Vast national parks, rich Māori culture, serene beaches, untamed wilderness, world-class skiing and surfing – and all right here on our doorstep. If you’ve never got around to planning that dream staycation, now’s the time to discover all that Aotearoa has to offer.

Whether you’re planning a weekend city break to Wellington or a coastal beach escape to Abel Tasman National Park, you may want to consider covering yourself with domestic travel insurance whilst you’re away from home, so you can travel with peace of mind.

If you’re travelling as a family, we also cover your dependent children under 21 on your policy at no extra cost. 

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Why do I need domestic travel insurance?

Even though you may be covered for medical events by ACC, there are still other unexpected events that could derail your travel plans, even when you’re exploring your own back yard. Your flight or cruise could be cancelled, you may have to return home early if a family member is taken into hospital, or a cheeky kea could damage your rental car!

What does domestic travel insurance cover?

Our domestic travel insurance can provide cover for: 

• Cancelling or changing your travel plans before you leave
• Changing your travel plans once you have left
• Luggage and personal items
• Rental vehicle excess
• Pet care costs if you’re delayed getting home
• Childcare costs if you’re delayed getting home
• Funeral expenses
• Cash allowance whilst in hospital
• Personal accident
• Personal liability
• Optional: Cruise cover

View our key benefits page for more detailed information on your level of cover. To fully understand what you’re covered for and the exclusions and conditions that apply, you should read the policy document and COVID-19 endorsement.

Does domestic travel insurance cover medical emergencies?

It’s important to know that our domestic travel insurance doesn’t cover medical expenses. ACC provides insurance cover for personal injury for everyone in New Zealand, whether a citizen, resident or visitor. This means if you are injured by an accident in New Zealand, ACC may pay some of your medical and rehabilitation costs.

We will still ask that you disclose your pre-existing medical conditions (PECs) when you buy a domestic policy. This means that if you need to cancel or delay your trip due to a PEC, you’ll be covered for cancellation costs under your policy.

Cover for your furry friends

Whether you’ve got a playful pooch or a cuddly cat, it’s worrying when you can’t get home to your beloved pets. So, if an unexpected event delays your journey home, we’ll cover the extra daily costs of keeping your pets in a boarding facility, such as a kennel or cattery. We pay up to $50 for each day and up to $500 for each paying person.

We can cover claims if:

• An unexpected event delays your return home
• The pet boarding facility is a registered business

We don't cover claims for:

• Any animals that don't normally live with you at your home. We may ask you to provide evidence that an animal lives in your home, such as a microchip registration or a pet insurance policy
• Any daily fees you incur from the day after you return home
• Anything under 'E. General exclusions - things we never cover' in the policy document

Cover for the kids

It’s annoying when you can’t get home as planned. So, if an unexpected event delays your journey home, we cover the cost of any childcare you’ve already booked but can’t use and is not refundable. We pay up to $100 for each day and up to $500 for each paying person. This policy only covers the children receiving the care. 

We can cover claims if:

• You’ve booked the childcare for after the date your journey was supposed to end
• The childcare facility is a registered business
• You can’t get a credit or refund for your booking

We don’t cover claims for:

• Any children that don’t normally live with you at your home
• Any daily fees you incur from the day after you return home
• Anything under ‘E. General exclusions — things we never cover’ in the policy document 

Our 10 most expensive domestic travel insurance claims

Since launching our policy in 2020, we can now reveal our ten most expensive claims received in the first year. 

1. An 80-year-old from Auckland had to cancel their Fiordland cruise after suffering a respiratory tract infection (claim paid - $16,274)
2. A 57-year-old from Wellington had to cancel their Fiordland cruise after a family member suffered a stroke (claim paid - $11,324)
3. An 80-year-old from Christchurch had to cancel their Southland train tour after fracturing their leg (claim paid - $10,168)
4. An 84-year-old from Napier had to cancel their Chatham Islands tour after suffering a hip injury (claim paid - $10,100)
5. A 62-year-old from Lower Hutt had to cancel their Milford and Routeburn hikes due to a heart condition (claim paid - $9,160)
6. A 75-year-old from Christchurch had to cancel their Chatham Islands trip due to a heart condition. This was declared as a pre-existing condition and covered under their policy (claim paid - $6,300)
7. A 47-year-old from Auckland had to claim for a rental car damaged in an accident while driving in Christchurch (claim paid - $4,200)
8. A 71-year-old from Hawkes Bay had to cancel their hike in Hollyford after suffering a knee injury (claim paid - $4,024)
9. A 32-year-old from Christchurch had to claim after a stone caused a chip in a rental vehicle’s windscreen while driving around the South Island (claim paid - $3,544)
10. A 72-year-old from Auckland had to cancel their South Island tour due to suffering osteoarthritis. This was declared as a pre-existing condition and covered under their policy (claim paid - $3,516) 

You can read more about our most expensive domestic travel insurance claims here.

We’ve kept things simple

As part of our commitment to our customers, we’ve created a policy document that is simple and easy to understand, so that you can be confident knowing what you are covered for and what you are not covered for.

Our policy document has been awarded the WriteMark, a quality mark given to documents that achieve a high standard of plain language. The WriteMark shows that our policy document:

• Has been checked against rigorous criteria
• Is focused on the needs of the intended audience
• Is easy to read, understand, and act on

What is ‘plain language’?

We're proud to be the first travel insurer in New Zealand to have its domestic travel insurance policy awarded the WriteMark.

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