical practitioner considers needs timely care for a condition that arose or worsened after arrival, or would have worsened without treatment. They cannot enrol with a primary health organisation. UK permanent residents are not covered.

Health New Zealand says neither agreement covers everything, and it advises travellers to hold comprehensive travel insurance that includes health care.

Changes from 1 December 2026

The Ministry of Health says targeted changes to the eligibility settings for publicly funded health services take effect on 1 December 2026, and that most people's eligibility will be unchanged. It lists the main changes as including publicly funded measles and polio immunisations for everyone in New Zealand regardless of visa status, and wider use of contact tracing, diagnostic testing and treatment for infectious diseases where that addresses a public health risk. It also says being eligible does not mean people automatically get a service, because clinical need and funding settings still apply. If you travel after that date, check the Ministry of Health's and Health New Zealand's current guidance. Providers may ask for proof of eligibility, such as a valid passport.

What ACC Covers for Visitors, and What It Does Not

The Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC) runs New Zealand's no-fault accident scheme. ACC says the scheme covers everyone, including visitors, who are injured in an accident in New Zealand, and that if you are injured while visiting it may be able to help you. That is useful, but it is much narrower than travel insurance.

ACC's visitor page says it does not cover illness, disrupted travel plans or emergency travel to get you back home, injuries while in transit to or from New Zealand (including getting on or off a boat or plane), travel around New Zealand in the craft you arrived in, such as a cruise ship, or treatment and rehabilitation once you are back home. It says visitors still need travel insurance for what it does not cover, and that you should buy it before your visit. Read ACC's current visitor information, because cover depends on the circumstances of each injury. If you are arriving by ship, our cruise and cargo ship arrival guide covers the other entry rules.

ACC and visitors: common situations (based on ACC's visitor page; check ACC for your own claim)
Situation	ACC position for visitors	What to do
Accidental injury in New Zealand, for example a fall while walking	May be covered under the no-fault scheme if ACC accepts the claim	Ask your treatment provider about an ACC claim, and check your travel policy for its own notification rules
Illness, such as an infection or a heart problem	Not covered, because ACC covers accidents, not illness	Rely on travel insurance; expect to pay for care yourself if not eligible for public funding
Cancelled or disrupted trip, or an emergency flight home	Not covered	Travel insurance, if the policy includes it
Injury while in transit to or from New Zealand, or travel around New Zealand in the craft you arrived in, such as a cruise ship	ACC says it does not cover these	Travel insurance, especially if you arrive by cruise or cargo ship
Treatment and rehabilitation after you return home	ACC says it does not cover treatment and rehabilitation once you are back home	Your home health system or travel insurance, depending on the policy
Lost bags, theft, cancelled flights	Not an ACC matter	Travel insurance

What Travel Insurance Usually Includes

Policies differ, so the policy wording is the only reliable guide. The Insurance Council of New Zealand describes most travel insurance as protecting against cancellation and loss of deposit, medical treatment costs, costs for returning home in certain emergencies, loss of luggage and personal items, and personal liability, other than for deliberate acts or use of motor vehicles.

Medical expenses and emergency assistance

Medical cover is one of the main components the Insurance Council lists. It is intended to pay for treatment costs if you become ill or injured away from home. Check the limit, the excess you must pay, whether the policy covers emergency dental treatment, and whether you must contact the insurer's emergency assistance service before getting non-urgent treatment. Insurers typically provide a 24-hour emergency assistance line, and the Insurance Council of New Zealand advises keeping its details with you at all times.

Emergency evacuation and repatriation

Evacuation and repatriation cover is for moving you to suitable treatment or home in certain emergencies. It matters in New Zealand because ACC does not cover emergency travel to get you home. Read what triggers the cover, whether it includes helicopter transport, and whether the insurer must approve the arrangements.

Cancellation cover

Cancellation cover can reimburse non-refundable prepaid costs if you cannot travel for a reason listed in the policy. A common exclusion is 'disinclination to travel', which means choosing not to go because a destination looks unsafe when no travel advisory has been issued. Insurers also treat events that were already known when you bought cover as unlikely to be covered, which is why timing matters.

Baggage, valuables and liability

Baggage cover often has limits for high-value items such as electronics and jewellery, and leaving belongings unattended in a public place is a common exclusion. Tell your insurer about high-value items. The Insurance Council of New Zealand says most policies do not cover liability for damage to accommodation you stay in, or damage to a rental vehicle, and that some policies offer rental vehicle excess cover, which only covers the excess. If you will drive, check the rental company's own cover.

Common Exclusions to Look For

No policy covers everything. The Insurance Council of New Zealand lists some common exclusions, and each insurer is different, so check the wording of yours.

Pre-existing medical conditions, which are usually excluded unless the insurer has accepted them in writing, which may involve an extra premium. This can include symptoms you have asked a doctor about, even without a formal diagnosis.
Being under the influence of alcohol or drugs
Elective medical or dental treatment
War and terrorism, and pandemic, epidemic or infectious disease
Financial failure of an airline, travel agent or tour operator
Items left unattended in a public place, and failure to take reasonable care of belongings
Sports or adventure activities your policy does not cover
Events that were already known or widely reported when you bought the policy
Time limits on how long cover lasts, which can apply to credit card cover

Pre-existing conditions

The Insurance and Financial Services Ombudsman says pre-existing conditions are usually excluded unless the insurer has accepted them in writing, and it advises disclosing all conditions and symptoms you are aware of, including any that arise between buying the policy and travelling. The Insurance Council says some insurers automatically cover certain conditions, others sell extra cover, and a medical certificate may be required. Cover may be reduced if you do not declare a pre-existing condition.

Adventure Activity Cover: How Insurers Usually Handle It

New Zealand is known for activities such as bungy jumping, skiing, skydiving and scuba diving, and insurers treat these differently. The Insurance Council of New Zealand says some insurers have a list of sports and activities they automatically cover, while there are others they will not cover, and advises that if you plan any sport or adventure activity you should tell your insurer when you buy cover. It specifically suggests checking cover for skiing and snowboarding, scuba diving, bungy jumping, hang gliding, water skiing and motorcycling or using a scooter.

Cover for these activities therefore varies between insurers and policies. Read the definitions closely, and ask the insurer in writing if the policy is unclear about the activity and the way you will do it.

Two points are worth stating clearly. First, an operator being registered with WorkSafe New Zealand, or certified by the Civil Aviation Authority or Maritime New Zealand, is a safety check and not insurance. It does not mean your policy will pay for an injury. Second, whether a policy pays depends on its wording, not on who runs the activity. Our guide to adventure activities and operator safety explains how the regulatory regime works.

When and Where to Buy Travel Insurance

The Insurance Council of New Zealand advises buying travel insurance when you book and pay for your trip. That way you are covered not only during the trip but also if something happens before you leave. The Insurance and Financial Services Ombudsman makes the same point: buying when you arrange travel makes cancellation cover more likely, and buying after a disaster has been widely reported means the event is no longer unexpected. Buying when you book means the insurer is on risk if something disrupts your plans before you leave, and buying later can leave a gap.

The Insurance Council also says you cannot get travel insurance if you have already left your country, so do not leave it to the airport or to the day you arrive.

Where visitors usually buy

The Insurance Council of New Zealand says the general rule is that New Zealand insurers do not provide travel insurance for non-residents, with some exceptions such as certain international students and seasonal workers, and that some insurers only cover New Zealand residents. Visitors will therefore generally need a policy from their home country or from an insurer that sells to non-residents. When you get quotes, confirm the policy covers New Zealand, your whole trip length and your planned activities.

Check your credit card and health plan first

Credit card travel insurance can be useful, but the Insurance Council of New Zealand notes several things to check: some policies must be activated before you travel, there may be a limit on how long the cover lasts, you may have to charge a certain amount of travel costs to the card, and pre-existing conditions may not be covered automatically. Credit card cover may be less comprehensive than a dedicated policy.

Also check whether your home health plan or public scheme pays for care outside your country. Arrangements vary widely. Compare what you already have against the list of covers above, and fill the gaps. Treat insurance as a normal line in your trip budget, as our New Zealand budget travel guide suggests for other essentials.

Special situations

Pregnancy, older age, pre-existing conditions and adventure activities can all affect which policies are available. The Insurance Council of New Zealand suggests contacting several insurers in those cases, as one may suit you better than another. If you are pregnant, Immigration New Zealand notes there are additional requirements for visitors, so check its guidance as well.

Making a Claim and the Evidence to Keep

Claims are easier when you keep records from the start. The exact steps depend on your insurer, but the general principles below come up repeatedly in guidance from the Insurance Council of New Zealand and the Insurance and Financial Services Ombudsman.

In an emergency, contact the insurer's 24-hour assistance line as soon as you safely can, and follow its guidance on treatment and transport.
Keep receipts for treatment, replacement items, transport and extra accommodation. You may still be able to claim without a receipt, but you are likely to need proof of ownership or other proof of loss.
Report theft or loss to the police promptly, and note the policy's deadlines for reporting, which can be short.
Keep medical reports, itineraries, booking confirmations and records of delays or cancellations.
Take reasonable care of your belongings. Leaving items unattended in public places is a common reason for claims to be declined.
Submit claims within the time limit in your policy, and keep copies of everything you send.

If a claim is declined

Ask the insurer to explain the decision in writing and refer to the exact wording it relied on. Use the insurer's complaints process, and if you are not satisfied, look for the independent dispute resolution scheme named in your policy documents. If you bought a policy overseas, check which scheme applies to it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is travel insurance compulsory for New Zealand?

Not for entering New Zealand on an NZeTA. Insurance is not one of the NZeTA requirements, but Immigration New Zealand strongly recommends full medical insurance because visitors normally pay for their own health care. Insurance may be required for some other visa types, such as a Fee-paying Student Visa or some working holiday visas.

Does ACC mean I do not need travel insurance?

No. ACC provides no-fault cover for accidental injuries in New Zealand, including for visitors, but it does not cover illness, disrupted travel, emergency travel home or injuries on the way to or from New Zealand, and treatment and rehabilitation once you are back home. ACC itself says visitors still need travel insurance for what it does not cover.

Will New Zealand hospitals treat me for free as a visitor?

Generally not. Visitors on temporary visas are not generally eligible for publicly funded health care and should expect to pay, other than for accident treatment accepted by ACC and a limited range of other services. Reciprocal agreements give some Australian and UK visitors access to some services, but not everything, and not Australian visitors' emergency ambulance transport.

Does travel insurance cover bungy, skiing and other adventure activities?

It depends on the insurer and the policy. Some insurers automatically cover certain activities and others do not. Tell your insurer your plans when you buy, and check the wording for the activity you want, including skiing, scuba diving and bungy jumping.

When should I buy travel insurance?

When you book and pay for your trip, not at the airport. Buying when you book means you are covered if something happens before you leave, and events that are already known or widely reported when you buy are unlikely to be covered. You generally cannot buy once you have left your country.

Is my credit card travel insurance enough?

It might be, but check the policy. Some card cover must be activated, has time limits, depends on how you pay for your trip, and does not automatically cover pre-existing conditions. Compare it with what you need, including activity and evacuation cover.

What if I have a pre-existing medical condition?

Declare it. Pre-existing conditions are usually excluded unless the insurer accepts them in writing, which may involve an extra premium. Some insurers automatically cover certain conditions. If you do not declare a pre-existing condition, cover may be reduced.

Travel Insurance Checklist for New Zealand

Use this checklist when you book. It gives you a clear picture of what you already have and what to add before you travel.

Confirm you understand that insurance is recommended, not required, for an NZeTA visit
Buy cover when you book and pay for your trip, not at the airport
Check the policy covers New Zealand, your full trip length and every activity you plan
Declare pre-existing conditions and any symptoms, and update the insurer if anything changes before you travel
Check credit card cover for activation rules, time limits and exclusions
Check the evacuation and repatriation terms, and the limits for baggage and valuables
Save the insurer's 24-hour assistance number and policy number offline
Keep receipts, medical reports and police reports if something goes wrong
Understand that ACC covers accidents in New Zealand but not illness, travel disruption or care after you go home
Read the policy wording, and ask the insurer in writing about anything unclear

Travel Insurance for New Zealand: Do You Need It, and What Do ACC and Public Health Cover?