Health Insurance and Healthcare in New Zealand Explained

Jump right in:

• Vaccinations & health requirements for New Zealand
• Pros & cons of the healthcare system in New Zealand
• A deep dive on public healthcare
• An overview of private health insurance
• How to find a Doctor or dentist
• Giving birth in New Zealand

Vaccinations & health requirements for New Zealand

It’s recommended you make sure all your routine vaccines are up to date before traveling to New Zealand. These include:

• Measles-mumps-rubella (MMR)
• Diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis
• Varicella (or chickenpox)
• Polio
• Shingles

You’re also advised to check with your doctor if you need additional vaccinations, such as for Hepatitis A and Hepatitis B. Make sure to schedule any doctor’s appointment at least one month before traveling, to avoid any setbacks.

Aside from these standard vaccinations, there are no specific health requirements for people visiting New Zealand.

If you’re moving there, however, a medical examination may be part of your visa application process.

Pros & cons of the healthcare system in New Zealand

Pros

• Public healthcare is heavily subsidized for eligible residents.
• Children under 14 receive free general practitioners' visits and prescriptions; dental care is free until age 18.
• Emergency accident care is supported by ACC (Accident Compensation Corporation), even for visitors.

Cons

• Eligibility rules exclude some temporary visa holders, who must pay full costs or get international health insurance.
• Waiting times for non-urgent specialist care and elective procedures can be long.
• Rural and remote areas may have limited access to doctors and specialists.

A deep dive on public healthcare

New Zealand operates a publicly funded healthcare system with private options. Most hospital care is government-funded, while primary care services such as general practitioners' visits usually include patient co-payments.

Who is eligible for public healthcare?

Public healthcare is available to citizens, permanent residents, and holders of work visas valid for two years or more. In these cases, most healthcare costs are covered. Non-residents can also benefit from healthcare services but at a cost. That is why it is advised to have medical insurance from your home country if you are not eligible for public healthcare in New Zealand.

What does public healthcare cover in New Zealand?

New Zealand’s publicly funded healthcare system provides many free or subsidized services for eligible residents:

• General practitioners: Free visits for children under 13; adults usually pay 20–50 NZD per visit
• Prescriptions: Subsidized for adults, fully free for children under 13.
• Hospitals and emergencies: Free treatment at public hospitals, including 24-hour emergency care.
• Maternity care: Free care during pregnancy, birth, including hospital stays and pre- and post-natal care
• Children’s health: Free immunizations, free basic dental care
• Screenings: Free breast screening for women aged 45–69.
• Specialist care: Free when referred by a general practitioner.
• Diagnostics: Most laboratory tests and x-rays are free when ordered through the public system.
• Additional support: Mental health care, disability support, hospice care, long-term care, and some home help services are publicly funded.

Not all services are covered. Adults usually pay privately for dental care, optometry, orthodontics, and physiotherapy unless covered by ACC (Accident Compensation Corporation) for injury-related treatment.

What is the “no fault” insurance scheme?

The government has a “no fault” insurance scheme known as Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC). It covers the cost of any accident you may have, regardless of whether you’re eligible for public healthcare.

Co-payment may apply if the cost of the treatment is above what is covered by the ACC. If you’re injured in an accident, visit a health provider first so they can lodge your ACC claim for you. Claims should be made within 12 months, though late claims may be accepted if there’s a good reason.

What are the levels of care?

New Zealand’s healthcare system has three levels of care: primary, secondary, and tertiary.

Primary care

Primary care refers to the first general treatment of symptoms or medical concerns, such as the flu, bone fractures, skin rash, or acute medical conditions.

These services are provided in public hospitals and clinics and are free of charge, but always check your eligibility. It includes family doctors, practice nurses, midwives, pharmacists, and allied health professionals such as physiotherapists and counsellors. General practitioners are usually part of a Primary Health Organization (PHO), which allows patients to receive subsidized visits.

Urgent care clinics (formerly Accident & Medical) are also part of primary care. They provide walk-in or after-hours treatment for immediate issues, but don’t usually provide ongoing care.

Secondary & tertiary care

Secondary care includes hospital services, either public or private, and specialist care. Most secondary and tertiary care — which includes cancer treatment, plastic surgery, and other procedures — is provided by publicly owned hospitals. However, patients have a choice to access either public or private services, which may depend on preference or availability. To access these levels of care, you would typically need a referral from a General Practitioner.

How to contact Healthline

In general, New Zealand’s public healthcare is very inclusive and user-centered. You can call Healthline on 0800 611 116 free of charge for 24/7-advice from a registered nurse. Interpreter services are also available. Most hospitals and clinics also provide free translation or interpreter support for patients who need it.

For more information, you can visit the Healthline website.

Hospitals and ambulance services in New Zealand

For emergencies, you may visit an Emergency Department (ED) of a public hospital, which will treat emergencies and urgent care cases, such as car crashes, bone fractures, or other accidents.

Ambulance services don’t belong to any hospital or government organization but are rather provided by a charitable organization called St John. Ambulance transport is not fully free, a partial charge usually applies, even in emergencies. Many residents purchase an Ambulance Membership to waive such call-out fees.

Cost of public healthcare in New Zealand

Healthcare in New Zealand is partly funded by the government. If you‘re eligible, you can access many services for free or at a reduced cost. Some services, however, still have fees.

General Practitioner (GP):

• Adults usually pay around 20–85 NZD (11–50 USD) per visit if enrolled with a GP; fees are higher if you are not enrolled.
• Some clinics are designated Very Low Cost Access (VLCA) practices, where enrolled adults may pay as little as 20 NZD (approx. 11 USD) per visit.
• Children under 13 see a general practitioner for free.

Specialists:

• Public specialists are free but may involve wait times of several months.
• If you prefer faster access, you can see a private specialist or hospital, though this comes at a cost unless you have private health insurance.

Prescriptions:

• Subsidized prescriptions cost up to 5 NZD (approx. 3 USD) per item from approved providers, or 15 NZD (approx. 9 USD) from specialists/dentists.
• Under the Prescription Subsidy Scheme, once you and your family have paid for 20 subsidized prescription items in a year (from 1 February to 31 January), the rest of your subsidized prescriptions are free for that year.
• Prescriptions are free for children under 13.

Emergency Care:

• If you are eligible for public healthcare, treatment at a hospital emergency department is free.
• If you are not eligible, you will need to pay for emergency care.
• Urgent Care (A&M) clinics and ambulance services charge fees, but costs may be covered by ACC if the treatment is accident related.

If not eligible for public healthcare: You must pay full costs for all services (e.g., GP visits, hospital care, prescriptions) and are strongly advised to get private health insurance.

An overview of private health insurance

New Zealand’s public healthcare system covers the most essential services for eligible residents. As mentioned, if you’re not covered, you should definitely get private health insurance.

And even if you’re eligible for public healthcare, you may want to look into private options too if:

• You wish to avoid long waiting lists for procedures that are not considered emergencies.
• You wish for more freedom over the choice of medical professionals or where you will be receiving treatment.

Before you take out medical insurance, check if your employer includes it as a possible benefit. You should also check if your country’s health department has any reciprocal cover agreement with New Zealand.

Types of health insurance plans

There are three types of common policies offered by insurers in New Zealand:

• Day-to-day (minor medical) policies help cover routine costs such as general practitioner visits, prescriptions, dental care, and optometry.
• Major medical (hospital/surgical) policies cover larger expenses like elective surgery, hospital stays, specialist consultations, diagnostic scans, and cancer treatment.
• Comprehensive policies combine both day-to-day and major medical benefits for broader protection.

Some private health insurance providers expats should check out are:

• Southern Cross Health Society
• AIA New Zealand
• Accuro known as UniMed
• Nib

Average cost of private health insurance in New Zealand

As with any country, prices of private health insurance plans in New Zealand vary based on each individual case. For example, for a 30-year-old non-smoker with a 500 NZD (295 USD) excess, fortnightly premiums for a hospital plan range from around 35 NZD to 65 NZD (20– 38 USD), depending on the insurer. At age 50, the same cover may cost 70 NZD to 110 NZD (40–65 USD) per fortnight. Premiums increase further for older age groups or for more comprehensive policies that include day-to-day cover.

How to find a doctor or dentist

Your first point of contact for any medical situation is your general practitioner. You can freely choose your general practitioner, e.g. based on location, preferred language, or recommendations from friends, family, ethnic associations, or organizations such as the Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB).

Still, it‘s recommended that you pick a medical center close to where you live. This is because not all general practitioners in a given practice will take in new patients, and usually priority is given to patients who live or work in their area. To find a general practitioner nearest you, you can visit Healthpoint.

Once you have picked your general practitioner, you would go to their practice or medical center and either enroll or register with them. To make an appointment, simply call your chosen medical center and ask for a consultation.

Enrolling with a general practitioner

In New Zealand, it’s important to enroll with a general practitioner to lower healthcare costs. Enrolled patients benefit from government subsidies, which make general practitioner visits and prescriptions significantly cheaper. If you visit a clinic without enrolling, you’ll be seen as a casual patient and will have to pay higher fees.

Enrolling also helps you stay connected with one doctor and makes it easier to get reminders for things like immunizations or health checks. To enroll, you might need to show proof that you are eligible, such as your passport or residency documents.

How to find specialists

To see a specialist through the public healthcare system, you‘ll need your family doctor’s referral. The specialist will then contact you to schedule an appointment. There is usually a waiting list for specialists and procedures, which can be several months long, except for emergency cases.

You‘ll not be expected to pay for a specialist as long as you are eligible for public healthcare.

You may choose to see a specialist privately, in which case you’ll need to pay for your appointment and treatment out of your own pocket without government funding.

How to find a dentist

There are a number of websites you can visit to find a dentist near you, such as Dental Council, or New Zealand Dental Association..

There is no fixed or recommended fee for dentists appointments. To be properly informed, make sure you ask in advance about the costs of the treatments you need.

Giving birth in New Zealand

Having a baby in New Zealand as a foreigner

Giving birth as a foreigner in New Zealand may be expensive if you are not covered by public healthcare. If you are not sure you are, check your eligibility here. If you do not qualify for public healthcare yourself, you may still have free maternity care through your partner.

If you’re not eligible for public healthcare and applying for a temporary visa while pregnant, Immigration New Zealand requires you to show you have at least 9,000 NZD (5,340 USD) available to cover maternity care. You need to prove you’re able to fully pay for your maternity and your stay in New Zealand through bank statements, bank drafts, credit cards, or travelers’ cheques.

Alternatively, if you can’t show these funds yourself, you may still show proof through a sponsor or guarantor who agrees to cover your medical expenses.

Giving birth in New Zealand as a permanent resident

As a permanent resident, you’re entitled to publicly funded healthcare in New Zealand, which includes maternity care. Most parents choose a midwife as their Lead Maternity Carer (LMC), since this care is free under the public system. You also have the option of a general practitioner with maternity training or a private obstetrician, though obstetricians charge their own fees and are not covered by the public system.

It is recommended to choose a maternity carer as early as possible in your pregnancy, since availability can be limited. More details about the role of the LMC and how to find one are explained in the section below.

What is the Lead Maternity Carer (LMC)?

An Lead Maternity Carer (LMC) can be a self-employed midwife, a hospital midwife working in a team, or a private obstetrician (who charges a fee). They’re legally responsible for your care and your baby’s wellbeing. Midwives usually provide care throughout pregnancy, labour, birth, and home visits afterwards, while obstetricians often work alongside midwives for postnatal care.

Your LMC will support you through every stage of pregnancy. They are available 24 hours a day for advice or emergencies, and they will make a plan with you for your pregnancy, labour, and birth.

Around five weeks after birth, they’ll hand over your care to a Well Child Tamariki Ora provider and help enroll your baby with a general practitioner.

If you’re eligible for public healthcare, most maternity care through a midwife is free. Private obstetricians, however, charge their own fees. You can find an LMC through Healthpoint or Find Your Midwife.

Benefits of giving birth in New Zealand

New Zealand’s healthcare system is very advanced, so you should expect good quality care when it comes to seeing your maternity through. Your Lead Maternity Carer (LMC) will provide medical care throughout your pregnancy, be there when you give birth, and provide care for the first weeks after your baby is born. They should also inform you of the procedures and timings for screenings, such as for different kinds of trisomy and other conditions.

If you’re working while pregnant, you are entitled to up to ten days of unpaid special leave, to take medical appointments, prenatal classes, or other maternity-related appointments. You’ll also be entitled to parental leave — you can find out more on the topic in our Working in New Zealand guide.

There are also some financial benefits for families with new babies, such as:

• Best Start Payment: families receive 73 NZD (approx. 43 USD) per week for the baby’s first year, and income-tested payments may continue into years 2 and 3.
• Parental Tax Credit (PTC): up to 1,200 NZD (approx. 712 USD) per child in the first 8 weeks (not available if you’re already receiving certain benefits or allowances).
• Working for Families: ongoing support for families with children under 18, depending on income.

Giving birth in New Zealand for citizenship

New Zealand has restricted Birthright Citizenship. A child born in New Zealand may only acquire citizenship if one of the parents is a citizen or has permanent residence status. When you register your child, their citizenship is registered as well. Make sure you register the child correctly by providing the following information on the notification of birth for registration:

• Name and birth of the child
• Name, birth, occupation and citizenship of both parents