Official advice for New Zealanders living and travelling overseas
Official advice for New Zealanders living and travelling overseas
Reviewed: 21 May 2018, 15:40 NZST
Ramadan, the Islamic holy month, will be observed from approximately 15 May to 14 June 2018. The exact timing will depend on sightings of the moon which will vary from country to country. For Muslims this is a time of prayer and fasting, in which Muslims refrain from eating, drinking or smoking, between dawn and sunset. New Zealanders are advised to respect the religious and social traditions of the country they are in to avoid offending local sensitivities. This is particularly important dur...Read More
Reviewed: 21 May 2018, 15:35 NZST
The USGS Volcano Hazards Program have an issued a volcano alert level warning for Kilauea Volcano on Hawai’i Island (also known as Big Island) due to a volcanic eruption, producing lava and hazardous gases. Hawaii County Civil Defense have evacuation orders in place for areas of the East Rift Zone of the volcano, and have blocked off access to specific areas of the Volcanoes National Park including some major roads. Earthquakes have been affecting the region and are likely to continue. Eru...Read More
Reviewed: 21 May 2018, 15:30 NZST
During mid to late April 2018 violent protests occured throughout Nicaragua, particularly in Managua, Masaya, Leon and Esteli. Street violence involved tear gas, rubber bullets and live ammunition, resulting in many serious injuries and at least 10 fatalities. Some Government buildings were damaged, and troops were deployed in several cities. Various marches and demonstrations have continued in May 2018, and there is potential for further violence and disorder. Access to the Managua Internat...Read More
Reviewed: 21 May 2018, 15:25 NZST
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 the evacuation order. In the event of volcanic ash clouds, New Zealanders travelling to/from Vanuatu are advised to confirm their travel arrangements with their airline or travel agent directly, prior to tra...Read More
Reviewed: 21 May 2018, 15:20 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: 1 February 2018, 11:35 NZDT
There is ongoing concern about the spread of the mosquito-borne Zika virus and the impact of Zika infections on pregnant women and their babies. There are also concerns that Zika infection can, in rare instances, lead to Guillain-Barré syndrome, a serious immune system disorder. Zika has spread to many tropical and sub-tropical countries. Cases of Zika virus have been reported in Africa, southern Asia, the Pacific Islands, and the Americas. According to the information available, the only Paci...Read More
Reviewed: 1 February 2018, 11:20 NZDT
Due to recent law changes, the United States of America has new 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 allow ext...Read More
Reviewed: 1 February 2018, 11:15 NZDT
Don’t want your holiday to go up in smoke? Travelling with an electronic cigarette may land you in prison or with a fine. Some countries consider electronic cigarettes and the liquid used in them as prohibited products, which may have some serious consequences for you when you get to the border or are stopped by the authorities in-country. Countries with the ban could impose a hefty fine and/or a prison sentence if it is deemed you attempted to import a prohibited item. We advise all traveller...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
India
Reviewed: 22 May 2018
Reviewed: 22 May 2018
South Africa
Reviewed: 22 May 2018
Reviewed: 22 May 2018
Central African Republic
Reviewed: 22 May 2018
Reviewed: 22 May 2018
Serbia
Reviewed: 21 May 2018
Reviewed: 21 May 2018
Germany
Reviewed: 21 May 2018
Reviewed: 21 May 2018
Luxembourg
Reviewed: 21 May 2018
Reviewed: 21 May 2018
Eritrea
Reviewed: 21 May 2018
Reviewed: 21 May 2018
Nicaragua
Reviewed: 18 May 2018
Reviewed: 18 May 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.