FAQ's Travel insurance

Answer: Select the Area in which you will be spending most of your time. Area 1 is compulsory if more than 20% of your time is going to be spent in the Americas.

If the main destination is within Area 3, you can still travel to other areas without paying additional premium. 

Answer: Yes, this level of cover is only open to travellers under the age of 69 years at the date of purchasing the policy.

All ages are able to purchase the Options policy, which does also give travellers increased limits of cover. This policy is only able to be purchased in an STA Travel branch or via Telesales. 

 7. Can I buy travel insurance if I don’t live in the New Zealand?

Answer: Yes. If you are undertaking a return trip (from and back to New Zealand), that does not include your home country, and that you have purchased from STA Travel in New Zealand, you can purchase an Options or Essentials Policy in one of our branches or via Telesales. 

If you are leaving New Zealand permanently, you must purchase an Essentials Policy up until the date you arrive back in your home country. 

Answer:  You can cancel your insurance policy within 15 working days of the date your insurance policy was issued.  Policies are fully non-refundable if a claim is being made.

1. Is pregnancy covered by travel insurance? 

Answer: Cancellation due to pregnancy is covered if complications due to pregnancy arise after the travel insurance was purchased and your GP confirms the need to cancel the trip due to this.

Cancellation is also covered if pregnancy is discovered after purchasing the travel insurance and the pregnancy will exceed 20 weeks on the date of departure from New Zealand.

If you have experienced complications with the current or  past pregnancies, or the conception was medically assisted, cover is not automatic and must be applied for. 

An ‘Existing Medical Condition’ means:
a) any physical defect, condition, illness or disease for which treatment, medication or advice (including investigation) has been received or prescribed by a medical or dental advisor in the 90 days prior to the Relevant Time; or
b) any chronic or ongoing (whether chronic or otherwise) medical or dental condition, illness or disease medically documented prior to the Relevant Time.”

If you are not sure regarding a condition, please refer to page 7 & 8 of the policy wording or contact your travel adviser.  

1. Are bikes covered on your travel insurance policies? 

It is possible to increase these limit levels with the payment of additional premium.

Cover only applies if the bike is damaged while in transit or stolen from a locked, secure compound. 

2. Is sports equipment covered on your travel insurance policies? 

No cover applies for sporting equipment while it’s in use. 

3. Is my luggage covered by your travel insurance if it is stolen from a locked vehicle? 

You must ensure that you have taken precautions and care to prevent your possessions being stolen i.e. acted as though you were uninsured in order for us to meet your claim.

You will not be covered if you leave luggage unattended in the vehicle overnight (dusk – 8am). 

4. Is my luggage covered by your travel insurance if it is stolen from a tent?

You must ensure that you have taken precautions and care to prevent your possessions being stolen i.e. acted as though you were uninsured in order for us to meet your claim.

You will not be covered if you leave luggage unattended in the tent overnight (dusk – 8am).  

1. What is the excess on travel insurance claims?

Answer: Excess is applicable to each claim that is made within the following sections of the policy: medical and dental expenses, additional expenses, amendment and cancellation costs, luggage and travel documents and delayed luggage allowance.
 
STA Travel highly recommends taking a policy with a $Nil excess. This will prevent you from losing the first $100 or $250 for each event that you need to claim for.

There is a $100 and $250 excess option available and if chosen, will lower the cost of your insurance premium. However, if you need to make a claim, this is the amount you will have to pay first! 

Answer: If you plan on undertaking work whilst you are on your trip, please check at the time of booking whether the type of work you plan to undertake will be covered under our travel insurance policies.

Please note that personal liability while at work will never be covered under our insurance.

A sample of the occupations that are covered under our insurance are office/admin work, bar work, dancing, teaching, care work, light building/DIY, fruit picking, domestic work, nannying/childminding and gardening with/without light power tools.
 
Please check for coverage on extreme work environments, such as mining, lumberjacking, building work higher/lower than ground level, any use of power tools (except DIY tools), driving/controlling construction vehicles, cranes or similar and working with wild animals.