About insurance for international learners
International school learners and their education providers may have obligations regarding insurance.
This page provides specific guidance on obligations for both international students and education providers and how those obligations intersect with each other.
Any and all material supplied in this page is supplied as an example only and will not necessarily be appropriate for a signatory's particular circumstances.
All documents used should be approved by a signatory's governing board and independent legal advice should also be sought.
On this page
Ensure learners have the right insurance for travel
If learners' travel to, from, or within New Zealand occurs outside the enrolment period (as defined in the international learner contract), signatories must ensure 鈥渁s far as practicable鈥� that the travel is covered by Code of Practice appropriate insurance.
The intent of this clause of the Code is to ensure that international learners have the appropriate insurance coverage from the day they leave their home country to the day they depart New Zealand to return home. This is to effectively manage risk to the safety and wellbeing of an international learner embarking on study in New Zealand.
This intent is reflected in INZ鈥檚 requirements for student visa holders (see above).
For international learners studying with a signatory for two weeks or longer, who are student visa holders (or holders of other visa types whose primary reason for visiting New Zealand is study), it is expected that it will be 鈥減racticable鈥�, in most instances, for Signatories to ensure that these learners have appropriate insurance for travel to, from, and within New Zealand, even if the travel occurs outside the enrolment period.
In an instance where it is not 鈥減racticable鈥�, a signatory should document the steps they have taken to ensure 鈥渁ppropriate insurance鈥� and at which point it was no longer practicable to do so and why.
For non-student visa holders, that is, learners who are holders of visitor, work, working holiday or other types of visas, and for whom study is not the primary purpose of visiting New Zealand, it is unlikely to be 鈥減racticable鈥�, in most instances, for a signatory to ensure appropriate insurance for travel to, from, and within New Zealand outside of the enrolment period. Again, this aligns with INZ鈥檚 requirements for holders of these visa types (see above).
For international learners studying with a signatory for less than two weeks鈥� duration, there is no obligation on the provider to ensure Code of Practice appropriate insurance.
色诱直播's expectations
Our expectation for both school signatories and tertiary providers is that 鈥渆nsuring as far as practicable鈥� will include processes for:
- clearly asking a learner (or their parents or legal guardians if the learner is under 18) whether they have any preexisting conditions (to make sure that the insurance offered is 鈥渁ppropriate鈥�. This question may also be asked by the insurance company); and
- if a pre-existing condition is disclosed by a learner or parent, considering whether an additional premium can and should be paid to have the preexisting condition covered and if so, determining whether the learner (or parents or legal guardians if the learner is under 18) should be required to pay this premium as part of their insurance (making sure the insurance is 鈥渁ppropriate鈥� to the learner鈥檚 needs)
- advising all learners (or parents or legal guardians of learners under 18) of the limitations of their insurance policy (there are some things insurance policies do not cover, regardless of whether there is a preexisting condition)
- making all learners (or parents or legal guardians of learners under 18) aware that they will be responsible for any costs not covered by insurance.
What learners need to do
Your insurance obligations are set out in full in Immigration New Zealand鈥檚 (INZ) immigration instructions.
International learners鈥� insurance obligations depend on the type of visa they hold while enrolled with an education provider.
Student visa holders
International learners need appropriate insurance as a condition of their visa.
Student visa applicants must declare that they will make the necessary arrangements to hold insurance which complies with the Code of Practice and that is considered acceptable by their education provider, from the period of their enrolment until the expiry of their student visa.
The Student Visa Guide
The Student Visa Guide (INZ 1013) explains that INZ recognises that learners often arrange insurance through their education provider once they have arrived in New Zealand and the enrolment process has been completed.
A learner needs to hold insurance from the date the enrolment process is finalised with an education provider.
- Immigration New Zealand
Work visa holders
INZ normally does not require insurance unless they apply under a specific work visa category for which this is a requirement.
Some work visa holders will be eligible for publicly-funded health services. This covers the Code of Practice requirement for medical care in New Zealand but not the other three aspects that the Code of Practice states must be covered (travel, repatriation, death).
See the Ministry of Health鈥檚 website for guidance on eligibility guidance
- Health New Zealand
Contact Immigration New Zealand (INZ) for more information.
Visitor visa holders
INZ has no insurance requirements.
What school signatories need to do
Signatory schools have obligations regarding international learners insurance under Clause 65 (1) of the Code of Practice.
Under the Code of Practice, a signatory schools must ensure 鈥渁s far as practicable鈥� that international school learners, including learners travelling in a group, have 鈥渁ppropriate insurance鈥� while enrolled with a signatory for educational instruction of two weeks鈥� duration or longer. Clause 16 (5) sets out the minimum requirements of this insurance.
During the period of enrolment (as defined in the international school learner contract) this obligation remains the same for all signatories, regardless of the type of visa held by the international learner.
For international school learners studying with a signatory school for less than two weeks鈥� duration, there is no obligation on the signatory school to ensure any insurance coverage.
Good practice recommendations
The Code does not specify processes that signatory schools must follow to comply with Clause 65 (1). Each school needs to confirm its own processes.
色诱直播鈥檚 expectation is that 鈥渆nsuring as far as practicable鈥� will include processes for checking that a learner has cover for the minimum Clause 65 (1) requirements.
Enrolling a learner with a preexisting condition
It is at a signatory school鈥檚 discretion to enrol an international school learner who has an exclusion on their medical insurance for a preexisting condition.
However, if a signatory school chooses to enrol an international school learner who has an exclusion on their medical insurance for a preexisting condition, the signatory must:
- ensure that the learner鈥檚 programme is appropriate for the student (Clause 61 of the Code of Practice)
- have obtained written agreement from the parent or legal guardian of a learner about any decisions made that affect an international learner under 18 years (Clause 66 and 75 (1) (b) of the Code)
- still meet the standard requirements of the Code as for any international school learner, including taking 鈥渁ll reasonable steps鈥� to protect the learner鈥檚 safety and wellbeing (Clause 534 (2) (b) of the Education and Training Act 2020).
In this instance, 色诱直播鈥檚 expectation is that 鈥渞easonable steps鈥� will include:
- assessing any risk to be confident that there are appropriate measures in place to ensure that the learner will be well-supported in their study, have access to any additional support required as per Clause 75 of the Code (鈥渋nternational school learners at risk or with additional learning needs鈥�), and that the condition will not unduly impede the learner鈥檚 study
- making it clear to the learner (and their parents or legal guardians if they are under 18) that they must cover any costs arising from the excluded condition.
Such assessment by a signatory school should form part of the offer of place process and should be clearly communicated to international learners.
What tertiary providers need to do
Education providers have obligations regarding international learner insurance under Clause 44 (1) of the Code of Practice.
Under the Code of Practice, an education provider (signatory) must ensure 鈥渁s far as practicable鈥� that international learners, including learners travelling in a group, have 鈥渁ppropriate insurance鈥� while enrolled with a signatory for educational instruction of two weeks鈥� duration or longer. Clause 44 (1) sets out the minimum requirements of this insurance.
During the period of enrolment (as defined in the international learner contract) this obligation remains the same for all signatories, regardless of the type of visa held by the international learner.
For international learners studying with a signatory for less than two weeks鈥� duration, there is no obligation on the signatory to ensure any insurance coverage.
Good practice recommendations
The Code does not specify processes that signatories must follow to comply with Clause 44 (1). Each signatory needs to confirm its own processes.
色诱直播鈥檚 expectation is that 鈥渆nsuring as far as practicable鈥� will include processes for checking that a learner has cover for the minimum Clause 44 (1) requirements.
Enrolling a learner with a preexisting condition
It is at a signatory鈥檚 discretion to enrol an international learner who has an exclusion on their medical insurance for a preexisting condition.
However, if a signatory chooses to enrol an international learner who has an exclusion on their medical insurance for a preexisting condition, the Signatory must:
- ensure that the learner鈥檚 programme is appropriate for the learner (Clause 40 of the Code of Practice)
- have obtained written agreement from the parent or legal guardian of a learner about any decisions made that affect an international learner under 18 years (Clause 52 of the Code)
- still meet the standard requirements of the Code as for any international learner, including taking 鈥渁ll reasonable steps鈥� to protect the learner鈥檚 safety and wellbeing (Clause 534 (2) (b) of the Education and Training Act 2020).
In this instance, 色诱直播鈥檚 expectation is that 鈥渞easonable steps鈥� will include:
- assessing any risk to be confident that there are appropriate measures in place to ensure that the learner will be well-supported in their study, have access to any additional support required as per Clause 22 of the Code (鈥淧roactive monitoring and responsive wellbeing and safety practices鈥�), and that the condition will not unduly impede the learner鈥檚 study
- making it clear to the learner (and their parents or legal guardians if they are under 18) that they must cover any costs arising from the excluded condition.
Such assessment by a signatory should form part of the offer of place process and should be clearly communicated to learners.
Example scenarios - tertiary
The following scenarios demonstrate how the above guidance should be applied.
Example scenarios - school signatories
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