Compare the top travel insurance providers in New Zealand — see cover, features and typical rates side by side.
17 live offers compared from 14 providers, from NZ$50 /year. Updated daily.
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Travel insurance protects you financially when things go wrong on a trip — medical emergencies overseas, cancellations, lost baggage, delays and personal liability. For New Zealanders, the biggest reason to buy is overseas medical cover: ACC and the public health system don't follow you abroad, and a hospital stay in the United States, for example, can cost tens of thousands of dollars. Policies come as single-trip or annual multi-trip, with domestic options for travel within New Zealand where medical cover is less critical but cancellation and baggage cover still apply.
Cover is sold by dedicated travel insurers and general insurers alike. Southern Cross Travel Insurance is a leading specialist; Cove and Tick are newer online-first brands; and general insurers such as AA, Tower, State and Vero (and nib) offer travel policies too. Products range from budget "essentials" cover to comprehensive plans with high medical limits, cancellation cover and add-ons for rental-car excess, cruises and adventure activities. Because New Zealanders often take long-haul trips, medical and evacuation limits and coverage for existing medical conditions are central comparison points.
Overseas medical cover — Pays for hospital treatment and emergency evacuation abroad, where costs can be enormous.
Cancellation protection — Recovers non-refundable costs if illness or an emergency forces you to cancel or cut a trip short.
Baggage and delay cover — Compensates for lost, stolen or delayed luggage and out-of-pocket delay costs.
Personal liability — Protects you if you accidentally injure someone or damage property overseas.
Start with the medical and evacuation limits — these matter most, especially for the US and long-haul travel — and check they are unlimited or very high. Declare any existing medical conditions and confirm they are covered, as undisclosed conditions void claims. Match single-trip versus annual multi-trip to how often you travel. Check activity cover if you'll ski, dive or do adventure sports, and rental-car excess cover if you'll drive. Read the excess, exclusions and cancellation terms, and buy early so cancellation cover applies from the moment you book.
Southern Cross Travel Insurance is one of the best-known specialists, offering comprehensive plans with strong medical cover. Cove and Tick are online-first brands popular for straightforward, competitively priced policies. AA Insurance, Tower, State and Vero provide travel cover within their broader general-insurance ranges, and nib also offers travel policies. Premiums vary widely by destination, trip length, age and cover level, so a short domestic trip can start from around NZ$50 while comprehensive long-haul family cover costs considerably more.
Travel-insurance premiums depend on destination, duration, traveller age and cover level rather than a flat price. Entry-level or short-trip policies can start from around NZ$50, while comprehensive cover for long-haul destinations, older travellers or those with medical conditions costs more. Annual multi-trip policies often work out cheaper for frequent travellers than buying single-trip cover each time. Adding a higher excess lowers the premium; adding adventure-activity or rental-car-excess cover raises it. Always weigh the premium against the medical and cancellation limits it buys.
Travel insurers are licensed and prudentially supervised by the Reserve Bank of New Zealand under the Insurance (Prudential Supervision) Act. They must be registered financial service providers, belong to a dispute-resolution scheme such as the Insurance & Financial Services Ombudsman, and comply with the Fair Trading Act, enforced by the Commerce Commission, which prohibits misleading policy claims. The Financial Markets Conduct Act's fair-conduct regime governs how policies are sold and claims are handled, and advisers are subject to the FMA's financial-advice rules.
Do I need it for travel within New Zealand? — Medical cover matters less domestically since public health and ACC apply, but cancellation and baggage cover can still be worthwhile.
Are existing medical conditions covered? — Only if you declare them and the insurer accepts them; undisclosed conditions can void a claim.
When should I buy? — As soon as you book, so cancellation cover protects your non-refundable costs from that point.
The cheapest Travel Insurance in New Zealand is NZ$50 /year from Southern Cross Travel Insurance.
Giraffy tracks 5 travel insurance products across Southern Cross Travel Insurance,Tower Insurance NZ,AA Insurance NZ,State Insurance NZ,Vero Insurance NZ insurers in New Zealand. The lowest tracked price is NZ$50 /year. Compare by cover level and excess, not just price — a very cheap policy may have low medical cover limits or high excesses that leave you underinsured.
At minimum, look for: emergency medical treatment and repatriation (at least £5–10 million), trip cancellation and curtailment, baggage and personal effects, personal liability, and passport/travel document cover. Travel to the US requires especially high medical limits due to healthcare costs.
If you take three or more trips per year, annual multi-trip insurance is almost always cheaper than buying single-trip policies. The annual policy covers an unlimited number of trips up to a maximum trip duration (typically 31–90 days). Check that all your planned destinations and activities are included.
Standard policies often exclude pre-existing conditions or charge an additional premium to include them. Always declare medical conditions when applying — failure to disclose can invalidate your claim. Specialist providers offer cover for conditions like diabetes, heart disease, and cancer, though premiums will be higher.
Most standard policies exclude or limit adventure sports — skiing, snowboarding, scuba diving, and other higher-risk activities require specialist cover or add-ons. If you're planning active travel, check the policy's activity list or take out a specialist policy that explicitly includes your planned activities.
The excess is the amount you pay towards each claim before the insurer pays the balance. Higher excess = lower premium. Choose an excess you can comfortably afford — if your excess is £200 and your lost luggage claim is £150, you'll receive nothing. Check whether the excess applies per claim or per incident.