The New Zealand insurance ombudsman has warned travellers to be mindful of overseas entry requirements after a rise in disputes concerning missing or incorrect documents.  

Insurance & Financial Services Ombudsman Scheme boss Karen Stevens says travellers face changing entry requirements to Britain and other European nations.  

New Zealanders travelling to the UK without a visa or other immigration status now need an electronic travel authorisation. And European Union nations will soon require visitors to have European Travel Information and Authorisation System approval.  

Ms Stevens says errors “can prove costly for travellers” because many travel policies exclude expenses arising from not having an appropriate entry visa.  

She highlights two recent insurance dispute rulings that went against travellers.  

One involved a man whose flight to Bali was altered to include an eight-hour transit through Australia, requiring a transit visa.

After failing to get the visa, he was prevented from checking in and boarding his plane. The airline refunded his ticket, but he was forced to pay for a new flight, which his insurer refused to cover.  

The second case involved a couple who had to buy new flight tickets after a visa office put an incorrect date of birth on one of their documents. The ombudsman backed the couple’s insurer in denying their claim.  

Ms Stevens says the guidelines for such policy exclusions are strict.  

“It’s a shame when people’s big travel plans get affected by small mistakes,” she said.

“It’s important to thoroughly check visa requirements for the countries you are travelling through, and double check your travel documents are correct, as you can’t rely on travel insurance covering expenses incurred from not having the appropriate visa.”