Whether you're chasing adventure, looking to immerse yourself in nature or planning a road-trip to Hobbiton, New Zealand has a lot to offer, and has long been a favourite destination for Aussie travellers.
The land of the long white cloud often seems like an extension of Australia, so some might wonder whether it's actually worth buying travel insurance for a New Zealand holiday.
We explore why you should buy travel insurance before you embark on your trip across the Tasman and reveal which policies are best for your holiday.
On this page:
- Do you need travel insurance for New Zealand?
- Will travel insurance cover skiing in New Zealand?
- Checklist for your New Zealand holiday
- How much does travel insurance for New Zealand cost?
- Best value travel insurance policies for New Zealand
Do you need travel insurance for New Zealand?
Travel insurance is essential for Australians travelling to New Zealand. Buy your insurance at the same time as you book your trip, that way you'll be covered if you have to cancel for some reason before you go.
Medical costs in New Zealand
New Zealand and Australia have a reciprocal healthcare agreement, meaning that Australian travellers can access New Zealand's public health service in an emergency, and vice versa. So remember to take your Medicare card with you – you'll need it, along with your passport, to prove that you're eligible. But the agreement isn't a replacement for travel insurance.
You still have to pay some fees for treatment and medication. For example, reciprocal health care does not cover you for free or subsidised care by a GP or ambulance, and if you get seriously ill, medical repatriation is very expensive and only covered by travel insurance.
Remember to take your medicare card with you
Accident cover in New Zealand
It's essential that visitors to New Zealand are covered by travel insurance for repatriation, loss of income and disruptions to travel plans in the case of an accident.
For example, if you have a skiing accident you'll need travel insurance to cover your trip home. Repatriation isn't covered by the reciprocal healthcare agreement and, even if it was someone else's fault, you won't be compensated for it.
In New Zealand, accident victims cannot sue a third party for compensation. Instead, the Accident Compensation Commission (ACC) covers the cost of medical care within New Zealand.
Because of the ACC fund, CTP car insurance is not compulsory in New Zealand as it is in Australia. However, it's still recommended and is provided with most rental cars, but it's important to check before you hire. Travel insurance can reduce the excess on the insurance your car hire company offers you, but only if the hire company has insurance in the first place.
Earthquake cover in New Zealand
Most travel insurance policies should cover medical costs for natural disasters like earthquakes in New Zealand. Comprehensive policies will also cover cancellation, or costs to rearrange your trip. Check your insurer's travel insurance product disclosure statement (PDS) to make sure. New Zealand sometimes experiences severe seismic activity. The 2011 Christchurch earthquake claimed 185 lives and levelled much of the city centre. Safety campaigns in New Zealand advise you to 'drop, cover and hold' – drop to the ground, take cover and hold on – in the event of an earthquake. See getready.govt.nz for more specific advice.
Do a 'find' (Ctrl F) on your PDF and search for 'natural disaster' to check for cover or exclusions. Don't rely on ChatGPT or other AI tools to do it for you (we've tried it, it's not always right).
Will travel insurance cover skiing in New Zealand?
Many insurers will cover you for standard skiing and snowboarding, but some only offer coverage for these activities as an optional extra and some have special conditions.
Before getting insurance for a ski holiday, make sure it will cover you for your specific skiing or snowboarding destination, as well as for the activities you intend to do. We outline which of the best value policies for New Zealand cover skiing below.
For example, off-piste (backcountry) skiing or snowboarding is often not covered, and when it is covered, it's usually only if you're still within the resort boundaries or skiing with a guide.
The same goes for riding on a snowmobile, which tends to be an optional cover – check directly with insurers as some may only cover riding a snowmobile if you're using it as a mode of transport rather than recreationally.
Checklist for your New Zealand holiday
- Use our guide below to buy a travel insurance policy that suits your needs. Check if your passport is still valid, and if not, renew your passport online.
- Keep a printout of your travel insurance details with you at all times while on your trip. It's also a good idea to share your insurance details with family or friends before you leave.
- Keep on top of the latest travel advice for New Zealand.
How much does travel insurance for New Zealand cost?
On average, for a two-week trip, a single person will pay about $95; a couple about $205, and a family of four around $240.
The price varies depending on the length of your trip, how comprehensive your cover is, how old you are, how far in advance you purchase your policy and how much excess you're willing to pay.
Almost 2000 scenarios for a 14-day trip covering a variety of scenarios were analysed to provide the estimates above.
What is the cheapest travel insurance for New Zealand?
We analysed over 30,000 quotes from 67 different policies, covering a variety of scenarios, to find the cheapest insurance policies for a New Zealand holiday.
Tick Travel Insurance Basic
- Price score for NZ travel: 99%
- Unlimited medical cover; no cover for cancellation.
Southern Cross Travel Insurance (SCTI) Medical Only
- Price score for NZ travel: 98%
- Medical cover only.
BUPA International Essentials
- Price score for NZ travel: 94%
- Unlimited medical cover; choose your own cancellation limit.
InsureandGo Bare Essentials
- Price score for NZ travel: 92%
- Unlimited medical cover; no cover for cancellation.
Tick Travel Insurance Budget
- Price score for NZ travel: 91%
- Unlimited medical cover; $5000 cancellation limit.
As with most things in life, the cheapest travel insurance policy isn't always the best. To find out the policies that also provide good cover, log in or become a CHOICE member. Log in to unlock this members-only content where we reveal the best value travel insurance for New Zealand, or join CHOICE to get instant access to all of our expert, independent reviews.
Best value travel insurance policies for New Zealand
Exclusively for CHOICE members, we've listed the best value travel insurance policies for travelling to New Zealand.
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