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

Life insurance while travelling overseas from NZ

Momentum Life's Quick Life wording gives worldwide cover, 24 hours a day, but asks you to tell Momentum if you will be outside New Zealand for more than 6 months or working overseas for any period. Its Funeral Insurance wording covers a person who was a New Zealander when cover was issued regardless of location. Other insurers set their own rules, so read the wording.

In short

Does your life insurance cover you overseas?

Worldwide cover means the policy does not limit where the death happens. Momentum's Quick Life wording says: "Your policy provides worldwide cover, 24/7" (Momentum Life: Quick Life Insurance Policy Wording, November 2025). The Funeral Insurance wording says that, "providing the Life Insured was a New Zealander when the cover was issued, they are covered under this Policy 24 hours a day, regardless of geographical location" (Momentum Life: Funeral Insurance Policy Wording). Neither wording lists territorial limits or a list of countries.

Two different rules are easy to mix up. The first is where you can be when you die, which is the worldwide cover above. The second is who can apply, which is a residency test at the time of application: Quick Life needs a New Zealand or Australian citizen, a permanent resident visa holder, or a work visa holder with 6 months or more in New Zealand, and Funeral Insurance needs 12 continuous months on a temporary work visa. Those residency tests are about eligibility to take the policy out. They are not an exclusion that applies on a trip.

What the wording says for common situations

Situation Momentum Quick Life Momentum Funeral Insurance
Holiday or short business trip Within worldwide cover Within worldwide cover
Away more than 6 months Tell Momentum; it can apply "specific conditions" for the time abroad No similar duty in the wording
Working overseas, any period Tell Momentum in advance No similar duty in the wording
Not told about a long stay or work abroad Can decline cover while away, or cancel the policy without refund Not addressed
Death in war, from terrorism or insurrection Excluded at any time No such exclusion is listed
Dangerous job or pastime (listed examples) Excluded at any time No such exclusion is listed
Death in the first window First 2 years: pre-existing conditions and suicide excluded First 24 months: accidental death only, premiums refunded otherwise

Quick Life's list of dangerous jobs and pastimes is introduced with "such as" and includes handling explosives or weapons, working 40 metres underwater, driving or riding faster than 130 km/h outside commercial flights, professional sport and active armed forces duty. It does not name particular adventure activities, and because it is a list of examples, ask Momentum before you rely on an activity being fine. Occupation and pastime are not asked at application, so they matter at claim time.

Total premiums on Funeral Insurance can add up to more than the benefit, and the benefit may not cover the whole funeral. That matters most overseas, because repatriating a body can cost more than a funeral at home: the New Zealand government says that when someone dies overseas, "any costs must be paid for by the family" (govt.nz). Our page on funeral insurance and death overseas goes into costs.

SafeTravel advice and exclusion clauses

SafeTravel, run by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, gives each destination one of four levels: "Exercise normal safety and security precautions", "Exercise increased caution", "Avoid non-essential travel" and "Do not travel" (SafeTravel). Its page warns: "Be aware that your travel insurance coverage will be impacted by this advice." That statement is about travel insurance, not life cover.

Neither Momentum wording mentions SafeTravel. What matters for Quick Life is the exclusion itself: it does not pay for any death caused by war or war-like activity "whether or not war has been officially declared", or by insurrection or terrorism. A death in a destination at "Do not travel" could fall inside those words, but the wording turns on the cause of death, not the advisory level. Other insurers may word their exclusions differently, so check theirs. We found no published SafeTravel clause in the wordings and tables we read.

Life cover is not travel insurance

Life cover pays a fixed benefit on death (and on terminal illness for Quick Life). Travel insurance is a separate product. The cost of treating an illness or injury abroad, or of bringing someone home, is not what a life benefit is designed to meet. Some life insurers add a benefit for returning remains: Chubb Life's Life Cover brochure lists a Funeral Transfer Benefit that reimburses the lesser of the cost of returning your remains to New Zealand or your home country, or $20,000 (Chubb Life brochure CIG0009 V6). We found no such benefit in either Momentum wording.

Claiming from overseas

A claim on a Momentum policy starts with a call to 0800 108 108 or an email to [email protected] (Momentum Life: Claims). The Quick Life wording says Momentum may ask for a death certificate, forms from the treating practitioner and details of occupation, lifestyle or activities where relevant, and that benefits are paid in New Zealand dollars. Payment is usually made within 48 hours of approval; approval is a separate step.

If someone dies overseas, the government says to contact the nearest New Zealand embassy or the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Depositing an overseas death certificate with Births, Deaths and Marriages is optional, costs $55 with form BDM42 and is not a registration of the death (govt.nz). Work and Income says a Funeral Grant may be paid for a person who died overseas if they were ordinarily resident in New Zealand, and for an overseas funeral it may consider the costs it decides are reasonable (Work and Income); read paying for a funeral first.

What to do before you leave

  1. Check how long you will be away and whether you will work. If it is more than 6 months, or any work, tell Momentum before you go.
  2. Read the exclusions in your own wording, and any activity you plan to do.
  3. Keep premiums paid. Momentum can cancel after a month unpaid, and a cancelled Quick Life policy that you re-apply for restarts the 2-year window.
  4. Buy travel insurance separately and read it against the SafeTravel level.
  5. If you are moving rather than travelling, read what happens to insurance when you move overseas and expat life insurance. The wordings give no rule for a permanent move, so ask Momentum.

For large benefits, see how a $1 million payout works. Plan details are on the Quick Life and Funeral Cover pages, and the guaranteed acceptance eligibility checker tests the age and residency rules. The buttons on this page open Momentum's own online application.

Who we are

General information, not advice. Advice is provided by Craig Smith Business Services Limited, trading as Smiths Insurance & KiwiSaver, a licensed Financial Advice Provider (FSP712931). QuoteHub is a Momentum Life partner and Smiths Insurance & KiwiSaver may receive a commission if you buy through our link; see how we are paid and our disclosure. Momentum Life Limited's A.M. Best financial strength rating is B (Fair), affirmed 11 February 2026, and Momentum's own table puts B in its "Vulnerable" range (Momentum Life: Financial strength). A rating is an opinion, not a recommendation. Last reviewed 20 October 2026 against the sources below.

Frequently asked questions

Does Quick Life pay if I die on holiday overseas?

The wording gives worldwide cover, 24 hours a day. The usual terms still apply: the exclusions listed above, and in the first 2 years no benefit for pre-existing conditions or suicide.

Do I have to tell Momentum before I go?

On Quick Life, yes if you will be outside New Zealand for more than 6 months, or working overseas for any period. If you do not, Momentum can decline cover while you are away or cancel the policy without a refund.

Does war or terrorism affect my cover?

On Quick Life they are always excluded. Funeral Insurance lists no such exclusion, but its first 24 months pay only for accidental death.

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, Compare Insurance NZ.