Travel Policy For Australia and New Zealand

Australia and New Zealand are travel destinations high up everyone’s bucket list. Both provide once in a lifetime sights and experiences that will create memories that will last forever. But planning a trip isn’t without its stresses seeing as both destinations are on the other side of the world. But rest assured, there are some ways to approach New Zealand and Australia that’ll help make your travel experience the best that it can be. When looking to make the most of your trip and unburden some of the stress it’s important that your travel insurance policy covers all eventualities.

Decide What Sort Of Policy Covers Your Trip Best

A trip down under is often a trip of a lifetime, with people travelling for months rather than weeks. So long stay or extended travel insurance is the best way to cover your tracks during trips lasting more than 4 months. This insurance policy offers the following benefits for your travel to Australia or New Zealand: 

• If the worst should happen and you are hospitalised or fall ill while away, you can claim up to €1,000,000 in medical expenses.
  
  
• If you have to cancel your trip or you have to cut your trip short, you will be covered for up to €1,000.
  
  
• Up to €500 in personal baggage cover and up to €150 cover for losing your passport, means your personal belongings will always be secure.
  
  
• 24/7 emergency assistance helpline means that there will always be someone ready to help you when you need to claim, which is also especially handy when you are dealing with such big time differences. We can liaise with doctors, hospitals and guarantee medical charges in a medical emergency.

What Visas You Will Need

No matter how long you intend on visiting Australia for you will require a valid travel visa. The length of your visit and what you intend on doing while you’re there will affect what type of visa you will need. To find out which visa is the right one for you, make sure you check out the Visiting Australia page on the Australian Government’s Department of Home Affairs page to see which visas are available.

For New Zealand, international travellers must obtain a New Zealand Electronic Travel Authority (NZeTA) and pay a tourist tax before entering the country. The NZeTA can take up to 72 hours to get approved and costs about €7 through the Immigration NZ website. When you apply for an NZeTA, the tourist tax known as the International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy (IVL) will also be collected, costing roughly €20.

What You Can Bring In

Australia and New Zealand both have strict biodiversity procedures to prevent the introduction of pests and diseases and take quarantining laws very seriously. When you arrive in Australia, you need to declare all food, plant material and animal products. This includes seeds, fruits, feathers, leathers and skins, and anything made of wood. You’ll be given an Incoming Passenger Card on your flight, which you’ll need to fill out and declare any goods you have on you.

New Zealand has equally strict procedures. International travellers need to declare all food in their luggage before going through immigration and should be prepared to throw out most edible items. If you’re bringing hiking boots, tents, or any other adventure products that you’ve already used elsewhere, you’ll need to clean each item carefully (before packing) and declare it at customs. For a complete list of items you can’t bring into the country, check New Zealand’s customs website.

Prepare For The Weather

Australia is well known for its scorching summers which runs from December until March. It gets so hot that over the last few years, bush fires have caused a lot of destruction for both humans and wildlife. Just 30 minutes in the Australian sun is enough to give you severe sunburn (especially if you’re Irish). Sunburn, dehydration and heat stroke can all occur if you don’t prepare adequately for the weather.

In New Zealand, winter will greatly benefit those who want to get a glimpse of the country’s best skiing destinations and mind-blowing glaciers. Their winter runs from June through August so you will need to wrap up if travelling at these times, but expect a combination of warm, cold, windy, and wet weather no matter what season it is.

 If you’re planning a trip of a lifetime Down Under you can get yourself an instant travel insurance quote.