There are multiple types of insurance you might need in New Zealand. The three main types of insurance are medical insurance, auto insurance, and contents insurance.
Medical Insurance
Everyone in New Zealand is eligible for medical insurance for injuries related to accidents under the ACC program. Not everyone in New Zealand falls under New Zealand’s national health plan for general medical care. If you have a visa that allows you to work in New Zealand for two years or more, you are eligible for New Zealand’s universal healthcare. If you are on a one year visa, you need to purchase your own healthcare insurance. Our medical insurance guide covers getting third-party medical insurance for New Zealand.
Renters or Home Owners Insurance
New Zealand has contents insurance, not renters insurance. Contents insurance covers the contents of your home and your possessions. There are two main types of policies. Replacement policies will repair or replace the insured property to new condition. Indemnity policies cover items for their present value and take into account depreciation. Many companies offer contents insurance. I have found that contents insurance is more expensive in New Zealand than in the US. Some of the large companies are ANZ, ami, AA, and State.
House insurance in New Zealand is comparable to homeowners coverage. It covers your property and the contents. Large providers of house insurance are ami, AA, State, and Tower.
When you pick your contents or house insurance, it is crucial to make sure that they cover damage due to fire. If your policy covers damage due to fire, you automatically get national disaster coverage. This coverage is called EQCover, and it covers damage due to earthquakes, volcanic activity, tsunamis, and landslides.
Auto Insurance
Auto insurance is not mandatory in New Zealand. It is cheaper in New Zealand than most countries since the ACC covers all medical expenses related to car accidents. New Zealand auto insurance covers the specific vehicle that is on the policy. It does not cover other vehicles, like rental cars that you might be driving. It does include people that are not named on the plan, that are legally allowed to drive in New Zealand. There are three types of auto insurance policies that are available in New Zealand
- Third Party Property Damage- covers damage to other people’s property, not your own
- Third Party, Fire, and Theft- includes the same coverage as third party property damage and covers damage to your vehicle caused by fire and theft
- Comprehensive- covers your car and other people’s property
Common providers of auto insurance include AA, ami, State, and Club Auto.
Liability Insurance
Liability insurance is typical in the United States. It is not a common insurance in New Zealand due to the legal climate that is not lawsuit-prone like the United States.
Many companies give you a discount if you have multiple policies with them. AA typically offers a 10% discount if you have a membership with them. This discount can often equate to getting a half price AA membership.
