About insurance obligations
Education providers (signatories) that enrol international learners have obligations under the Code to ensure learners have appropriate insurance.
This page provides guidance on provider responsibilities, including what is meant by ensuring insurance 'as far as practicable' and how this applies in practice.
This guidance is for general information only. Providers should seek independent legal advice where needed and ensure their processes are approved by their governing body.
On this page
Ensure learners have appropriate insurance
Under the Code, signatories must ensure 'as far as practicable' that international learners enrolled for 2 weeks or longer have appropriate insurance.
Appropriate insurance must meet the requirements set out in the Code, including cover for:
- medical care In New Zealand
- travel to, from, and within New Zealand
- repatriation
- death
This obligation applies during the enrolment period, regardless of the learner’s visa type.
Travel outside the enrolment period
Signatories must ensure, as far as practicable, that learners have appropriate insurance for travel outside the enrolment period.
The intent is that learners are covered from when they leave their home country until they return home.
- For student visa holders, this will generally be practicable
- For non-student visa holders (for example, visitor or working holiday visas), this may not be practicable in many circumstances.
Where it is not practicable, signatories should document:
- the steps taken
- when and why it was not practicable.
Short-term enrolments
There is no requirement for signatories to ensure insurance where a learner is enrolled for less than 2 weeks.
NZQA's expectations
NZQA expects that ensuring insurance “as far as practicable” will include having processes to:
- ask learners (or parents/legal guardians if under 18) about pre-existing medical conditions
- check that insurance meets the learner’s needs and Code requirements
- consider whether additional cover is required for pre-existing conditions
- inform learners (or parents/legal guardians if under 18) of limits of their insurance policy and any costs not covered.
Learners (and their parents/legal guardians, where applicable) should understand they are responsible for any uninsured costs.
Enrolling learners with pre-existing conditions
Signatories may enrol learners whose insurance excludes pre-existing conditions. If they do so, they must:
- ensure the programme is appropriate for the learner
- obtain written agreement from the learner or a parent/legal guardian for learners under 18
- take all reasonable steps to protect the learner’s wellbeing and safety.
This includes:
- assessing risks and ensuring appropriate support is available
- confirming the learner can participate in their study
- clearly communicating with the learner (and parents/legal guardians, where applicable) that costs related to excluded conditions are their responsibility.
This assessment should form part of the offer of place process and be clearly communicated.
Insurance requirements based on visa types
Insurance requirements may also be set by Immigration New Zealand (INZ), depending on visa type.
Student visa holders
- Must hold appropriate insurance as a visa condition.
- Usually arrange insurance through their education provider.
- Insurance must meet Code requirements and be accepted by the provider.
Immigration New Zealand: Student Visa Guide (INZ 1013) (external link) (external link)
Work visa holders
- Insurance is not always required by Immigration New Zealand.
- May be eligible for public healthcare (this does not cover all Code requirements).
Health New Zealand: Guide to eligibility for public health services (external link) (external link)
Visitor visa holders
No insurance requirement from Immigration New Zealand.
Summary of signatories' responsibilities
- Have clear processes to verify insurance meets Code requirements.
- Actively check coverage rather than relying solely on declarations.
- Maintain records of decisions (especially where something is not practicable).
- Ensure learners understand their responsibilities.
The Code does not prescribe specific processes. Signatories are responsible for determining how they meet their obligations.
NZQA expects a proactive approach focused on verifying insurance coverage and supporting learner wellbeing and safety.
Example scenarios for tertiary and school signatories
These examples are illustrative only and may not reflect all circumstances.
Whether something is “practicable” depends on the provider’s ability to arrange or influence insurance, and decisions should be documented.
Example scenarios for tertiary providers
Example scenarios for school signatories
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