Becoming ill after arriving in Aotearoa

Key points about becoming ill after arriving in Aotearoa New Zealand

It’s always exciting when friends or family visit you from overseas – especially if you haven’t seen them for a long time.
But that excitement can quickly turn to disappointment if they become sick after they arrive.
Who wants a planned trip to a beautiful location in Aotearoa to turn into an unplanned trip to the doctor?
And for Kiwis and visitors returning from overseas, it can be a total downer to be struck down with an illness after coming home.
This page provides information about what to do if this happens to you when you get back home or to somebody visiting you from another country.

3 friends leaning on a bridge railing outdoors in nature

Diseases can be picked up overseas but symptoms may not appear until touching down in Aotearoa. Some tropical diseases and infections can become serious quite quickly and may be life threatening. And with a COVID-19 pandemic, it's particularly important to watch out for symptoms in the first few weeks after you arrive back in the country.

Woman wearing mask and sneezing pushing trolley at airport

Image credit: Canva

1. Firstly, find out what happens for people arriving into Aotearoa New Zealand from overseas(external link).

Diseases can be picked up overseas but symptoms may not appear until touching down in Aotearoa. Some tropical diseases and infections can become serious quickly and may be life threatening. With COVID-19 circulating, it's particularly important to watch out for symptoms in the first few weeks after you arrive back in the country.

If at any point you develop any flu-like symptoms, including fever, cough or shortness of breath, phone your GP or Healthline 0800 611 116.

2. Seek medical advice as soon as possible

With the current COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak, as soon as you become ill, call your GP clinic or free phone Healthline on 800 611 116 for advice. Don't turn up without phoning first.

3. Explain your travel history

Make sure you explain in detail where you have been overseas and what activities you’ve taken part in, eg, visiting a farm or snorkelling.

4. Describe all your symptoms

It’s important to describe in detail all of your symptoms. Tell the doctor if you have one or more of the following symptoms:

any COVID-19 symptoms
fever
difficulty breathing
ongoing coughing
ongoing diarrhoea
ongoing vomiting
skin rash
bruising or bleeding without injury
confusion
looking obviously unwell.

5. Reduce the risk of illness spreading

If someone you know becomes ill after arriving in the country, you can reduce the risk of catching the illness by avoiding contact with them where possible. If you are the person who becomes ill, you can minimise the risk of spreading it by:

keeping yourself away from others
covering your mouth when coughing or sneezing
using disposable tissues to blow your nose
washing your hands frequently, including after the above
not sharing food, drinks or utensils (knives, forks, chopsticks, spoons, bowls, plates, straws, pens, pencils, toothbrushes etc).

Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora has issued health advice cards(external link) for people who get sick within one month of arriving in New Zealand. They are available in multiple languages: English, Māori, Arabic, Chinese, Czech, Dutch, Farsi, French, Hebrew, Hindi, German, Greek, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Malay, Portuguese, Punjabi, Russian, Samoan, Spanish, Thai, Tongan and Vietnamese.

Travel health topics
COVID-19 | Mate korona outbreak