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students, workers & explorers going to New Zealand & travelling from New Zealand.
Answer our simple questions to get started
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).
A sudden medical emergency struck, a collapsed lung due to an undiagnosed cyst, Tasbiha's world was turned upside down. Tasbiha is an international PhD student studying Microbiology and Immunology at the University of Otago, she came to New Zealand to pursue her passion in science.
With her family thousands of kilometres away in Pakistan, Tasbiha faced one of the most challenging moments of her life. Thankfully, she had Studentsafe Medical and Travel Insurance when she needed it most, e
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
Starting a new school is a big change for anyone. It’s an extra big change if your new school is also in a new country! It’s natural to feel nervous and unsure about what school in New Zealand might be like, but the good news is that most schools here are friendly, supportive environments where students of all ages are encouraged to do their best and find subjects that they are interested in.
The most common way that schools
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.
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
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.
In some ways many may find New Zealand airports easier to understand and less stressful than other airports. Our customs agents aren’t armed, and they tend to be friendly unless you give them reason not to be. The airports themselves aren’t huge multi-terminal places where you can get lost just trying to find the right place to check-in.
But in other ways, they can seem very strict for people not familiar with New Zealand and our unique place in the world. Our biosecurity rules in par
Every city has its secrets. When you live somewhere it can be very easy to get caught up in your day-to-day activities and forget about the beauty that surrounds you. However, while travelling it is a completely different story; you’re there to create memories and explore every corner
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 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
You’ve booked your flights and accommodation, bought your travel insurance, taken time off work and are just about ready to take off on your holiday!
Regardless of whether you’re a frequent flier or
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
Graduating is an exciting process – it’s time to celebrate the years you’ve spent working hard towards getting your degree! But then it’s time to become a fully-fledged grown-up contributing your part to society.
Everyone has something to offer
Whe
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
Your Duty of Disclosure
When you apply for insurance cover, you are required by law to provide complete and up-to-date risk-relevant information – this is sometimes called disclosure of material facts. You must also disc
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
Reverse culture shock refers to the difficulty sometimes experienced when returning to your home country after studying abroad, and it is a common phenomenon among many international students today. It can result in unexpected difficulty in readjusting to the culture and values of your home country, now that the previou
There is a wide variety of scams that, unfortunately, are specifically targeted at international students preying on the vulnerability of living independently in a foreign country. International students are unaware of the normal local protocols and processes in place, making it hard to spot and identify any scam. Whether you are just starting university or wrapping up a master's, it is more important than ever for you to be cyber conscious.
Scammers are never going to go away, so i
In some ways many may find New Zealand airports easier to understand and less stressful than other airports. Our customs agents aren’t armed, and they tend to be friendly unless you give them reason not to be. The airports themselves aren’t huge multi-terminal places where you can get lost just trying to find the right place to check-in.
But in other ways, they can seem very strict for people not familiar with New Zealand and our unique place in the world. Our biosecurity rules in particular are extremely strict, which can be confusing to many people visiting for the first time.
This article focuses on what you need to know before going through a New Zealand airport. Hopefully it will help you have an easier journey, and make sure that you start your time here pleasantly!
First things first – get your visa right
This first point applies for travel to any country, not just New Zealand – make sure that you have the right visa! The last thing you want to happen is to find out that you have packed everything up, paid for flights, organised your plans… only to be turned away at border control because you arrived with the wrong documentation. There are many different visas, with variations for visitors from different countries – especially if you are coming to New Zealand on a working holiday. The Immigration New Zealand website has more information, and they are the organisation to contact if you have any questions.
Packing for New Zealand
To save yourself a lot of trouble in biosecurity and customs, it’s sensible to carefully consider the rules that are in place for what you can and can’t bring into New Zealand. We have very unique plant and animal life here, and we spend a lot of time and money protecting it so that it’s preserved for future generations.
This means that we are much stricter than many other countries about what can be brought in, or what must be declared if it is brought in. After all, we’re an island nation that’s further away than any other country than almost anywhere else – so we keep firm protections in place. For example – did you know that there are no snakes in New Zealand? Not in the wild – but not even in zoos? They pose too much risk to our native bird life, so we just don’t let them in at all.
Thinking about what you’ll need to declare
When you’re in the plane on the way to New Zealand, you’ll have to fill out a Passenger Arrival Card, where you declare any potential risk items that you are carrying. But rather than waiting until you’re in the air to think about what you’ve packed, it’s sensible to refer to the list while you’re packing, so you know in advance what items might cause a problem. Sometimes, you could have easily fixed the situation before you packed if you had known that there could be a problem.
As per the guidelines from Biosecurity New Zealand, you must declare:
- Any food
- Animals or animal products
- Plants or plant products
- Equipment used with animals, plants or water
- Items that have been used for outdoor or farming activities
Food
When it comes to food, as long as it’s declared, some types of food are permitted. However, some things are also always banned no matter what – fresh fruit and vegetables, fresh meat or fish, and any honey or bee products.
Most of the time, border officials will let you bring in baked goods in sealed packaging – as long as they don’t have raw nuts or any filling like meat or fresh fruit. Confectionery items are generally acceptable, provided that they don’t contain liquid honey, loose fresh fruit, loose raw seeds, raw citrus peel or meat products – which may sound unlikely, but chocolate covered bacon is a new treat in some places!
Common types of tea – Early Grey, English Breakfast, Green, Chamomile – can be brought in without issue, whether it’s loose leaf or in tea bags. Herbal tea is acceptable if it is in sealed teabags or sachets, while loose herbal teas will need to be inspected at the border.
The reason behind these food restrictions is that they can potentially bring in pests or diseases that can threaten our natural resources. This in turn lowers our agricultural and horticultural production as a company, which affects our trade ability with other countries – so ultimately threatens our economy.
All it takes sometimes is for one little insect to sneak through at the wrong time, and it can cause chaos. In February 2015, several Queensland fruit flies were found in a central Auckland suburb – which resulted in a controlled area being set up around the location the population of flies was found, and for 1.5km in every direction, fruit and vegetables were not able to leave the area after entering it. That controlled area stayed in place until December of that year – so you can understand that these threats are taken very seriously in New Zealand.
Animals & plants
Anything that comes from an animal or plant source must be declared. That means anything from obvious things like meat, eggs and plant cuttings to things that you might not immediately think of, like shells, feathers, bone carvings, items made from wood and herbal medicines. As with the different types of food, some will be fine, and others will not – and some may be acceptable after the biosecurity team take it away to be treated before returning it to you. Think hard about anything that you’re packing – you don’t want to get a fine because you forgot that you had a straw hat in your luggage and didn’t declare it.
Used outdoor equipment
If you are a keen hiker who plans on hiking while you’re in New Zealand – as many visitors do – you must be very careful with your gear. Any footwear that you have used for hiking, or on a farm, or anywhere outside of an urban area, must be well cleaned before you come to New Zealand, and they must not have any soil or seeds stuck to them.
The same applies to tents and camping equipment, anything that you might have worn or used while working with animals or gardening, and any fishing and water sport clothing or equipment. Clean everything as carefully as you can – and if you’re just not quite sure, declare them just in case. Hopefully the biosecurity staff will check them over and then compliment you on how well you cleaned them!
Ultimately, if there is anything that you are not quite sure about, you should declare it, just to be safe. The worst case scenario is that you will have that item taken away – which is unfortunate, but it’s the way the rules work. Most often, if you have been thoughtful about packing and sensible about what you declare, the biosecurity staff will tell you that everything’s fine and that they appreciate your commitment to travelling here properly. But if you don’t declare a problem item and it’s found by biosecurity, you’ll have it taken away and you’ll have to pay a fine.
Arriving in the country
After you’re off the plane and back on solid ground again, the first official stop is Passport Control – though you can pause for a bathroom trip or a drink of water beforehand if you need to. Visitors from some countries can use the new eGate technology if they have a modern e-passport, while visitors from every other country – or who just don’t have a new enough passport – will talk to an Immigration Officer.
Countries that can use the eGate are currently: New Zealand, Australia, the UK, the USA, Canada, China, France, Germany, Ireland, and The Netherlands. Just make sure that you present yourself in a similar way to how you look in your passport photo – if you didn’t wear glasses in your photo but you wear heavy frames now, take them off so that the computer can properly recognise you.
If you’re talking to an Immigration Officer, they will ask you if there is anything you need to declare – just like with the Passenger Arrival Card, you need to be truthful about anything coming in with you. Nobody wants their visit to a new country to begin with a fine. They might ask you a range of other questions, things like:
- What is the purpose of your trip? I’m here on a working holiday.
- Do you have a return ticket? No, but here’s proof I have funds to purchase one.
- Do you have sufficient funds required of your visa? Yes, here is my bank statement.
- Where is your first destination? I am staying at Haka Lodge for my first three nights. It’s located at 373 Karangahape Road.
- What was your last destination? Shanghai.
- Have you visited New Zealand before? No.
They may also ask you how much cash you have with you – if you have more than NZ$10,000 or the equivalent in another currency, you will have to go through additional steps.
The Immigration Officer will stamp your passport and return it to you along with your Passenger Arrival Card. The next stop is luggage collection, before you head along to New Zealand Customs, where you’ll be asked about items to declare again. By now you should be an expert at knowing what you need to mention! Your bags may be X-rayed, and they may also be checked by a customs dog and their handler while you wait in line, as part of the checking for prohibited material.
Hopefully you will have learned by now that being honest about what you are bringing into New Zealand with you is a very important part of the process of arriving. But it’s a useful way to start your time here, as it’s a reminder of how important our natural world is to those of us who live here, and means that you can understand the Kiwi way of life from the moment you arrive.
The exciting part comes next. Once you’ve passed through the X-ray lines and spoken to customs and biosecurity officers about any final questions they may have, you’ll get to walk through those doors where crowds of people are waiting to greet visitors and returning New Zealanders alike. Even if you’re arriving by yourself, it still feels nice to get a warm reception to a new country. Nau mai, haere mai ki Aotearoa – welcome to New Zealand.
InsurancesafeNZ Medical and Travel Insurance is issued and managed by AWP Services New Zealand Limited trading as Allianz Partners (NZBN 9429035270157) under binder with and on behalf of Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance Company, Limited (NZBN 9429039809810, FSP Number 20661) (Incorporated in Japan) as the underwriter.
You should read the Policy Wording and consider obtaining independent legal or financial advice before making any decisions about this insurance. Terms, conditions, limits, sub-limits and exclusions apply.
Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance Company, Limited - Financial Strength Rating.
Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance Company, Limited has a financial strength rating of A+ (Stable) given by S&P Global Ratings. The S&P Global rating scale* in summary form is:
The rating may be modified by the addition of a plus (+) or minus (-) sign to show relative standing within the major rating categories.
Further information on the S&P Global ratings is available here: https://www.spglobal.com/ratings/en/products-benefits/products/financial-strength-rating.
