Travel & Insurance
Having comprehensive travel and medical insurance is essential if you are travelling overseas on student exchange.
When Can I Book Flights?
You are responsible for booking your flights to your destination. Research your flight options and obtain quotes, but do not book anything non-refundable until you have received:
- Your host university acceptance letter and
- Your visa
- If you do buy flights before receiving the above, it is at your own risk and it would be better to buy flexible tickets.
It is your responsibility to arrive at the host university in time for the Orientation programme. Also ensure your return ticket allows enough time to sit all exams. Research academic calendar dates on the host university website.
When you are ready to book your flights:
- Consider a round-the-world ticket and ask about student fares, which can be cheaper
- Check if your ticket includes departure tax
- Check your flight status 24 hours before departure
Insurance
It is essential to hold both Travel and Health insurance for the duration of your exchange. Some policies cover both travel and health related claims, so be sure to read your policy summary carefully.
Refer to Wellington Global Exchange Insurance Guidelines for advice on what to look for when choosing an insurance policy.
Safe Travel
Register yourself on the Safe Travel section of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade website. This ensures you can be contacted in the event of an emergency/security risk.
Students who are not New Zealand citizens can use the Safe Travel website to check travel information, but should register with consular officials from their home country.
Travelling while on Exchange?
Have plans to travel while on exchange? Let us know just in case something goes wrong by completing the Travel While on Exchange Survey.
You must have comprehensive travel and medical insurance which will cover:
Special insurance requirements
Check if your host university or student visa requires you to purchase a specific insurance policy, and if so, what is covered by the policy. You may need to purchase additional insurance to meet the minimum provisions listed below.
Insurance policy minimum provisions
Your insurance policy must cover these minimum provisions:
Medical
Medical cover should include GP visits and prescriptions, major hospitalisation, optical cover, emergency dental cover, cover for treatment following an accident, and emergency services such as ambulance and paramedics. It is preferable that no excess is applied to medical claims.
Emergency evacuation and repatriation
This should include travel for medical professionals and family members who may need to fly to the country of study to accompany you home. “Unlimited cover” is ideal, as very large sums can be incurred in these situations.
Accompanying relative cover
Should you become seriously ill or die during the period of exchange, the insurance policy should pay for your parents/guardian to fly to the host country on the first available flight. The accompanying relative cover should also include day-to-day accommodation and reasonable living costs in your country of study, travel home and back to your country of study for you if a member of your immediate family becomes ill or dies, mental illness (medical costs and repatriation).
Personal liability cover
Personal liability cover of NZ$1,000,000 minimum limit to cover accidental damage you may cause to other people’s property while you are away.
Travel insurance
Travel insurance should cover:
Wellington Global Exchange preferred insurance providers
Wellington Global Exchange has the following preferred travel insurance providers:
None of these policies provide cover for pre-existing conditions unless they meet certain criteria outlined in the policy wording. Make sure you contact whichever provider you choose should you have a pre-existing condition.
Also, be sure to cover any additional travel you may undertake before, after, or during your exchange.
International student insurance continuity of cover
If you have a pre-existing condition and have been covered under Studentsafe while at Victoria, it is strongly recommended that you continue with your Studentsafe policy while on exchange.
In case you break the period of cover with Studentsafe and then resume cover under this policy, “any medical condition which is found to have developed during the period which you were not covered by Studentsafe would be deemed to be a pre-existing condition and would therefore not be covered.”
Student Safe University Insurance Ltd has a policy entitled Studentsafe Outbound which has been designed specifically for those students who study outside of New Zealand as part of their degree.
If you have any questions, please email international-insurance@vuw.ac.nz or drop in during office hours: Monday 2–4pm, Wednesday 10am–12pm, Thursday 2–4pm.
Insurance ratings
Your insurance policy should be from a reputable and established company with substantial experience in the travel and medical insurance business, and who has an excellent credit rating, no lower than A from Standard and Poor's, or B+ from AM financial market intelligence companies. Be sure to read the wording of whichever policy you choose carefully.