Written by · Reviewed by Smiths Insurance & KiwiSaver — licensed Financial Advice Provider (FSP712931) · Last updated 2026-10-20

Life insurance for Kiwi expats living overseas

A New Zealand life policy you already hold may keep covering you after you move overseas, but the rules differ by insurer and you should tell your insurer before you go. AIA's wording covers lives assured anywhere in the world for life benefits, and Momentum Life's Quick Life gives worldwide cover while asking to be told before a stay over 6 months or any overseas work. Buying new New Zealand cover while already living abroad is a different matter: Fidelity and Chubb both require applicants to be New Zealand citizens or permanent residents residing in New Zealand.

In short

Can you keep New Zealand life insurance when you move abroad?

Often yes for the life benefit, but not automatically and not without conditions. What each insurer publishes:

Insurer What it says about cover abroad Source
AIA The policy covers the lives assured anywhere in the world, except health benefits, which apply only while the life assured is in New Zealand. All payments are in New Zealand dollars. You must immediately notify AIA of any change of postal, residential or email address AIA Living umbrella wording, version 8
Fidelity Life Most policies provide worldwide cover, but some may have restrictions if you are not living in New Zealand. Check your policy document and let Fidelity know Fidelity Life: FAQ
Momentum Life, Quick Life Worldwide cover, 24/7. Tell Momentum if you plan to be outside New Zealand for more than 6 months, or will work overseas for any period. It can apply conditions during your time abroad. Benefits are paid in New Zealand dollars Quick Life policy wording (November 2025)
Momentum Life, Funeral Insurance Covered 24 hours a day regardless of location, provided the person was a New Zealander when the cover was issued Funeral Insurance policy wording (17 August 2023)
Chubb Life We found no public statement about cover abroad for existing policies. Its guide covers applicants only Chubb Life underwriting guide

We did not find published statements for Asteron Life or Partners Life, so we do not describe them. "Worldwide cover" is not the same as "no conditions": read the policy, as the early-death and exclusion rules still apply wherever you live. Fidelity also lists a "payment break and suspend your cover" option for going overseas for a while (Fidelity Life); ask whether your policy allows it.

Tell your insurer, in writing

Momentum's Quick Life wording is the most specific we found: if you do not tell it in advance about time overseas, it can decline cover while you are away, or cancel the policy without refund. The AIA wording deems a notice delivered five days after it is posted to the last address on file, so an out-of-date address is a real risk. After you move, give each insurer your new contact details and keep copies of their replies. Fidelity lists +64 9 373 4914 as its number from overseas.

Applying for new New Zealand cover while living overseas

This is the part many expats ask about, and the sources are consistent:

We found nothing that lets a person who has already left New Zealand take out new cover on these terms. For other insurers we did not find a published rule, so ask an adviser. If you are planning to leave and have no cover, the sensible reading of these rules is that the time to apply is before you go, while you are still residing in New Zealand. If you return and live in New Zealand again, you can apply as a resident.

Checklist before leaving New Zealand with existing cover

  1. Collect each policy schedule and wording.
  2. Find the section on residency, travel or "worldwide cover", and note any time limit.
  3. Write to each insurer before you go. Say where you are going, for how long, and whether you will work there.
  4. Ask for the answer in writing, including whether any conditions will apply while you are away.
  5. Ask how premiums will be collected. Direct debit and card payment are listed by AIA, Fidelity, Chubb and Momentum (Fidelity adds internet banking); none of the pages we read says a New Zealand bank account is required, so ask rather than assume.
  6. Update your address, email and phone number with each insurer.
  7. Tell your beneficiaries or executor where the policies are.
  8. Do not cancel cover just because you are leaving. Once you have cancelled, getting it back means a new application, as our guide to switching life insurance explains.

Claims, currency and a death overseas

Under the AIA and Quick Life wordings, payouts are in New Zealand dollars, so a family living in another currency bears the exchange-rate difference. If a New Zealander dies overseas, govt.nz says to contact the nearest New Zealand embassy or the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and that "any costs must be paid for by the family" (govt.nz). The Work and Income Funeral Grant can include reasonable costs of moving a body to or from New Zealand if the deceased normally lived in New Zealand at death, but not if they had left permanently (Work and Income). So whether you have "left permanently" matters for more than insurance. See the funeral grant guide and, for non-citizens, life insurance for permanent residents and work visa holders.

For all the insurance types you might need when you move, read insurance when moving overseas.

Where Momentum fits

Momentum Life's products need you to be living in New Zealand at application, so they are not an option for someone already settled abroad. Quick Life takes ages 18 to 65, asks no health questions and has a 2-year restriction on pre-existing conditions and suicide. Funeral Insurance takes ages 40 to 75; in its first 24 months it pays only for accidental death within 90 days of the accident, premiums can exceed the benefit and the benefit may not cover the whole funeral. See the guaranteed acceptance hub and funeral insurance hub. Momentum Life's A.M. Best financial strength rating is B (Fair), in the "Vulnerable" range (financial strength page); it is an opinion, not a recommendation. If you are a New Zealand resident today, the buttons on this page start a Momentum Life online quote.

Who we are and how we are paid

Compared: AIA, Fidelity Life, Chubb Life and Momentum Life, on cover abroad and residency rules, as at 20 October 2026, from their published documents. Not every New Zealand insurer is included. This is one adviser team's reading, not a score.

Financial advice is provided by Craig Smith Business Services Limited, trading as Smiths Insurance & KiwiSaver, a licensed Financial Advice Provider (FSP712931). This page is general information, not advice. QuoteHub is a Momentum Life partner. Smiths Insurance & KiwiSaver may receive a commission if you buy through our link; see how we are paid and our disclosure. Advice for someone living outside New Zealand may raise questions this page does not cover, so ask a licensed adviser.

Frequently asked questions

Can I transfer my New Zealand life insurance to an overseas insurer?

We found no process for this. A policy with an overseas insurer would be a new application under that country's rules.

Do I have to tell my insurer I am moving?

Check your policy. Momentum's Quick Life asks you to tell it before a stay over 6 months or any overseas work, and Fidelity asks you to let it know. AIA requires you to notify address changes.

Can I get New Zealand life insurance if I already live overseas?

The Fidelity and Chubb guides require applicants to be New Zealand citizens or permanent residents residing in New Zealand, and Momentum's products need you to be living in New Zealand at application.

Which currency does the policy pay in?

Under the AIA and Quick Life wordings we read, in New Zealand dollars.

References

Read the full insurance guides

Compare your cover with a licensed NZ adviser · free, no obligation.

Start your free comparison

Compare panel options first. A licensed NZ adviser can then review existing cover or help with an application.

Free, no obligation. Licensed NZ advisers · Craig Smith Business Services Ltd, FAP FSP712931.

Explore related pages: Life Insurance, Income Protection, Health Insurance, Trauma Insurance, Claims Support.