Types of Ski Insurance Cover

Understanding what each type of ski insurance cover provides — and why you need it.

Medical & Evacuation Cover

Emergency medical and hospital cover, including helicopter rescue from ski fields. The most important element of any ski insurance policy.

Why you need it: A ski injury requiring surgery in Japan, Canada, or Switzerland can cost $30,000–$200,000. Without unlimited medical cover, you bear these costs personally.

Cover for lost, stolen, or damaged ski and snowboard equipment, including hire costs if your gear is unavailable.

Why you need it: Modern ski setups can cost $1,500–$4,000. Lost airline luggage, theft at a resort, or damage during transport can destroy a trip without appropriate cover.

Financial compensation when ski lifts are closed due to insufficient snow, bad weather, or avalanche risk, disrupting your planned ski holiday.

Why you need it: You've flown 12,000km and paid for a ski holiday — if the lifts are closed for three days due to poor snow, piste closure cover provides meaningful compensation.

Cover for non-refundable trip costs if you need to cancel, cut short, or significantly alter your ski holiday due to covered events.

Why you need it: A ski holiday involves significant non-refundable costs — flights, accommodation, lift passes, hire equipment. An injury before departure without cancellation cover means losing all of this.

Specialist cover for skiing and snowboarding on ungroomed terrain outside marked resort boundaries, including avalanche rescue.

Why you need it: Standard snow sports add-ons exclude off-piste. Avalanche rescue from backcountry terrain can cost $20,000–$50,000. Without off-piste cover, you bear this entirely.

An annual policy that covers multiple ski trips in a 12-month period, providing comprehensive protection for regular ski travellers.

Why you need it: If you ski more than twice a year — NZ ski season plus Japan or Europe — an annual policy is almost always more cost-effective than purchasing individual trip policies.