Moving to New Zealand
New Zealand is a popular destination for Brits looking to escape the endless British cold winters and unpredictable summers for sunshine and hot weather all year-round. New Zealand is a country full of stunning landscapes, exquisite beaches, and vibrant cities.
Apart from having a shared history and language with the UK, the immense love of cricket and rugby also brings the countries together, making cultural integration easy. With low crime rates, high-quality healthcare facilities and a first-class education system, it is unsurprising that many individuals and families are deciding to relocate to New Zealand.
Read on to find out the key things to consider before moving to New Zealand.
VISA REQUIREMENTS
British citizens can visit New Zealand visa-free for up to six months, but you will be required to obtain a New Zealand Electronic Travel Authority (NZeTA) before you travel. If you intend to work and live permanently in New Zealand, you must apply for a visa.
CLIMATE
The climate in New Zealand varies widely from region to region. The northern part of the country is warm and sunny all year round. Meanwhile, the South is rainy and cold.
LANGUAGE
New Zealand has always been a popular destination for English-speaking expats and, as English is the most widely spoken language in New Zealand, you won’t have to worry about facing any language barriers. While English is the predominant language, the other official language of New Zealand is Maori, even though very few people speak it as a first language.
ACCOMMODATION AND LIVING COST
Overall, New Zealand is an expensive country to live in, particularly when compared to the UK. In general, grocery bills and rent tend to be slightly higher than in the UK. Then again, it depends on where you decide to live, your income and where you are moving from in the UK.
Major cities such as Auckland and Wellington are much more expensive than rural areas in New Zealand but are still considerably cheaper than London. For example, London is ranked as the world’s 19th most expensive city, whereas Auckland is ranked at 103rd and Wellington is at 123rd in the 2020 Mercer Cost of Living Survey.
As you can see below, the average monthly rental prices in New Zealand vary depending on location:
- One-bedroom apartment (City Centre): NZ$1500 – NZ$1800
- One-bedroom apartment (Outside Centre): NZ$780 – NZ$1300
- Three-bedroom apartment (City Centre): NZ$2,700 – NZ$3,200
- Three-bedroom apartment (Outside Centre): NZ$1,400 – NZ$2,100
Additional living expenses you need to consider:
- Basic utilities: NZ$180 – NZ$210
- Internet: NZ$76
- Mobile phone: NZ$19-NZ$35, dependent on the coverage
- Monthly pass: NZ$155
- Gym membership, monthly: NZ$60
- Tennis court (weekend hourly rates): NZ$19
- Cinema (1 adult ticket): NZ$17
EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES
Besides the tropical sandy beaches and year-round warm weather, New Zealand is also a wonderful country to work in, having one of the lowest unemployment rates as well as exceptional working conditions. New Zealand’s job market has experienced rapid growth over the past few years, with employment projected to grow at 1.8 per cent a year.
To avoid labour shortage in the future, New Zealand will continue to need around 47,000 more skilled workers a year. This is excellent news for British expats, given that most of these jobs are set to be filled by people coming to New Zealand from overseas.
Most of the job opportunities available for expats are in:
- IT and electronics
- Construction
- Finance and business services
- Health and social services
- Education
- Engineering
Check out the Skill Shortage Checker list to determine whether your qualifications and work experience might be a good fit for a job in New Zealand.
HEALTHCARE SYSTEM
New Zealand is known for its high-quality healthcare system. Much like the NHS, New Zealand’s public healthcare system is funded through general taxation, giving residents free or subsidised medical care and emergency treatments. You will need to be a permanent resident or a work-visa holder to access public healthcare services.
It is highly recommended for British expats living in New Zealand to obtain health insurance that fully covers them for private healthcare, as you may not be entitled to free healthcare immediately. Often, there is a waiting period before you can satisfy the residency requirements needed to receive free healthcare.
REMOVALS TO NEW ZEALAND
If you have made up your mind about moving to New Zealand is your next endeavour, then contact us today to arrange your move to NZ. We offer end-to-end removals to New Zealand from the UK all year round, and can assist with the entire move or only part of it.
Of course, the cost of your move will vary according to the amount of belongings you have, the mode of transport and if you wish to take out additional insurance (highly recommended).