Official advice for New Zealanders living and travelling overseas
Posted: 13 October 2014, 10:55 NZDT
In late September, pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong escalated. Protestors occupied a number of major roads on Hong Kong island and Kowloon, including roads surrounding government buildings in the Admiralty district. Demonstrations have also occurred in areas such as Central, Causeway Bay and Mongkok....Read More
Updated: 7 October 2014, 04:25 NZDT
Ebola (or Ebola virus disease, EVD) is a viral disease that can cause severe bleeding, kidney and liver failure and, in many cases, death. Sporadic outbreaks of Ebola have been occurring in Africa for decades. Its origin is unknown but fruit bats are considered a likely host, based on available evidence. Although Ebola causes severe illness it is not easy to catch; it is not spread through the air and is not as infectious as the flu or measles. You cannot catch Ebola just by sitting next to an infected person on a plane – it requires contact with infected body fluids such as blood, saliva, urine or faeces through broken skin or mucous membranes (such as the mouth or eyes). Signs and symptoms of Ebola appear between 2 and 21 days (although usually between 8 and 10 days) after exposure to the virus. People with Ebola are not infectious before symptoms appear....Read More
Posted: 30 September 2014, 10:22 NZDT
New Zealand’s Embassies and High Commissions offshore received more than 50,000 queries during the year to 30 June 2014, up 33 percent on the previous year.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs & Trade consular divisional manager Lyndal Walker says the five busiest posts for consular work are Bangkok, Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, Rome and Dubai.
Ms Walker says that while many of these queries are simple and dealt with immediately, in the last year the Ministry managed just under 2000 new cases.”
“The most common reasons that people seek our help involve lost property (including lost passports), being the victim of crime, local immigration difficulties and medical problems...Read more
Posted: 26 September 2014, 11:45 NZST
Many Kiwi travellers participate in adventure tourism and sports while overseas, from paragliding and bungy jumping to jet skiing and camel riding. While these activities are bound to make your trip unforgettable, they have inherent risks. Making them memorable for the right reasons means considering safety precautions and travel insurance implications.
Travellers should be aware that operators overseas may not have the same safety and maintenance standards you would expect in New Zealand. Standards may also vary between operators. We recommend you ask about any risks involved and insist on u...Read more
Posted: 25 September 2014, 03:20 NZST
On Anzac Day 2015, we will commemorate the centenary of the ANZAC landings in Gallipoli.
The Anzac Commemorative Site is a small, constrained area surrounded by sea and steep terrain. The Australian, New Zealand and Turkish governments have agreed to allow a maximum of 10,500 people at the 25 April 2015 commemorations.
New Zealand’s share of these places has been allocated via ballot, with results announced in March 2014. Read more about the ballot.
Security on the Gallipoli Peninsula will be tight in the lead up to Anzac Day 2015 and during the commemorations. Attendance passes will be checked at a number of points....Read more
Updated: 25 September 2014, 03:06 NZST
There has been a recent increase in confirmed cases of Dengue, Chikungunya and Zika virus infection in many Pacific Islands including the Cook Islands, French Polynesia, Fiji, New Caledonia, Samoa, Tonga and Vanuatu.
Dengue fever, Chikungunya virus and Zika virus are spread by the bite of an infected Aedes mosquito and cannot be spread directly from person to person. The Aedes mosquitoes that are able to spread these viruses are not normally found in New Zealand.
Outbreaks of endemic mosquito-borne illnesses are common in the tropical and sub-tropical climates in many Pacific Islands, in North Queensland (Australia), Asia (including India), tropical Africa and Latin/South America. ...Read more
Updated: 14 July 2014, 03:00 NZST
More than 830 cases of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV), including at least 288 deaths have been reported to the World Health Organisation (WHO) as of early 8 July, 2014. Cases of MERS-CoV have been reported in several countries of the Middle East, including Arabia, Jordan, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman and the United Arab Emirates. The virus appears to be circulating widely throughout the Arabian Peninsula and most cases of MERS-CoV have been reported by Saudi Arabia.
Countries outside the Middle East have also reported cases of MERS-CoV in returned travellers. All cases have either lived in or travelled to the Middle Ea...Read more
Turkey
Reviewed: 10 October 2014
Reviewed: 10 October 2014
France
Reviewed: 9 October 2014
Reviewed: 9 October 2014
Tonga
Reviewed: 8 October 2014
Reviewed: 8 October 2014
United States of America
Reviewed: 7 October 2014
Reviewed: 7 October 2014
Travelling or living overseas? Help us find you in an emergency, so we can check on your well-being or send you important information.
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Health alerts and general travel health tips....read more
This page provides information on how you can help yourself, and how we can help you, when things go wrong overseas...read more
Information on passports and visas for your next trip overseas....read more
Information on travel insurance and why it’s important....read more
Please note, only consular emergencies, for example death, arrest, illness or injury to New Zealand citizens will be handled outside office hours.
Location and contact details for New Zealand Embassies around the world.
Peru
Laos
Sudan
Algeria