Official advice for New Zealanders living and travelling overseas
Official advice for New Zealanders living and travelling overseas
Posted: 20 September 2023, 13:25 NZST
For adventurous New Zealanders, motorcycle travel can seem like a great way to see Viet Nam and travel around the country. But travellers are reminded of the significant risks associated with motor cycle travel in Viet Nam. Accidents are common and can result in serious injury and even fatalities. Rental motorcycles are often poorly maintained and the helmets provided do not meet New Zealand safety standards. Roading conditions also bring additional risks and the riding habits you are use...Read More
Reviewed: 11 September 2023, 12:50 NZST
On Friday 8 September a magnitude 6.8 earthquake struck central Morocco. The quake occurred at a depth of 18.5km in the Ighil area of the High Atlas mountains, about 70km southwest of Marrakesh, at just after 11 p.m. local time. The earthquake was felt across multiple cities in central Morocco and was felt strongly in Marrakesh with some damage reported to buildings in the Old City. Infrastructure has been impacted, including power, water and communication. Internet access has also been impacte...Read More
Posted: 7 September 2023, 09:00 NZST
Invictus Games Düsseldorf 2023 The 6th Invictus Games will be held in Düsseldorf from September 9th – 16th of September 2023 Munich Oktoberfest 2023 The 188th Beer festival will take place from September 16, 2023 at the Theresienwiese and ending on October 3rd 2023. For those attending the Oktoberfest, please visit the official Oktoberfest website and the Munich city portal. Ten Golden rules can be found here. New Zealanders planning on travelling to the events should re...Read More
Updated: 23 August 2023, 15:13 NZST
Advice for travellers to France for Rugby World Cup 2023New Zealanders heading to this year’s Rugby World Cup, taking place in France from 8 September until 28 October 2023, are advised to read the following information, in conjunction with the travel advisory for France. Before you goAround 600,000 supporters from all over the world will be heading to France in September and October for the Rugby World Cup. New Zealanders going to the event are strongly encouraged to: Plan travel and a...Read More
Updated: 23 August 2023, 15:13 NZST
Hawai’i has been affected by wildfires on Maui and Hawai’i islands. Visitors should refrain from going to West Maui (including Lahaina, Nāpili, Kāʻanapali, and Kapalua) out of respect to the people and places that have been lost in Lahaina during the wildfires. The impacted area of Lahaina remains off limits to the public as the search and recovery efforts continue. Travellers are able to visit other areas of Maui (including Kahului, Wailuku, Kīhei, Wailea, Mākena, Pāʻia and Hāna), a...Read More
Reviewed: 31 July 2023, 10:52 NZST
Severe heat and major wildfires are currently impacting parts of Europe, particularly Greece, Italy and Croatia. Fires can move rapidly and be unpredictable. Air quality may deteriorate due to heavy smoke. New Zealanders are advised to follow any instructions issued by the local authorities, such as Fire and Rescue services (including evacuation orders), and to monitor the media to keep up to date with local developments. New Zealanders should stay in contact with family and friends to keep them...Read More
Reviewed: 12 June 2023, 15:50 NZST
The Ministry of Health is advising people travelling overseas (to any destination) to make sure they are fully immunised against measles before they go. While cases in New Zealand are rare because endemic measles has been eliminated here, the disease is regularly brought into the country through international travel. There are currently significant measles outbreaks overseas including in India, Indonesia, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, and Somalia. For c...Read More
Reviewed: 12 June 2023, 15:32 NZST
About Monkeypox Mpox (formerly known as monkeypox and MPX) is a viral infection that is mainly spread through skin-to-skin contact with someone who has Mpox. Current situationWhile anyone can get mpox, the current global outbreak has disproportionately impacted: - men who have sex with men (MSM) - people who have sex with MSM (this may include people of any gender or sexual identity, whether they are transgender, cisgender or non-binary). Men who have sex with men and their sexual ...Read More
Reviewed: 24 May 2023, 08:34 NZST
Typhoons and hurricanes are currently affecting areas of Asia and the Americas. New Zealanders travelling to Asia and the Americas are encouraged to register their details with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Travellers who register can be warned if a major storm approaches and given advice on precautions to take. If you are in an area affected by a typhoon or hurricane, you should follow the advice of the local authorities at all times (including any evacuation orders) and seek s...Read More
Posted: 17 April 2023, 10:49 NZST
The Governments of the Republic of Equatorial Guinea and the United Republic of Tanzania declared their first outbreaks of Marburg virus disease (MVD), on 13 February 2023 and 21 March 2023, respectively. The virus is transmitted from fruit bats to humans. Human-to-human transmission is possible through contact with body fluids (such as blood, saliva, urine, vomit, or faeces) of an infected person and contaminated surfaces or materials (such as bedding and clothing). MVD symptoms can be very sim...Read More
Reviewed: 11 April 2023, 10:44 NZST
The Russian invasion of Ukraine is ongoing, with attacks and heavy fighting occurring in several areas of Ukraine, including in and around Kyiv and other major cities. There are ongoing reports of gunfire, artillery bombardments, explosions and missile strikes. Civilians are being impacted. There is a real risk to life. There is also concern about military activity and shelling around Ukraine’s nuclear power plants, particularly the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant. We advise New Zealanders in...Read More
Reviewed: 20 December 2022, 09:32 NZDT
Polio is an infectious disease caused by a virus that can spread from person to person or through contaminated water or food. Many people who are infected don’t have symptoms, but a small proportion of those with symptoms develop paralysis. There is no cure, but it can be prevented through vaccination. The World Health Organization has advised of an increase in polio activity in areas which have previously seen eradication. This includes New York (widespread wastewater detection as well as a...Read More
Updated: 5 March 2022, 00:25 NZDT
Kiwis will be excited to be able to travel again after the New Zealand Government announced the next steps to reconnect New Zealanders to the world. This includes removal of the need for vaccinated New Zealanders to self-isolate on return from any country, and dropping the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade’s global “do not travel” advisory which has been in place since March 2020. But before they go, travellers will need to make sure they have thought through the complexity of the n...Read More
Reviewed: 5 February 2020, 15:15 NZDT
New Zealand citizens who continue to live in the UK now that it has left the EU can: use the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) website tool to seek guidance on visa status and rights to stay. find more information in the UK's Department for Exiting the European Union: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-exiting-the-european-union. If you are a New Zealander who holds a European passport, or who has a European spouse you should refer to guidance from the UK Governm...Read More
Reviewed: 21 January 2020, 11:58 NZDT
What is dual citizenship or dual nationality?If you are a citizen of more than one country you are a dual citizen or dual national. This means you are a citizen of both New Zealand and another country at the same time. New Zealand allows dual citizenship and multiple citizenship but some other countries do not. A country could still consider you to be one of their citizens even if you don't accept that nationality if you: have a parent, or in some cases a grandparent, who is a citizen of that ...Read More
Reviewed: 17 December 2019, 11:46 NZDT
Major cities in India have recently been experiencing severe levels of air pollution. Some of the most common health effects of air pollution include irritation of eyes, throat and lungs. For people with existing respiratory conditions such as asthma or bronchitis, breathing in air pollution can make these conditions worse. New Zealanders in areas affected by the air pollution are advised to monitor pollution readings, such as those provided by the Air Quality Index website. If you have conc...Read More
Reviewed: 17 December 2019, 11:44 NZDT
Every year New Zealanders put themselves at risk of arrest or detention for drug-related offences overseas. Remember that when you are overseas you are subject to that country's laws and penalties - no matter how harsh they may appear by New Zealand standards. In many countries, penalties for drug-related offences are severe. Possession, use or trafficking of even very small quantities of drugs can lead to lengthy imprisonment thousands of miles away from family and friends. New Zealand does not...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
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
Vanuatu
Reviewed: 22 September 2023
Reviewed: 22 September 2023
Ethiopia
Reviewed: 22 September 2023
Reviewed: 22 September 2023
Cuba
Reviewed: 18 September 2023
Reviewed: 18 September 2023
Sri Lanka
Reviewed: 12 September 2023
Reviewed: 12 September 2023
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If you access consular assistance through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, or register on SafeTravel we will collect and use your personal information for the purpose of providing consular services to you. Read More
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.
Malaysia
Belize
Denmark
India