Cheap places to travel from New Zealand: Budget-friendly destinations for Kiwis
Discover cheap places to travel from New Zealand, with a guide to budget-friendly destinations in Australia, Asia, and beyond.
Best travel insurance for Japan - Providers, coverage, and more
From ski trips to cultural tours and the incredible food, Japan has plenty to offer. But, accidents, delays or lost bags can quickly turn your dream holiday into a nightmare. That’s why having the right travel insurance is essential for Kiwis heading overseas.
This guide will walk you through the best travel insurance for Japan, including some of New Zealand's top providers and what they offer. It’ll also introduce you to Wise, a smart way to manage your money as you spend in Japanese Yen.
| Table of contents |
|---|
What does travel insurance for Japan cover?
Travel insurance is designed to protect you against the cost of disruptions and medical emergencies while you're away. Most comprehensive international policies include:
- Emergency medical cover
- Dental treatment for acute issues
- Trip cancellation or interruption
- Lost or stolen luggage, documents or cash
- Compensation for travel delays
- Personal liability cover
- Rental vehicle excess
You can usually tailor your plan by selecting the excess or adding optional extras, such as cover for snow sports if you’re planning to hit the slopes of Hokkaido.
What does travel insurance not cover?
When travelling it’s vital to understand what your travel insurance won’t pay out for. Each insurer has its own policy wording that lists exclusions, but here are some situations that are commonly not covered:
- Any pre-existing health condition you have unless it’s been declared and approved
- Accidents during high-risk activities like skiing or climbing, unless you’ve added extra cover
- Ignoring medical advice and travelling anyway
- Leaving valuables unattended in public places
- Engaging in unlawful acts
- Claims related to alcohol or drug use
- Dangerous or reckless behaviour during your trip
Things to look out for when choosing a travel insurance for Japan
Here’s a few things to watch out for when comparing policies for your Japan trip.
- Do you need extra coverage for activities like skiing or snowboarding in Japan?
- What’s the excess?
- Does the insurer offer direct payment for medical care, or do you have to pay upfront?
- During a medical emergency, is translation support available? A language barrier with doctors and healthcare professionals can be a significant concern.
- Are natural disasters like earthquakes and tsunamis excluded from coverage?
Best travel insurance for Japan in New Zealand
Below is a comparison of top insurance providers offering comprehensive travel cover for Kiwis visiting Japan. We’ve used a one week trip for a 30 year old with a $100 excess as the pricing benchmark.
| Provider | Accidental death cover | Medical expenses | Travel cancellation | Price for 1 week | Additional add-ons available |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southern Cross¹ | $50,000 | Unlimited | $2500 before departing $50,000 once you’ve left | $106.41² |
|
| AA³ | $50,000 | Unlimited | Unlimited | $142.00⁴ | None |
| Cover-More⁵ | $25,000 | Unlimited | Cover chosen | $98.00⁶ |
|
| Allianz⁷ | $25,000 | $20 million | As selected | $117.94⁸ |
|
| Tower | $50,000 | Unlimited | Unlimited | $127.00¹⁰ | None |
| 1Cover¹¹ | None | Unlimited | Chosen limit | $104.34¹² |
|
Keep in mind that travel insurance premiums vary depending on things like your age, trip length, destination, and medical history. If your Japan trip is a family getaway, look into family policies, as they may offer better value than individual plans.
🌎 Enjoy low, transparent fees on your trip with the world's most international debit card and save on foreign transaction fees 🌎
Southern Cross Travel Insurance
Southern Cross gives New Zealanders two overseas travel cover options; International Medical and International Comprehensive.²
International Medical only protects against medical emergencies, while the Comprehensive plan includes extra benefits for things like travel disruptions and personal items.
The benefits for the Comprehensive policy include:¹
- Emergency medical - Unlimited
- Emergency dental - $2000
- Cancellation during journey - $50,000
- Baggage and personal items - $25,000
- Baggage delay - $1000
- Essential medication - $500
- Personal liability - $1,000,000
- Rental car excess - $10,000
A 30 year old would expect to pay around $106.41 for International Comprehensive and $58.89 for International Medical for a one week trip to Japan, assuming a $100 excess.²
AA Travel Insurance
At AA there are two types of international insurance for once-off trips; Essential and Comprehensive.³ The Essentials plan is a budget-friendly option with limited coverage and a $250,000 cap on medical expenses, while the Comprehensive policy offers wider benefits and higher limits.
Here’s some of what the Comprehensive policy includes:
- Emergency medical - Unlimited
- Emergency dental - $1000 to $3000
- Cancellation of journey paid in full - Unlimited
- Baggage and personal items - $30,000
- Emergency baggage - $1500
- Incidental hospital expenses - $4000
- Personal liability - $2,500,000
- Rental car excess - $6000
- $6K for rental car excess
Prices for a 30 year old heading to Japan would be around $142 for Comprehensive or $101 for Essentials, both with a $100 excess.⁴
Cover-More Travel Insurance
New Zealanders heading overseas can choose from Cover-More's three travel insurance options, ranging from the Basic Plan to the Comprehensive+ Plan.⁵
For most people travelling to Japan, the Comprehensive Plan is the most practical choice because of the coverage and benefit limits it offers leisure travellers.
- Emergency medical - Unlimited
- Emergency dental - $2000
- Cancellation during journey - As selected
- Luggage and travel documents - $15,000
- Delayed luggage - $1100
- Travel delay - $2000
- Personal liability - $2,500,000
- Rental car excess - $5000
A 30 year old jetting off to Japan for a week would expect to pay $82 for Basic, $98 for Comprehensive and $126 for Comprehensive+ , with a $100 excess selected⁸
Allianz Travel Insurance
Allianz has two policies on offer for single international trips; the Basic Plan and the Comprehensive Plan.⁷ Both of these can be taken out as a single, duo or family policies, with slight differences in benefit limits.
The Basic Plan sticks to essentials like medical emergencies, funeral costs and personal liability, while the Comprehensive Plan adds more cover types. Here are some of the coverage and benefit limits it offers.
- Emergency medical and dental - $20 million
- Funeral expenses - $60,000
- Cancellation during journey - As selected
- Luggage, personal effects and valuables - $10,000
- Luggage and personal effect delay - $1000
- Alternative transport - $5000
- Personal liability - $5,000,000
- Rental car excess - $6000
If a 30 year old were heading to the Japan for a week, the estimated cost with a $100 excess would be $89.10 for Basic and $117.94 for Comprehensive.⁸
Tower Travel Insurance
Tower’s travel insurance for one-off trips comes in two versions; the basic Essentials policy and the Comprehensive policy.⁹
Essentials offers fewer inclusions and lower benefit caps, for instance medical expenses are limited to $250,000. The upside is it’s a more cost effective policy.
Comprehensive is a more rounded option, with coverage for medical needs, cancellations, accidents, and travel disruptions.
- Emergency medical - Unlimited
- Emergency dental - $1000 to $3000
- Cancellation of journey paid in full - Unlimited
- Personal baggage - $50,000
- Emergency baggage - $1500
- Resumption of travel - $10,000
- Personal liability - $2,500,000
- Rental car excess - $6000
For a 30 year old going to Japan for a week they’d be looking at $91 for Essentials and $127 for Comprehensive, each with the $100 excess chosen.¹⁰
1Cover Travel Insurance
For New Zealand travellers heading off on holiday overseas, 1Cover offers Medical Only and Comprehensive.¹¹
Medical Only includes unlimited emergency medical cover, plus benefits for dental treatment, repatriation and liability. For a wider scope of coverage that includes things like cancellation and lost or stolen luggage, Comprehensive is the way to go.
- Emergency medical - Unlimited
- Emergency dental - $1000
- Cancellation during journey - Chosen limit
- Luggage and personal effects - $15,000
- Luggage and personal effects delay - $1000
- Repatriation of remains - $25,000
- Personal liability - $5,000,000
- Rental car excess - Not covered
A 30 year old going on a week’s trip to Japan can expect to spend $77.61 on Medical Only or $104.34 on Comprehensive insurance, if a $100 excess is chosen.¹²
Heading to Japan? Safeguard yourself from foreign transaction fees with the Wise card
Travelling with peace of mind starts with the right insurance. Once you’ve got your travel insurance for Japan lined up, it’s time to work out the best way to spend during your trip. Meet the Wise account and card.
Open a Wise account online or in the Wise app, add money in NZD right from your bank account, and exchange NZD to JPY at your desired rate before your trip and spend at exchange at mid-market rate during your trip. That can mean you save significantly compared to using your bank, as you’ll avoid foreign transaction fees and rest assured you’re getting one of the fairest exchange rates out there along with low, transparent fees. You’ll also be able to get a linked Wise card to use for contactless payments, add your card to a wallet like Apple Pay, or make some free ATM withdrawals when you need cash in Japan.
Take Wise with you to Bali, and save up to 8x when you spend internationally.
Savings claim based on our rates vs. selected New Zealand banks and other similar providers in Jan 2025. To learn more, please visit https://payout-surge.live/nz/compare%3C/a%3E%3C/small%3E%3C/p%3E%3Csmall%3E
Please see Terms of Use and product availability for your region or visit Wise Fees & Pricing for the most up to date pricing and fee information.
Sources used:
- Southern Cross - International Comprehensive
- Southern Cross - Quote
- AA - International Leisure Cover Policy Wording
- AA - Quote
- Cover-More - Policy wording
- Cover-More - Quote
- Allianz - Policy wording
- Allianz - Quote
- Tower - Policy wording
- Tower - Quote
- 1Cover - Policy wording
- 1Cover - Quote
Sources last checked on date: 13 May 2025
*Please see terms of use and product availability for your region or visit Wise fees and pricing for the most up to date pricing and fee information.
This publication is provided for general information purposes and does not constitute legal, tax or other professional advice from Wise Payments Limited or its subsidiaries and its affiliates, and it is not intended as a substitute for obtaining advice from a financial advisor or any other professional.
We make no representations, warranties or guarantees, whether expressed or implied, that the content in the publication is accurate, complete or up to date.
Money without borders
Find out more
How to get an Airpoints card: A complete guide for Kiwis
A complete guide on how to get an Airpoints card for Kiwis. Learn how to earn Airpoints, what you can do with them and more.
Qatar Airways luggage allowance: Checked & carry on allowances, top-ups and fees
Planning your trip with Qatar Airways? Understand their baggage allowance rules for hand luggage, checked bags, and unique items with this guide.
Best travel insurance for Europe - Providers, coverage, and more
Planning a trip to Europe from New Zealand? We compared top providers based on coverage, fees and more for Kiwis.
1Cover vs Southern Cross travel insurance - Guide to coverage, pricing, and more
Looking for travel insurance for your next trip? We’ve compared two top travel insurance providers in New Zealand, 1Cover vs Southern Cross, to help you decide.
Travel Insurance for seniors in New Zealand - Providers, coverage, and more
Looking for a suitable travel insurance for seniors in New Zealand? Learn everything you need to know, including coverage, exclusions, and the top providers.
