South America Travel Insurance

• Will You Pay My Hospital Bills If I get Sick Or Injured In South America?

• Please refer to the Policy Wording and policy schedule and check if your sickness or injury is a claimable event and is covered. If you are hospitalised, or if you are treated as an outpatient, or if the total cost of the treatment will exceed $1000, please contact our emergency assistance service as soon as possible to obtain their prior approval.
  
  In circumstances where the claim is approved, we can then provide written guarantees of payment of reasonable expenses for emergency hospitalisation that may be required while you are in the South America.

• Will You Fly Me Home If I Get Sick or Injured in South America?

• If you have purchased Comprehensive, Essentials, Medical Only, Frequent Traveller, or Already Overseas, cover is available for your medical transfer or evacuation if you must be brought back to New Zealand with appropriate medical supervision.
  
  Cover is also available under these plans for the return to New Zealand of your dependants if they are left without supervision following your hospitalisation or evacuation.
  
  All expenses for medical evacuation must first be approved by 1Cover. 
  
  This only applies to the plans listed above, as there is no cover for medical/hospital expenses or repatriation under Domestic plans.

• Will I Be Covered If I Ride A Scooter, Moped Or Motorcycle While In South America?

• 
  If you are in control of a motorcycle or scooter with an engine capacity greater than 125cc, you need to hold a current, valid New Zealand motorcycle licence. If you are riding a motorcycle or scooter with an engine capacity lower than 125cc, you need to hold a current, valid New Zealand drivers licence.
  
  You also need to be aware that cover will not be provided to you if you are a passenger on a moped, scooter or motorcycle, and the person in control does not have a valid motorcycle licence for that country.  
  
  Please note that it’s compulsory to wear a helmet while riding a motorbike or scooter in many countries. Regardless of local requirements, 1Cover advises you to wear a motorcycle helmet whenever you are a rider or passenger on a scooter or motorbike.

• Can I Apply To Extend My Travel Insurance Policy While I’m Away?

• Yes, of course. If you want to extend your policy while you’re in South America region, the easiest way to do this is via the Policy Manager.
  
  You'll need your policy number (available in the email confirming your policy), and a few other simple details. Log-in and extend your trip, add destinations, or buy add ons/extras.
  
  Make sure you extend your policy before it expires. 
  If you have trouble, you can email us at [email protected]
  
  Please note there may be instances where a policy extension is not available.  

• What Happens If I Encounter Terrorism Or Political Unrest in South America?

• In the event of a terrorist attack or political unrest, there is no cover for cancellation fees and lost deposits, disruption of journey or alternative transport expenses.
  
  However, if you do get caught up in an unforeseen event while you are in the South America region and you are injured, cover is available for all necessary medical/hospital expenses.

• I travel to South America a few times a year. What’s the best policy for me?

• Our Frequent Traveller policy allows you to take as many trips to the South America and other destinations under the one policy for 12 months - and enjoy comprehensive cover on each one.
  
  Find out more about our annual travel insurance policies here.

• Am I Covered For Travel Interruptions Caused By Cyclones And Other Natural Disasters?

• Travel insurance provides cover for weather events as long as they are unforeseen. The most common types of natural disasters in the South America are cyclones, storms, and flooding. Our policies do not cover claims for losses caused by an event that you were aware of at the time of purchasing your policy.
  
  Once an event has become published in the mass media, it is expected that you have purchased your insurance with this knowledge in mind. 1Cover will, where possible, issue travel warnings in relation to such large scale events and the dates and times after which they are not seen as an unforeseen event.

• Can I Get Extra Cover For My High-Value Items?

• Laptop computers, cameras, mobile phones…they’re all things we need on at home and on holiday. That’s why you can choose a bit of extra protection for your can’t-live-withouts. All you need to do is include and specify certain high-value items that aren't automatically covered when you're buying your policy.
  
  Note: the items cannot be older than 12 month, and you can't specify items like jewellery, watches, bicycles and watercraft (apart from surfboards).

READ ALL FAQS