Official advice for New Zealanders living and travelling overseas
Official advice for New Zealanders living and travelling overseas
Updated: 18 October 2019, 11:05 NZDT
Widespread protests and demonstrations continue to take place in Catalonia, including in Barcelona, and are expected to carry on over the weekend. A general strike and large demonstration are planned for Friday 18 October. Transport services are likely to be affected and delays expected. We advise New Zealanders in the area to: Avoid all protests and demonstrations, as even those intended to be peaceful have the potential to turn violent with little or no warning; Follow the advice of local ...Read More
Reviewed: 11 October 2019, 18:15 NZDT
Protest activity is ongoing in Hong Kong and there continues to be a risk of violent confrontation. Protest locations on Hong Kong Island may include the main commercial districts, including Causeway Bay. Protests may also occur in Kowloon and the New Territories including in Mongkok. Locations of gatherings can be unpredictable and change at short notice. Acts of violence have occurred between police and demonstrators across Hong Kong. As crowd control measures, police have used tear gas, r...Read More
Reviewed: 11 October 2019, 15:42 NZDT
Typhoon Hagibis is currently tracking towards the south-east of Japan and is currently forecast to make landfall as a Category 2 Typhoon from Saturday 12 October 2019 (local time). Typhoon Hagibis is predicted to bring heavy rain, flash flooding, and destructive winds which may reach speeds of over 154km/hr. New Zealanders in Japan are advised to follow the advice of local authorities including evacuation orders. Seek suitable shelter. Visitors and tourists staying in travel accommodation ...Read More
Posted: 10 October 2019, 15:46 NZDT
There have been extensive protests across Ecuador since 3 October following new economic measures announced by the Government on 1 October. This has caused nationwide disruption, with demonstrations and road blockages in many provinces. A State of Emergency remains in place. The Armed Forces announced a curfew on 8 October, restricting access between 20:00 and 05:00 in the Historic Centre of Quito and in other areas of strategic importance across Ecuador, including ports, airports, Government bu...Read More
Reviewed: 23 September 2019, 14:05 NZST
In September 2019, an outbreak of polio was declared in the Philippines. In July 2019, the World Health Organisation (WHO) announced a situational update on circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 outbreaks in the WHO African and Eastern Mediterranean regions. 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 surveilla...Read More
Posted: 20 August 2019, 17:41 NZST
New Zealanders planning on attending this year’s Rugby World Cup in Japan, beginning on 20 September 2019, should read this information in conjunction with the travel advisory for Japan. Before you goAll New Zealanders planning on attending the Rugby World Cup are encouraged to: Ensure they have a comprehensive travel insurance policy in place that provides cover for any pre-existing conditions and any activities they wish to undertake that may be excluded from regular policies. Register the...Read More
Reviewed: 22 July 2019, 18:00 NZST
On 20 July British Airways announced that it was suspending its flights to Cairo for seven days as a security precaution. Lufthansa have announced similar measures for two flights. Other airlines may be affected. If you plan to travel to Egypt we advise you to contact your airline for further information. We take this opportunity to remind New Zealanders of our travel advice for Egypt. New Zealanders in or travelling to Egypt should exercise increased caution in Egypt due to the unpredictable p...Read More
Reviewed: 17 July 2019, 10:00 NZST
On 17 July 2019, the World Health Organization (WHO) determined that the ongoing Ebola epidemic in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is a Public Health Emergency of International Concern. The Ugandan government has also confirmed an outbreak of Ebola in Kasese District in western Uganda, originating in the neighbouring DRC. To date, there have been over 2500 confirmed or probable cases of Ebola in the DRC, resulting in over 1600 deaths since the outbreak began in August 2018. The outbreak i...Read More
Updated: 15 July 2019, 09:55 NZST
South Africa’s Department of Home Affairs has announced that New Zealand visitors no longer require visas to travel to South Africa. The visa exemption for New Zealand passport holders came into effect on 15 August 2019. The exemption allows New Zealand passport holders to enter South Africa for a period of up to 90 days, without a visa, for holiday or business visits. The exemption also applies to New Zealand passport holders transiting through South Africa. New Zealanders requiring fu...Read More
Reviewed: 11 July 2019, 15:20 NZST
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: 3 April 2019, 14:35 NZDT
Measles is a highly infectious virus that spreads easily from person to person through the air, via breathing, coughing and sneezing. It affects both children and adults. The Ministry of Health is advising people travelling overseas to make sure they are fully immunised against measles before they go. New Zealand has had a number of outbreaks due to the disease being bought into the country through international travel. Being fully immunised prevents the spread of measles to and from New Zealand...Read More
Posted: 18 March 2019, 14:10 NZDT
The terrorist attacks in Christchurch on 15 March, which were motivated by extreme right-wing ideology, have attracted global attention and strong international condemnation. International reactions to those events are difficult to predict and may change at short notice. New Zealanders travelling overseas should continue to use common sense, exercise caution and be vigilant. They should look out for and report suspicious behaviour, as they would in New Zealand. New Zealanders should conti...Read More
Reviewed: 1 March 2019, 14:45 NZDT
The United Kingdom (UK) is preparing to exit the European Union (EU). We provide the following information for New Zealanders living in or travelling to the UK. New Zealand citizens who plan to continue living in the UK after it leaves the EU can use the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) website tool to seek guidance on visa status and rights to stay. Further information can be found through the UK's Department for Exiting the European Union: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/dep...Read More
Reviewed: 27 February 2019, 13:25 NZDT
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. Dengue outbreaks continue to be reported from the Pac...Read More
Reviewed: 3 December 2018, 10:40 NZDT
There are ongoing demonstrations in Paris and across France. Protests have turned violent and traffic has been disrupted across the country. We continue to advise New Zealanders in France to avoid all demonstrations, protests and rallies, follow any advice issued by the local authorities and monitor local media for developments. New Zealanders currently in or travelling to France are encouraged to register with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade and read the full advisory for France. N...Read More
Reviewed: 6 November 2018, 08:25 NZDT
If you’re heading overseas, don’t forget to take out comprehensive travel insurance. Your policy should cover any activities you plan to undertake (from scuba diving to scooter riding), personal liability, medical treatment, emergency medical evacuation, and any pre-existing medical conditions. Even minor medical treatment can be very expensive overseas. If you suffer an injury overseas and return to New Zealand, ACC may be able to help with treatment costs in New Zealand, but only if you i...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: 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
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
Ecuador
Reviewed: 14 October 2019
Reviewed: 14 October 2019
Hong Kong
Reviewed: 11 October 2019
Reviewed: 11 October 2019
Slovak Republic
Reviewed: 1 October 2019
Reviewed: 1 October 2019
Cameroon
Reviewed: 26 September 2019
Reviewed: 26 September 2019
Tunisia
Reviewed: 18 September 2019
Reviewed: 18 September 2019
Uganda
Reviewed: 16 September 2019
Reviewed: 16 September 2019
Albania
Reviewed: 13 September 2019
Reviewed: 13 September 2019
United Arab Emirates
Reviewed: 6 September 2019
Reviewed: 6 September 2019
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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
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Location and contact details for New Zealand Embassies around the world.