New Zealand Health Insurance
Whether you're an expatriate, retiree, student or holidaymaker, New Zealand health insurance is right for you!
New Zealand, a land of wide-open spaces and breathtaking landscapes, is a dream destination for those seeking a unique experience. With its majestic mountains, magnificent beaches and welcoming cities like Auckland and Wellington, New Zealand has it all. Indeed, students will find quality universities in an exceptional natural setting. Expatriates appreciate the quality of life, safety and warmth of New Zealanders. If you go as a holidaymaker, you’ll be captivated by outdoor adventures, Maori cultures and breathtaking panoramas. Retirees enjoy peaceful surroundings, a pleasant climate and quality health care.
For a worry-free stay, our health insurance in New Zealand provides comprehensive coverage. By being covered by our private health insurance, you can stay in New Zealand with complete peace of mind. Whether you plan to live in New Zealand for an extended period as an expatriate, are an international student, or simply an occasional traveler, you can benefit from coverage tailored to your situation. Health cover will help you meet medical and hospital costs, so you don’t have to worry about a thing.
Student Insurance New Zealand
The insurance that covers your stay for your studies in New Zealand.
From
27€
- Worldwide coverage
- Maximum age: 35
- Covers emergencies and accidents
- Covers hospitalization and routine medical care
- Up to €250,000 per year
- Standard dental and optical expenses up to €550
- Contraception coverage + vaccines
- Maternity care
- Covers pre-existing conditions
- Repatriation assistance
- Civil liability
- Individual protection
Expatriate insurance New Zealand
Health insurance to cover your expatriation to New Zealand.
From
93€
- Worldwide coverage
- Minimum age: 14
- Maximum age: 65
- Covers hospitalization and routine medical care
- Up to €1,500,000 per year
- Maternity coverage up to €4,000
- Coverage of assisted reproduction up to €1,500
- Covers pre-existing conditions
- Coverage of pharmaceutical costs up to €370
- Optional dental and optical care
- Maternity plus option
- Prevention and well-being as an option
- Optional repatriation assistance
- Optional third-party liability
Travel insurance New Zealand
Health insurance to cover your trip to New Zealand.
From
30€
- Worldwide coverage
- Maximum age: 85
- Covers emergencies and accidents
- Up to €500,000 per trip
- Covers loss, theft or destruction of baggage
- Repatriation assistance
- Travel assistance
- Civil liability
Any questions? Need some advice?
Information about health insurance in New Zealand
Political system: Constitutional Monarchy
Capital: Wellington
Surface area: 268 680 km²
Population: 5.1 million
Spoken languages : English, Moari
Currency: New Zealand dollar
New Zealand's healthcare system
First and foremost, New Zealand’s healthcare system is made up of both public and private sectors. As an expatriate, you will therefore need to meet a number of criteria if you wish to join the social security system.
This healthcare system closely resembles the British NHS. This means that New Zealand citizens benefit from a certain amount of free care. For expatriates, conditions vary depending on the type of visa you have. As a result, when you consult a doctor, you’ll need to enclose a copy of your visa so that he or she can determine your status.
Who can benefit from Public Funded Healthcare in New Zealand?
Here are the different expatriate statuses that can join the New Zealand healthcare system:
- Expatriates with British nationality can join the social security scheme very easily;
- Australian citizens and expatriates with permanent resident status who have been in Australia for at least 2 years or who plan to stay for at least 2 consecutive years;
- Expatriates with a work visa valid for 2 years or more.
- A minor expatriate living under the guardianship of a parent or eligible guardian;
- Any expatriate holding an interim visa;
- Any student on the New Zealand aid program who receives funding from official development assistance;
- Be a foreign language teaching assistant;
- Be a refugee or protected person, a person who has applied for protection status or a victim of human trafficking.
If you’re going to New Zealand on a student visa, or for a WHV or for a stay of less than 2 years, you won’t be able to benefit from New Zealand social security. This means you’ll have to pay full price for any health care you receive, whether public or private.
New Zealand's private healthcare system
The government does not fund private healthcare services, such as private hospitals or clinics. You will therefore have to pay for these services.
A number of companies offer private health insurance policies that cover the costs of the private system. You can therefore decide on the level of coverage you want, and the types of services for which you wish to obtain cover. You should also note that to be eligible for private health insurance plans in New Zealand, you must be eligible for New Zealand social security. In other words, if you don’t have permanent resident status you won’t be able to access any form of New Zealand insurance.
As a result, the private healthcare system allows you to choose when and where you receive treatment for your health problems. You can also choose the doctor, specialist or hospital you prefer.
Choosing your GP in New Zealand
If you have Public Funded Healthcare status, you can register with a GP (general practitioner). However, this is a private service, so family doctors can charge whatever they like. We also recommend that you find out about family doctors and the fees they charge around your place of residence before making your choice. By joining a DPO (Primary Health Care Organization), you’ll benefit from the lowest costs for a consultation. On the other hand, if you consult a doctor with whom you are not affiliated, it is likely that he or she will charge you a higher price for the consultation.
Secondly, the cost of a consultation with a doctor varies according to your status and the practitioner you choose. For someone receiving social security subsidies, the cost of a consultation averages $65 NZD (around €35). In addition, the cost of the first consultation with your GP is higher than previous ones.
For any medication prescribed by your doctor, the cost is generally less than $15 NZD (around €8), and is also free for children aged 13.
Consult a specialist in New Zealand
Firstly, your GP may refer you to an office or hospital specialist for further assessment or diagnosis. Specialized care is free under the public health system, but you will almost certainly have to join a waiting list. That’s why consulting a specialist can take time, even months. What’s more, you can’t choose which specialist you see – the healthcare system will assign it to you.
If you want to get a specialist’s opinion quickly, you can use a hospital or a private specialist. You will then have to pay a fee, unless you have private health insurance. The cost of a consultation with a private specialist is much higher than with a general practitioner.
How do I see a dentist in New Zealand?
If you are affiliated to the New Zealand social security system, you will be assigned a dentist, who you will see at every appointment. Social security does not cover dental treatment, except for children under 18.
Standard treatments include (and are free for children):
- a routine examination to check teeth for cavities and examine gums and mouth for possible problems.
- X-rays to detect cavities and other problems invisible to the naked eye
- fluoride treatment, which helps make tooth surfaces more resistant to cavities
- removes plaque, stains and tartar from teeth
- fillings to restore teeth affected by tooth decay
- extractions to remove teeth severely affected by tooth decay.
Furthermore, according to a survey conducted by the New Zealand Dental Association, the average cost of a consultation with a dentist is $75 NZD (around €40). The average rises to $100 NZD (around €55) if an X-ray is taken during the examination. Similarly, the cost of a consultation varies according to the city where you consult a dentist.
Then, for a filling, expect to pay an average of $220 NZD (around €120). However, for a composite or gray metal filling, the price will be higher.
Finally, if you go to the dentist for more extensive treatment, expect higher prices! A bridge may cost you $3500 NZD (around €1,940), an implant will cost you an average of $3000 NZD (around €1,660) and finally, dentures will cost you $2800 NZD (around €1,550).
The emergency department in New Zealand
If you need to call an ambulance or have a medical emergency, dial 111. In fact, an English-speaking person will put you in touch with the paramedic and determine how you will be cared for.
Most of the time, a road ambulance will intervene, but in certain circumstances it may be an air ambulance. New Zealand ambulances are also equipped with cardiopulmonary resuscitators and defibrillators.
Depending on the seriousness of your situation, the ambulance driver will either take you to the nearest hospital emergency department, or provide first aid on the spot.
Hospitals in New Zealand
New Zealand has around 220 public and private hospitals. The major regional public hospitals are :
- Whangarei Hospital
- North Shore Hospital
- Waitakere Hospital
- Auckland City Hospital
More than 1.3 million New Zealanders have health insurance that covers them for private healthcare. Medical and surgical operations carried out in private hospitals are mainly financed by health insurers. New Zealand’s only national network of private hospitals is the Southern Cross Healthcare Group.
Other renowned private hospitals in New Zealand outside the network:
- MercyAScot (Auckland)
- Ormiston Hospital (Botany)
- Wakefield Hospital (Wellington)
- Royston Hospital (Hastings)
- Bowen Hospital (Wellington)
- Braemar Hospital (Hamilton)
- St George’s Hospital (Christchurch)
You can also receive care in PHOs (Primary Health Organizations). These are not-for-profit primary health care organizations, based in communities to provide access to primary care without going to hospital. There are around thirty of these organizations throughout New Zealand. PHOs bring together doctors, nurses and other health professionals in the community (dieticians, pharmacists, physiotherapists and midwives).
Paramedical care in New Zealand
Physiotherapy in New Zealand
ACC (accident insurance) covers a physiotherapy session in New Zealand at a cost of $30 NZD (about €16), with a possible discount for students or beneficiaries. A consultation with a private physiotherapist costs around $75 NZD (around €40).
Visiting an optician in New Zealand
A full consultation with an optician in New Zealand, lasting around 1 hour, costs around $140 NZD (around €78). On the other hand, a shorter consultation, including an emergency visit, will generally cost you between $70 and $110 NZD (between €40 and €60). In the event of injury, ACC will cover part of your costs:
- Myopia control assessment: $170 NZD (approx. €95).
- Eye examination: $60 NZD (approx. €35).
- Evaluation of new contact lenses: $170 NZD (approx. €95).
Buying glasses comes at a price. However, depending on your requirements, this price can vary from $100 NZD to over $1000 NZD (between €55 and €550). If you’re looking for a pair of brand-name glasses, you’ll easily find yourself paying $1000 NZD (around €550). Most conventional frames + lenses will cost you between $100 NZD and $300 NZD (between €55 and €165). If you want progressive or bifocal lenses, this will cost you on average an additional $200 NZD (around €110).
Speech therapy in New Zealand
Seeing a speech therapist in New Zealand comes at a price: for your first one-hour session, expect to pay around $150 NZD (around €85), whether for you or your child. Subsequent sessions will cost an average of $90 NZD (around €50) for 45 minutes.
Consulting a psychologist in New Zealand
Public health services in New Zealand are free for New Zealand residents, so psychologists working in the public health system won’t charge anything to see you. However, getting a consultation with a psychologist in the public sector usually takes months. In fact, demand far outstrips the number of psychologists working in the public sector.
For a quicker and easier consultation, we recommend that you see a psychologist in the private sector. Psychologists working in the private sector charge fees that vary considerably from one clinical psychologist to another.
Maternity in New Zealand, from pregnancy to childbirth
5 things you need to know about pregnancy in New Zealand
1. The first thing to do when you’re pregnant is to choose the person who will accompany you throughout your pregnancy. In New Zealand, this person is called LMC or Lead Maternity Carer. Your LMC can be a family doctor who can provide maternity care, a midwife or an obstetrician. Your LMC will :
- Providing you with maternity care throughout your pregnancy;
- Being present at the birth;
- Providing care for you and your baby for up to 6 weeks after birth.
2. If you have obtained permanent resident status in New Zealand, the health system will cover your maternity costs, unless you choose to give birth privately.
3. You can take up to 10 days of special unpaid leave during your pregnancy. If it’s for medical appointments or prenatal classes – you don’t need to take a full day off.
4. If you are a tenant, you must inform your landlord of your pregnancy. In addition, if you wish to keep the apartment after the birth of your child, make sure that your rental contract allows you to take in another person. If not, ask your landlord to modify the contract to include an extra person.
5. Getting tested for diseases like HIV can help prevent transmission of the disease to your baby during pregnancy.
Giving birth in New Zealand
Most births in New Zealand take place in clinics or hospitals. While maternity care is free in New Zealand, a private obstetrician will cost you between $3,000 NZD and $4,000 NZD (between €1,660 and €2,215). You’ll be entitled to more examinations, a more medical and personalized approach to your care, and better follow-up. If complications arise, an obstetrician will of course take care of you in the public system too, but you won’t be able to choose one and you may have to deal with different doctors.
Regional hospitals take care of normal births as well as complicated pregnancies and deliveries. Your midwife will take care of you, but there will always be an obstetrician on hand in case of unforeseen circumstances.
Larger hospitals have multidisciplinary teams to deal with high-risk pregnancies. They also have a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) in case your baby needs extra care.
The advantage of hospital births is that you have access to specialists quickly at the slightest complication, and a wider range of pain management options. On the other hand, hospital births are often more medicated, and as a new mother you’ll have to follow very specific routines and protocols. If you need to stay a few nights after the birth, the postnatal ward will welcome you. You may have to share a room, and the baby’s father will not be able to stay overnight.
The cost of childbirth in New Zealand
The cost of an uncomplicated delivery in New Zealand if you do not have permanent resident status at Birthcare Auckland Hospital is $3360 NZD (approximately €1,860). The cost of a post-natal night is :
- 980 NZD (about €540) for a standard room.
- $1212 NZD (approx. €670) for a private room.
- 1,430 NZD (approx. €790) for a premium room.
What’s more, if you don’t have permanent resident status, you’ll have to pay 50% of the initial cost of delivery as soon as you register at the hospital.
How to see a paediatrician in New Zealand, and at what cost?
A general practitioner will usually recommend a hospital or private paediatrician. Other expatriates living in the same geographical area as you can also recommend a pediatrician. The cost of a private consultation with a paediatrician averages between $150 and $200 NZD (between €85 and €110). If you have permanent resident status in New Zealand, or New Zealand or Australian nationality, consulting a paediatrician in the public sector is free of charge. However, you may have to wait up to several months for a consultation.
Vaccines in New Zealand
For a trip to New Zealand, you’ll need to have your vaccination schedule up to date, as well as the hepatitis A vaccine. For a longer stay, you’ll also need to be vaccinated against :
– Hepatitis B
– Typhoid
New Zealand presents no risk of malaria.
Why take out private international health insurance in New Zealand?
If you’re planning to expatriate to New Zealand, we strongly recommend that you take out private international health insurance. For one thing, joining New Zealand’s social security system is quite complicated. In fact, only people with permanent resident status are eligible for Public Funded Healthcare. For example, anyone with a student visa, a WHV or a stay of less than 2 years will not be able to obtain permanent resident status and therefore benefit from the free New Zealand public healthcare system.
The cost of medical care in New Zealand is quite high, and can quickly become a problem if you are not eligible for local social security or private health insurance. As New Zealand is a long way from Europe and North America, the cost of medical repatriation is extremely high. It is therefore essential that your insurance covers the cost of medical repatriation in the event of prolonged hospitalization, so that you can be repatriated to Australia or your country of origin.
Which private international health insurance should I take out in New Zealand, and for whom?
Whatever the nature of your stay or your status, taking out private health insurance for New Zealand is highly recommended. This is particularly important if your visa does not make you eligible for permanent resident status. Furthermore, to be eligible for permanent resident status, you must have a work visa for more than 2 years on New Zealand territory, or an interim visa, or a very specific status. For example, as a foreign language teacher, or as a minor under the guardianship of a citizen or permanent resident. If you do not have this type of visa, or are not a British, New Zealand or Australian national, it is essential that you take out private international health insurance. Otherwise, you won’t be able to benefit from coverage in the country.
Finally, if you are eligible for permanent resident status, it is also advisable to take out private health insurance in New Zealand while you finalize your administrative formalities and obtain New Zealand social security. If you plan to travel frequently throughout Oceania, Asia or to your home country, taking out health insurance is essential. A private health insurance such as GoldExpat will cover you in all the countries you visit, at the same rates. What’s more, it 100% medical repatriation cover for major operations or treatments.
