Uni - Care

What Uni - Care does

Uni-Care is a New Zealand-based specialist insurance brand that provides travel and medical insurance policies to inbound international visitors. Founded in 1991 and headquartered in Auckland, the company operates as a trading brand under Arthur J. Gallagher & Co (NZ) Limited (FSP 39921), itself part of the global Gallagher insurance brokerage group following the 2014 acquisition of Crombie Lockwood. Uni-Care issues four core products: the NZ Student Plan for international students meeting Immigration NZ student visa requirements, the NZ Visitor Plan for working holiday and visitor visa holders, the Australasian Plan for travellers moving between Australia and New Zealand, and the Parent Boost Visa Insurance Plan for parents visiting under the Immigration NZ Parent Boost Visa scheme. Policies are underwritten primarily by nib nz limited (S&P A Strong), with the Parent Boost Visa cover underwritten by UniMed (AM Best A Excellent), and coverage includes emergency medical care, hospitalisation, personal effects, repatriation, and travel disruption.

The technology stack is a conventional online insurance platform centred on the apply.uni-care.org quoting and policy issuance portal, an agent self-service portal that supports large group applications and renewals, an online pre-existing medical condition declaration workflow that routes to underwriting review, and a digital claims submission process handled by nib. Distribution is multi-channel: a network of education providers (schools, polytechnics, universities, language schools) and travel agents issue policies on behalf of clients, supplemented by direct online sales and a contact centre. Marketing and lead generation run primarily through these education-provider and travel-agent referral partnerships, with brand reinforcement via the parent Gallagher broker network.

Uni-Care generates revenue through recurring and one-off insurance premiums across its four plans, with pricing quote-based rather than publicly disclosed. The customer base spans international students, working holiday and visitor visa holders, Australasian travellers, and parents on the Parent Boost Visa, with operations in New Zealand and select coverage across Australia and Pacific Island markets plus Indonesia. Uni-Care holds no standalone funding, has no disclosed headcount, and operates within the regulatory perimeter set by Immigration New Zealand and the Education Code of Practice 2021.

Name

Uni - Care

Legal name

Arthur J. Gallagher & Co (NZ) Limited

Website

https://uni-care.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1991

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Uni-Care is a New Zealand specialist insurer providing travel and medical insurance to international students, visitors, working holiday makers, and Parent Boost Visa holders, operating as a brand under Arthur J. Gallagher & Co (NZ) Limited with policies underwritten by nib nz limited.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Travel and Medical Insurance

NAICS

Insurance Carriers (5241), Insurance Carriers and Related Activities (524), Direct Life, Health, and Medical Insurance Carriers (52411)

SIC

Accident & Health Insurance (6321), Fire, Marine & Casualty Insurance (6331), Insurance Agents, Brokers & Service (6411)

akta.pro primary industry

International Student Health & Travel Insurance (EDAIAMAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Medical Travel Insurance (Emergency Medical, Evacuation & Repatriation) (FSAJAJAB), Student & Study-Abroad Travel/Accident Insurance (FSAJAJAJ), Student Health Insurance (Individual) (FSAIAEAJ), International / Expatriate Group Health Plans (FSAIAFAJ)

Keywords

• Visitor health insurance
• International student insurance
• Travel medical insurance
• Parent boost visa insurance
• Working holiday insurance

Headquarters

HQ city

Auckland

HQ country

New Zealand

HQ region

Oceania

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Travel Insurance Premiums: Uni-Care generates revenue through insurance premiums paid by policyholders. The company offers multiple insurance plans: NZ Student Plan, NZ Visitor Plan, Australasian Plan, and Parent Boost Visa Insurance. Premiums are recurring based on policy duration and coverage selected. Policies are underwritten by nib nz limited.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Uni-Care sells travel and medical insurance plans to inbound visitors to New Zealand: the NZ Student Plan for international students, the NZ Visitor Plan for working holiday and visitor visa holders, the Australasian Plan for travellers to Australia or New Zealand, and the Parent Boost Visa Insurance Plan for parents visiting under that visa class. All policies include emergency medical care, personal effects coverage, travel disruption protection, and 24/7 emergency assistance. Plans are designed to meet Immigration New Zealand visa requirements and the Education Code of Practice 2021.

Product overview

Uni-Care offers four distinct travel and medical insurance plans designed for international visitors to New Zealand: the NZ Student Plan for international students meeting visa requirements, the NZ Visitor Plan for visitors and working holiday travellers, the Australasian Plan covering both Australia and New Zealand, and the Parent Boost Visa Insurance Plan for parents visiting under the Parent Boost Visa. All plans provide emergency medical care, cover for personal effects, and travel disruption protection. The company has been providing travel and medical insurance for visitors to New Zealand for 35 years, with policies underwritten by nib nz limited.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• NZ Student Plan Comprehensive travel and medical insurance for international students studying in New Zealand, covering medical care, temporary visits home (up to 3 months), unexpected return home, and personal effects up to $15,000. No excess on medical claims. For students aged 60 or under. Meets Immigration NZ student visa requirements.
• NZ Visitor Plan Comprehensive travel and medical insurance for travellers visiting, working or temporarily living in New Zealand on a working holiday or visitor visa. Covers medical care, luggage/personal effects, and travel disruption. For visa holders aged 65 or less, with cover extending to up to 2 adults and 5 children.
• Australasian Plan Comprehensive travel and medical cover for travellers visiting, studying, working or temporarily residing in Australia or New Zealand. Covers medical care, personal effects up to $30,000 ($2,500 per item limit), unexpected return home, loss of deposit, personal liability, and rental vehicle excess up to $5,000. Covers up to 2 adults and 5 children. For travellers aged 65 or less.
• Parent Boost Visa Insurance Plan Health insurance cover for parents visiting their children in New Zealand under the Parent Boost Visa. Includes emergency medical care up to $250,000/year, cancer treatment up to $100,000/year, repatriation up to $250,000, and return of remains up to $50,000. Meets Immigration NZ Parent Boost Visa insurance requirements. Underwritten by UniMed, assessed by AM Best as A (Excellent).

Quantifiable outcome

• nib nz limited has A (Strong) Financial Strength Rating from S&P Global Ratings Australia Pty Ltd
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• nib nz limitedcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUni-Care's insurance policies are underwritten by nib nz limited, part of the nib Group that provides health insurance to over 1.4 million Australian and New Zealand residents. nib nz limited holds A (Strong) Financial Strength Rating from S&P Global Ratings. Complaints are also handled by nib.
• Arthur J. Gallagher & Co (NZ) Limited (Gallagher)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUni-Care is part of Gallagher (formerly Crombie Lockwood), one of New Zealand's leading insurance brokers. Arthur J. Gallagher & Co (NZ) Limited holds licence FSP 39921 from the Financial Markets Authority to provide financial advice services for fire and general insurance, and life and health insurance products.
• UniMed (for Parent Boost Visa)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerParent Boost Visa cover is underwritten by UniMed, assessed by AM Best as having a Financial Strength Rating of A (Excellent), which meets the Parent Boost Visa credit rating requirements from Immigration NZ.
• Education ProviderscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorUni-Care works with schools, polytechnics, universities, and language schools to provide insurance meeting the Education Code of Practice 2021 requirements for international students. Education providers can become Uni-Care agents to issue policies.
• Travel AgentscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorUni-Care partners with travel agents who arrange and issue insurance policies on behalf of visitors and travellers. Agents receive commission and have access to self-service tools for managing client policies.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Emerging players

• OrbitProtect: Specialist student travel and medical insurance provider focused on international students in Australasia. Comparable to Uni-Care on student visa-mandated cover, university partnerships, and inbound education segment specialization.
• SafetyWing: Digital-first travel and nomad health insurance company targeting remote workers, students, and long-term travellers globally. Comparable on online direct-purchase UX and traveller personas, and a credible emerging threat to Uni-Care's direct-to-consumer funnel.

Direct peers

• nib NZ: nib nz limited is both Uni-Care's underwriter and a direct competitor in NZ travel and health insurance. It sells competing international student and visitor health cover products, making it the most directly comparable peer on product, customer, and underwriting capabilities.
• Student Cover NZ: NZ-focused international student insurance brand offering visa-compliant medical and travel cover. Directly comparable to Uni-Care's NZ Student Plan on product, target persona, and immigration-requirement alignment.
• Cover-More Travel Insurance: Established Australasian travel insurance brand covering NZ travellers for medical, cancellation, and luggage risks. Comparable on travel insurance product design, claims handling model, and Australasian distribution footprint.
• World Nomads: Global travel insurer popular with backpackers, working holiday makers, and long-term travellers — a core Uni-Care persona. Comparable on target customer (working holiday and visitor visa holders) and online direct-purchase model, though World Nomads operates globally rather than NZ-centric.
• Southern Cross Travel Insurance: New Zealand's largest dedicated travel insurer, offering comprehensive policies for inbound and outbound travellers. Directly comparable to Uni-Care on travel/medical insurance product structure, NZ distribution, and target traveller personas.

Broad incumbents

• Tower Insurance: NZ general insurer offering travel insurance alongside home, contents, and vehicle cover. Comparable as a NZ insurance incumbent with overlapping travel product, though it competes from a broad portfolio rather than an inbound-niche position.
• Allianz Travel: Global travel insurer with strong Australasian presence, offering single-trip and annual travel/medical policies to NZ and Australian travellers. Comparable on product breadth and brand scale, though positioned as a broad incumbent rather than a visa-niche specialist.
• AA Insurance (New Zealand): Major NZ general insurer offering travel insurance as part of a broader personal lines portfolio. Comparable as a NZ distribution incumbent with travel cover overlapping Uni-Care's visitor and student use cases, though it does not specialize in inbound visa-mandated segments.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Uni - Care