Healthcare in New Zealand
Who can use the public system, how to enrol with a family doctor, when you need private insurance, and what happens to your health cover in Israel.
✓ Checked against the sources: October 2026⚠️ This isn't medical advice. It's general information checked against official sources.
Who is eligible for public healthcare
Citizens and most resident visa holders get public health services free or at a reduced cost. Work visa holders are eligible if the visa is valid for 2 years or more (counted from your first day in New Zealand). If you're not eligible, you pay for your medical care yourself.
Source: govt.nz: Healthcare if you're on a work visa · Immigration NZ: Getting health care and finding a doctor
First steps
- Check that you are eligible, based on your visa.
- Enrol with a family doctor (GP). Enrolling is free and makes visits much cheaper. If you don't enrol, you pay a lot more.
- Check what a practice charges before you enrol. Not every practice takes new patients, so you may need to try a few.
- In an emergency, call 111. The call is free.
Source: Immigration NZ: Getting health care and finding a doctor
🔒 3 more sections in this guide
- 🩹 Accidents: ACC
- 💳 Private health insurance
- 🇮🇱 Your Israeli health cover while abroad
The rest of this guide is for signed-in users. Signing up is free, with just your email.