FAQ Invercargill Airport

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When you come to collect your hire car at our Invercargill Airport branch, you’ll need a valid driver licence and a credit or debit card for security. A credit card is mandatory if you have selected our Basic or Assured insurance option that requires a bond deposit. It must have your name printed on it for verification and the card must be valid until the drop-off date.

It doesn't take long to start exploring Invercargill once you pick up your rental car. Travelling to the city centre from Invercargill Airport will take around 6 minutes via car.

Handy maps may be available from our rental branches, and our newer rentals may have in-built navigation systems or Apple CarPlay & Android Auto. Ask our friendly team for local travel tips and advice on exploring New Zealand's stunning South Island.

We can arrange one-way car hires to and from all our locations including Invercargill Airport. While we try our best to fulfil all your needs, we do have minimum hire periods in place. Additionally, one-way hires are dependent on the time of year and your direction of travel. We also may be required to make allowances where vehicles are needed at other branches.

At GO Rentals, we have no upper age limit to rent a car from our Invercargill Airport branch. As long as you hold a valid and unrestricted driver licence, you're good to GO!

Our Invercargill Airport branch is conveniently located inside the airport terminal right next to the baggage claim area.

Your rental car will be conveniently located in the airport's car park. Our helpful and friendly team will get you on your way in no time at all!

Our Invercargill Airport branch hours are:

8am - 5pm Monday to Sunday

If you need to pick up or drop off your rental car outside of these hours, our after-hours service will enable you to do so.

Our after hours service is available from 5am - 8am and 5pm - 8pm, Monday to Sunday.

To use our prearranged after-hours pick-up service, you’ll need to complete your online or app check-in process at least 24 hours before your arrival. Within 24 hours of your pick-up time, our team will be in touch with instructions on how to pick up your rental after hours.

You will also need to pre-arrange after hours drop-off with our friendly team. Simply park your vehicle at any of our GO Rentals signposted parking spaces near the exit gates. Lock the car and place your key inside the key drop box located inside the airport terminal building on the wall at the GO Rentals counter.

The cost of hiring a car in Invercargill can vary greatly. Prices are influenced by factors like the chosen vehicle, availability and rental period, as lower rates are available for longer hire periods.

Input your travel dates and other booking information on our Invercargill Airport branch page to get an accurate figure.

If you let us know that you need to cancel your booking with more than 24 hours notice from the scheduled pick-up time, you will be charged a 10% cancellation fee. All cancellations within 24 hours of the scheduled pick-up time will incur 100% cancellation fee.

If you have already made any payment towards the booking there will be a refund administration fee of 10% or $20; whichever is higher.

No. You can use a debit card to book your GO Rentals vehicle. There are 2 things to note when you use a debit card rather than a credit card to book with GO Rentals:

• If you pay for your hire online, your debit card will be subject to a non-refundable payment processing fee.
• You will need to reduce your insurance liability to an Assured or Peace of Mind insurance option that does not require a bond deposit. Your card must have the cardholder's name embossed on the front for verification and the cardholder must be the main hirer.

At GO Rentals, we require a bond to be paid on rentals of particular vehicles. The bond is dependent on the vehicle you wish to hire and the insurance option you choose.

At pick-up, we hold a pre-authorised bond amount from your credit card. We cannot accept debit cards or cash for this purpose.

After the vehicle is returned, or 45 days from the bond’s authorisation on your card (whichever comes first), the bond amount is released. It generally takes between 5 - 10 business days for the amount to appear in your card again.

If there’s any damage to the vehicle during your rental period, or if we find damage during the check-in process, we will deduct the necessary excess payment from the pre-authorised bond amount.

Yes, there are a number of service stations very nearby our in-terminal Invercargill Airport branch, including:

• NPD Invercargill – 248 Bond Street (1.9km away)
• RD Petroleum - 39 Ettrick Street (2.1km away)
• Z - 206/214 Dee Street (4.3km away)


Per our policy, all cars must be refuelled before being returned.

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While Invercargill is a small city, it isn’t especially walkable. For example, it takes around 2 hours to walk from Thompson’s Bush in northern Invercargill and Demolition World in southern Invercargill. It takes just 15 minutes to drive between these points.

Invercargill is also surrounded by tons of other amazing sights, and the South Island of New Zealand isn’t known for its public transport systems. From Bluff to the Catlins Conservation area, a rental car is the perfect, flexible option to see the best of New Zealand’s deep south.

A 4WD vehicle is certainly not required for visiting Invercargill. You can easily travel the city and surrounding areas in a 2WD vehicle.

However, you will find a 4WD vehicle useful if you plan to travel into highly rural areas and take on local 4WD tracks. Note that we do not allow GO Rentals vehicles to be taken on any track or thoroughfare including gravel roads that are not officially designated a road, including any beach.

It is recommended to carry snow chains when driving in New Zealand in winter. GO Rentals offers snow chains for hire, and they can be fitted to almost all of our vehicles.

In order to rent and drive most GO Rentals cars, you must be at least 21 years of age. However, you must be 25 to rent cars like the Tesla Model 3 and Tesla Model Y.

For New Zealand residents, provisional drivers licence holders are not allowed to rent vehicles from GO Rentals.

It is legally allowed for holders of provisional driver licences from several countries to rent cars in New Zealand. However, GO Rentals does not allow such travellers to rent vehicles, and almost all other rental companies have similar rules in place.

Only New Zealand holders of temporary licences are permitted to hire a vehicle with GO Rentals. Photo identification is required if hiring a vehicle with a New Zealand temporary licence.

You can drive on most full international driver licences without an international driver's permit. Your foreign licence allows you to drive in New Zealand for 1 year from the date you enter the country, provided you have no suspensions or disqualifications. If your licence is not in English, you must obtain an official NZTA approved English translation and carry both copies with you at all times. For more information, check out our complete guides to driving with licences from the following countries:

• Australia
• Canada
• China
• Germany
• Japan
• Singapore
• United States
• United Kingdom

Generally, New Zealand car rental companies are required to offer basic insurance within their car rental fees. The good news is that GO Basic Insurance – included at no extra cost in all our rentals – includes all the coverage you need to drive in New Zealand.

If you’d like even more coverage, we also offer GO Assured and GO Peace of Mind Cover. GO Assured starts at $500 excess, and GO Peace of Mind starts at $0 excess.

All GO Rentals insurance also includes coverage for third-party damage and injuries.

We sure do! With the GO Rentals app, you can access your account and booking information any time you like. It also means you get to skip the queue and enjoy a breezy check-in process.

Invercargill Airport is just the twelfth busiest in New Zealand, servicing approximately 375,000 people in 2023. As a result, your time in the airport should be fairly peaceful and enjoyable. It has just 5 tarmac gates, so you shouldn’t have any trouble getting lost.

When you’re in Invercargill Airport, be sure to check out the beloved Wayfarer Cafe. Also, please pop into our in-terminal branch and say hi!

All GO Rentals vehicles have unlimited kilometres, allowing you to explore New Zealand at your leisure.

We offer 24-hour roadside mechanical assistance on all our rental vehicles with the New Zealand Automobile Assistance (AA). If your car breaks down, get in touch with the AA at 0800 734 543 or *222.

Our policy covers the cost of mechanical breakdowns only. All other call outs, such as a flat battery due to lights being left on, will be subject to the relevant AA charges.

Popular destinations for travellers in Invercargill include nearby locations like Dunedin and the Catlins. It is also common for visitors to touch down in Invercargill and head further north to areas like Queenstown and Christchurch.

Whatever you’re looking to do in the South Island, Invercargill is ideal for exploring deep south attractions before heading north to some of the most iconic landmarks in New Zealand. Booking a vehicle from our Invercargill Airport branch is a perfect way to explore some of the most stunning locations in the country.

First of all, we’d want to make sure that everyone’s okay. In the unfortunate event of an accident, the branch you collected the vehicle from would be the first point of contact after an accident. Please contact us at your earliest convenience so our team can advise you of the process and we can organise to send you the appropriate claims forms by email.

If involved in an accident, you must also:

• Notify the NZ Police and obtain a police report where practicable
• Not make any admission of liability
• Where possible, take some photos of the accident site and the damaged vehicles and provide these to GO Rentals; and
• Complete the forms provided to record the full details of all parties including witnesses and the vehicles involved in the accident along with the Hirer’s or Authorised Driver’s written statement and diagram of the accident circumstances.

New Zealand roads are well maintained and safe to drive on both the North and South Islands. Cars are driven on the left-hand side and may take some getting used to for international drivers who travel on the right-hand side. Additionally, when travelling in rural areas, you may encounter less well-maintained roads, as well as some gravel roads. In these conditions, slow down and keep an eye out for potential hazards. To help make your transition to driving in New Zealand easy, check out some of our helpful guides:

• 20 New Zealand Driving Rules: A Tourist's Guide
• New Zealand Roads: A Guide for Travellers
• 10 tips for driving on the left-hand side of the road
• 10 Winter Driving Tips for New Zealand

Speed limits in Invercargill are generally between 30km/h and 50km/h. These limits can be subject to change, so be sure to keep an eye out for changes to the speed limit while driving.

There are no tolls on New Zealand’s South Island roads. There are only three toll roads in New Zealand, all of which are located on the North Island:

• The Auckland Northern Gateway Toll Road
• The Tauranga Eastern Link Toll Road
• The Tauranga Takitimu Drive Toll Road