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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
If you’ve spent a while in New Zealand, you might be feeling like it’s time to try somewhere else for a little holiday. Rather than just heading home, or visiting somewhere close by, why not make it a real adventure and trek to the other side of the world – Europe?
Some people chase summer, avoiding the colder months of the year. Other people – mostly skiers and snowboarders – will go anywhere in the world there’s snow. Pick your time of year depending on what kind of traveller you are.
If you’ve learned to snowboard on Mount Ruapehu or down at Cardrona or Coronet Peak, you might be keen to keep practising your new skills. But New Zealand’s snow season is only from June until September at best – and there are only so many times you can go to Snow Planet before you get tired of the indoor environment.
Or if you feel like summer ended too quickly, or you worked all through the Christmas holidays without a chance to enjoy the sun, perhaps you need a mid-winter escape to the Northern Hemisphere, where it’s the height of summer.
But if you just don’t really mind and your schedule is flexible, stick with any time other than the European summer. You’ll save money, since accommodation and travel prices should be lower and it won’t be nearly so full of other tourists, so you can take the time to enjoy yourself – and maybe not have wait behind such a huge crowd to see things like the Mona Lisa if you like visiting galleries!
If you are fairly confident in your English abilities, you will have quite a lot of options wherever you go. Most European cities will have plenty of English language support for tourists, even if the local people don’t speak much of the language. Of course, if you want to guarantee that you’ll be speaking to people who speak English, the United Kingdom is the best place to go – although do remember that some parts of the country do have very strong accents, so be aware of that before you arrive!
In some places like the Netherlands and a lot of Scandinavia, many people will speak fluent English – although everyone will appreciate it if you put some effort into learning a few phrases in the local language. Most of the time they will realise that you aren’t a native speaker and will switch to English. This isn’t always the case in other parts of Europe, where you may need to learn a few extra phrases, or perhaps bring a language guidebook with you. Usually, if you have a guidebook, a friendly person who is willing to help and you both take it slow, you will get the answer you need. Don’t forget to learn how to say thank you in the local language!
CROATIAN – hvala (HVAH-lah)
CZECH – děkuji (Dyekooyih)
DANISH – tak (tahg)
DUTCH – dank u
FINNISH – kiitos (KEE-tohss)
FRENCH – merci
GERMAN – danke
GREEK – ευχαριστώ (ef-hah-rees-TOH)
ICELANDIC – takk (tahk)
ITALIAN – grazie (GRAHT-tsyeh)
NORWEGIAN – takk
POLISH – dziękuję (Jenkoo-yen)
PORTUGUESE – obrigado oh-bree-GAH-doo
RUSSIAN – спасибо (spuh-SEE-buh)
SPANISH – gracias (GRAH-syahs)
SWEDISH – tack
WELSH – diolch (DEE-ol’ch)
What’s your idea of a perfect trip? Visiting museums and galleries? Eating delicious food every day? Climbing mountains? Lying on beaches? We all have different interests when we’re travelling, and different places in Europe will be better than others depending on your interests.
If you’re interested in culture and history, it’s almost hard to find somewhere that won’t be suitable! But classic cities like Paris and Rome will be full of just the kind of magic you’re looking for. You can gaze at priceless paintings and walk through ancient ruins – it’s your high school history textbooks come to life!
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If food is your great love, again, there is so much to try! Don’t be afraid to try somewhere a bit different – some of the Balkan states have incredible cuisine, with similarities to food from Greece, Turkey and other parts of the Mediterranean, as well as influences from their northern neighbours in eastern Europe. Or stay with the classics and spend your days eating tapas in Barcelona, pasta in Rome and pastries in Paris… hungry yet?
If it is mountains that interest you – climbing them or skiing down them – the Alps are the place to be, whether you’re in France, Switzerland or Austria. Chamonix is a beautiful resort town in France, while Zermatt sits below the mighty Matterhorn in Switzerland.
If you just want to get to know the beaches of the other side of the world, Spain is going to be a top choice, especially if you’re heading over in the ‘winter’. Winter is a strong word for what you can enjoy on the Costa del Sol or Costa Blanca, where the weather is warm and welcoming all year around.
And if you want to explore as many different places as possible, you’ll want to get a Eurail pass. Depending on how much time you have and how far you’re planning on going, you can choose between a one country pass to, a ‘Select’ pass (where you choose 2,3 or 4 bordering countries to travel around) or if you have plenty of time and a desire to see as much as possible, the ‘Global’ pass will allow you to explore up to 28 different European countries. Could you even name 28 European countries without looking them up?
It can be hard to know who to listen to – the people saying to avoid the ‘tourist traps’ and instead go off the beaten track… or the people saying that you have to see those things!
There’s no reason you can’t manage both. Think about the places that are most famous, that you most want to see – and make sure to allow time for them. That might mean riding the London Eye, or going up the Eiffel Tower or travelling out to Pisa to pretend to hold up the Leaning Tower. But make sure you allow enough time to do other things too – whether that’s having a morning to explore a cool neighbourhood, try the local food, or take some time to go shopping, or just knowing that you’ve got enough time to take a nap between activities!
You’ll have much more fun if you allow yourself some breathing room. Sometimes, that might come at the expense of visiting every single landmark – but you’ll have better, clearer memories of the special places you did visit, rather than a blur of a week where you can’t quite remember what activity came first.
One really useful thing about traveling in Europe is that most countries make it really easy to travel to neighbouring countries. But it can be a bit hard to understand the rules – since not all European countries are members of the EU… and not all EU members are part of the Schengen agreement, which allows free passage between countries with no border checks. Some countries in the Schengen agreement aren’t even part of the EU!
It’s all quite confusing. You can use the euro for payment in: Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Spain.
Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Sweden and the United Kingdom are all part of the EU (at present) but don’t accept the euro. Andorra, Monaco, Montenegro, San Marino and Vatican City are not members of the EU, but they do use the euro.
When it comes to the Schengen area, most EU countries are part of it – except for Croatia, Cyprus, Ireland, and the UK. And like with the euro, there are some countries that are not part of the EU, but are part of the Schengen area – in this case, Iceland, Norway, Switzerland and Liechtenstein.
So make sure you know where you are planning on going beforehand, so you know whether or not you will be okay to just have a Tourist/Visitor Schengen Visa, or if you will require different visas for different countries outside of the agreement area.
Depending on where you’re going and for how long, you might be able to just use a roaming pack on your cellphone – but if you’re going to be away for a while or you’re in a slightly unusual country, it might be worth buying a local sim card to use while you’re away. Be sure to tell people back home that you’ll be changing to a different sim, though – you don’t want people to be unable to contact you in an emergency and not know why their calls aren’t going through. As soon as the new sim is in your phone, send a text to the people who are most likely to get in contact with you so they know how to reach you while you’re away.
The most important thing to remember is to have fun! Not everyone has the budget for a big international trip, so make the most of your time abroad and create some amazing memories for you to think back on and that you can share with friends and family when you get back to New Zealand or to your home country. Now get out there and have an amazing adventure!
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.
