New Zealand feels close to home, and Australia's reciprocal health care agreement means public hospitals will treat you for immediately necessary care. So do you need travel insurance at all? For most trips, yes, because some of the things most likely to go wrong in New Zealand are exactly the things the public system will never pay for: cancelled flights, a written-off campervan excess, lost luggage, cut-short holidays and the cost of getting you home (if medically necessary).
What the reciprocal agreement and ACC (New Zealand Accident Compensation Corporation) do not do
- No trip protection. Neither the reciprocal agreement nor ACC will refund a cancelled ski week or pay for new flights when unexpected, severe weather closes Queenstown airport. The Explorer plan's optional cancellation and trip interruption cover of up to $40,000 per traveller exists for events such as this.
- No cover for getting home. If you are seriously hurt and need to be flown back to Australia with medical support, that is on you. Our unlimited* overseas emergency medical benefit includes emergency evacuation and repatriation arranged by our 24/7 assistance team.
- Illness is not ACC's problem. ACC responds to accidents, not illness. A hospital admission for illness that falls outside reciprocal arrangements, follow-up private treatment, or the knock-on trip costs are where your policy can step in.
- Campervan excess bites. Rental campervan and car insurance excesses in New Zealand commonly run into the thousands. Explorer includes rental vehicle insurance excess cover, so a cracked windscreen on the road to Wanaka does not have to swallow your holiday budget.
Skiing or boarding? Add the snow pack
Standard travel insurance policies across the market typically exclude snow sports. If Queenstown, Wanaka, Ruapehu or a season in between is the point of the trip, add the optional snow pack to an Explorer plan so on-mountain injuries and eligible snow-related costs are covered rather than excluded. Heading off-piste or heli-skiing? Check that you have a guide and confirm the pack conditions before you book the helicopter.
What Travel Protect covers in New Zealand
- COVID Basic: unlimited* overseas emergency medical cover plus up to $4,000 cancellation and trip interruption for events related to COVID-19. A lean option for a short hop across the Tasman.
- Explorer: unlimited* overseas emergency medical, optional cancellation cover up to $40,000, optional luggage cover up to $10,000, rental vehicle insurance excess, and the optional snow pack for ski trips. Travellers aged up to 99 are eligible on both plans (you must be at least 18 to purchase).
What does New Zealand travel insurance cost?
Indicative prices for a single traveller departing in about 30 days, generated on from live Travel Protect quotes. Your price depends on your exact trip details.
New Zealand travel insurance costs from $17.32 for a 7-day trip for a 25 year old traveller, rising to $162.22 for a 14-day trip for a traveller aged 75.
| Product | Traveller | 7 days | 14 days |
|---|---|---|---|
| Explorer Comprehensive cover: medical, cancellation, luggage and liability Comprehensive cover | Age 25 | $36.75 | $52.10 |
| Age 45 | $41.51 | $57.73 | |
| Age 75 | $129.20 | $162.22 | |
| COVID Basic Core Medical cover + Covid related benefits included | Age 25 | $17.32 | $20.49 |
| Age 45 | $22.53 | $26.81 | |
| Age 75 | $108.89 | $127.87 |
All prices in AUD, single traveller, no upgrades selected.
Get your exact price
Frequently asked questions
Public hospitals will provide immediately necessary treatment under the reciprocal health care agreement, and ACC (New Zealand Accident Compensation Corporation) covers accident treatment. Neither pays for cancellations, lost luggage, rental vehicle excess, illness-related trip costs or necessary medical repatriation to Australia, which is what travel insurance is for.
Only with the optional snow pack on an Explorer plan. Without it, snow sports injuries are excluded, consistent with the wider market.
The Explorer plan includes rental vehicle insurance excess cover. Check your rental agreement's excess amount when choosing your policy.
Yes, Travel Protect offers multi trip policies, which usually work out cheaper if you take two or more trips a year.
Any advice on this page is general only and does not consider your objectives, financial situation or needs. Before deciding, read the Product Disclosure Statement (PDS), Financial Services Guide (FSG) and Target Market Determination (TMD), available on our Product Documents page. Terms, conditions, exclusions, limits and sub-limits apply. *Unlimited overseas emergency medical cover is subject to policy terms. Travel Protect is a business of Wise & Silent (AR 1301320), an authorised representative of battleface Insurance Services Pty Ltd (AFSL 536280); policies are underwritten by Pacific International Insurance Pty Ltd.