Travel insurance for New Zealand
Everything you need to know before taking your trans-Tasman trip
With picturesque landscapes, a plethora of adventure activities, world-class ski areas and amazing produce on offer, it’s no wonder New Zealand is a preferred destination for Australian travellers.
But before you take off on the short flight ‘across the ditch’ – whether it’s to the North or South Island – it’s important to consider covering your trip with suitable travel insurance for New Zealand
Why? Scattered throughout our guide on New Zealand travel insurance cover below, you’ll find real-life examples of when travel insurance “saved the day” for Australians travelling in New Zealand. As Cover-More customers, our global 24/7 Emergency Assistance team supported them when they needed it most.
For support when you’re travelling in New Zealand, get a quote online now.
Travel insurance plans suitable for New Zealand
Useful cover for a New Zealand trip
Skip ahead to find:
- Do I need travel insurance to travel from Australia to New Zealand?
- What level of travel insurance do I need for New Zealand?
- Does Cover-More travel insurance cover adventure activities in New Zealand?
- Does Cover-More travel insurance cover skiing and snowboarding in New Zealand?
- Does Cover-More travel insurance provide cover for COVID-19?
- Does Cover-More travel insurance cover cruising in New Zealand?
- How can Cover-More assist me in an emergency?
- Do I need travel insurance for driving a car or van in New Zealand?
- New Zealand travel tips
Do I need travel insurance to travel from Australia to New Zealand?
While a holiday to New Zealand will introduce you to so many incredible new experiences and unique wonders, it has something in common with all other overseas destinations: it encourages you to think about the importance of travel insurance.
You'd be shocked to know how many people think you don’t need travel insurance for New Zealand if you’re travelling from Australia because it’s “just across the ditch”.
However, even though it’s only a few hours from home, it’s important to consider protecting yourself from the expenses of unexpected situations, such as requiring emergency medical care, a hospital visit, lost luggage, travel delays, severe weather, and more.
You should consider buying travel insurance for New Zealand as soon as you plan to go or book your flights. To compare our Cover-More travel insurance for NZ, read this.
What level of travel insurance do I need for New Zealand?
If you’re looking for the best travel insurance for New Zealand for your trip, we can help.
After all, choosing the right level of travel insurance for your needs is important when planning a holiday.
At Cover-More, we offer three different international plans suitable for trips to New Zealand: Comprehensive+, Comprehensive, and Basic. We recommend you look at the benefits and benefit amounts below to help you decide what plan level is best for you.
Compare our international travel insurance plans:
| International Basic (Single Trip) | International Comprehensive (Single Trip or AMT) | International Comprehensive+ (Single Trip or AMT) |
|---|---|---|
| COVID-19 | ||
| Compare our international COVID-19 cover here. | ||
| Overseas Medical and Dental Expenses | ||
| Overseas medical expenses | ||
| $Unlimited~ | $Unlimited~ | $Unlimited~ |
| Overseas emergency dental expenses | ||
| $2,000 | $2,000 | $2,000~ |
| Additional Expenses* | ||
| $Unlimited | $Unlimited | $Unlimited |
| Return of Mortal Remains | ||
| $25,000 | $50,000 | $60,000 |
| Pet Cat or Dog Boarding* | ||
| $Nil | $300 | $300 |
| Travel Services Provider Insolvency | ||
| $Nil | $5,000 | $10,000 |
| Amendment or Cancellation Costs* | ||
| $Cover Chosen^ | $Cover Chosen^ | $Cover Chosen^ |
| Cancellation Plus* | ||
| X | Optional cover may be available | Optional cover may be available |
| Luggage and Travel Documents* | ||
| $5,000 | $15,000 | $25,000 |
| Phone or smart watch - limit per item• | ||
| $1,000 | $1,500 | $2,500 |
| Camera or video camera - limit per item• | ||
| $3,500 | $4,000 | $6,000 |
| Laptop computer - limit per item• | ||
| $3,000 | $4,000 | $5,000 |
| Tablet computer - limit per item• | ||
| $3,000 | $3,000 | $3,000 |
| Drone (with or without camera) - limit per item• | ||
| $1,000 | $1,200 | $2,000 |
| Artificial limb, removable dental appliance, dentures or medical device e.g., hearing aids, CPAP machine - limit per item• | ||
| $1,000 | $1,200 | $1,500 |
| Jewellery or watch or any other item - limit per item• | ||
| $1,000 | $1,200 | $1,500 |
| Delayed Luggage Allowance* | ||
| $600 | $1,100 | $1,500 |
| Money | ||
| $Nil | $250 | $500 |
| Driving Holidays | ||
| Rental vehicle insurance excess | ||
| X | $5,000 | $10,000 |
| Rental vehicle comprehensive cover | ||
| X | X | ✓ |
| Travel Delay* | ||
| $Nil | $2,000 | $3,000 |
| Resumption of Journey | ||
| $Nil | $3,000 | $6,000 |
| Missed Connections | ||
| $Nil | $3,000 | $3,000 |
| Special Events | ||
| $Nil | $5,000 | $6,000 |
| Hospital Incidentals* | ||
| $Nil | $6,000 | $10,000 |
| Hijacking* | ||
| $Nil | $5,000 | $10,000 |
| Loss of Income* | ||
| $Nil | $30,000† | $45,000† |
| Disability | ||
| $Nil | $25,000† | $30,000† |
| Accidental Death | ||
| $Nil | $25,000† | $30,000† |
| Personal Liability | ||
| $1,000,000 | $2,500,000 | $5,000,000 |
| Business Pack | ||
| Business equipment | ||
| X | X | $7,500 |
| Business equipment hire | ||
| X | X | $1,500 |
| Alternative staff | ||
| X | X | $15,000 |
| Business money | ||
| X | X | $2,000 |
| Kidnap and ransom | ||
| X | X | $250,000 |
| Cruise Cover | ||
| Cruise cancellation | ||
| $Cover Chosen^ | ||
| On-board medical and dental cover | ||
| $Unlimited | ||
| Ship to shore medical cover | ||
| $Unlimited | ||
| Sea sickness cover | ||
| $Unlimited | ||
| Cabin confinement | ||
| $100 per day - up to a maximum of $1,500 | ||
| Missed port (embarkation) | ||
| $1,000 | ||
| Missed shore excursions | ||
| $1,000 | ||
| Adventure Activities Packs | ||
| Included activities | ||
| See PDS for full details | ||
| Adventure Activities | ||
| Option to vary cover | ||
| Adventure+ Activities | ||
| Option to vary cover | ||
| COVID-19 Benefits | ||
| See PDS for full details | ||
| Motorcycle/Moped Riding Cover | ||
| Motorcycle/Moped Riding Cover | ||
| Option to vary cover | ||
| Motorcycle/Moped+ Riding Cover | ||
| Option to vary cover | ||
| Snow Sports Cover | ||
| Snow Sports Cover | ||
| Option to vary cover | ||
| Snow Sports+ Cover | ||
| Option to vary cover | ||
* Sub-limits apply. Please refer to the PDS for full policy conditions.
** Cooling-off period is available if you cancel your policy within 21 days provided you have not made a claim or departed on your journey.
~ Cover will not exceed 12 months from onset of the illness, condition, or injury.
^ Cover chosen applies per policy.
† Liability collectively for Loss of Income, Disability and Accidental Death is $45,000 on the Comprehensive+ Plan and $30,000 on the Comprehensive Plan.
• Item limit applies for any one item, set or pair of items including attached and unattached accessories. You may increase these items limits if You wish. See PDS for full details.
If you frequently travel from Australia to New Zealand, consider our Annual Multi-Trip policies as it could save you both time and money. It’s available on our International Comprehensive+ and Comprehensive Plans, and lets you purchase one travel insurance policy that covers an unlimited number of trips in a 12-month period (up to the maximum trip duration you select).
Always read the Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) before purchasing our travel insurance products so you’re clear on what you’re covered for when you travel from Australia to New Zealand.
Does Cover-More travel insurance cover adventure activities when travelling in NZ?
New Zealand is the ultimate destination for adrenaline sports and exploring the great outdoors. A bucket list item for many Australian travellers to New Zealand is bungee jumping, so why not do it at the home of modern bungee – Kawarau Bridge?
From taking to the rivers with white water rafting, hiking in the pristine mountain wilderness, or taking to the air with skydiving, action-packed adventure activities can be your best – and most thrilling way – to experience New Zealand.
If you’re a thrill-seeker wanting to engage in several adventure activities while you’re in New Zealand, Cover-More can help protect you. Adventure activities often involve remote locations, so without the right level of insurance, you could be looking at a complicated and expensive evacuation if things don’t go to plan.
When you buy Cover-More travel insurance for New Zealand, we can provide cover for:
- 80 automatically included activities – see our adventure activities page for the full list and the PDS for conditions.
- Adventure Activities Cover: this additional coverage option including cover for the 80 automatically included activities, plus cover for 30+ extra activities such as water-skiing and leisure quad biking, as well as less restrictions on certain automatically included activities like scuba diving.
- Adventure+ Activities Cover: this option includes all activities covered by the Adventure Activities Cover option but includes another 20+ activities for thrill-seekers, such as skydiving and BMX riding for leisure.
For the full list of activities cover by both Adventure Activities Cover and Adventure+ Activities Cover, please read the PDS. If you choose to add either option of cover to your policy, an additional premium will apply.
Note: we don’t cover some especially high-risk activities, such as BASE jumping and running with the bulls – as well as sports activities in a professional capacity – so be sure to read the Product Disclosure Statement carefully.
True travel story: capsized kayak leads to evacuation
An adventurous couple’s NZ holiday came to an abrupt halt after their kayak capsized; in attempting to recover the kayak, one of the travellers cut their foot badly. They reached out to our Emergency Assistance team for help, who arranged for the couple to be evacuated the next morning so the customer could be properly treated by a leading doctor. The couple had to ultimately cancel their plans to hike a glorious part of New Zealand’s North Island, but, fortunately the couple, their evacuation and cancellation claim over $1,000 was covered by us.
Ready to protect your trip from Australia to New Zealand? Get a quote online now.
Does Cover-More travel insurance cover skiing and snowboarding in New Zealand?
Known as the winter wonderland for good reason, New Zealand has some of the most epic ski slopes in the world. Whether it's conquering Mt Ruapehu on the North Island or flying down the slopes of The Remarkables on the South Island, New Zealand has snow experiences to suit any level.
If you plan on hitting the slopes, we offer additional Snow Sports Cover to help protect you on the mountains, which can be added to your trip as an additional premium. This coverage option will provide cover for accidents or injuries that are sustained when on-piste skiing, snowboarding, cross-country skiing or snowmobiling, helping you avoid any unnecessary medical bills.
If you’re someone who likes to go off-piste, you’ll want to consider our Snow Sports+ Cover, which includes all the activities on the base level snow cover, plus snow skiing or snowboarding off-piste and heli-skiing/boarding.
For full terms and conditions on both options to vary your cover – Snow Sports Cover and Snow Sports+ Cover – read the PDS and our dedicated winter sports page.
True travel story: snowboarding stack leads to fractured wrist
One unlucky Australian traveller fell while snowboarding on the slopes of NZ’s The Remarkables, hurting their arm as a result. The avid snowboarder quickly realised something was extremely wrong with their wrist, which now looked deformed. Paramedics applied a splint on the scene and transferred the injured traveller to Queenstown where X-rays identified a fractured wrist, and a cast was required to treat the winter sports injury. The customer was left with bills totalling over $600; however, our Cover-More team was able to take care of this thanks to the traveller’s smart decision to take out a travel insurance plan with Snow Sports Cover before travelling from Australia to New Zealand for their snow trip.
Want to know more about our Snow Sports Cover? Read this.
Does Cover-More travel insurance provide cover for COVID-19?
New policyholders now receive extended travel insurance cover for common scenarios relating to COVID-19 when travelling from Australia to New Zealand, including overseas medical costs*~, amendment or cancellation costs*^, and additional expenses*^ cover.
To learn more about our COVID-19 cover – and understand how we can help you protect your travels during the COVID-19 pandemic – we recommend reading our coronavirus travel insurance benefits page.
Important: our COVID-19 benefits do not provide cover for claims related to government border closures or lockdowns.
*Limits, sub-limits, conditions, and exclusions apply. For full details on exactly what’s covered, please read our Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) document.
~Medical cover will not exceed 12 months from onset.
^A special excess will apply if you are diagnosed with COVID-19 and certified by a qualified medical practitioner as being not fit to travel. The special excess applies in addition to any other excess. You cannot remove this special excess.
Does Cover-More travel insurance cover cruising in New Zealand?
One of the best ways to discover dramatic New Zealand is on a cruise. The country's remote coastlines and deep fjords are often best seen from the deck of a boat.
If you’re cruising trans-Tasman from Australia or starting a cruise after arriving in New Zealand, you should consider protecting your trip with travel insurance.
Many people are unaware that even when departing Australia, most medical expenses onboard cruises will not be covered by Medicare – so consider your cruise ship effectively a country of its own.
If you are cruising for two or more nights and buying a Cover-More policy to protect your trip, you will need to answer “Yes” to travelling on a cruise to have Cruise Cover applied to your policy for an additional premium. (This is not required for river cruises.) If you don’t, you will not be protected for any cancellation costs if you need to cancel your cruise or for the duration of your cruise.
Our Cruise Cover doesn’t only help protect you from unexpected and costly onboard medical costs and emergency evacuations – it includes cover for sea sickness, cabin confinement, and more.
For more information on covering your cruise in New Zealand with Cover-More, visit our Cruise Cover and Cruise Cover FAQs pages, or call us on 1300 72 88 22 to speak to a member of our team.
True travel stories: don’t rock the boat – or it might cost big
Flying across your cabin isn’t exactly the idyllic experience one expects when heading off on an exotic cruise, right? Well, one unfortunate traveller experienced this situation, which left them with more than $10,000 worth of medical expenses.
When stormy seas and a freak wave hit this traveller’s cruise ship in the middle of the night, they were propelled backwards, hitting their neck and head at a high velocity. After a consultation with the onboard doctor who assessed their condition, our Cover-More team arranged for the traveller to be airlifted from the ship to a hospital on New Zealand’s South Island where a fractured neck was diagnosed. Once hospital treatment concluded and the patient was stable, our team arranged flights back to Australia.
Thankfully, having Cruise Cover on their insurance policy, the expenses involved with travel cancellations and emergency evacuation were one thing this injured traveller didn’t have to worry about.
How can Cover-More travel insurance assist me in an emergency?
Emergencies can happen and it’s important you have the right support and assistance available when they do.
When you purchase a policy with us, you have access to our 24/7 in-house Emergency Medical and Travel Assistance, who are there to help when you need it most.
Known for flooding, earthquakes, and wild weather, New Zealand can be prone to natural disasters. If a rare event does occur, our Emergency Assistance team is never far away, no matter the time of day or night.
You can find out all the types of emergency support we offer and which contact numbers to use for our emergency assistance teams here.
Do I need travel insurance for driving a car or van in New Zealand?
What better way to see the vibrant, picture-perfect landscape of New Zealand than behind the wheel of a car or van? Heading off on a road trip is one of the more popular ways of exploring New Zealand, and with our International Comprehensive+ and Comprehensive Travel Insurance Plans, you’ll have up to $10,000 or $5,000 of rental vehicle insurance excess cover respectively.
If you choose our International Comprehensive+ Plan, we also provide rental vehicle comprehensive cover, which has a $10,000 benefit for the rental vehicle insurance excess and provides cover for misfuelling, lockout, cancellation of rental agreement fees, and more.
You can learn more about our rental vehicle benefits for driving holidays here.
4 helpful tips for Australians driving in New Zealand:
- Make sure your driver licence is valid in Australia as well as New Zealand before you leave
- Snow and icy roads are a hazard; make sure you check the weather conditions and drive accordingly – take it slow.
- We know you want to explore all the beauty New Zealand has to offer, but it’s important to stop and take breaks when heading off on a lengthy road trip.
- Physical access to New Zealand’s ski resorts can be a difficult task because of the narrow and windy roads, so take extra caution when driving. Alternatively, most resorts offer a shuttle bus for those wanting a stress-free ride.
True travel stories: stray stones create more than just headaches
One of our Australian customers was grateful for their rental car vehicle excess cover when a flying stone from a passing truck smashed into the windscreen of their vehicle while travelling along a New Zealand road. The next day, a crack began to appear and grow, so the badly damaged windscreen had to be replaced. Fortunately for the customer, their Cover-More Travel Insurance policy saved them over $1,300 in excess costs.
Want more New Zealand travel advice?
Every country around the world is different, and sometimes it can be a little daunting heading into the unknown. Although we’re friendly neighbours to New Zealand, it’s important that you always have an understanding of where you’re heading.
To help you out, we’ve put together a list of travel tips to read before travelling from Australia to New Zealand, which includes the best places to visit in New Zealand, what the weather is like, which currency to use, and even how the country’s Wi-Fi stacks up.
Looking for more travel insurance information? Visit our frequently asked questions page.
Ready to book your dream escape to New Zealand?
Discover our best travel insurance plan for your New Zealand trip today.
Material on this website is provided for informational purposes only. It is general information and discussion about medicine, health and related subjects may not apply to you as an individual and is not a substitute for your own doctor’s medical care or advice. The words and other content provided on this website, and in any linked materials, are not intended and should not be construed as medical advice. If the reader or any other person has a medical concern, they should consult with an appropriately licensed physician or other health care worker. Nothing contained on the website is intended to establish a physician-patient relationship, to replace the services of a trained physician or health care professional, or otherwise to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. The views and opinions expressed on this website have no relation to those of any academic, hospital, practice or other institution with which the authors are affiliated. They do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Cover-More Insurance Services Pty Ltd. Never disregard medical advice or delay seeking medical care because of something you have read on or accessed through this website. If you think you may have a medical emergency, call your doctor or emergency services immediately.