students, workers & explorers going to New Zealand & travelling from New Zealand.
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InsurancesafeNZ provides three different travel insurance policy categories: Studentsafe, Workersafe and Explorersafe. This means that if you’re travelling to New Zealand, travelling within New Zealand or temporarily leaving New Zealand, we have something to offer you. Use the Policy Finder to narrow your policy search and get a quote. Our website is also packed with great information on how to keep safe, how to make the most of your time abroad and how to understand your travel insurance policy better. If you need further assistance contact one of our friendly staff on our toll-free number 0800 486 004 (within NZ) or +64 9 488 1638 (outside of NZ).
Studying in New Zealand is an adventure of a lifetime, which is why a range of unexpected bumps and accidents are covered under Studentsafe policies.
But when it comes to certain medical conditions, you may not be automatically covered. That’s why it’s important to disclose any medical conditions you want cover for.
The term “Pre-existing Medical Conditions” is commonly used when applying for insurance. This refers to your medical history and the full definition can be found on
Being in good health is key to embarking on an exciting study adventure in New Zealand.
Anyone planning to study in New Zealand for more than three months is required to apply for a student visa.
When applying for a new or to renew a visa, you may need to provide New Zealand Immigration with medical information to demonstrate an acceptable level of health.
Studentsafe policies do not cover medical costs for your visa application.
Studentsafe policies are desig
Your wellbeing is important which is why Studentsafe provides cover for medical and related expenses.
But before you make an appointment for check-ups related to your health, it’s important to understand what is and isn’t covered under your policy.
Studentsafe does not provide cover for certain medical tests listed as Exclusions under Section 1: Medical and Related Expenses as set out below:
9. Health screening, medical and dentals reviews or vaccinations.
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Staying healthy plays a vital role in making the most of your study adventure. If you have been prescribed medication and are looking to make a claim, it’s important to understand what is and isn’t covered under your policy.
Just because a certain medication has been prescribed by your doctor, it does not mean that it is automatically covered.
Studentsafe does not provide cover for certain medical tests listed as Exclusions u
Keeping mentally well is important to make the most of your study adventure.
While studying away from home is an exciting life experience, there are times you may feel overwhelmed or experience loneliness, stress, anxiety and depression.
During these challenging times, it’s important to recognise the pressures you may be under, whether it’s adjusting to a new environment or the added load of assignments and exams.
If you need professional help, you can feel assured knowi
If you’re reading this article, you’ve already made a sensible choice. If you’re in a new relationship, or thinking about starting to date, it’s important to think about how you can ensure that you and your partner stay safe when you’re having a little extra ‘fun’.
So read on to learn more about what steps you should be taking to keep safe. The consequences can range from irritating to life-threatening – and that isn’t a gamble anyone should take.
Any new culture will have customs that you will start to learn very quickly as soon as you arrive! To give you a head start on your time in New Zealand, we’ve got a few key bits of information about Kiwi culture – and a whole lot of detail about speaking like a local!
When you’re walking the streets of New Zealand – or even when you’re still at the airport and navigating escalators – it’s good to remember that we drive on the left, not the righ
Unless you’re really into skiing, winter in New Zealand isn’t really the most exciting time of year. It’s not cold enough for there to be pretty snow falling in the cities, but it’s still cold enough that you don’t want to spend time outside unless you have to. Instead of snow, we mostly get rain and wind. It’s certainly not terrible – but it does give you a good excuse to go somewhere sunny if you have the time and budge
Adjusting to a new workplace comes with challenges wherever you are in the world – and if you're in a new country as well as a new workplace, those changes can be even more extreme. New Zealand culture is quite friendly and informal, and this extends to many workplaces. But it can be difficult at times to understand where the limit is – how casual is too casual and what will make you look unprofessional? How formal is too formal and what will make you look too unapproachable?
Some of
Everyone experiences periods of stress in certain situations – perhaps exams are coming up, or you’ve spent a little more than you intended to at dinner and pay day is still a couple of days away. That’s a normal part of life, and most of the time, it goes away fairly quickly when the source of the stress comes and goes. You pass your exam, you check your bank account and ther
A healthy worker is a more productive worker. It seems like an obvious statement to make, but in today’s working world, many workers feel that they have keep pushing and pushing to get results – even at the expense of their health and wellbeing. Workplaces need to be more supportive of their staff to make sure that they feel they are able to take time to get healthy if they are unwell, or to express their concerns if they are overburdened with stress.
Ask any adult what their student years were like, and there will almost always be two things that everyone has in common – lots of fun, and hardly any money! But if you’re new to a city or even a country, it can be hard to know where to begin when it comes to finding social activities that you can do on a student budget.
To help you out, we’ve rounded up some of our top tips for free and cheap things to do in New Zealand’s main student cities and towns to get you started!
Flatting doesn’t have to be expensive. There are a number of ways you can set up a flat on a budget without losing out on quality and the occasional treat. To make sure that you get the best experience possible no matter what your income may be, we’ve brought together a few of our favourite tips and t
When you’re away from your family and community that feeling of homesickness can feel very overwhelming. Making friends and keeping busy are the easiest ways to prevent homesickness – but you need to put the effort in. If you sit at your computer looking over your soci
When you’re planning adventures overseas, there’s so much excitement that it can be easy to forget about the parts of travel that are a little less glamorous. Organising travel insurance may not be as thrilling as planning your routes and researching the major attraction
For many people, the shift from university study to the working world is one of the biggest changes they will ever experience. Life until that point is focused on formal education – sitting in class, doing homework, taking notes… and then all of a sudden, it’s time to step out into
No matter where you go in the world, someone will tell you to keep safe and often there’s a good reason for it. When travelling or moving somewhere new it can be tempting to step outside of your comfort zone and give everything a go. While this is a great attitude it’s important to explore your new surrou
Relocating to a new country for work is hugely exciting. Getting a new job and home and navigating new cultures, practices and languages is an immersive experience and can be incredibly consuming.
An “out with the old, in with the new” approach can be tempting – after all, you’re making a
In general, the younger your children are the easier it will be for them to pick u
For many of us, our pets are part of the family. For expats intending to move overseas with their pet, planning and research before the move is essential. It is crucial to ensure the welfare of your beloved pet during and after transit, and that regulation surrounding the importation and exportation of pets is complied with.
Research animal import regulations for your new country of residence, to determine what conditions must be met for your pet to be allowed en
Relocating to a new country for work is hugely exciting. Getting a new job and home and navigating new cultures, practices and languages is an immersive experience and can be incredibly consuming.
An “out with the old, in with the new” approach can be tempting – after all, you’re making a fresh start in many aspects of your life. However, chances are that you’ll have left behind a lot of people who care about you at home and they’ll be interested in your new life. Don’t leave them wondering what’s going on. Meeting new friends and making new connections is important for establishing a happy, healthy life overseas but maintaining contact with friends, family and networks back home is invaluable for maintaining your sense of self and identity. Our homes, cultures and the people who surround us make us who we are and it’s important to hold onto. So how do you ensure you keep in touch and maintain contact with loved ones back at home?
The world-wide web – navigating data and wifi overseas
In the digital age we’re lucky enough to have easy access to the internet just about anywhere in the world. And with a smartphone, you don’t even need to have a computer to get online and contact friends and family back home!
One of the first things that you’ll want to arrange when you arrive in your new home is a mobile phone plan. Do some research before deciding on a mobile provider – most countries have a few competing providers and you can often find good deals by researching what’s available first. In New Zealand many telecommunication companies (telcos) will offer plans that will provide you with minutes, texts and data as well as the option of paying off a new phone on a month-to-month basis. If you already have a phone you can buy a local SIM card with a plan that suits you. Pop into a few stores and talk to their salespeople about what’s on offer – most plans are able to be customised so you’ll be able to find an option that suits your needs.
While you’re at it, ask about what international calling rates are available. Talking on the phone will really help you to feel connected to your friends and family back home – it’s amazing how much of an effect hearing someone’s voice can have. Many Telcos offer good rates for international phone calls and some also offer even cheaper rates at certain off-peak hours. Failing that, why not see if you’ve got a friend or relative with a landline you can borrow to make a few calls?
Likewise, Skype is a really useful tool for keeping in touch – its video function lets you see and hear the person you’re talking to which helps to connect with them on a far more personal level than a simple email or social media message and its chat function is useful for sending quick updates. .
Skype is free to use and widely available – make yourself a profile and add your friends and family as contacts so you can talk to one another whenever you like. Just be mindful of time differences while you’re overseas. While your friends and family back at home are sure to love to hear from you they probably won’t appreciate getting a call at 4 in the morning! As well as being available on laptop and desktop computers, Skype can also be downloaded and used from mobile phones, tablets Xboxes and TVs. If you’re using Skype on a mobile device it pays to do so when you can access Wi-Fi as it can use up a lot of data.
If you’ve got Wi-Fi at your new home then it’s easy to stay in touch with friends and family. But just in case you don’t, it can also be useful to know where there is free Wi-Fi that you can access to send messages, emails and photos. Many public places like libraries, malls, restaurants and cafes and sometimes even public transport offer free Wi-Fi. Keep an eye out for signs or ask the staff.
Easy emails
Email is a quick and simple way to stay in touch and you can use it whenever you like. Some people like to send personalised messages to friends and family, which is bound to make them feel great especially knowing that you’ve taken the time to personally contact them in amongst all the other things you undoubtedly have to do! Alternatively, some people prefer to use email as a form of mass communication sending one update to their whole network of contacts. This is a great way to let people know how you are and what you’ve been doing if you’re short on time and don’t have anything particularly personal to share. If you decide to share an email update to a lot of contacts at once make sure you “bcc” contacts in – otherwise, if someone responds to you their response will be sent to everyone!
Staying in touch with friends and family has never been easier thanks to the continuing rise in social media platforms. Due to its versatile nature and ability to give public updates, send private messages and share photos, links and videos, Facebook is the go-to social media option for many people although there are a few countries in which access is restricted (in China check out WeChat instead!).
Facebook is great for sharing updates that will reach a wide network – so make sure you add as many of your friends and family as you can so they can see what you’ve been up to. Why not share some photos while you’re online? When uploading photos to Facebook go for quality over quantity. Most people won’t want to see a lot of pictures of the same thing but many people will be interested to get a glimpse of the new food, landscapes, sights and people you’re experiencing.
If you enjoy taking photos, are living in a particularly photogenic area or are passionate about a particular topic such as food, fitness, nature or animals you might like to share some snaps on Instagram. Solely an image and video-sharing platform, Instagram is great for showing off the more photogenic aspects of one’s life. Instagram’s collaborative sharing function also means you can share photos directly from your “blog” to other social media sites as well as email so they can be seen by others who don’t use Instagram themselves. Most blogs follow a theme of sorts and yours is likely to do well with many people following and interacting with your photos or videos if you follow a theme too. What theme you choose is up to you! Just make sure you’ve shared your username with friends and family back home so they know how to find you.
Snail mail – it won’t fail!
Online communication is quick, easy and cheap but nothing beats the feeling of receiving a good old fashioned letter in the mail! “Snail mail” does take a lot longer to reach its destination but mailing rates are generally fairly reasonable depending on where you’re located. And there’s nothing nicer than opening up a letter filled with kind words from a loved one – especially when they’re away on an overseas adventure! You can include local stamps, magazine articles and photos too for a more in-depth look into your new home. Why not send a special someone a letter? It’s bound to make their day!
Posting gifts is the ultimate way to show you care about friends and family back home. Receiving parcels in the mail is a sure way to bring a smile to someone’s face and let them know you’ve been thinking of them. Why not send a few souvenirs typical of your new home? You can include a letter too – just pick things that are lightweight as they will cost you less to ship and make sure you check that the items you send are allowed to be sent via post. Depending on the country, biosecurity laws may prevent certain food items or products with wood or shells being sent.
Moving to a new country might feel overwhelming to begin with and maintaining connections with people back at home is one way you can help yourself adjust to your new surroundings. There are lots of ways to keep in touch with those you care about back at home. Whether it’s simply through a quick email or Facebook message, an interesting photo to share or through a handwritten letter or gift sent, make sure you take the time to contact the people you care about. No matter how you chose to do it, it will be well worth your time and your friends and family are sure to appreciate it.