Planning Your Trip

Tips for planning your move to New Zealand

The preparation for your journey to New Zealand will depend on many factors such as your age, whether you are migrating alone or with a family, your purpose for travel (such as study or work), the cultural differences from your country of origin and your budget. Moving countries can be stressful at the best of times so it is very important that your expectations are aligned and realistic. Cost of Living in New Zealand can also be quite different to one's home country.  New Zealand government provides a calculator to assist new migrants in managing their expenses. 

Whether it's for a better education, better health care or a safer environment, one of the best ways to understand New Zealand from outside its borders is to research all you can - there's plenty of information online. However a key way to remove stress is to be well prepared with your visa options. 

Prepare for your visa

  • Work or Study? A big question for many is "What will I do in New Zealand? Do I work or do I study?". Getting credible advice and researching your options is the first place to start. It is not illegal to search for work in New Zealand without a visa. There are plenty of online job portals that can assist you in your search.  There are also plenty of Educational Institutions to select from. New Zealand has some of the best Universities in the world. Setting your first foot right is important to ensure you can achieve your immigration goals. 
  • Without a visa, you cannot enter. All visa applications will require some sort of documents to be submitted with your application.  Finding these documents before you plan your move would be a great way to start. This is further influenced by the ease of travel to your home country - but having key items such as originals of birth certificates, academic qualifications and work reference letters. It is also advisable to have a valid International Drivers License.
  • Research where you will live. Work wise and your preferred living lifestyle. Where you will work or study, will more than likely dictate the city where you will live when you first arrive.
  • English is the official business language in New Zealand.  It would help you and your family settle, if you have a good command of the English language.  
  • The current pandemic environment means New Zealand has border controls in place. With border shut to all non-New Zealand citizens and residents except for those qualifying under border exception categories, means future migrants should be plan their migration timelines keeping in view the policy restrictions in place.