1. For emergencies and accidents

Do I need to pay for this ambulance?

• Yes: If you’re being treated and/or transported in an ambulance because of a medical emergency, there is a part charge you have to pay – even if someone else calls the ambulance for you.
• No: If you have an accident related injury, that is covered by the Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC) for ambulance transport within 24 hours of the injury and if the injury meets ACC criteria.
• Yes: If you have an accident related injury that is more than 24 hours old or injuries that do not meet ACC criteria, you need to pay the part charge.

Why do I need to pay a part charge?

Our Ambulance Services are not fully Government funded. Contracts with the Ministry of Health, ACC and District Health Boards (DHBs) fund just under 80% of our Ambulance Service direct operating costs.The shortfall is made up from:

• payment of part charges
• community donations, fundraising and revenue from our
• commercial activities.

We are a charity and we rely on financial and voluntary support to helpfund the services we provide to your community.

Ambulance part charges are a necessary and important contribution to help us continue all that we do.

How much do I pay? 

Do I pay a part charge if I am from overseas?

• Yes: If you are from the Cook Islands, Niue or Tokelau.
• Yes: If you are a work visa holder eligible to be in NZ for two years or more.
• Yes: If you are a UK citizen normally living in the UK and visiting NZ.

Please check www.moh.govt.nz/eligibility for full details.

What if my situation doesn’t match one of those options?

If your situation does not match any of the options listed above you’re not eligible for NZ publicly funded health services and so need to pay the full cost of the ambulance transport.

How do I pay?

We will post you an invoice and details of how you can pay it.

* Please note: charges are correct as of 1 April 2013 and may be subject to increase.

Increases will be published on the St John website www.stjohn.org.nz.

Please see the Ministry of Health website http://www.health.govt.nz

2. For non-emergencies (private hire) – where you book and use an ambulance

There is a charge for the following non-emergency (private hire) ambulance transports:

• to or from a private address (including rest homes)
• to or from a hospital (if not hospital authorised)
• discharge from hospital.

These transports are not covered by Government funding and incur a full charge. How much you are charged is based on the kilometres travelled.

3. Hospital transfers

The cost of ambulance transport ordered by a DHB will be met by the DHB. If transport is ordered by you and not the DHB then there will be a private hire charge to pay (see above).

View the ambulance part charges brochure>>