Health advice

On this page, you’ll find some general advice about how to be prepared to stay healthy while you travel. You should consult your doctor for advice about your specific circumstances.

Get ready to travel

Do your research

Before you travel anywhere, you should do some research to understand the local conditions and how they could affect your health.

Some things to look into:

• Standard of hygiene
• Sanitation
• Water quality
• Air quality
• Access to prescription medication
• Medical care facilities, including emergency care
• Vaccination requirements
• Managing in hot and cold conditions.

The local health authorities should have information for travellers. Health New Zealand also has advice on keeping healthy while travelling. Find out more on the Health New Zealand website.

Also, read:

• Our travel advice about your destination, which includes health information on the common diseases present in the country, known outbreaks (such as measles, dengue fever, influenza, rabies, zika), and the precautions you should take while there. 
• Medical tourism.

Talk to your doctor

Your doctor can give advice about your health and whether you should travel, especially if you:

• Are an older traveller
• Have a pre-existing condition
• Are immunocompromised
• Will be travelling while pregnant.

Your doctor can also advise on protecting yourself from other risks, like:

• Deep vein thrombosis from long-haul flights
• Insect-borne illnesses
• Food and water-borne illnesses
• Environmental risks, like altitude or temperature
• The right vaccinations you should have before you go.

Ensure your vaccinations are up to date, including influenza (flu).

Medication and supplies

When preparing for your travel, don’t forget to have plenty of essential medications and other supplies. Pack essential medication in your hand luggage in case your checked bag gets lost. Check whether you need to have a medical certificate to travel with your prescription medication.

Travel with a first aid kit that includes:

• Sunscreen
• Insect repellent
• Painkillers
• Antiseptic cream
• Waterproof plasters.

Put your first aid kit in your checked bag, especially if you have sharp items such as scissors.

Travel insurance and ACC

Don’t travel without travel insurance. If you are sick or injured while travelling and you don’t have insurance, you will have to pay for your medical care. Buy travel insurance, and make sure it covers the activities you have planned, including if you plan to have any medical procedures, and your current medical conditions.

Find out more on our travel insurance page and medical tourism page.

If you are injured overseas and need treatment after you return to New Zealand, it might be covered by Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC). You may need to advise ACC within a certain timeframe of your accident or injury. ACC does not cover treatment overseas.

Find out more on the ACC website.

Staying healthy while away

Things to help you stay healthy

Some things help you stay healthy while you are away:

• Consider wearing a well-fitting mask when you are in close contact with others – particularly in crowded indoor spaces.
• Wash hands frequently and dry thoroughly, especially before eating and after contact with animals, their products and their environments. It can be useful to carry hand sanitiser (at least 60% alcohol) in case you do not have access to soap, hot water and a clean towel.
• Avoid contact with animals, especially bats, pigs, monkeys and stray animals. Avoid areas where bats roost and avoid touching anything that could be soiled by bats.
• Do not share drinks or leave your drinks unsupervised.
• Cover your mouth and nose when you cough or sneeze.
• Only drink bottled water, or water that you know has been treated, including to clean your teeth.
• Use ice made only from purified or disinfected water.
• Avoid high risk foods, such as undercooked meats, unpasteurised milk or cheese.
• Avoid raw vegetables and unpeeled fruit, unless you know these have been prepared safely, with clean water. 
• If you are vomiting (throwing up) or have diarrhoea, or have been caring for someone who has these symptoms, dispose safely, or clean, all soiled items and regularly wash your hands.
• Make smart drink choices.  See below for advice on Methanol poisoning.
• If you get sick, always seek health advice if your symptoms are severe or last for a long time.
• Know how to manage in severe hot and cold conditions - see below for managing in hot and cold conditions.

Food and water-borne diseases

Food and water‑borne diseases happen when germs get into what we eat or drink. Most people recover at home, but some infections can be more serious. 

• Campylobacter is a water and foodborne illness caused by bacteria. If you eat food or water that has campylobacter in it, you can become unwell with diarrhoea and stomach pains.
• Ciguatera fish poisoning is an illness caused by eating fish containing toxins from a certain type of algae in warmer oceans.
• Cryptosporidium (also called crypto) is a parasite found in the gut of infected people and animals. It is caused by the cryptosporidium parasite and is passed on in the poo (faeces) of infected humans and animals. People become infected when they swallow the parasites.
• E. coli (Escherichia coli) is a group of bacteria (germs). E. coli normally live in the gut of healthy people and animals. Most types of E. coli are harmless. But some can cause diarrhoea (gastroenteritis).
• Gastroenteritis is a term used to describe the combination of diarrhoea, nausea (with or without vomiting), stomach pain and fever. Gastroenteritis is usually caused by an infection in the stomach and intestines. It is highly infectious, and large numbers of people can be affected in a short amount of time.
• Giardia is a parasite (living thing) found in the guts of people and animals such as cattle, sheep, cats and dogs. It is also found in infected water such as lakes and streams. You can get giardia (or giardiasis) if you swallow contaminated water. Giardia can cause vomiting and diarrhoea (gastroenteritis).
• Hepatitis A is an infectious liver disease caused by a virus common in developing countries. Ask your healthcare provider if you need the vaccine before travelling.
• Listeria is a food-borne bacteria that can make you sick. Infection with listeria bacteria is called listeriosis. In healthy adults and children listeria usually causes few or no symptoms. But some people are more at risk of severe disease.
• Norovirus is a virus that causes vomiting and diarrhoea (gastroenteritis). It is very infectious, meaning it spreads very easily. You can catch norovirus by eating contaminated food or water or by touching contaminated surfaces. You can also catch it by breathing in droplets from a person who has vomited.
• Paratyphoid fever, also known as enteric fever, is a bacterial infection that can spread throughout the body and is easy to pass on to others. Paratyphoid is usually mild. Serious cases may require hospitalisation.
• Salmonella infection is a type of food poisoning that can cause diarrhoea and stomach cramps. Salmonella is caused by bacteria which live in the intestines of people, birds, and animals. When a person, bird, or animal is infected they pass the bacteria out in their poo (faeces). This can then contaminate food, drinking water and make you sick if you swallow or drink it.
• Shigellosis can cause diarrhoea and stomach cramps. It is caused by the shigella bacteria. You can get it from contaminated food or drinking water. 
• Typhoid fever is a bacterial infection that can make you very ill and is very easy to pass on to others. Without quick treatment, it can make you very ill or cause death.
• Vibrio parahaemolyticus is a bacteria that causes gastroenteritis. Common symptoms can include diarrhoea, fever and nausea. You are most likely to catch it from eating raw seafood that has been contaminated or not stored at the proper temperature.
• Yersiniosis is a bacterial infection that can cause acute stomach illness. Yersiniosis is not usually serious and most people recover quickly. It is caused by infection with 'Yersinia pseudotuberculosis' or 'Yersinia enterocolitica'.

Read our health advice for the destinations you are travelling as some destinations are higher risk than others.  

For more information on causes, symptoms, treatment and prevention see Health New Zealand's advice on Food and water-borne diseases.

Infectious diseases

See the health advice for your destination as this includes some infectious diseases present in the country, when a disease outbreak has occurred, and the precautions you should take while there.  Ensure your vaccinations are up to date before you go.  

Read our advice on infectious diseases you may encounter.

Mosquito-borne illness prevention

See the health advice for your destinations.  If you are travelling to a country which has mosquito-borne viruses, it is important that you read and follow our advice about mosquito-borne illness prevention. 

Further information about mosquito-borne viruses can be found here.

Drink spiking - methanol poisoning

What is Methanol poisoning

Methanol is colourless, odourless and highly toxic if consumed. This makes it difficult to detect in contaminated alcoholic drinks. As little as one shot can be fatal and a couple teaspoons can cause blindness. Methanol can be added to drinks or accidentally created during poor quality alcohol distillation and production.

Where is the risk

Methanol poisoning can be a risk in popular destinations in Asia, Latin America, the Middle East, Africa, and Eastern Europe.

Symptoms

A hangover that's worse than it should be, or gets worse over time, is a warning sign. Symptoms can take 12-24 hours to show. If left untreated, symptoms typically evolve into visual disturbances, coma, brain damage, and death.

Symptoms of methanol poisoning include:

• fatigue
• headaches
• dizziness and vertigo
• nausea
• abdominal pain
• breathlessness or hyperventilation, increasing in severity
• vision problems.

Vision problems may include:

• blindness, blurred or snowfield vision
• changes in colour perception
• difficulty looking at bright lights
• dilated pupils
• flashes of light
• tunnel vision.

Treatment

Act quickly if you suspect you or someone you're travelling with has been poisoned. Seek urgent medical care, this could save your life or save you from permanent disability. Ensure you report suspected cases of methanol poisoning to the police.

Avoiding methanol poisoning while travelling

As methanol is colourless and odourless, it is difficult to detect in contaminated alcoholic drinks.

Drinking at reputable establishments reduces the risk of methanol poisoning but doesn't eliminate it.

The best way to protect yourself is to make smart drink choices:

• Drink branded beers, ciders, wines and premixed cocktails in sealed bottles and cans - check seals for tampering. 
• Be careful of spirit and liqueur-based drinks such as cocktails, on the rocks, buckets, jugs and shots.
• Be suspicious of unusually cheap drinks claiming to use branded spirits. Labels on bottles aren't always accurate; they may be counterfeit.
• Don't drink:
  • from unlabelled bottles
  • free or 'complimentary' shots
  • homemade, streetside or 'bootleg' alcohol.
• If in doubt, don't drink it at all!

Severe hot and cold conditions

Extreme hot weather

Some destinations experience extreme heat or heatwaves especially during the summer months. 

Prolonged exposure to high temperatures can make you feel unwell and may lead to heat exhaustion, as your body works harder to regulate its temperature. Heat stroke occurs when the body can no longer control its temperature and it rises to a dangerously high level, requiring urgent medical attention. 

If you are travelling during periods of extreme heat, plan your activities to avoid the hottest part of the day. If you need to be outdoors, take frequent breaks and stay in shaded or air-conditioned areas whenever possible.

Drink plenty of water throughout the day, even if you do not feel thirsty, and avoid alcohol, which can contribute to dehydration. Protect yourself by wearing sunscreen, a wide-brimmed hat and sunglasses. Choose loose-fitting, lightweight, light-coloured clothing to help keep cool.

Avoid strenuous outdoor activities, such as hiking or cycling, during extreme heat, especially if you are not accustomed to high temperatures or regular physical activity.

Seek emergency medical attention if you or your travelling companion begin to experience signs of heatstroke:

• sudden high body temperature (40 degrees celsius or higher)
• hot, red, dry skin, possibly with no sweat
• fast, strong pulse and shallow breathing
• headache, dizziness, nausea
• confusion, slurred speech
• aggressive or strange behaviour
• seizures or losing consciousness.

See the Health New Zealand website for more information on preventing heat exhaustion and heat stroke, and what to do if things go wrong.

Severe cold conditions

Severe winter weather can bring extreme cold, heavy snow, blizzards, freezing rain and whiteouts. Aside from impacting air travel and road travel, it can bring serious health and safety risks if you're not prepared. If you travel to a destination during a season when severe weather is likely, be prepared. 

Before you go read our advice on Get ready to travel and what to do in a natural disaster or severe weather event.  Ensure you have packed appropriately, monitor local media and weather reports, and always follow the advice of local authorities and your hotel or resort management. 

For more information on managing in extremely cold conditions and the possible health risks, see Extreme cold - Canada.ca.

Medical tourism

If you are thinking about travelling to another country for a medical procedure, it is important that you do your research before you go. Start by reading our advice on Medical tourism.

Travelling with specific conditions

Mental health

Taking a trip can be a great experience for your mental health, but it can also cause stress and anxiety and have other negative effects.

If you have any mental health conditions, talk to your doctor or relevant healthcare professionals before you go. Work with them to create a plan for how to keep yourself well and what to do if things go wrong. Share this plan with your whānau or the people you’re travelling with.

Your healthcare professional can write you a letter that explains your conditions, medications, and their own contact details.

Don’t forget to declare mental health conditions when you buy travel insurance to make sure all your conditions are covered by your insurance policy.

Disabilities

Travellers with disabilities will have extra things to consider when they go abroad, like accessibility.

Find our advice on the People with disabilities page.