New Zealand Student Visa Insurance: What Your Policy Must Cover

TL;DR: New Zealand student visa insurance is a visa condition. You must hold medical and travel insurance from the start of your course until your visa expires, and the policy must meet the Code of Practice and be accepted by your education provider. Many universities offer an approved policy and may add it to your fee invoice. Doctoral students are exempt under the visa rules, but some universities still require cover.

Most students plan their tuition and living funds carefully, then treat insurance as a box to tick. In New Zealand it is more than that. Holding acceptable insurance is a condition of your student visa, and your university decides which policies it accepts.

This guide explains what the rule says, what an approved policy covers, what it costs at two universities, and how to avoid paying for the wrong policy.

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What the visa rule says

Immigration New Zealand states that insurance "will be a condition of your student visa". You must have travel and health care cover from the start of your course until your visa expires.

The key points from the official visa page:

• Your education provider will tell you what your policy must cover, and may arrange a policy for you.
• The policy must meet the requirements of the Code of Practice and be acceptable to your provider.
• Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) students do not need insurance under the visa rules.
• You must be in good health, even if you have insurance.

You can read the condition in full on the Fee Paying Student Visa page on the Immigration New Zealand website.

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Why your university has the final say

The Code of Practice is the Education (Pastoral Care of Tertiary and International Learners) Code of Practice 2021. The University of Otago explains that it requires international students to have appropriate medical and travel insurance, and that the university must make sure its students' cover meets its minimum requirements.

In practice, this means your university checks your policy, not you. Some universities, Otago among them, enrol you in their preferred policy automatically unless they have approved another one.

There is one detail doctoral students should note. The visa rules exempt PhD students, but the University of Otago requires all enrolled international students, including doctoral students, to hold approved cover. Check your own university's rule.

What an approved policy covers and costs

Both universities below name Studentsafe Inbound University as their preferred policy. Prices are set by each university and change each year.

Victoria University of Wellington lists what its policy covers, including travel to New Zealand, medical treatment for injury or sickness, prescribed medicines and personal property. It also lists exclusions, such as pre-existing conditions and elective dental work.

Otago says medical treatment for international students in New Zealand is "expensive and not subsidised". That is the reason the rule exists.

How to avoid paying twice

The easy mistake is to buy a policy first and then find that the university charges its own. Follow this order:

1. Read your offer and fee invoice. Check whether insurance is already included.
2. If you want a different policy, ask first. Otago asks students to send the full policy wording in English at least four weeks before the semester starts, and not to buy the policy until it is confirmed as compliant.
3. Make sure the dates match your visa. Cover must run from the start of your course, or from your travel, until your visa ends.
4. Keep proof of cover. You may be asked to show it when you apply for a further visa.

Insurance is one line in a larger budget. Our guides to the New Zealand student visa cost and New Zealand student visa funds cover the rest.

Timing your application

Immigration New Zealand says 80% of student visa applications are processed within 7 weeks, and advises applying at least 3 months before you plan to travel. October to March is its busiest period, so confirm your insurance early and do not let it hold up your file.

Applying from Sri Lanka

• Before you buy a travel or health policy from an insurer in Sri Lanka, send the full policy wording to your university and wait for written approval.
• Budget the cost in New Zealand dollars, alongside your tuition and living funds.

FAQ

Is insurance compulsory for a New Zealand student visa?

Yes. Immigration New Zealand makes it a condition of the student visa, from the start of your course until your visa expires. PhD students are exempt under the visa rules.

Can I use my own insurance instead of the university's policy?

Sometimes. It must meet the Code of Practice and be accepted by your university. Ask before you buy.

How much does New Zealand student insurance cost?

At the two universities above, an individual policy costs NZD 899 or NZD 999 a year. Check your own university's price.

Does a doctoral student need insurance?

Not under the visa rules, but some universities, including Otago, still require approved cover.

When should my cover start?

Victoria University of Wellington says cover must start when you travel to New Zealand to study. Check your university's rule and your visa dates.

PS: Insurance is a small cost, but a wrong policy or a missing one can delay your visa or leave you paying twice. Check your eligibility with Prosper and we will check your New Zealand budget line by line before you apply.

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Team Prosper