So you’re wondering, is New Zealand safe to travel to? The answer is yes for so many different types of travelers, including women traveling solo or those looking to camp throughout the islands. The culture of the country is welcoming and community oriented, with a large emphasis on outdoor appreciation and adventure. Here are a few statistics regarding personal safety within New Zealand:
- According to the Global Peace Index 2025, New Zealand is considered the 3rd safest country in the world, only behind Iceland and Ireland
- Travel advisories from the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, and Australia consider New Zealand as a Level 1 (low-risk) destination. This is the lowest risk designation.
Emergency Number: 111
Use this number when in New Zealand to contact police, fire, or ambulance in an emergency
Using Travel Advisory Sites to Determine Is New Zealand Safe for You
Prior to traveling to a destination, it is best to look at your country’s travel advisory page. The United States Travel Advisory page for New Zealand is a good place to start. These pages also have important information regarding necessary visas, health and vaccine requirements (if any), and embassy and consulate contact information if needed for larger emergencies. With regards to visas, make sure you are verifying the requirements for the particular passport that you are using to travel into New Zealand.
Is New Zealand Safe: Personal Crime
Is New Zealand safe regarding personal crime? Yes, but that does not mean that you can ignore common sense. The majority of crime that you want to be vigilant for is petty crime and theft. This crime does not necessarily target tourists. Crime in these cases are often crimes of opportunity so make sure that you do not leave your car or accommodation door unlocked when not around, make sure that you keep an eye on your belongings 0r valuable items, don’t walk through dark and empty places, etc.
In general, petty theft happens in cities more often than in rural locations so you should be more vigilant when spending time in places like Auckland, Christchurch, Queenstown, Wellington, etc. The crime rate in these towns is still lower than global averages.
Is New Zealand Safe: Natural Disasters
Volcanoes and Earthquakes
Is New Zealand safe regarding the natural environment and possibility of natural disasters? Now this is something that is a little more challenging to answer. Because New Zealand lies on the Pacific Ring of Fire, there are risks of earthquakes, especially around Wellington and Christchurch. (In fact, Christchurch had a devastating earthquake in 2011 that caused major damage to the city). The Ring of Fire is a chain of geothermally active regions that go all around the Pacific Ocean and fall along various fault lines. The fact that New Zealand sprawls across a fault line on two different tectonic plates means it is at risk for earthquakes. It is this unique geological formation that makes the North and South Island so different.
Parts of the North Island, especially around Rotorua and Taupo, are located on top of an active geothermal landmass, the Taupo Volcanic Zone. However, activity within the volcanic zone is carefully monitored and communicated to people within the region. It is estimated that the risk of volcanic activity this year is less than 0.1%.
Flooding and Landslides
Weather in New Zealand can be volatile and varied, with heavy rains or warm sunshine. Sudden changes in the weather, especially in the mountains, may cause flooding or landslides. This is something to be aware of based on the weather and to be cautious when hiking or driving through the mountains during heavy, sudden rain. This is not something that you should be scared of, only something to be aware of. If you are nervous about the weather, stick to major hikes and main roadways and consider waiting for weather to subside before continuing on your drive.
Is New Zealand Safe: Driving
Is New Zealand safe with regards to driving? One of the most dangerous activities in New Zealand is the driving. Major roads tend to be more narrow than those of the United States and driving on the left side of the road can pose a challenge. If this is your first time driving on the left side of the road, take the drive slowly to get used to the change. Overall, local drivers are patient with tourist drivers in New Zealand. However, pull over into different viewpoints and safety lanes to allow faster drivers to pass you. Locals will be appreciative that you let them go and may even flash their hazards to thank you for letting them pass.
A tip to make sure you are driving on the correct side of the road: you, the driver, needs to stay closest to the median / middle of the road. Always think about the lane that you need to turn into when making a left or right hand turn or pulling out of a parking lot. Driving on the wrong side of the road is a dangerous reason for many accidents in New Zealand.
You will want to stop at many viewpoints along the side of the road, and these viewpoints are truly highlights of driving around the country. Be very careful when turning into and out of these viewpoints to watch for any oncoming traffic.
Finally, as you drive around the country, you will often find construction happening on the road, requiring you to slow down to various speed limits. Make sure to follow these limits to keep yourself, your car, and the workers safe. It has become a local joke as to how much construction and how many orange cones there are around the country. You can read more about the traffic cone debate here.
Is New Zealand Safe: Hiking and Camping
Hiking and camping are a major activity that people do within New Zealand. Some people even hike on unmarked trails in the backcountry, using compasses and other forms of navigation. (The outdoor skills that people have in New Zealand are truly impressive.) If this is something that you are considering doing, make sure that you have the appropriate navigation, communication, hydration, food, and weather gear to make sure that your trek is as safe as possible for you. You can purchase or rent the appropriate gear in many places around New Zealand. For example, at the Mount Aspiring National Park Visitor Centre, you can rent personal locator beacons if you choose to do some backcountry hiking, which is popular in this location. In fact, we recommend going to the local visitor centers all around the country where their extensive knowledge can help you plan your time in different locations based on your skillset and the local weather at that time.
For those who are less adventurous, consider downloading all your hikes on AllTrails because your phone can continue to track your movement on trails even without service or on airplane mode so you can make sure that you stay on the right track. And always tell someone who is not with you where you are hiking and your expected time of return, especially if you are traveling alone.
Overall, New Zealand is an incredibly friendly place for tourists. Most of the caution that you will need to have comes down to common sense.
