Insurance When Moving Overseas from NZ: What to Keep, Cancel, or Transfer
Moving overseas permanently from New Zealand ends most of your cover. Health insurance and income protection generally cannot continue, because both are built around New Zealand hospitals, income and tax treatment, while life and trauma policies carry residency clauses that may allow continuation to Australia or the United Kingdom. Short trips of up to 90 or 180 days are usually fine. Contact your insurer 8 to 12 weeks before departure.
In short
- ACC stops covering you the moment you leave New Zealand, and resumes with no waiting period once you are ordinarily resident again.
- New Zealand health insurance does not pay for treatment abroad, so most departing Kiwis need international cover from departure until they qualify for the destination country's public system.
- Ask your insurer 8 to 12 weeks before departure whether the policy can continue, whether the destination country matters, and what happens to the premium.
Approximately 18,000 New Zealand citizens emigrated in 2023, a 24% increase on the prior year, with roughly 75% heading to Australia, according to Stats NZ International Migration Statistics, accessed March 2026. Whether you are relocating for work, family, or simply a change of pace, insurance is the thing that most often gets overlooked in the rush of planning.
What happens to your life insurance when you leave New Zealand? Can you keep your health cover? Will your income protection still pay out if you get sick in London or Sydney?
The answers are not always straightforward, and getting them wrong can leave you unprotected at the worst possible time. This guide walks through every major insurance type, what your options are, and provides a practical checklist to follow before you board that flight.
What Happens to Your NZ Insurance When You Move Overseas
Most New Zealand insurance policies are designed for people living in New Zealand, so a permanent move overseas causes the majority of your cover to lapse, become invalid for claims, or need to be actively cancelled. Life and trauma policies carry residency clauses, health insurance and income protection generally cannot continue, and short trips of up to 90 or 180 days are usually fine.
Here is how each major policy type is affected.
Life Insurance
NZ life insurance policies from providers like AIA, Partners Life, Fidelity Life, and Asteron Life generally contain residency clauses. These clauses mean:
- Short-term travel (holidays, business trips) is usually fine. Most policies continue to cover you while travelling for a defined period, often up to 90 or 180 days.
- Permanent relocation typically triggers a policy exclusion or termination. The policy relies on NZ jurisdiction, NZ underwriting assumptions, and NZ claims processes.
- Some providers may allow continuation if you are moving to certain countries (often limited to Australia, the UK, or other low-risk jurisdictions). This is not guaranteed and depends entirely on your insurer's terms.
What to do: Contact your insurer at least 8 to 12 weeks before departure. Ask specifically whether your policy can continue overseas, whether the destination matters, and whether there are any premium changes. If the policy cannot continue, ask about surrender values or paid-up options.
Health Insurance
NZ private health insurance from Southern Cross, nib, or AIA does not provide coverage outside New Zealand on a permanent basis. These policies are designed around the NZ healthcare system, including relationships with NZ hospitals, specialists, and Pharmac.
- Your policy will not cover medical treatment in your new country.
- Public healthcare access in NZ also ceases once you are no longer ordinarily resident.
- Travel cover within health policies (if any) is intended for short trips, not relocation.
What to do: Cancel your NZ health insurance before or shortly after departure to avoid paying premiums for cover you cannot use. Arrange international health insurance or destination-country health cover before you leave (more on this below).
Income Protection
Income protection insurance is among the most NZ-specific policy types. It replaces a portion of your income if you cannot work due to illness or injury. The problems with maintaining it overseas include:
- Insurers cannot verify claims or employment status in a foreign jurisdiction.
- Benefit payments are calculated based on NZ income and NZ tax treatment.
- Most policies explicitly require ongoing NZ residency.
- ACC integration (which offsets benefits in many policies) does not apply overseas.
What to do: Income protection policies will almost certainly need to be cancelled. You will need to arrange equivalent cover in your new country, or through an international provider, once you have established employment there.
Trauma (Critical Illness) Insurance
Trauma cover pays a lump sum on diagnosis of specified conditions (cancer, heart attack, stroke, etc.). Like life insurance, it may have some portability depending on your insurer and destination, but many policies contain NZ residency requirements for claims processing.
What to do: Check your specific policy wording. Some insurers will continue trauma cover for policyholders living in certain countries. Others will not. Get written confirmation from your insurer.
Contents and Vehicle Insurance
These are straightforward. Contents insurance covers belongings in your NZ home, and vehicle insurance covers NZ-registered vehicles. If you are selling your home contents and vehicle before leaving, cancel these policies. If you are renting your NZ property out, you may need landlord insurance instead.
What About ACC?
ACC, the Accident Compensation Corporation, stops covering you once you leave New Zealand, so an injury overseas is not treated or income-supported by ACC. ACC has never covered illness in any case, and cover resumes with no waiting period when you return and are ordinarily resident again. Some destinations, such as Australia, run their own workers' compensation schemes.
Key points for departing Kiwis:
- ACC does not cover you overseas. Once you leave New Zealand, you lose ACC coverage. If you are injured in another country, ACC will not pay for your treatment or lost income.
- ACC does not cover illness. Even within NZ, ACC only covers accidents. Illness has never been covered.
- Returning to NZ. When you return and become ordinarily resident again, ACC coverage resumes. There is no waiting period for accident cover upon return.
- Work overseas. Some countries have their own accident compensation schemes (Australia's workers' compensation system, for example). Check what your destination country provides.
The loss of ACC is one of the most underappreciated risks of moving overseas. Many Kiwis do not realise how much of their safety net ACC provides until it is gone.
International Health Insurance Options
New Zealanders moving overseas usually need international health insurance from departure until they qualify for the destination country's public health system, because NZ health policies do not cover treatment abroad. Providers serving Kiwi expats include Bupa Global, AXA International, Allianz Care, Cigna Global, SafetyWing and Genki, and plans should be checked for lifetime renewal guarantees and medical evacuation cover.
Key providers for NZ expats
Six international insurers commonly serve New Zealand expats, and they split into full-service and nomad-priced camps. Bupa Global covers medical, dental, maternity and evacuation worldwide, AXA runs several cover tiers, from a capped annual maximum up to multi-million lifetime limits (AXA Global Healthcare, plans, read 8 September 2026), and Allianz Care picks up pre-existing conditions after 24 months. SafetyWing and Genki sit at the budget end on rolling monthly subscriptions. The comparison rests on published plan features, not price.
| Provider | Coverage Range | Notable Features |
|---|---|---|
| Bupa Global | Worldwide | Comprehensive medical, dental, maternity, evacuation |
| AXA International | $160,000 to $8M+ lifetime | Foundation through to Prestige Plus tiers |
| Allianz Care | Worldwide | Pre-existing condition cover after 24 months |
| Cigna Global | Worldwide | Flexible modular plans |
| SafetyWing | Worldwide | Budget nomad-focused cover on short rolling subscription terms |
| Genki | Worldwide | Digital nomad plans on simple monthly subscription pricing |
What to look for in an international health plan
- Lifetime renewal guarantee. This ensures the insurer cannot cancel your policy as you age or if you make claims. Essential for long-term expats.
- Medical evacuation cover. If you are in a country with limited medical facilities, evacuation to a suitable hospital can cost tens of thousands of dollars.
- Maternity cover. If relevant, check the waiting period (usually 10 to 12 months) and benefit limits.
- Pre-existing conditions. Most international plans exclude pre-existing conditions initially but may cover them after a moratorium period (often 24 months with no related claims).
- Country of cover. Some plans exclude the USA or charge significantly more to include it due to the high cost of American healthcare.
Cost considerations
International health insurance premiums vary widely based on your age, destination, deductible, and coverage level. The structural drivers, roughly in order of impact:
- Whether the USA is included. This is the single largest lever on an international plan, because American treatment costs dominate claims experience. Excluding the USA moves a plan down a whole pricing tier.
- Deductible level. A high deductible on a basic plan cuts the premium substantially. A low deductible on a comprehensive plan puts you at the top of the range.
- What is bundled in. Outpatient, dental and maternity each add materially. Basic plans strip them out, mid-range plans add outpatient, and comprehensive plans include the lot.
- Your age and destination. Both are rated individually, and neither is negotiable.
Healthcare cost inflation is running at approximately 18% for international medical plans projected into 2026, so premiums may increase.
Returning to NZ: Re-entry Underwriting
Returning to New Zealand after cancelling your policies means applying for new cover and going through full medical underwriting again. Any condition diagnosed or treated overseas can be excluded or loaded, you are priced at your current age rather than the age you first took out cover, no previous policy history or served waiting periods carry over, and cover can be declined outright.
What re-entry underwriting involves
- Full medical underwriting. You will need to disclose your complete medical history, including any conditions diagnosed or treated while overseas. If you developed a health condition during your time abroad, it may be excluded from your new NZ policy, or your premiums may be loaded (increased).
- Age-based pricing. You will be underwritten at your current age, which means higher premiums than when you originally took out cover years earlier.
- No continuity of cover. Your new policy starts fresh. There is no recognition of your previous policy history, claims record, or waiting periods already served.
- Potential decline. If your health has deteriorated significantly, you may be declined cover altogether.
The hidden cost of cancelling
This is the real risk that many departing Kiwis underestimate. A 30-year-old who cancels their life and health insurance to move overseas for five years returns at 35. If they developed asthma, a back condition, or were diagnosed with anxiety while away, those conditions may be permanently excluded from any new NZ policy. The insurance they had at 30, which covered everything, is gone and cannot be replaced on the same terms.
Strategies to consider
Ask about suspension or "freeze" options. Some insurers may allow you to suspend your policy for a defined period (often 12 to 24 months) while overseas, keeping your underwriting intact. Not all insurers offer this, and it may only apply to life and trauma cover, not health or income protection.
Reduce cover rather than cancel. If your insurer allows it, reducing your cover to a minimal level keeps the policy active and preserves your underwriting status. You can increase cover again when you return (subject to further underwriting for the increase only).
Maintain life insurance if possible. Life insurance is the policy type most likely to have portability provisions. If your insurer will continue your life cover overseas, seriously consider keeping it, even at a cost, to preserve your health rating and avoid re-underwriting later.
Practical Checklist for Departing Kiwis
Departing Kiwis should work through their insurance in the 8 to 12 weeks before leaving New Zealand. Contact each insurer about overseas continuation, suspension or cancellation and get the answer in writing, arrange international health cover starting on or before your departure date, confirm what your destination provides in place of ACC, and collect your full NZ medical records.
Insurance review
- Contact each insurer (life, health, income protection, trauma) and ask about overseas continuation, suspension, or cancellation options
- Get written confirmation of what happens to each policy upon departure
- Ask about paid-up values or surrender values for life insurance
- Request a copy of your current policy terms for your records
- Cancel policies that cannot continue and confirm no further premiums will be charged
New cover
- Research international health insurance options and obtain quotes from at least two providers
- Arrange international health cover to start on or before your departure date, ensuring no gap in coverage
- Check whether your destination country has a public health system and what the eligibility requirements are (residency period, visa type, etc.)
- If moving for work, check whether your employer provides health or life insurance as part of your package
ACC and government
- Understand that ACC coverage ends when you leave NZ
- Check your destination country's accident compensation or workers' compensation arrangements
- If you are receiving any ACC payments for an existing claim, contact ACC to discuss how your departure affects ongoing entitlements
- Update your IRD details if relevant (tax residency changes may affect your insurance obligations)
Documentation
- Obtain copies of your full medical records from your NZ GP before leaving (this makes future insurance applications easier)
- Keep records of all policy documents, cancellation confirmations, and correspondence with insurers
- Note the names and contact details of your NZ insurer's international or expat teams, if they have them
Country-Specific Considerations
Where you move changes what cover you need. New Zealand citizens in Australia on Special Category Visas (subclass 444) are generally eligible for Medicare, NZ citizens with the right to live and work in the United Kingdom can access the NHS, and countries such as the USA with no comprehensive public healthcare make international health insurance essential.
Moving to Australia
Australia is the most common destination for departing Kiwis. Key points:
- NZ citizens on Special Category Visas (subclass 444) are generally eligible for Medicare, Australia's public health system.
- Medicare provides good hospital and GP cover but limited dental, optical, and some specialist services. Many Australians hold private health insurance to supplement Medicare.
- Australian life and income protection insurance is widely available through advisers and superannuation funds.
- The Reciprocal Health Agreement between NZ and Australia provides some public healthcare access for short-term visitors, but it is not a substitute for proper cover as a resident.
Moving to the United Kingdom
- NZ citizens may access the NHS (National Health Service) if they have the right to live and work in the UK.
- NHS covers most healthcare but has long waiting times for non-urgent treatment. Many UK residents supplement with private health insurance.
- UK life insurance is straightforward to obtain.
- The UK has no equivalent of ACC. Statutory Sick Pay and the welfare system provide limited income support during illness.
Moving to other destinations
For countries without comprehensive public healthcare (such as the USA, many Asian and Middle Eastern countries), international health insurance is not optional. Medical costs in the USA, for example, can be catastrophic without insurance. Ensure you have robust cover in place before arrival.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I keep my NZ life insurance if I move to Australia?
It depends on your insurer. Some NZ life insurers will continue cover for policyholders living in Australia, as it is considered a low-risk, similar jurisdiction. Others will not. Contact your insurer directly and request written confirmation. Do not assume your cover continues automatically.
What happens if I do not tell my insurer I am moving overseas?
Failing to notify your insurer of a change in residency could void your policy entirely. If you make a claim while living overseas without having disclosed your move, the insurer may decline the claim on the grounds of material non-disclosure. Always notify your insurer of any change in your living situation.
How long can I travel overseas before my NZ insurance is affected?
Most NZ insurance policies allow travel for defined periods, typically 90 to 180 days per trip. Beyond this, you may need to notify your insurer. Permanent relocation is treated differently from travel. The key distinction is whether New Zealand remains your primary place of residence.
Will I lose my no-claims history if I cancel my health insurance?
NZ health insurers do not typically use no-claims bonuses in the same way car insurers do. However, cancelling your policy means losing your underwriting status. When you apply for new cover later, you will be assessed based on your health at that time, not when you originally took out the policy. This is the more significant loss.
Can I get income protection insurance overseas?
Yes, but it will need to be arranged in your new country of residence, through a local insurer or an international provider. NZ income protection policies cannot be transferred overseas. Australian income protection, for example, is widely available through both standalone policies and superannuation funds.
What if I am only going overseas for 6 to 12 months?
For shorter absences, you may be able to maintain all your NZ policies. Most insurers accommodate absences of up to 12 months without policy changes, provided NZ remains your home base. Confirm this with each insurer in writing before you leave.
Does KiwiSaver life insurance continue overseas?
Some KiwiSaver schemes offer life insurance as a benefit. If you take a KiwiSaver savings suspension while overseas, check whether the life insurance component is also suspended. The rules vary by scheme.
References
- Financial Markets Authority (FMA), Insurance guidance
- ACC New Zealand
- Sorted.org.nz, Insurance guides
- Insurance & Financial Services Ombudsman (IFSO)
- Consumer Protection NZ
- Cancer Society of New Zealand
- Heart Foundation NZ
- Mental Health Foundation NZ
- AXA International Health Insurance, "Expat Health Plans," axa.com, accessed March 2026.
- Southern Cross Health Society, "Policy Terms and Conditions," southerncross.co.nz, accessed March 2026.
- Mondassur, "International Health Insurance for New Zealand Expats," mondassur.com, accessed March 2026.
- nib New Zealand, "Health Insurance Plans and Pricing," nib.co.nz, accessed March 2026.
- ACC New Zealand, "Who ACC Covers," acc.co.nz, accessed March 2026.
- Insubuy, "International Health Insurance Plans," insubuy.com, accessed March 2026.
- Allianz Care, "Global Health Insurance," allianzcare.com, accessed March 2026.
- Stats NZ, "International Migration Statistics," stats.govt.nz, accessed March 2026.
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or insurance advice. Financial advice is provided by Craig Smith Business Services Limited, trading as Smiths Insurance & KiwiSaver, a licensed Financial Advice Provider (FSP712931). QuoteHub is a trading name. Insurance policies, terms, and portability options vary between providers and change over time. Always consult your specific insurer and consider seeking advice from a licensed financial adviser before making decisions about your insurance cover. Information is current as at March 2026.
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