Relocation process in New Zealand

You can secure a visitor’s or a student visa, come to New Zealand, and look for a job on the spot or you can arrive in the country only after you get a job offer and obtain a work visa.

Your chances of immigrating to New Zealand are higher if you’re 55 years of age or younger, have a job offer as well as job-related qualifications and work experience.

The process of relocation to New Zealand consists of several steps.

1. Getting a qualification assessment

New Zealand employers will most likely compare your qualifications against the local ones. And you might need to get your qualifications (certificates, diplomas, degrees) assessed before applying for a work visa.

Unless your qualification is on the List of Qualifications Exempt from Assessment, you need to get your qualification assessed by the New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA). You need to apply by creating an account on the NZQA website.

The International Qualification Assessment (IQA) includes tertiary or vocational upper-secondary qualifications. Note that professional or specialist training certificates, such as CISCO or Microsoft expert awards, would not be assessed.

There is a fee of NZ$445 per application (plus an additional cost of NZ$275 for qualifications completed before 1998 as well as the Skill Shortage List Assessment Add-On of NZ$165). The process of assessment takes up to 25 working days.

2. Gathering documents

Before applying for a visa and coming to New Zealand, you need to gather all essential documents for the visa and for settling in the country. The most commonly needed documents are:

Passport.
Two passport-sized photos.
Job offer. Usually, it’s an employment agreement that includes the employer and their contact details, your position, responsibilities of the job, hours of work, and your remuneration.
Medical certificates (an x-ray or medical examination) as well as (optionally) doctor's or dental records and vaccination certificates.
Police certificate from your country of citizenship and any other country where you have spent 12 months or more over the last 5–10 years (depending on the visa). You won’t be granted a visa if you have ever been convicted of an offense or are under investigation.
English language certificate. If you’re applying for a Skilled Migrant Category Resident Visa or a Global Impact Work Visa, you need to provide IELTS test results with an overall score of 6.5 or more or TOEFL with an overall score of 79 or more. If you are a citizen of Canada, Ireland, the United Kingdom or the United States, and you have spent at least 5 years working or studying in those countries, or in Australia or New Zealand, you don’t need to provide test results.
Birth certificates (yours and your family members’).
Marriage certificate, if you’re relocating with a spouse. You can also relocate with a partner. In this case, you will need to prove your relationship by providing a joint tenancy agreement or home loan, birth certificates for any children you share, photos together, evidence of joint bank accounts, joint utility accounts, etc.
Academic qualifications. You may need to get a qualification assessment (see Section 1 for more details).
References from previous employers.
References from previous landlords (you will need these documents to rent an apartment or house in New Zealand).
Your CV (Curriculum Vitae / resume).
Credit references.
International driver’s license, if you have one.

3. Applying for a work visa

Unless you’re an Australian citizen or permanent resident, you need a visa to work in New Zealand.

New Zealand offers many visa types to skilled workers depending on the availability of a job offer, stay period, and the country of citizenship.

Here are work visas that are most often granted to IT workers in New Zealand.

Skilled Migrant Category Resident Visa

This is a resident visa that allows living and working in New Zealand indefinitely.

Requirements:

You need to be 55 or under when you apply.
You need to speak English “reasonably well”. It means that your overall IELTS score should be no lower than 6.5 (corresponding to TOEFL 79) or you are a citizen of Canada, Ireland, the United Kingdom or the United States, and you have spent at least 5 years working or studying in those countries, or in Australia or New Zealand.
Your minimum salary should be NZ$53,040 per year or NZ$25.50 per hour (based on a 40-hour week).
You need to score at least 160 points in your Expression of Interest application. There is an online calculator you can use to find out how many points you can gain. You have more chances of getting this visa if you have a job offer or work experience in New Zealand, skills and qualifications to do the job, and if your occupation is on the Long Term Skill Shortage List (see below on this page). There are also English language, health, and character requirements for which you may be awarded points.

You can include your partner and dependent children aged 24 and under in your residence application. They also must meet the requirements for this visa, e. g. your partner and children older than 16 years of age must speak English or pay for classes to learn English in New Zealand.

Application process:

1. Submit an Expression of Interest.

2. If you score at least 160 points, you’ll be accepted into the pool of candidates.

3. Every two weeks Immigration New Zealand selects candidates from their pool. If you meet all their criteria, they’ll invite you to apply for residence.

4. If you’re invited to apply for residence, Immigration New Zealand will send you an “Application for Residence under the Skilled Migrant Category” form.

5. You apply for residence in New Zealand within four months by filling out the form and providing all the required documents.

6. The immigration authority will make a decision on your application. This step may take 6–16 months.

Fees (NZ$):

Online Expression of Interest: 530
Application for residence: 3,310

Long Term Skill Shortage List Work Visa

You can stay and work on this visa in New Zealand for up to 30 months. You will be able to apply for residence in 2 years if you meet standard requirements and if your job has a base annual salary of at least NZ$45,000.

Requirements:

You must have a job offer in an occupation included on the Long Term Skill Shortage List (see below). And your occupation should be supported by approved qualification documents (certificates, diplomas or degrees).
Your offer of employment must be for full-time work for at least 24 months.
You must be 55 years or younger.

New Zealand’s Long Term Skill Shortage List includes the following ICT occupations (along with occupations in other sectors):

Analyst Programmer
Computer Network and Systems Engineer
Database Administrator
Developer Programmer
Engineer
ICT Business Analyst
ICT Customer Support Officer
ICT Project Manager
ICT Quality Assurance Engineer
ICT Security Specialist
ICT Support Engineer
ICT Support and Test Engineers not elsewhere classified
ICT Systems Test Engineer
Multimedia Specialist
Multimedia Specialist (Film Animator)
Network Administrator
Organisation and Methods Analyst
Software and Applications Programmers not elsewhere classified
Software Engineer
Software Tester
Systems Administrator
Systems Analyst
Telecommunications Engineer
Telecommunications Network Engineer
Web Developer

You can’t include a partner or children in your application for this visa, but they can apply for visas based on their relationship to you (e. g. Partner of a Worker Work Visa, Child of a Worker Visitor Visa or Dependent Child Student Visa).

Application process:

1. Apply online or on the paper form, upload your documents, and pay fees.

2. Wait for a visa decision within about 4 months.

Fees (NZ$):

Applying on online form: 635
Passport and courier fees: 0 or about 15–40 depending on your citizenship

Talent (Accredited Employer) Work Visa

You can stay on this visa in New Zealand for 30 months. You can apply for residence or another temporary work visa after 2 years of working for an accredited employer.

Requirements:

You must have a job offer from an accredited employer.
Your offer of employment must be for full-time work for at least 24 months.
Your job must pay at least NZ$79,560 a year (before tax).
You must be 55 years or younger.

Application process:

1. Apply online or on the paper form, upload your documents, and pay fees.

2. Wait for a visa decision within about 4 months.

Fees (NZ$):

Applying on online form: 635
Passport and courier fees: 0 or about 15–40 depending on your citizenship

From 2021, Talent (Accredited Employer) Work Visa and Long Term Skill Shortage List Work Visa will be replaced by a new work visa.

Other New Zealand visas

Some other visas that may be issued to IT workers include the following:

Global Impact Visa: this visa is provided to people who will significantly contribute to the country’s economy, e. g. to entrepreneurs or startup teams that apply and are accepted into the Edmund Hillary Fellowship. This organization has up to 100 places available each year for international candidates.
Employees of Relocating Business Resident Visa: this visa is provided to key employees of a business that’s relocating to New Zealand if they’re not eligible to apply for any other kind of New Zealand resident visa.
China Skilled Workers Visa: this three-year visa is provided to Chinese citizens who have a job offer for work in a skilled occupation in New Zealand. There’s a quota: at any one time, a total of 1,000 citizens of China can work in New Zealand on this visa, with up to 100 places available for each occupation. Among eligible skilled IT occupations are computer applications engineers and senior test analysts.

Another popular way to immigrate to New Zealand is to get a student visa (Fee Paying Student Visa), graduate from a local educational institution or courses, and obtain a post-study visa, which allows working for any employer in New Zealand for 1–3 years.

You can obtain a student visa after enrolling in any kind of educational program in New Zealand:

Undergraduate: 3 years, for those who have just graduated from school or college.
Post-graduate: 1 year, for those who already have a degree or diploma.
English courses in New Zealand: 14 weeks or longer (in a university or a high-quality education provider).

To obtain a student visa, you will need to provide proof of payment for tuition at a New Zealand educational institution for the entire period of English courses or for a year if it’s an academic program. You can work in New Zealand on a student visa up to 20 hours a week.

4. Finding a place to live

The first thing you should do after arriving in New Zealand is finding a place to live. As it may be hard to find a permanent apartment at once due to the high rental demand and the need to gather all the necessary documents, allow at least 2 to 3 weeks to hunt for a home.

Keep in mind that the demand for housing in New Zealand is huge, especially in Auckland. Hunting for a rental home often takes a lot of time. February is the worst month for house-hunting due to a great number of students.

Temporary accommodation can be offered by your employer. If not, you can find it on Airbnb or similar websites before you arrive in New Zealand.

Long-term rentals can be found on one of the property websites:

Myrent.co.nz/listings
Neighbourly.co.nz/public/property
Realestate.co.nz
Trademe.co.nz/property

Rents in New Zealand are often listed as per week. And you may be asked to pay your rent every one or two weeks. The average cost of renting a residential property is NZ$570 per week in Auckland, NZ$420 in Christchurch, and NZ$550 in Wellington.

→ Rental costs in New Zealand cities

To rent a house or apartment in New Zealand, you will need the following documents:

Passport.
Immigration documents (visa).
Renter’s CV: a page-long letter explaining who you and your family members are, what each of you does, and some evidence that you’re responsible.
Completed application.
References from former landlords and your current employer.
Proof of income (salary slips, bank statements, tax returns, etc.).

When renting a house or apartment in New Zealand, you will have the following expenses:

1–2 weeks’ rent in advance, depending on whether you will pay rent weekly or every 2 weeks.
Rental security deposit (also known as a bond) that can be 2 to 4 weeks’ rent. This deposit is refundable unless you don’t follow the terms of the tenancy agreement. Document the condition or your rental apartment or house before you move in so as not to pay for damage made by the previous tenant.
Option fee: if you are not sure whether or not to rent a property, the landlord may ask you for an option fee to hold the property while you decide. It usually equals 1 week’s rent. If you agree to rent, your landlord must give you back the option fee or put it towards your rent.
Furniture and other things for your house or apartment. Not all properties in New Zealand are leased furnished but may have a cooker, fridge, carpets, and curtains or blinds. You can buy furniture and other things on Trademe.co.nz — it’s a popular New Zealand classifieds website.

Tenants don’t have to pay fees to real estate agents in New Zealand.

As a tenant, you’ll be responsible for paying utility bills (electricity or gas and water if the house has a water meter).

Note that not all houses in New Zealand are thoroughly cold-proof. Windows and doors are often made of cheap materials, there’s usually no central heating, and room temperature of around +14 °C during cold seasons is not a rare thing.

5. Getting a tax number

If you’re going to work in New Zealand, you will have to pay income tax. To pay fewer taxes, you must obtain an Inland Revenue Department (IRD) Number before you start working in the country. Without an IRD number, you would pay a higher tax rate of 45% instead of 33% for income over NZ$70,000.

To obtain an IRD number, you will need the following:

Passport.
Application form.
Immigration New Zealand Application Number (you can find it on your visa approval letter from Immigration New Zealand).
Most recent overseas tax number (if you have one).
New Zealand bank account number or customer due diligence (CDD), if you have one.

You will need to have a bank account in New Zealand and have customer due diligence completed by a New Zealand reporting entity before applying for an IRD number if you don’t have a New Zealand residence class visa (like a Skilled Migrant Category Resident Visa).

You can apply for an IRD number online on the Inland Revenue Department website. You’ll receive your IRD number by text or email within 10 working days.

You also need to work out your tax code and give it to your employer. They will need it to know how much tax to deduct from your pay. Otherwise, they will tax you at a higher tax rate of 45%. Your tax code depends on many factors, such as your tax residency, the availability of benefits, student loans, etc. You can use the official online instrument to work out your tax code.

Note that tax residents in New Zealand pay not only tax on income from New Zealand but also tax on income from overseas (including salaries, rental income, capital gains, etc.). However, new tax residents might get an exemption for up to 4 years.

You become a tax resident in New Zealand if you’ve been in this country for more than 183 days in any 12-month period or you have a “permanent place of abode” in New Zealand.

6. Buying a SIM card in New Zealand

To live and work in New Zealand, you may also need a local SIM card. You can buy it for about NZ$2 in one of the major retailers, convenience stores, in kiosks at major airports (Auckland, Christchurch, Wellington, Queenstown) or from one of the retail stores of mobile phone service providers. Moreover, online ordering to a New Zealand address may be available with Spark and Vodafone. No passport or other identification is needed.

Four major mobile service providers in New Zealand are Spark, Skinny (Spark’s brand), Vodafone, and 2degrees. Spark and Vodafone have the largest networks, and 2degrees has a smaller coverage area.

Unlimited calls and texts are common on many plans. Prepaid monthly packs cost NZ$19–49 in Spark, NZ$16–36 in Skinny, NZ$19–79 in Vodafone, and NZ$10–85 in 2degrees.

5G is available in parts of Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, and Queenstown and requires a 5G phone.

7. Opening a bank account in New Zealand

To get your salary in New Zealand and pay for your rental home, you need to have a bank account in the country. Many other payments may also require a local bank account.

Here are the most popular banks in New Zealand:

ANZ (anz.co.nz)
ASB (asb.co.nz)
BNZ (bnz.co.nz)
Kiwibank (kiwibank.co.nz)
Westpac (westpac.co.nz)

You can open a New Zealand bank account online from your home country and transfer money 6 to 12 months before you move (depending on the bank). When you arrive, you will need to activate your New Zealand bank account by providing your ID and permanent address in the country.

To open a bank account in New Zealand, you will need the following documents:

Bank’s application form.
Certified copy of your passport.
Proof of your residential address in your home country (if you’re applying before arriving) or in New Zealand (if you’re applying from New Zealand). These can be a bank statement, utility bills dated within the last three months that have your name and address.
Completed tax declaration.
New Zealand work or student visa.
IRD number, if you have one.