Visa & Employment Passes

The Immigration New Zealand website provides information on all the types of visa issued to people visiting or planning to immigrate to New Zealand.

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Visa And Citizenship

The country has remarkably developed its immigration policies to support the country’s economic growth. Visa types include student visa, work visa and partner’s visa. The type of visa you get is dependent on your intent for visiting or to immigrate to the country.
Department of Internal Affairs (DIA) grants citizenship via two routes – by grant and by descent. Citizenship by the grant is the more popular option, especially for immigrants who have at least five years of residence status. You can read up requirements for citizenship and check your eligibility status on the New Zealand Government website.

Work Permit Process For Foreigners

All foreign individuals, excluding those migrating from the country, must apply for a valid work permit. Work visa/permits will grant you access to legal jobs within the country. The application process involves these steps:

• Finding a valid employer that is willing to employ you: For a working permit, you will have to find an employer that is willing to apply with a nomination form for you.
• Application of Visa: You will need to fill up the relevant forms. Ensure that all information is correct and accurate on the filled up paperwork.
• Appointment for Visa: A visa appointment will be scheduled for you; then, you will be notified on the acceptance or rejection of your application.
• Subsequently, you may submit an application for a professional visa to work and live for a duration of no more than four years.

Student Visas/Permits

For student visas, it often comes with the additional benefit of working for up to 20 hours per week during the academic term, and for as long as they want to during semester breaks. Regulations also allow family members of all visiting students who have joined them in the city, to work for a maximum of 20 hours per week.

To qualify for a New Zealand Student Visa/Permit, find out how to below:

• Acceptance Letter from an educational institution approved by the New Zealand Qualifications Authority
• Referral Letter/Written guarantee from the institution/person-in-charge that suitable accommodation is available to you in New Zealand (If you are under 18 years old)
• Evidence of sufficient funds to live during the studying time span
• Return flight ticket to the home country or evidence of sufficient funds to purchase one

Job Seeking Sites

• Indeed
• Glassdoor
• Seek
• Job Monster
• JobSpace

Housing & Connectivity

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Buying Property

Recently, there were some rule changes regarding buying and owning property in New Zealand. Unfortunately, they are not in favour of foreigners. In August 2018, the country’s parliament passed an Overseas Investment Amendment Bill. This bill prohibits foreign investors from buying into the housing market, especially residential properties. You can still do limited investment in apartment complexes and hotels. This bill enables native New Zealanders to purchase homes without the interference of wealthy overseas investors driving up prices. There are certain exceptions to foreigners who can buy property in the country according to the bill. This bill has exceptions for foreigners with the following:

• New Zealand residency status
• From Australia and Singapore (owing to the free trade agreements)
• Already own properties in the country may not buy more, but already existing properties remain unaffected

If you are eligible to buy property in the country, Trade Me, Real Estate and Open2view are some of the most popular property search websites to help you find a property in the market available for sale. You can also visit www.qz.co.nz to get the estimates of a property based on actual sales information.

Housing Rental

It should be noted that rent prices in New Zealand may differ across the regions. Presently, weekly rent prices in Auckland are the highest, ranging from NZ$600 – NZ$850 based on the accommodation sizes.

Tenancy agreements in New Zealand are strictly enforced between the tenant and landlord. Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) provides many useful services. You can access quality tenancy services and find out about all aspects of rental tenancy. On top of that, you can get support services, including mediation services for rental disputes too. You have to pay rent on a weekly basis in New Zealand.

The law also mandates that every tenant must pay at least two weeks worth of rent as a bond. The landlord helps to pay this amount to the Ministry of Housing.

Average Rent Per Week as of 2020,
One or two bedrooms small home – NZ$400

Two or four bedroom apartment/house – NZ$530

Mobile Network Providers

The 3 major phone companies in the country are Vodafone New Zealand, Spark New Zealand and 2Degrees and they all have their own network towers. There are less established mobile network providers like Skinny Mobile, Warehouse Mobile, Compass, Blue Sky and Slingshot. They rent towers from either of the top 3 operators and sell their plans at a discount to customers.

The average mobile phone bill per month is NZ$19 – NZ$80 as of June 2020.

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Internet Service Providers

The average monthly internet bill is NZ$70 as of June 2020.

The mobile operators in the country offer GSM, UMTS, HSDPA and LTE networks.

Vodafone offers all the network services

Spark doesn’t offer GSM

HSDPA isn’t available on 2degrees.

However, you must ensure that your phone supports the network you intend to use. If you purchased your cell phone via a mobile phone carrier in your origin country, it might be locked. This means you won’t be able to use it in New Zealand. You can either unlock it or buy another one when you get into the country

Getting Around

New Zealand has rail networks that connect various states, but many people choose flying as a cheaper and more convenient alternative. Travelling on the rail networks will allow you to see wonderful and picturesque views that flying may not have.

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Public Transport System

The average transportation cost is NZ$24 per month as of Oct 2020.

Public transport (Buses) will be available in all cities and most towns in New Zealand. Buses are the cheapest and most common transportation alternative made available for you to travel between towns and cities. The main bus service provider is Intercity, which can drive you about anywhere on the North and South Islands. Even though trains are less common in New Zealand, there are three main train lines operated by KiwiRail:

Northern Explorer (Auckland to Wellington)

Coastal Pacific (Picton to Christchurch)

TranzAlpine (Christchurch to the West Coast)

Most people in New Zealand have found that getting a car is more convenient to get around. There are many alternative transportation systems in New Zealand such as, Yoogo, Yourdrive, Cityhop and Coseats enable you to drive a shared car for a specific fee, after which it has to be returned to a lot. Uber and taxi services are available, but some of them may not be applicable in small towns.

Driving in New Zealand

There are a number of ways to move around in New Zealand. They have an exceptional network of well-maintained roads. If you prefer to drive yourself, it is best to have a personal or rental vehicle. There are vehicles to suit every budget as well as car rental companies to help you rent a vehicle. Driving is on the left-hand side of the road, like in most western countries. It has an average speed limit of 50 km/h in metropolitan cities and 100 km/h outside the urban areas.

You need to be at least 21 years old to drive or rent a car in New Zealand. You can visit the New Zealand Transport Agency website find out more about the driver’s eligibility. If you would rather have someone else take the wheel, you can use the public transport system. You can take buses, ferries, water taxis and trains.

Healthcare

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Public Sector

The healthcare system in New Zealand is efficiently managed and has high quality service. According to New Zealand’s Ministry of Health, there are about 40 well-equipped public hospitals and several other private hospitals spread out across several cities in the country. Residents of New Zealand is entitled to free medical services, with only a few exceptions.

Immigrants however, often depending on their visa type, may not enjoy the heavily subsidised and free medical service. Hence, do take out a medical insurance policy, at least until you achieve residency status. Dental services are not included in the free public health system but New Zealand does have a Talk Teeth programme. It grants every child under the age of 18 access to free dental services. In case of medical emergency situations, 111 is the number to call.

Banking

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Currently, you can consider up to 26 banks registered with the Reserve Bank of New Zealand. Some of the major banking institutions include ANZ, ASB, BNZ, Kiwibank and Westpac. For foreigners, you can open and set up a New Zealand bank account before you move into the country. Do open one before you arrive if possible. It will be easier for you to transfer your assets to your new account. Your salary can easily be paid into your bank account after you find a job. Nevertheless, you can always open a bank account upon your relocation to the country.

There is no limit to the amount of cash you can bring in. For amounts exceeding NZ$10,000 however, you must fill out a Border Cash Report before you enter the country. Although there are banks in all cities across the country, not every bank operates nationally. Find out if your New Zealand bank of choice is available in the area you plan to live in after relocation. Ask about any documentation and certifications you may need to bring along to activate your account. You can visit the New Zealand Now website for more information on their banking and financial services.

Education

A good number of indices rate New Zealand as one of the best countries globally for education. New Zealand is known for its varied and diverse system of education. It also happens to be one of the best funded public education systems worldwide. New Zealand’s system of education is divided into three levels: early childhood education, primary and secondary education, and higher education.

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Early Childhood Education

Early childhood education begins from age zero until the child is old enough to start standard formal education. That often happens at around the age of 5. Although it is not compulsory, almost 97% of school children in New Zealand have an Early Childhood Education (ECE). There are different forms of ECE all designed to help children build valuable skills they will need later in life. Like other levels of education, the government subsidised ECE. You can visit the parents’ website to learn more about ECE.

Primary and Secondary School

MThese two levels of education are for children between the ages of 5 and 17. Primary level runs from Year 1 to Year 8, aged 5 to 12. Secondary school goes on from Year 9 to Year 13, aged 13 to 17. Education in government-funded or owned schools is free and compulsory. These are for all children who are permanent residents or citizens of New Zealand. There are three types of schools in New Zealand. Firstly, state run (owned and funded by the state). Secondly, state integrated (state schools with a special character funded by the federal government). Finally, privately owned schools. The schools are typically secular and follow the national curriculum. Private schools are at liberty to deviate from the national curriculum and develop a unique learning curriculum.

Although private schools may receive financial support from the government, parents often have to pay the school fees in full. Education in private schools is not subsidised. The fees range from NZ$800 to NZ$4000 depending on the school’s socioeconomic ranking. The public schools only require a mandatory payment of the attendance dues. After you complete the secondary school level, graduates are awarded the National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA). You will be given levels 1 to 3 based on their performance in the last three years of their secondary school education. That would be between years 11 to 13 in a range of subjects.

Higher Education

Students can enrol in various institutions of higher learning. Some of them include:

Trades academies

Institutes of Technology and Polytechnics

Private training establishments for vocational

Technical education at diploma and certificate levels

There are eight government-funded universities in New Zealand for you to choose from. They all happen to be ranked in the top 3% of universities in the world, a testament to the country’s academic excellence – international students’ fees in this level range from NZ$20,000 to NZ$75,000 per school session. However, individuals whose parents are in the country on work visas may qualify as local students to pay fees at a reduced rate starting at NZ$5,000.You can read up more information on the New Zealand educational system from the Ministry of Education website.

Pet Relocation

Shipping a beloved pet to the New Zealand can be a stresssful and worrying task. Here’s a general breakdown of the costs needed to relocate with your furry friend.

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Requirements

• Dogs be given DHPP/Bordetalla within a year of their departure, and at least 14 days before their departure
• Dogs be given Canine Influenza H3N2 and H3N8 within a year of their departure, and at least 21 days before their departure
• Pets must have microchip identification, and the microchip must be implanted before the rabies vaccination is administered
• Pets must also be vaccinated against rabies before departure
• Cats be given FVRCP within a year of their departure, and at least 14 days before they depart

Quarantine Period

A 10-night stay is required for all pets. Find out more about the quarantine facilities available in NZ here.