Before you start

A work visa of 2 years or more, or residence, for publicly funded services
Enrolment with a general practice to get subsidised GP visits
An NHI number, assigned on first contact with the health system
Nothing at all for ACC — it covers everyone

Step-by-step

1
Check your eligibility against your visa length
Work visa holders are eligible for publicly funded health services if the visa is valid for 2 years or more, starting from your first day in New Zealand. A shorter visa means you are not eligible and should hold insurance.
OnlineWho: You
2
Enrol with a general practice
Enrolment — not just registration — is what makes GP visits subsidised. Practices in central Auckland frequently have closed books, so start calling early and widen your radius.
In personWho: You
3
Get an NHI number
Your National Health Index number is assigned on first contact with the system and follows you across GPs, hospitals and pharmacies.
In personWho: You
4
Use Healthline before anything non-urgent
0800 611 116, free and staffed by nurses around the clock. It is the correct first call when you cannot get a GP appointment, which in Auckland is common.
Mobile appWho: You
5
Claim through ACC for any injury
Injuries go through ACC rather than the health-eligibility system. Your treatment provider lodges the claim; you do not need to be eligible for public healthcare or even be a resident.
In personWho: Your provider

Documents you’ll need

Passport and visa, as evidence of eligibility
Proof of New Zealand address
NHI number once assigned

Things most newcomers don’t know

The two-year visa threshold is a cliff edge, not a sliding scale.

A work visa of 23 months gives you no publicly funded healthcare; 24 months gives you the full entitlement. If you have any choice over the length of your first visa or contract, this single number is worth more than most salary negotiations — and it counts from your first day in New Zealand, not from the visa's issue date.

Source: Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora — guide to eligibility for public health services

ACC covers you from the moment you land, and it takes your right to sue with it.

Every person injured in an accident in New Zealand is covered — visitors, workers, the unemployed, children — with no visa test at all. The constitutional trade is that you generally cannot sue for personal injury. It is the deepest structural difference between New Zealand and most common-law countries, and it means personal liability insurance matters far less here.

Source: ACC — what we cover; if you're a visitor injured in New Zealand

Enrolling with a GP is a genuine bottleneck in Auckland.

Many central practices have closed books, and being 'eligible' does not mean being 'enrolled'. Start the search before you need a doctor rather than during your first illness, and be willing to enrol outside your immediate suburb.

Source: community-reported, widely corroborated

Being ineligible does not mean being uncovered for accidents.

People on short work visas often buy expensive comprehensive insurance without realising accidental injury is already covered by ACC. Insure for illness and repatriation; you do not need to insure twice for accidents.

Source: ACC — eligibility is not visa-dependent

Common mistakes to avoid

Assuming any work visa confers healthcare eligibility — it must be 2 years or more.
Counting the 2 years from the visa issue date rather than your first day in New Zealand.
Confusing registering with a practice with enrolling in it — only enrolment gets the subsidy.
Buying accident cover you already have through ACC.
Expecting to sue after an injury. In New Zealand you generally cannot.

Some of this may be out of date. Spotted something inaccurate? Help us keep it right for the next newcomer.