Eligibility for publicly funded health and disability services Te māraurau ki te whiwhi i ngā ratonga hauora me ngā ratonga hauā e utua ana e te kāwanatanga

Eligibility criteria

You are eligible for if you have either:

• a residence class visa
• a resident visa
• a permanent resident visa.

You may also be a permanent resident if both of these apply:

• you arrived in Aotearoa New Zealand before 2 April 1974
• you have lived here since the date you arrived.

Contact Immigration New Zealand to get proof of your residence status.

Contact Immigration New Zealandexternal link

Criteria: B3, Health and Disability Services Eligibility Direction 2011

Proof of eligibility

You will need to show your healthcare provider 1 of the following documents:

• your valid passport
• your Certificate of Identity issued under the Immigration Act 2009
• proof you get a social security benefit (except Emergency Benefit) and 2 forms of supporting identity documentation — 1 needs to have your photograph.

Examples of identity documentation include:

• a drivers license
• an 18+ card
• a community services card or SuperGold card
• a school or tertiary ID
• an employment contract
• a rental agreement
• letters addressed to you at your current address.

Eligibility criteria

You are eligible if you are a New Zealand citizen. This includes New Zealand citizens from the Cook Islands, Niue or Tokelau.

Criteria: B2, Health and Disability Services Eligibility Direction 2011.

Proof of eligibility

You will need to show your healthcare provider 1 of the following:

• your New Zealand passport
• your New Zealand, Cook Island, Niue or Tokelau birth certificate, and 2 forms of proof that you are the person on the birth certificate
• your New Zealand Certificate of Citizenship and 2 forms of supporting identity documentation — 1 needs to have a photograph of you
• your Descent Registration Certificate and 2 forms of supporting identity documentation — 1 needs to have a photograph of you
• proof you get a social security benefit (except Emergency Benefit) and 2 forms of supporting identity documentation — 1 needs to have your photograph.

Examples of identity documentation include:

• a driver licence
• an 18+ card
• an employment contract
• a rental agreement
• letters addressed to you at your current address.

Time spent overseas does not affect your eligibility as a New Zealand citizen. You may not meet the requirements for primary health organisation enrolment if you are only here temporarily.

Eligibility criteria

You are eligible if you are either:

• an Australian citizen staying for 2 or more years
• a permanent resident of Australia who lives, or intends to live in Aotearoa New Zealand for 2 or more years. The 2 years is a consecutive period, counted from your first day in New Zealand.

If you are visiting Aotearoa from Australia, you are not entitled to publicly funded emergency transport by ambulance.

Proof of eligibility

You will need to show your healthcare provider:

• your valid passport with a current resident visa (including a resident return visa) issued by the Government of Australia
• proof that Aotearoa will be your place of residence for 2 or more years. This can be a work contact, long term rental agreement, ownership or mortgage.

Criteria: B6 and B7, Health and Disability Services Eligibility Direction 2011.

Eligibility criteria

You are eligible if all of these apply:

• you are a United Kingdom (UK) citizen (including England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, the Isle of Man, the Island of Jersey and the Balliwick of Guernsey, comprising the islands of Guernsey, Alderney, Herm, Jethou and Sark)
• you are on a temporary stay in Aotearoa New Zealand (a temporary stay would be any stay that was not permanent, and to become permanent they would need to have a residence class visa or NZ citizenship).

Proof of eligibility

You will need to show your healthcare provider:

• your United Kingdom passport.

Eligibility criteria

You are eligible if you hold a work visa that either lets you stay in Aotearoa New Zealand:

• for 2 years or more (your work visa starts on your first day in Aotearoa)
• for a length of time equal to, or more than, 2 years (including the time you have legally already been here before getting the visa).

Criteria: B5, Health and Disability Services Eligibility Direction 2011.

Proof of eligibility

You will need to show your healthcare provider your valid passport endorsed (stamped) with a current work visa (or work permit), that lets you stay in Aotearoa:

• for 2 years or more (your work visa starts on your first day in Aotearoa)
• for a length of time equal to, or more than, 2 years (including the time you have legally already been here before getting the visa).

Eligibility criteria

You are eligible if you are 17 years old or younger, and are in the care and control of a:

• parent
• legal guardian
• person in the process of legally adopting you or becoming your legal guardian.

They must also be either:

• a New Zealand citizen or permanent resident (B2 and B3)
• an Australian citizen or Australian permanent resident living or planning to live in Aotearoa for 2 years or more (B6, B7)
• an interim visa holder (B4)
• an work visa holder (B5)
• refugee, protected person or victim of people trafficking (B10, B11, B12)
• a New Zealand Aid Programme student (B13)
• in the care and control of the Chief Executive of Oranga Tamariki - Ministry for Children.

Criteria: B16, Health and Disability Services Eligibility Direction 2011.

Proof of eligibility

You will need to show your healthcare provider both of the following:

• proof that you are in the care and control of a parent, guardian, or adopting parent
• proof that your parent, guardian or adopting parent is an eligible person.

You will also need to show them 1 of the following:

• your passport and proof of relationship to your parent, guardian or adopting parent
• your birth certificate (to prove your age and relationship to your parent) and supporting identity documentation
• your birth certificate (to prove your age) and proof of guardianship or that adoption is in process, and supporting identity documentation.

Examples of supporting identity documentation include:

• a drivers license
• a school or tertiary ID
• an employment contract
• a rental agreement
• letters addressed to you at your current address.

Note: Except for maternity services, partners of people eligible for publicly funded health and disability services must themselves meet the eligibility criteria.

Eligibility criteria

If you were eligible for publicly funded health and disability services before you got your interim visa, you are still eligible.

Criteria: B4, Health and Disability Services Eligibility Direction 2011.

Proof of eligibility

You will need to show your healthcare provider the following:

• your interim visa letter and supporting identification to prove that it is yours
• an immigration history from Immigration NZ showing your visas or permits, and the time you have spent in Aotearoa on these
• supporting identity documentation to prove that you are the person on those letters.

Examples of supporting identity documentation include:

• a drivers license
• a school or tertiary ID
• an employment contract
• a rental agreement
• letters addressed to you at your current address.

You may not have to provide these for young tamariki. Check with Immigration NZ.

Immigration NZexternal link

Eligibility criteria

Students

Students are eligible if both of these apply:

• they are studying in Aotearoa under the Manaaki New Zealand Aid Programme (previously New Zealand Aid Programme), and
• they are receiving Official Development Assistance funding through a New Zealand Government Scholarship from Education New Zealand.

Criteria: B13, Health and Disability Services Eligibility Direction 2011.

Whānau members:

Tamariki are eligible if they are in the care and control of a parent or guardian who is studying and they meet the student eligibility criteria above (clause B13, Health and Disability Services Eligibility Direction 2011).

Criteria: B16, Health and Disability Services Eligibility Direction 2011.

You are also eligible if you are the partner of someone who is studying in Aotearoa and they meet the student eligibility criteria above (clause B13, Health and Disability Services Eligibility Direction 2011).

Criteria: B20, Health and Disability Services Eligibility Direction 2011.

Proof of eligibility

Student

If you have a New Zealand Government Scholarship, you will need to show your healthcare provider both:

• your valid passport with a current student permit
• a letter of scholarship offer from Education New Zealand, signed by you.

Whānau members

If you are the tamariki or partner of someone who receives a New Zealand Government Scholarship, you will need to show your healthcare provider both:

• proof of the scholarship recipient's eligibility
• the approval letter from Immigration New Zealand.

Eligibility criteria

You are eligible if you are a student studying in Aotearoa New Zealand under the Commonwealth Scholarship and Fellowship Plan, funded by a New Zealand university.

Criteria: B14, Health and Disability Services Eligibility Direction 2011.

You are eligible if you are a student studying in Aotearoa under the Commonwealth Scholarship, funded by Education New Zealand through the Manaaki New Zealand Aid Programme.

Criteria: B13 and B14, Health and Disability Services Eligibility Direction 2011.

Proof of eligibility

Students

You will need to show your healthcare provider your valid passport with a student permit. You will also need to show 1 of the following:

• documents that prove you are studying in Aotearoa on the Commonwealth Scholarship and Fellowship Plan
• a letter of scholarship offer from Education New Zealand, signed by you.

Partners and tamariki of students studying under the Commonwealth Scholarship and Fellowship Plan, funded by a New Zealand university, are not eligible unless they meet the eligibility criteria in their own right.

Eligibility criteria

You are eligible if you are a foreign language teaching assistant funded by Ministry of Education's Foreign Language Teaching Assistantship Scheme.

Criteria: B15, Health and Disability Services Eligibility Direction 2011

Proof of eligibility

You will need to show your healthcare provider both of these:

• your valid Passport with a work visa, and
• a letter from Tui Tuia — Learning Circle confirming you are participating on this scheme.

Eligibility criteria

You are eligible for if you are either:

• a refugee or protected person
• an applicant for refugee and protection status
• appealing against refusal of refugee or protection status
• a victim or suspected victim of people trafficking offences.

Criteria: B10, B11 and B12, Health and Disability Services Eligibility Direction 2011.

Proof of eligibility

You will need to show your healthcare provider 1 of the following documents:

• a letter from Immigration New Zealand confirming that you have been recognised as a refugee or protected person
• a recent letter from Immigration New Zealand confirming that you have a current application for refugee or protection status
• a recent letter from Immigration New Zealand confirming that you have an appeal before the Immigration and Protection Tribunal for refugee or protection status
• confirmation from the Police stating that you are a victim, or a suspected victim, of a people trafficking offence.

You will also need to show proof that you are the person in the letter. This includes either:

• your Refugee Travel Document issued under the Passport Act 1992
• your Certificate of Identity issued under the Immigration Act 1987.

The type or length of visa held is not relevant to these criteria.