HealthInfo Waitaha Canterbury
Free GP care for resettled refugees
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If you're a former refugee and you live in Canterbury, you may be able to have free (no cost) GP or nurse visits (consultations) for your first five years in New Zealand.
Eligibility
You can access free GP or nurse visits if you arrived in New Zealand as a:
- quota refugee
- family support or reunification refugee
- community sponsorship refugee
- convention refugee
- asylum seeker, with a letter of acknowledgement of your application.
You'll also need to:
- have been in New Zealand as a refugee for less than five years
- have a valid Community Services Card
- be enrolled with a Canterbury GP practice
- be at least 14 years old.
Children under 14 do not have to pay to see a GP or nurse under the Zero fees for under-14s scheme.
Accessing free GP visits
To access this service, please bring these documents to the receptionist of your GP practice:
- your Immigration New Zealand letter or Immigration and Protection Tribunal letter to prove your refugee status and show that you've been in New Zealand for less than five years
- your passport or Certificate of Identity
- your valid Community Services Card.
You will not be eligible for free GP visits if:
- you've been in New Zealand for longer than five years
- you're on a work visa, partnership visa or student visa
- you do not have a valid community services card.
When you might need to pay for care
If you're eligible, you will not have to pay for your visits with the GP or nurse, but you might have to pay for:
- treatments or procedures
- prescription fees at the pharmacy for medications.
You can always ask your GP, nurse or pharmacist how much you will have to pay.
If the cost is a problem for you, talk to your GP or nurse or contact refugee.health@pegasus.org.nz.
Support for other health costs
Work and Income (WINZ) subsidies may also be available to you to help with your health costs including dental care and glasses.
You can talk to Work and Income in Māori, Arabic, Cantonese, Farsi, Hindi, Khmer, Mandarin, Punjabi, Samoan and Tongan.
If you've been in New Zealand for less than three years as a refugee and you have a valid Community Services Card, you may be eligible for help with dental costs. Ask your Nurse or GP to refer you to a Partnership Community Worker or email refugee.health@pegasus.org.nz.
Finding GP care
All GP practices in Canterbury offer free consultations to eligible former refugees. Find a practice where you feel comfortable. You can change GP practice if you move homes or if you want to change. There is no cost to move to another GP practice. If you're having problems finding a GP practice, email refugee.health@pegasus.org.nz.
If you do not speak English
You can have a free (no cost) and confidential professional interpreter for your appointment. Ask the receptionist about this when you book your appointment.
Written by HealthInfo clinical advisers. Last reviewed February 2022.
See also:
Communication cards in multiple languages
Getting medical help if you are new to Canterbury
Review key: HIMRH-125055
