Visas · head to headCover-More vs Southern Cross Travel Insurance
Cover-More vs Southern Cross Travel Insurance
Compared on eligibility rather than price: who each will actually accept. Australia's big name: proper medical screening, insures to 99, and sells mid-trip. The Kiwi default, with a rare five-year working-overseas product. Buy before you leave.
The rules side by side
| Rule | Cover-MoreSingle trip / Annual | Southern Cross Travel InsuranceInternational Comprehensive / Working Overseas |
|---|---|---|
| Who can buy it | Set list of countriesResidency-gated per market site: Australia, New Zealand, the UK, Malaysia, India and the USA each have their own storefront and rules. | Set list of countriesNew Zealand permanent residents on the NZ site, Australian residents on the AU site. |
| Buy after you have left home | Yes“If you purchase this policy on your trip after leaving home, this cover is subject to a 3 day no-cover period.” | NoThe policy wording requires that you have not already left New Zealand when you buy. |
| Maximum age | 99Single trip accepts up to 99 subject to acceptance criteria. Annual multi-trip is under 75. | No capNo overall maximum stated, though the personal accident benefit runs 16 to 80. |
| One-way or open-ended trips | With conditionsNot available self-serve online: they ask you to contact them to discuss one-way cover. | NoYou must intend to return to New Zealand: it is an eligibility criterion. |
| Longest trip | 12 monthsTwelve months on a single trip. | 12 monthsTwelve months including extensions. The separate Working Overseas policy runs up to 60 months. |
| Pre-existing conditions | YesFull online medical assessment inside the quote flow with an instant outcome for most people, plus a list of automatically included conditions. | YesMandatory online medical assessment with a three-year lookback. A diagnosis is not required for something to count. |
| Cover in the USA | YesIncluded in the worldwide region; unlimited overseas emergency medical is their hallmark. | YesIncluded in worldwide cover. |
| Schengen visa certificate | NoNot marketed for Schengen visas. | NoNot marketed for Schengen visas. |
| Winter sports | With conditionsVia the snow sports add-on. | With conditionsSnow sports via add-on. |
| Scuba diving | With conditionsWithin the activity rules; check the PDS for depth limits. | With conditionsCheck the wording for depth limits. |
| High-altitude trekking | With conditionsCheck the PDS for altitude limits. | With conditionsCheck the wording for altitude limits. |
| Scooters and motorbikes | With conditionsOptional motorcycle and moped add-on; licence and engine-size conditions are in the PDS. | With conditionsOptional moped and motorbike add-on capped at 200cc, or 15kW electric, with the correct licence class. Includes pillion passengers and motorbike taxis. |
| Working abroad | With conditionsA business policy exists; manual-work exclusions not verified. | With conditionsThe standard policy covers non-manual office and conference work only. There is a separate Working Overseas policy for people actually working. |
| Trip cancellation | YesSelectable cancellation limit in the quote flow. | YesBase NZ$2,500 with options up to unlimited. |
| Families | YesFamily policies with children often included. | YesFamily policies available. |
| No fixed country of residence | NoEach storefront requires residence in that market. | NoResidency in NZ or Australia required. |
Both columns are generated from the same rule database the checker uses. Sources: Cover-More and Southern Cross Travel Insurance, checked 2026-08-03.
Who each one suits
- Cover-More makes sense when you have already left home, or you are comfortably under 99.
- Southern Cross Travel Insurance makes sense when age is the constraint that usually blocks you.
Both columns come from the same rule database the checker uses. Sources: Cover-More and Southern Cross Travel Insurance, checked 2026-08-03.