Travel Insurance Guides

General information to help you understand travel insurance, compare policies and read a policy wording with confidence. Written by the Travel Insurance Comparison NZ editorial team, citing official New Zealand and Australian government sources where we state facts.

Getting started

Complete guide to travel insurance in New Zealand

How travel insurance works for New Zealanders, the main types of policy, and how to compare them.

Travel insurance NZ: guide to cover and NZ insurers

An overview of the cover a travel policy provides and the insurers selling travel insurance in New Zealand.

Is travel insurance worth it for domestic NZ trips?

What ACC covers when you travel within New Zealand, and what a domestic travel policy is for.

Travel insurance excess explained

What an excess is, how it is applied to a claim, and how the excess you choose affects your premium.

What travel insurance doesn't cover

Common exclusions: undeclared conditions, alcohol, unattended belongings, uncovered activities and known events.

How to make a travel insurance claim

What to do at the time, the documents to keep, and how to lodge a claim and handle a dispute.

How much medical cover do you need?

How to judge whether a policy’s overseas medical and evacuation cover suits your trip.

Pre-existing medical conditions

Declaring a condition, how insurers assess it, and what to check in the policy wording.

Mental health cover in travel insurance

How policies treat mental health conditions, declarations and related exclusions.

Senior travel insurance (70+)

Age limits, medical assessments and what older travellers should compare between policies.

USA travel insurance guide

What to check in your medical cover before a trip to the United States.

Australia: trans-Tasman cover

What the Reciprocal Health Care Agreement covers for New Zealanders, and where a policy fills gaps.

Travel insurance for Bali

Official advice for Indonesia, scooter riding conditions and medical evacuation.

Cruise travel insurance

Medical care at sea, evacuation, missed departures and shore excursions.

Ski and snowboard insurance

Winter sports add-ons, off-piste rules, gear, and what ACC covers on New Zealand ski fields.

Adventure sports cover

How policies treat activities such as climbing, diving and skydiving.

Adventure sports guide

Which activities commonly need an add-on and the conditions to check.

Family travel insurance

Who counts as family, shared limits and declaring conditions for every traveller.

Backpacker and long-term travel

Trip length limits, working abroad, and ACC when you are away for months.

Student travel insurance

Study abroad cover, visa and institution requirements, and SafeTravel’s checklist.

This page is general information, not financial advice, and does not take your personal circumstances into account. Cover, limits, excesses and exclusions differ between insurers and policies. The policy wording (and any policy schedule or endorsement) is what decides a claim, so read it — or ask the insurer — before you buy.

Compare travel insurance policies

See how the main New Zealand travel insurers set out their cover, then check the policy wording for the points that matter to your trip.

Compare policies