Visas

Medical and Travel Insurance

All our international students must have current medical and travel insurance to cover them for the duration of their planned period of study in New Zealand.

To ensure that you have appropriate insurance, Media Design School uses the well respected Australasian company Southern Cross as our preferred insurance provider. The Southern Cross StudentMax Plan offers you excellent Health and Travel Insurance benefits. These meet the requirements covered in the New Zealand Government’s Ministry of Education’s Code of Practice guidelines, and it is the default insurance plan for all our new international students. You can view the schedule of benefits for the StudentMax Plan here.

How much does it cost?
A 12-month premium for the StudentMax Plan for a single student is NZD$456. Having Health and Travel Insurance is a condition of enrolment at MDS, and this premium will automatically be added to your fees invoice. If you already have insurance with another provider, your insurance policy will be assessed by Media Design School prior to your travel to ensure the policy meets the requirements outlined by the Code of Practice. If your alternative insurance is deemed to meet the requirements, a waiver will be issued. To have your policy assessed and a waiver issued you must complete a waiver application form and provide a copy of your policy wording to the school (in English). Download Waiver Application form.

To assist you in completing the Waiver Application form, please use Media Design School's Insurance checklist to ensure your current policy meets the minimum requirements of the Code - International Insurance Checklist

Eligibility for health services
As an international student, you’re not entitled to publicly funded health services while in New Zealand. If you receive medical treatment during your time here, you may be liable for the full costs of that treatment. Full details on entitlements to publicly-funded health services are available through the Ministry of Health, and can be viewed on their website at www.moh.govt.nz.

Accident insurance
The Accident Compensation Corporation provides accident insurance for all New Zealand citizens, residents and temporary visitors to New Zealand, but you may still be liable for all other medical and related costs.

For all enquiries regarding insurance please contact lisa@mediadesign.school.nz