Already departed New Zealand but still need travel insurance?

One of the most common enquiries Go Insurance receives is for New Zealanders already overseas who need to arrange travel insurance.

Perhaps you got so caught up in the excitement of your adventure that you forgot to purchase a policy before you departed or maybe you have extended your stay and your current insurer won’t allow you to extend your policy. It may even be that you are returning from a long stint abroad and need to insure your return journey home.

Go Insurance is proud to be one of the few New Zealand travel insurers who are able to offer travel insurance for New Zealanders who are already overseas.

Are there any catches?

Yes.

  1. You must have a permanent residential address in New Zealand and will be returning to resume residence in New Zealand at the end of Your Trip;
  2. Your period of overseas travel will not exceed 18 months in total from the date you originally departed New Zealand;
  3. You have unrestricted right of entry into New Zealand;
  4. You have access to long term medical care in New Zealand (excluding Reciprocal Health Agreements);
  5. You have a ticket booked for travel to New Zealand at the end of Your Trip; and
  6. Both Your Trip and Period of Insurance will end in New Zealand on the same date.

Also, we don’t offer cover for situations like New Zealanders living in the UK who need cover for a quick trip to Croatia and back to the UK – if your trip doesn’t start in New Zealand, then it must end in New Zealand to be eligible to purchase a one-way policy with Go Insurance.

For cover arranged to start when the traveller is already overseas, there is a 48 hour waiting period.  Once the waiting period has passed, cover is as per the terms and conditions of the Policy Wording.  Bear in mind too, that if you change your mind after purchasing a policy, the standard Cooling Off Period may not apply.

Can I extend my Policy?

Sometimes pre-booked plans can change.  If you need to delay your return home beyond the date you are booked to travel, we may be able to offer you one extension of the policy period.  This will depend on a number of factors including the reason you are not able to return to New Zealand as planned.  You will need to contact us before the policy end date to see if we can facilitate an extension to your policy. Simply complete our online form Request a Policy Extension and submit.  You may be asked to provide evidence of your pre-booked travel arrangements.

If you intend to stay overseas for more than a year without returning to New Zealand at all, then we don’t have a policy that will suit your needs.

For full eligibility criteria, please refer to the Policy Wording below.

To purchase a policy, simply visit our homepage and enter your details to get a quote. When you are already overseas it is important that you select ‘One way’ and nominate your final destination as New Zealand.  The Region of Travel you select should be appropriate for where you will be travelling.  For instance, if you are in Europe (and won’t be travelling to the US or Canada before returning to New Zealand), you should select “Worldwide excluding USA, Canada and Antarctica”.

Our friendly team is here to help you. You’ll find us on livechat between 9am and 5pm NZST Monday to Friday.  Alternatively, you can call us during New Zealand business hours on + 64 9 886 8484 or email us on salesnz@goinsurance.co.nz if you have any questions.