AnkyroTravel insuranceNew Zealand working holiday
Working holiday insurance for New Zealand.
Most working holiday visas for New Zealand require medical and hospital insurance for your whole stay, and you can be asked for proof when you land. Here is who is exempt and what to buy.
The rules
What New Zealand asks of visitors.
Checked against official sources on 23 October 2026. Entry rules change, so check again before you fly.
- Insured for your whole stay
Working holiday applicants must hold medical and comprehensive hospitalisation insurance for their whole stay in New Zealand.
Source: immigration.govt.nz - Proof can be asked when you land
You may have to show evidence of your health insurance before or on your arrival in New Zealand.
Source: immigration.govt.nz - UK, Ireland, Japan, Malaysia: exempt
Applicants under the schemes with Ireland, Japan, Malaysia and the United Kingdom don’t have to hold this insurance.
Source: immigration.govt.nz - France and Germany: full medical cover
The French and German scheme pages say you must have full medical insurance for the length of your stay. You may be asked to prove it includes a stay in hospital, with a certificate or a letter from your insurer.
Source: immigration.govt.nz - No public health care on this visa
Working holiday visa holders and their families are generally not eligible for state funded public services.
Source: immigration.govt.nz - ACC pays for accidents only
ACC covers visitors hurt in an accident in New Zealand. It does not cover illness, disrupted travel plans or emergency travel home.
Source: acc.co.nz - UK citizens: new conditions only
Under the UK agreement, UK citizens who live in the UK get care for new conditions that need prompt attention, on stays under 2 years. They can’t enrol with a GP practice.
Source: healthnz.govt.nz - Of the top 4 countries, 2 must show it
In 2024-25 New Zealand approved 8,479 working holiday visas for the UK, 8,031 for France, 5,833 for Germany and 4,190 for Japan. Of those 4, only France and Germany must show insurance.
Source: immigration.govt.nz
What care costs
If something goes wrong, this is the bill.
What a visitor pays without insurance. Prices vary by hospital and change every year.
- Ambulance: $800
Hato Hone St John charges $800 to visitors who are not eligible for publicly funded health services, for treatment or transport.
Source: stjohn.org.nz - Accidents: ambulance paid by ACC
If the injury meets ACC criteria, the ambulance within 24 hours of it is paid by ACC.
Source: stjohn.org.nz - Hospital: you pay the bill
If you don’t qualify for free care, you pay for your healthcare. Health New Zealand Counties Manukau has an eligibility team that gives cost estimates first.
Source: healthnz.govt.nz
What to look for
Choosing travel cover for New Zealand working holiday.
Ankyro checks each of these on every plan, so you don’t have to read the fine print.
- Hospital cover in writing
Ask for a certificate that shows your name, your dates and hospital cover. That is what Immigration New Zealand may ask to see.
- Dates that match your stay
The cover must last until you leave. If you extend your stay, extend the policy before the old end date.
- Illness, not only injury
ACC already pays for accident care in New Zealand. The plan has to do the rest: doctors, hospital and medicines when you get sick.
- The flight home
ACC won’t pay emergency travel home. Check the policy has medical repatriation with a real limit.
Before you land
Sort these before you fly.
- Call 111
111 is the emergency number in New Zealand for ambulance, police and fire.
- Keep the insurance letter in your carry on
Proof can be asked on arrival, so have it on paper or on your phone when you land.
- UK citizens: bring proof you live in the UK
The UK agreement is only for UK citizens who are ordinarily resident in the UK.
Common mistakes
3 we see all the time.
- 01Thinking the Irish or Japanese exemption means free care. Ireland and Japan have no health agreement with New Zealand.
- 02Skipping illness cover because ACC exists. A flu or an appendix is not an accident.
- 03Letting the policy run out before your stay ends. It has to cover the whole stay.
Travel insurance stops when the trip ends, and most visas for living in New Zealand don’t accept it. See what New Zealand asks of residents.
Questions
People also ask.
Do I need insurance for a working holiday visa in New Zealand?+
Yes, unless you apply under the scheme for the UK, Ireland, Japan or Malaysia. Everyone else must hold medical and comprehensive hospitalisation insurance for the whole stay.
Will they check my insurance at the New Zealand border?+
They can. Immigration New Zealand says you may have to show evidence of health insurance before or on arrival.
Can working holiday makers use the public health system in New Zealand?+
Generally not. UK citizens who live in the UK get care for new conditions under the UK agreement, and ACC covers accident injuries for everyone.
Does ACC cover working holiday makers?+
Yes, for injuries from accidents in New Zealand. Not for illness, and not for emergency travel home.
I’m British. Do I still need insurance in New Zealand?+
The visa doesn’t require it. But Health New Zealand says travellers should have comprehensive travel insurance that includes health care, because the UK agreement is not full cover.
Other trips
Going somewhere else?
Visiting Singapore? Care is excellent and expensive. Living here and going abroad? MediShield Life does not pay overseas. Here is what to check.
02Schengen visaA Schengen visa needs travel medical cover of at least 30,000 euros, valid in every Schengen country, with repatriation. Here is what passes, and what doesn’t.
03MalaysiaVisiting Malaysia? Public hospitals charge foreigners full price. Living here and going abroad? Your cover at home stays at home. Here is what to check.
04ThailandThailand doesn’t ask tourists for insurance. But hospitals want a payment guarantee before they treat you, and private care is not cheap. Here is what to know.
05JapanJapan doesn’t ask tourists for insurance yet. But visitors pay the full bill, and unpaid bills can get you refused entry next time. Here is what to know.
06USA visitorsThe US doesn’t ask visitors for insurance. But a few days in hospital can cost more than a car. Here is what care costs, and what a visitor plan must cover.
07Bali and IndonesiaIndonesia doesn’t ask tourists for insurance yet. But a broken leg in Bali can cost over 160 million rupiah, and serious cases can need a flight out. Here is what to know.
08Dubai and the UAEDubai’s law says visitors must be insured, and the 5-year tourist visa asks for proof. Care is good but private, and an unpaid bill can stop you leaving.
09VietnamVietnam doesn’t ask tourists for insurance. But private hospitals cost a lot, and a motorbike crash can stop you leaving the country. Here is what to know.
10SpainPublic care in Spain is free with an EHIC or GHIC. Private clinics, dental care and the flight home are not. Here is what the card leaves to you in Spain.
11MexicoMexico doesn’t ask tourists for insurance. Private hospitals in big cities are good, but most want payment first, and Medicare won’t pay.
12FranceCare in France is not free, even with an EHIC or GHIC. You pay upfront, claim back part, and the flight home is never covered. Here is what to check.
13ItalyThe EHIC and GHIC work in Italy’s public system, but you still pay fees, most medicines and any private doctor. Here is the Italian bill the card leaves you.
14GermanyWith an EHIC or GHIC, most care in Germany costs little. Private extras, mountain rescue and the flight home are on you. Here is what to check.
15PortugalPublic care in Portugal is mostly free with an EHIC or GHIC. Private clinics, medicines and the flight home are not. Here is what to check before you fly to Portugal.
16Costa RicaCosta Rica doesn’t ask tourists for insurance. Only first emergency care is free, private clinics want payment first, and extensions have their own rules.
17ColombiaMost tourists need no visa and no policy for Colombia. If you do need a visa, insurance is part of it. Private clinics want payment first.
18South KoreaKorea doesn’t ask tourists for insurance, and the national scheme is not for short trips. Hospitals expect you to pay on the spot, then claim.
19Australia working holidayThe 417 and 462 visas don’t make you buy health insurance. But you pay every medical bill yourself, unless your passport gets you limited Medicare. Here is who is covered and what to buy.