New Zealand Guide: Health

One of the most important things when going abroad is to make sure that you are covered in case of accidents or illness. Our health guide provides information on health insurance, hospitals, doctors and pharmacies.

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  Introduction

  An introduction to New Zealand's health system

  The quality of healthcare in New Zealand is excellent and comparable with other developed countries.

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  State Healthcare

  The public health system in New Zealand

  New Zealand doesn’t deduct social security health contributions from salaries and the cost of providing public health services is largely met from general taxation.

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  Private Healthcare

  Private treatment in New Zealand

  Private health practitioners operate both hand-in-hand with the public health service and independently of it.

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  Children's health

  Health services for children

  Family doctors provide a health service for children and where necessary refer them to consultants and specialists at an appropriate hospital.

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  Hospitals & Clinics

  All there is to know about hospitals in New Zealand

  Members of the public can use hospitals without a doctor’s referral only in the case of accidents and emergencies.

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  Doctors & Dentists

  Visits, surgery hours and fees

  New Zealand has a community-based system of healthcare, where your first point of contact for any medical problem is your family doctor or general practitioner (GP), who treats minor conditions and refers more serious cases to specialists or hospitals.

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  Medicines & Chemists

  How to get medication in New Zealand

  Medicines are sold in pharmacies, known in New Zealand as chemists’, which may be part of another business.

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  Emergencies

  What to do in case of an emergency

  In a medical emergency in New Zealand simply dial 111 and ask for an ambulance, which will be despatched to take you to the nearest hospital.

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