SafeTravel, including the website used to register your travel, is run by the Consular Division of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade. The team gives help and advice to New Zealanders who are living and travelling overseas.
Travel advice
Our travel advice tells New Zealanders how safe it is to travel to other countries. This advice is informed by security risks in the country, what local authorities are doing to minimise the risk, and what help we can give you when you’re there.
Check the travel advice for your destination
About our travel advice
Find out more about the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade
Consular services
We provide consular services to New Zealand citizens outside of New Zealand, even if they don’t normally live in New Zealand.
If you are a New Zealander but entered the country you travelled to with a non-New Zealand passport, you should contact the embassy of the country whose passport you used to enter the country. In exceptional circumstances you may be able to also get consular assistance at the nearest New Zealand Embassy, but there can be significant limitations if you are travelling using a passport of another country or have multiple citizenships.
Find out more about consular assistance if you are a dual national
How a New Zealand embassy can help
New Zealand embassies, high commissions and consulates are there to help New Zealand citizens when you are having difficulty overseas.
Find a New Zealand embassy
A New Zealand consular officer can:
- Provide information on the New Zealand Government’s travel advice
- Help you contact family and friends if you need access to emergency funds, if you are arrested, or if you are sick or injured
- Give advice on what to do if your passport is lost or stolen
- Give advice if you have been a victim of crime, including on things like finding a local hospital or police station, or accessing local support networks that we might be aware of
- Provide a list of English-speaking lawyers
- Provide advice on making arrangements after a death overseas, including to bring your loved one home
- Help during crises, such as civil unrest and natural disasters
- Provide notarial services.
A New Zealand consular officer cannot:
- Pay for any expenses, including at your hotel, travel, legal or medical expenses, over-staying fines, or the cost of bringing deceased New Zealanders home. These are significant costs, are the responsibility of individual travellers, and is why travel insurance is essential for any New Zealander overseas
- Give you legal or medical advice
- Investigate a crime or missing person, advocate for you in another country’s legal system, or get you out of prison
- Get you better conditions in prison or hospital than a local citizen would receive
- Arrange visas, work or residency permits for you
- Receive your mail or store your belongings
- Ask another country to overturn your travel ban
- Become involved in commercial disputes or civil litigation.
Feedback and more information
- We welcome feedback when we could have done better or about things that we are doing well. We run regular surveys of our services and always welcome further feedback.
- Want to know more about how we’ve helped New Zealanders overseas? Check out the consular snapshots on the MFAT website
- Learn more about consular services and get other travel tips in the New Zealand Government’s Before you go brochure.
