Official advice for New Zealanders living and travelling overseas
Official advice for New Zealanders living and travelling overseas
Reviewed: 16 October 2018, 10:45 NZDT
The Pacific cyclone season begins on 1 November and runs until 30 April. New Zealanders travelling to the Pacific are encouraged to register their details with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Travellers who register can be warned if a major cyclone approaches and given advice on precautions to take. We can also make contact with you following a significant cyclone to check on your well-being. If you are in an area affected by a cyclone, you should follow the advice of the local autho...Read More
Reviewed: 8 October 2018, 15:45 NZDT
Istanbul’s new airport is scheduled to open on Monday 29 October 2018, with commercial flights transferred from Istanbul’s existing Ataturk International Airport (IST). In the period around the scheduled opening, flight delays and cancellations may occur and traffic congestion around both airports is likely. We recommend you contact your airline for further details and to confirm the status of your flights. Istanbul’s Sabiha Gokcen Airport, on the Asian Side, will remain operational during...Read More
Reviewed: 8 October 2018, 12:35 NZDT
On 28 September 2018 a 7.5 magnitude earthquake struck the Indonesian island of Sulawesi. A tsunami later hit the coastal town of Palu and other parts of the Central Sulawesi province, sweeping houses and buildings on its way. More than 1,700 people have been confirmed dead and many are injured. We have upgraded our travel advisory level for Central Sulawesi, Indonesia. We now advise New Zealanders to avoid non-essential travel to Central Sulawesi, including the city of Palu, Donggala Distri...Read More
Reviewed: 10 September 2018, 09:05 NZST
Outbreaks of mosquito-borne illnesses are common in the tropical and sub-tropical climates in many Pacific Islands, in North Queensland (Australia), Asia (including India), tropical Africa and Latin/South America. West Nile virus is commonly found in Africa, Europe, the Middle East, North America and West Asia. Dengue fever, chikungunya virus and Zika virus are spread by the bite of an infected Aedes mosquito and cannot be spread directly from person to person. Malaria is caused by a parasite s...Read More
Reviewed: 3 September 2018, 14:30 NZST
In June 2018 an outbreak of vaccine-derived poliovirus was declared by the Papua New Guinea Government in Morobe province. In July 2018, preparations for implementation of large scale immunization activities and intensified surveillance measures began. The WHO recommends that all travellers to polio-affected areas be fully vaccinated against polio. Residents (and visitors for more than 4 weeks) from infected areas should receive an additional dose of OPV or IPV. This should be between four wee...Read More
Reviewed: 20 August 2018, 16:00 NZST
We have changed the language we use within our travel advisory levels categories, to make them more useful for New Zealanders travelling overseas. The New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade now uses a four level system to give advice in each of our travel advisories: - Exercise normal safety and security precautions (previously “no significant security risk”) - Exercise increased caution (previously “some risk”) - Avoid non-essential travel (previously “high ris...Read More
Reviewed: 20 August 2018, 14:20 NZST
Wildfires are affecting Northern California, and are ongoing. A state of Emergency has been declared by the governor in Orange, Shasta, Riverside and Mariposa counties. Evacuation orders are in place in several areas and emergency shelters have been opened. The office of emergency services has activated the state operations center to the highest level. We recommend monitoring the media to keep up to date with local developments and to follow any instructions issued by the local authorities such ...Read More
Reviewed: 20 August 2018, 14:05 NZST
Munich’s annual Oktoberfest beer festival is scheduled to take place this year between 22 September and 7 October 2018 in Bavaria, Germany. New Zealanders planning on attending this year’s festival should read this information in conjunction with our current travel advisory for Germany. Before you goAll New Zealanders planning on attending Oktoberfest are encouraged to: Register your details with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade on the SafeTravel website. This allows us to co...Read More
Reviewed: 20 August 2018, 14:00 NZST
An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.9 struck eastern Lombok (Nusa Tenggara province), on 5 August 2018. There have been several significant aftershocks of 6.5 magnitude on 19 August, and 6.2 magnitude on 9 August. Aftershocks are expected to continue. Reports indicate that over 90 people have died, and there are over 200 severely injured although these numbers are likely to rise. Indonesia’s Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency reported the initial epicentre at 50km ...Read More
Reviewed: 2 August 2018, 12:00 NZST
The Government of Vanuatu has issued a state of emergency for the island of Ambae. The Government have ordered the immediate compulsory evacuation of the population of Ambae to the neighbouring island of Maewo. The Vanuatu Meteorology and Geo-Hazards Department has assessed the Volcanic Alert Level as Level 3 (out of 5) for the Manaro Voui volcano on Ambae Island which is in a minor eruption state. New Zealanders in Vanuatu are advised to follow the advice of the local authorities, including...Read More
Reviewed: 18 July 2018, 11:20 NZST
Due to recent law changes, the United States of America has implemented entry requirements when arriving into their territory, or travelling to Cuba from the US. These could impact your travel in the region. Additional security questions at check-in Passengers on direct flights to the United States may be subjected to additional security-based questions at their airline check-in counter and may require additional security screening. This may cause delays, so we advise passengers to ensure they a...Read More
Reviewed: 28 May 2018, 14:01 NZST
People travelling to the Pacific should take extra steps to avoid mosquito bites following an outbreak of dengue fever. Outbreaks of mosquito-borne illnesses are common in the tropical and sub-tropical climates in most Pacific Islands, in North Queensland (Australia), Asia (including India), Africa and Central/South America. Dengue fever is spread by the bite of an infected Aedes mosquito and cannot be spread directly from person to person. Increased numbers of dengue fever cases have been rep...Read More
Posted: 29 March 2018, 17:03 NZDT
The Fijian Ministry of Health and Medical Services has issued a public notice advising of an outbreak of meningococcal disease in Fiji. Though the risk for travellers to Fiji is low, people staying in local communities or for longer periods of time should be vigilant and aware of the symptoms of meningitis following an outbreak of meningococcal disease.Meningococcal disease is a bacterial infection that causes two very serious illnesses: meningitis (an infection of the membranes that cover the b...Read More
Reviewed: 5 March 2018, 14:11 NZDT
Yellow fever is an acute viral disease transmitted by infected mosquitoes. Infection with the yellow fever virus causes varying degrees of disease, from mild symptoms to severe illness with bleeding and jaundice. About 15% of people infected with yellow fever progress to a severe form of the illness, and half of those will die, as there is no cure for yellow fever. Beginning in late 2016, and continuing through 2017 the Brazilian Ministry of Health reported outbreaks of yellow fever in several e...Read More
Reviewed: 2 October 2017, 10:20 NZDT
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade liaises with the Ministry of Health to provide information on health issues for New Zealand travellers, including information on disease outbreaks and health precautions for travellers. For more information on travel health issues, please see our Health and Travel page. ...Read More
Italy
Reviewed: 19 October 2018
Reviewed: 19 October 2018
Egypt
Reviewed: 17 October 2018
Reviewed: 17 October 2018
Georgia
Reviewed: 17 October 2018
Reviewed: 17 October 2018
Papua New Guinea
Reviewed: 16 October 2018
Reviewed: 16 October 2018
Ecuador
Reviewed: 16 October 2018
Reviewed: 16 October 2018
Sierra Leone
Reviewed: 16 October 2018
Reviewed: 16 October 2018
Ethiopia
Reviewed: 15 October 2018
Reviewed: 15 October 2018
Canada
Reviewed: 15 October 2018
Reviewed: 15 October 2018
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Health alerts and general travel health tips....read more
This page provides information on how you can help yourself, and how we can help you, when things go wrong overseas...read more
Information on passports and visas for your next trip overseas....read more
Information on travel insurance and why it's important....read more
Please note, only consular emergencies, for example death, arrest, illness or injury to New Zealand citizens will be handled outside office hours.
Location and contact details for New Zealand Embassies around the world.