If you’re pregnant when you apply for your temporary visa you’ll need to know the costs involved in your maternity health care while you’re here, especially if you’ll be having your baby in New Zealand.
You’ll also need to consider how you are going to pay for your maternity care once you’re here. If you’re going to give birth in New Zealand it’s even more important that you understand the costs involved and how you’ll meet them.
Paying for your maternity health care costs in New Zealand
You have 3 main options (4 if you are a student):
- pay for your own maternity health care, in which case you’ll need to have evidence of:
- a minimum of NZ$9,000 to cover health and medical costs, and
- additional funds for your accommodation, living costs and outward travel
- come to New Zealand under the care of a sponsor who will guarantee to cover the above costs
- come to New Zealand with a guarantee by a third party to cover the above costs (if you are entering on a study visa), or
- be eligible for publically-funded maternity health care in New Zealand.
Evidence of your ability to pay
If you are going to pay for your own maternity care, when you apply for your visa you can show us the following documents as evidence of your ability to pay:
- bank statements in your name
- bank drafts
- recognised credit cards with sufficient credit available
- travellers’ cheques.
Are you eligible for publicly-funded maternity health services in New Zealand?
Check your temporary entry visa against the requirements listed below to see if you are eligible to have your maternity costs here publicly funded:
| Temporary entry visa | Eligible for publicly-funded maternity health services? |
|---|---|
| Visitor visa
|
No, unless you are the partner or a child (under 18) of:
|
| Work visa valid for less than two years in total | No, unless you are the partner of:
Or a participant in the Ministry of Education Foreign Language Teaching Assistantship Scheme (partners and children are not eligible), or |
| Work visa valid for 2 years or more. If it’s for less, you can combine it with recent, previous visas to give yourself two years. | Yes
Note: If the work visa was granted offshore, the two-year period starts from the date you arrive in New Zealand |
| Student visa
|
No, unless you are the partner or a child (under 18) of:
Or:
|
| Interim visa | No, unless you were eligible for publicly-funded health and disability services immediately before your interim visa was granted. |
| Limited visa | No |
Other criteria for eligibility
If you don’t meet any of the above criteria, you may still be eligible for publicly-funded health and disability services if you are:
- the partner of an eligible person
- a claimant for refugee or protection status
- a victim of people trafficking
- between 18 and 19 years old and your parent(s) held a work visa as at 15 April 2011, which has not yet expired. Your parent(s) must have been eligible under the former ‘Health and Disability Services Eligibility Direction 2003’, or
- a UK national – you may be eligible under the UK Reciprocal Health Agreement for partial funding of maternity health services. This generally means that immediate and necessary maternity care, including labour, birth and conditions related to pregnancy requiring prompt treatment are covered. Routine antenatal and postnatal services are not covered. Partners of UK nationals are not eligible.
You can view the Ministry of Health website to see if one of the situations above applies to you.
source: https://www.immigration.govt.nz/new-zealand-visas/apply-for-a-visa/tools-and-information/general-information/pregnant-applicants