If anything goes wrong with your flights or health when you’re in New Zealand, it’ll become costly very quickly - the right travel insurance is a must. You need worldwide travel insurance, but the exact policy depends on how you plan to spend your time in New Zealand. If you’re going to do any extreme sports, for example, you’ll need to check policies to what's included and take out additional protection if you need it. But even before you travel, it’s best to get your policy early. If the airline goes into administration, or you can’t travel for health reasons (excluding pre-existing conditions), you’ll be covered. Annual insurance If you’ve got more trips planned this year, annual multi-trip insurance will probably work out cheaper than taking out multiple single-trip policies - compare policies to see if you can save. Long-stay cover If you decide to extend your stay, or have a longer trip planned, check how many consecutive days you’ll be covered for on a policy. Some single-trip policies will cover you for up to and including 62 days. If you’re staying for longer, or backpacking, you’ll probably need to take out annual cover.