Travel insurance for New Caledonia

Getting cover for medical treatment, emergency evacuation and repatriation is the bare minimum you’ll need if you want to visit New Caledonia.

While New Caledonia is a largely peaceful island in the South Pacific, it still has its dangers. As noted by Smartraveller, dengue fever, Zika virus and other insect-borne, waterborne, foodborne and parasitic diseases and infections are present in New Caledonia.¹ If you fall ill, travel insurance can help cover hospital or medical costs.

When purchasing international travel insurance, check whether your policy covers trip cancellations and disruptions. When you travel, there’s always a chance something might go wrong, whether it’s a medical emergency, an unexpected natural disaster or something going wrong back home. In some cases, your trip might need to be postponed or cancelled altogether which is where travel insurance can help alleviate some of the costs.

Petty crime can happen just about anywhere so it’s good to be prepared. Luggage cover may reimburse you if your luggage is stolen, lost or damaged. This can include valuables, cash, credit cards, travel documents and more. However, make sure you aren’t leaving belongings unattended in public, as your travel insurance might not cover you if the loss was avoidable.

New Caledonia is a popular cruise destination but, in most cases, standard travel insurance policies doesn’t cover cruises. The good news is you can typically purchase an optional extra to add cruise cover onto your policy. You’ll need to present proof of this purchase at cruise check-in or you might not be allowed to board.

While cruise cover can vary between insurers, most will provide cover for medical expenses, hospitalisation, medical evacuation (should something go wrong at sea), stolen, lost or damaged belongings, and reimbursements for cancelled activities. Note that not all providers or policies cover all these things, and they may only offer a selection of these types of benefits. When purchasing travel insurance, you’ll need to check how many other destinations you’re visiting besides New Caledonia as it’s common for ships to also sail to other destinations such as Vanuatu or Fiji on a South Pacific cruise.

New Caledonia can experience a number of disruptive weather events, including tsunamis, earthquakes and bushfires. Cyclone season from November to May can bring high winds, heavy rain and big seas to the region.¹

Should a natural disaster occur, your coverage will depend on what the insurer covers and when you bought your policy. For example, if a cyclone impacts your trip but you’d purchased travel insurance before the cyclone had formed, you could be covered for lost deposits and cancellation fees (if you aren’t compensated by your airline or accommodation provider).

Or, if you’ve already made it to New Caledonia and a natural disaster occurs, any damage to your belongings or injuries you sustain can be covered – as long as your travel insurance lists this cover in your product disclosure statement.

However, if you purchase travel insurance after a natural disaster occurs, and that event forces you to cancel your holiday plans, this won’t be covered by your travel insurance. This is because it was already a ‘known event’.

Whether you’re on the main island of Grande Terre, the tropical paradise of the Isle of Pines or scuba diving at the smaller surrounding islands, there’s adventure to be found in New Caledonia.

It pays to look at what activities are covered by your policy, as some travel insurance providers cover some basic activities and sports like hiking, snorkelling or horse riding at no extra cost, but not more adventurous activities like kite surfing or motorcycle riding. Even if a travel insurance provider doesn’t cover your favourite activity, you may be able to purchase add-on cover for it, so you can have peace of mind while staying active on holiday.

If you are an Australian citizen travelling to New Caledonia, you most likely won’t need a visa as long as you:

• Are staying for 90 days or less
• Can provide proof you have enough money for your trip
• Have a return or onward ticket
• Have proof of having travel insurance that covers medical expenses, evacuation and repatriation.

New Caledonia can be a safe place to visit, however every place comes with its own risks. Due to political tensions not all areas on the island may be safe to visit. Check Smartraveller or follow local media for more information.

Petty crime also occurs in New Caledonia, so keep a vigilant eye on your belongings in public to keep them safe.

Shark attacks also happen on occasion so you should avoid risky areas and instead swim at patrolled beaches. Parts of Noumea also have shark-proof nets to help swimmers stay safe.¹