What you can get

If you’re eligible for publicly-funded healthcare, you can get some health services free or at low-cost, such as:

• treatment at public hospitals
• hospital care if you have an accident
• maternity care
• support services if you are disabled
• prescriptions
• fertility services.

Being eligible does not mean that you’ll automatically receive a health service — many services have their own criteria you’ll need to meet.

Publicly funded health and disability services — Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora

Who is eligible

You may be able to get free or subsidised (low-cost) health and disability services if you’re:

• a NZ citizen or permanent resident
• an Australian citizen or permanent resident who’s lived, or plans to live, in NZ for at least 2 years
• a work visa holder who’s eligible to be here for 2 years or more
• under 17 and your parent or guardian is eligible
• an interim visa holder who was eligible immediately before you got the interim visa
• a New Zealand Aid Programme student receiving official development assistance funding
• a Commonwealth Scholarship student
• a foreign language teaching assistant
• a refugee or protected person, or in the process of applying or appealing for refugee or protection status
• a victim or suspected victim of people trafficking.

Guide to eligibility for public health services — Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora

Special situations

There are specific situations where the eligibility for services is different.

Pregnant but not eligible for publicly-funded healthcare

If you’re pregnant and your partner is eligible for publicly-funded health and disability services, you can get some maternity–related services in NZ — even if you’re not eligible for other services.

Pregnancy services — Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora

If neither you or your partner are eligible, you have to pay for maternity care. You can use health insurance to help cover the cost.

From Australia and plan to stay in NZ for at least 2 years

If you’re an Australian citizen or permanent resident, you can get the same publicly-funded medical treatments as New Zealanders.

Visiting NZ from Australia or the UK

If you’re a temporary visitor from Australia or the United Kingdom, you can get urgent and necessary treatment publicly funded through our reciprocal health agreements.

You should also get travel insurance, because the agreements do not cover GP visits or services that are not urgent.

Reciprocal health agreements — Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora

Injured visiting NZ

The Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC) provides personal injury cover for all residents and visitors to New Zealand.

If you’re injured while visiting NZ, the doctor can apply to get the cost of your treatment paid for by ACC. You’ll still need travel insurance for situations that are not covered.

If you’re a visitor injured in NZ — ACC

If you’re not eligible

If you do not match any of the situations listed above, you:

• may be able to access some services for free
• can use any service but you’ll have to pay.

Eligibility for a limited range of publicly-funded health services — Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora

Proof that you’re eligible

Sometimes a healthcare provider will need proof that you’re eligible. Download the eligibility checklist that lists the kinds of things you can show them as proof.

Eligibility checklists and decision trees — Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora