Insurance for international learners

Information for international learners and providers that enrol international learners about insurance obligations under the Code

About insurance for international learners

International school learners and their education providers may have obligations regarding insurance.

This page provides specific guidance on obligations for both international students and education providers and how those obligations intersect with each other.

Any and all material supplied in this page is supplied as an example only and will not necessarily be appropriate for a signatory's particular circumstances.

All documents used should be approved by a signatory's governing board and independent legal advice should also be sought.

Ensure learners have the right insurance for travel

If learners' travel to, from, or within New Zealand occurs outside the enrolment period (as defined in the international learner contract), signatories must ensure “as far as practicable” that the travel is covered by Code of Practice appropriate insurance.

The intent of this clause of the Code is to ensure that international learners have the appropriate insurance coverage from the day they leave their home country to the day they depart New Zealand to return home. This is to effectively manage risk to the safety and wellbeing of an international learner embarking on study in New Zealand.

This intent is reflected in INZ’s requirements for student visa holders (see above).

For international learners studying with a signatory for two weeks or longer, who are student visa holders (or holders of other visa types whose primary reason for visiting New Zealand is study), it is expected that it will be “practicable”, in most instances, for Signatories to ensure that these learners have appropriate insurance for travel to, from, and within New Zealand, even if the travel occurs outside the enrolment period.

In an instance where it is not “practicable”, a signatory should document the steps they have taken to ensure “appropriate insurance” and at which point it was no longer practicable to do so and why.

For non-student visa holders, that is, learners who are holders of visitor, work, working holiday or other types of visas, and for whom study is not the primary purpose of visiting New Zealand, it is unlikely to be “practicable”, in most instances, for a signatory to ensure appropriate insurance for travel to, from, and within New Zealand outside of the enrolment period. Again, this aligns with INZ’s requirements for holders of these visa types (see above).

For international learners studying with a signatory for less than two weeks’ duration, there is no obligation on the provider to ensure Code of Practice appropriate insurance.

NZQA's expectations

Our expectation for both school signatories and tertiary providers is that “ensuring as far as practicable” will include processes for:

  • clearly asking a learner (or their parents or legal guardians if the learner is under 18) whether they have any preexisting conditions (to make sure that the insurance offered is “appropriate”. This question may also be asked by the insurance company); and
  • if a pre-existing condition is disclosed by a learner or parent, considering whether an additional premium can and should be paid to have the preexisting condition covered and if so, determining whether the learner (or parents or legal guardians if the learner is under 18) should be required to pay this premium as part of their insurance (making sure the insurance is “appropriate” to the learner’s needs)
  • advising all learners (or parents or legal guardians of learners under 18) of the limitations of their insurance policy (there are some things insurance policies do not cover, regardless of whether there is a preexisting condition)
  • making all learners (or parents or legal guardians of learners under 18) aware that they will be responsible for any costs not covered by insurance.

What learners need to do

Your insurance obligations are set out in full in Immigration New Zealand’s (INZ) immigration instructions.

Read the INZ Operational Manual for immigration instructions (external link)

International learners’ insurance obligations depend on the type of visa they hold while enrolled with an education provider.

Student visa holders

International learners need appropriate insurance as a condition of their visa.

Student visa applicants must declare that they will make the necessary arrangements to hold insurance which complies with the Code of Practice and that is considered acceptable by their education provider, from the period of their enrolment until the expiry of their student visa.

The Student Visa Guide

The Student Visa Guide (INZ 1013) explains that INZ recognises that learners often arrange insurance through their education provider once they have arrived in New Zealand and the enrolment process has been completed.

A learner needs to hold insurance from the date the enrolment process is finalised with an education provider.

Student Visa Guide (INZ 1013) (external link) - Immigration New Zealand

Work visa holders

INZ normally does not require insurance unless they apply under a specific work visa category for which this is a requirement.

Some work visa holders will be eligible for publicly-funded health services. This covers the Code of Practice requirement for medical care in New Zealand but not the other three aspects that the Code of Practice states must be covered (travel, repatriation, death).

See the Ministry of Health’s website for guidance on eligibility guidance

Guide to eligibility for public health services (external link) - Health New Zealand

Contact Immigration New Zealand (INZ) for more information.

Visitor visa holders

INZ has no insurance requirements.

What school signatories need to do

Signatory schools have obligations regarding international learners insurance under Clause 65 (1) of the Code of Practice.

Under the Code of Practice, a signatory schools must ensure “as far as practicable” that international school learners, including learners travelling in a group, have “appropriate insurance” while enrolled with a signatory for educational instruction of two weeks’ duration or longer. Clause 16 (5) sets out the minimum requirements of this insurance.

During the period of enrolment (as defined in the international school learner contract) this obligation remains the same for all signatories, regardless of the type of visa held by the international learner.

For international school learners studying with a signatory school for less than two weeks’ duration, there is no obligation on the signatory school to ensure any insurance coverage.

Good practice recommendations

The Code does not specify processes that signatory schools must follow to comply with Clause 65 (1). Each school needs to confirm its own processes.

NZQA’s expectation is that “ensuring as far as practicable” will include processes for checking that a learner has cover for the minimum Clause 65 (1) requirements.

Enrolling a learner with a preexisting condition

It is at a signatory school’s discretion to enrol an international school learner who has an exclusion on their medical insurance for a preexisting condition.

However, if a signatory school chooses to enrol an international school learner who has an exclusion on their medical insurance for a preexisting condition, the signatory must:

  • ensure that the learner’s programme is appropriate for the student (Clause 61 of the Code of Practice)
  • have obtained written agreement from the parent or legal guardian of a learner about any decisions made that affect an international learner under 18 years (Clause 66 and 75 (1) (b) of the Code)
  • still meet the standard requirements of the Code as for any international school learner, including taking “all reasonable steps” to protect the learner’s safety and wellbeing (Clause 534 (2) (b) of the Education and Training Act 2020).

In this instance, NZQA’s expectation is that “reasonable steps” will include:

  • assessing any risk to be confident that there are appropriate measures in place to ensure that the learner will be well-supported in their study, have access to any additional support required as per Clause 75 of the Code (“international school learners at risk or with additional learning  needs”), and that the condition will not unduly impede the learner’s study
  • making it clear to the learner (and their parents or legal guardians if they are under 18) that they must cover any costs arising from the excluded condition.

Such assessment by a signatory school should form part of the offer of place process and should be clearly communicated to international learners.

What tertiary providers need to do

Education providers have obligations regarding international learner insurance under Clause 44 (1) of the Code of Practice.

Under the Code of Practice, an education provider (signatory) must ensure “as far as practicable” that international learners, including learners travelling in a group, have “appropriate insurance” while enrolled with a signatory for educational instruction of two weeks’ duration or longer. Clause 44 (1) sets out the minimum requirements of this insurance.

During the period of enrolment (as defined in the international learner contract) this obligation remains the same for all signatories, regardless of the type of visa held by the international learner.

For international learners studying with a signatory for less than two weeks’ duration, there is no obligation on the signatory to ensure any insurance coverage.

Good practice recommendations

The Code does not specify processes that signatories must follow to comply with Clause 44 (1). Each signatory needs to confirm its own processes.

NZQA’s expectation is that “ensuring as far as practicable” will include processes for checking that a learner has cover for the minimum Clause 44 (1) requirements.

Enrolling a learner with a preexisting condition

It is at a signatory’s discretion to enrol an international learner who has an exclusion on their medical insurance for a preexisting condition.

However, if a signatory chooses to enrol an international learner who has an exclusion on their medical insurance for a preexisting condition, the Signatory must:

  • ensure that the learner’s programme is appropriate for the learner (Clause 40 of the Code of Practice)
  • have obtained written agreement from the parent or legal guardian of a learner about any decisions made that affect an international learner under 18 years (Clause 52 of the Code)
  • still meet the standard requirements of the Code as for any international learner, including taking “all reasonable steps” to protect the learner’s safety and wellbeing (Clause 534 (2) (b) of the Education and Training Act 2020).

In this instance, NZQA’s expectation is that “reasonable steps” will include:

  • assessing any risk to be confident that there are appropriate measures in place to ensure that the learner will be well-supported in their study, have access to any additional support required as per Clause 22 of the Code (“Proactive monitoring and responsive wellbeing and safety practices”), and that the condition will not unduly impede the learner’s study
  • making it clear to the learner (and their parents or legal guardians if they are under 18) that they must cover any costs arising from the excluded condition.

Such assessment by a signatory should form part of the offer of place process and should be clearly communicated to learners.

Example scenarios - tertiary

The following scenarios demonstrate how the above guidance should be applied.

Example scenarios - school signatories

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