Travel insurance when visiting Hawaii
Stunning scenery, top surf spots, mountainous rainforests, and a laid back lifestyle. Say Aloha to Hawaii!
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From mountainous rainforests and volcanic calderas to its dramatic coastline and iconic surf beaches, Hawaii is great for travellers looking for adventure and relaxation.
Whether you’re looking to get some sun and pure relaxation or aiming for thrills and seek an action-packed adventure, it’s important to choose the right level of coverage. Read the policy wording, browse the World Nomads’ Help Centre, or contact our customer service team to see if what you’re planning to do is covered under your plan.
- What am I covered for?
- Coverage if bags are stolen, damaged or delayed when visiting Hawaii
- What to look out for when travelling around Hawaii?
- Do I need any documents when travelling to Hawaii?
- What's not covered?
What am I covered for?
The USA’s 50th state is a safe and friendly place but the unexpected can still happen. Travel insurance can help if your bags are lost or stolen, if your transport is delayed or if you suffer an injury that lands you in hospital.
World Nomads offers coverage (up to the policy limits) for:
- Emergency overseas medical: the surfing in Hawaii is impressive but not if it ends in an accident. Emergency medical coverage can help when you need urgent medical treatment. Get to a doctor for treatment and medication and you can submit a claim to recover the costs (up to your benefit limit).
- Evacuation: the mountain hikes on Oahu might take you far away from medical facilities. With our coverage, you can get transported to the medical facility best for your care, subject to approval from us.
- Activities cover: we cover more than 150 sports and adventure activities, from ocean kayaking to mountain biking the forest trails on Maui. If your favourite sport isn’t on the list get in touch with our Customer Assistance Team and they will let you know if we cover it. An upgrade for certain activities and sports may be required.
- Trip cancellation: has a sick or injured traveling buddy put a stop to your tropical adventure? Depending on your plan, you may be able to recover your travel expenses.
If you’ve already arrived in Hawaii and you forgot to buy travel insurance before leaving New Zealand, don’t panic. You can visit the World Nomads website at any time of the day or night and purchase a policy.
Coverage if bags are stolen, damaged or delayed when visiting Hawaii
Baggage that’s been delayed, lost or stolen is never a fun thing to deal with when travelling. If you’ve arrived in Honolulu but your bags haven’t or if they’ve been damaged or stolen on public transport, World Nomads baggage insurance can offer you cover for:
- Bags stolen or damaged: as soon as you’ve realised your bags have been stolen or damaged please report it to the relevant authority (carrier, tour operator, accommodation provider). You’ll need their Property Irregularity Report or similar to submit with your claim as well as a police report if stolen. You may be able to get compensation from the transport carrier if your bags were lost in transit and you’ll need to show you’ve attempted this if you decide to put in a claim. Where there is no compensation by the carrier, there is cover for the value of your belongings after allowing for wear, tear and depreciation.
- Bags delayed: if your checked-in baggage is delayed for more than 12 hours, there is cover to replace those essential items and toiletries while you wait for your bags to arrive.
What to look out for when travelling to Hawaii?
If you want to visit historic Pearl Harbour on Oahu and also tackle Volcanoes National Park on Hawaii Island, you’ll have flights and transports to navigate between islands.
While mostly idyllic, sometimes Hawaii experiences severe weather, flash flooding and volcanic activity. If adverse weather affects your connecting transport, or a natural disaster occurs and you cannot use your booked accommodation, you may be covered for the related expenses to find other transport or accommodation.
Hawaii offers plenty of ocean-based activities like windsurfing, scuba diving or kayaking. But you don’t want to be left out of pocket if you have an accident and need medical help or even worse, if you have to be repatriated back home to New Zealand.
For injuries where treatment costs are not expected to exceed NZD$2,000, you can submit your receipts for reimbursement. If you are hospitalised or if your treatment expenses as an outpatient are likely to go above NZD$2,000, you must call our 24/7 Emergency Assistance Team first to confirm cover and they will liaise with the hospital on your behalf to arrange payments.
There are many outdoor activities, sports, and experiences that are automatically covered and available on the Standard Plan. But, if you’re feeling extra adventurous, you can upgrade your level of cover for adventure sports and activities.
Do I need any documents when travelling to Hawaii?
You may need to apply for the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) travel authorization system when travelling to Hawaii. The ESTA is an automated system that assists in determining eligibility to travel to the United States under the Visa Waiver Program (VWP) and whether such travel poses any law enforcement or security risk. Upon completion of an ESTA application, a traveller is notified of his or her eligibility to travel to the United States under the VWP.
Please refer to the ESTA website to confirm your visa requirements as they are subject to change.
Our travel insurance plans include emergency medical and repatriation cover if you get sick with Coronavirus while travelling (benefit limits apply and vary between plans). It’s always a good idea to wear a face mask when visiting any of Hawaii’s popular hotspots but if you do get sick, contact the 24/7 Emergency Assistance Team so they can help direct you to local medical facilities if needed and help you understand your options.
Our Explorer Plan also has a Coronavirus Travel Costs benefit for certain events. You can check out our Coronavirus cover article which has all of the details, including terms and conditions, benefit limits and exclusions.
What's not covered?
Travel insurance is not designed to cover everything. Some things we don’t cover include:
- Unattended baggage or personal items, including any items left in a locked car overnight.
- Any existing medical conditions which are not listed as an automatically covered pre-existing medical condition as per your Policy Document. Check your Policy Document carefully.
- If you do not use a professional, qualified and licensed guide and operator for activities where required.
- If you don’t follow your doctor’s instructions or what we or the 24/7 Emergency Assistance Team advise you to do.
- The policy excess per person per insured event where applicable (check the Summary of Benefits in your Policy Document).
This is only a summary of coverage and does not include the full terms, conditions, limitations and exclusions of the policy. You should read your Policy Document in full, so you understand what is and isn’t covered. That way there won’t be any surprises if you need to use it. If you have any questions, please get in touch.
The information provided is of a general nature and is provided for information purposes only. It does not constitute financial advice in any form and should not be relied on as a substitute for obtaining professional advice that is specific to your circumstances. You should seek advice from a financial advice provider if you would like further information about whether a particular product is appropriate for you and your circumstances.
About World Nomads
World Nomads polices are designed by travelers for travelers to provide simple and flexible travel insurance. Featuring coverage for more than 150 activities, you can get a quote, claim, or extend your policy online at www.worldnomads.com. All the information we provide about travel insurance is a brief summary only. It does not include all terms, conditions, limitations, exclusions, and termination provisions of the travel insurance plans described. Coverage may not be available for residents of all countries, states or provinces. Please carefully read your policy wording for a full description of coverage.
Travel insurance tip: never leave your bags and valuables out of your sight and reach. Try and carry your portable electronic devices, jewellery, specified high value items, travel documents, cash and credit cards with you at all times. If you can’t, leave them in a secure place such as a locked safe. If you buy anything, before or during your trip, remember to keep all receipts.
Traveller tip: the Pacific Ocean can be dangerous, especially around Kauai. Check the daily ocean report before choosing which beach to visit.
Travel insurance tip: to avoid any surprises when making a claim, it’s a smart idea to become familiar with the various limits, benefits, available upgrades, terms and conditions before you buy a policy.
Travel Insurance Benefits: how we can take care of you
Trip Cancellation
Protect your trip from unexpected cancellation.
- Explorer Plan: Unlimited
- Standard Plan: $5,000
Trip Protection
- Unexpectedly hospitalised?
- Travel buddy unfit to travel?
- Been made redundant?
We’ve got your back.
Emergency Medical Overseas
Take the pain out of medical costs.
- Explorer Plan: Unlimited
- Standard Plan: $5,000,000
Emergency Medical Insurance
- Need meds quick?
- Accidentally injured?
- Suddenly sick?
We’ve got your back.
Emergency Medical Transport
We'll get you to hospital in a flash
- Explorer Plan: Unlimited
- Standard Plan: $500,000
Evacuation and Repatriation
- Banged up abroad?
- Need a hospital urgently?
- Medivac home?
Help starts here.
Protect your gear
Cover your stolen or damaged gear and tech.
- Explorer Plan: $10,000
- Standard Plan: $2,000
Protect your gear
- Passport or tech stolen?
- Airline lost your gear?
- Bags delayed?
Help starts here.
- Overseas Medical Expenses
- Emergency dental treatment
- 24 hour assistance
- Emergency medical transport & repatriation
- Cancellation costs
- Trip interruption costs
- Compassionate emergency visit home
- Resumption of trip
- Theft or accidental damage to baggage and personal items
- Baggage delay over 12 hours
- Funeral expenses overseas or repatriation of remains
- Personal liability
24/7 emergency assistance
If you need medical assistance or emergency medical evacuation our team is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year before and during your trip.
Are you in need of emergency assistance right now?
From New Zealand & Overseas:
+61 2 8263 0470 or
+61 2 8292 1470
(reverse charges via an operator from anywhere in the world)
Within Australia (Free call): 1800 611 210
Before your trip, check the latest government advice for any travel alerts for your destination.