Britannia Turnbull’s International Guide: New Zealand

Living in New Zealand

Planning a move to New Zealand? It’s easy to see why. New Zealand is a country full of diverse landscapes, heritage and a desirable way of life. New Zealanders are quite unique in that they have developed a friendly and relaxed way of life which has remained true to much of its history. This is due to the near 15% of residents identifying as Māori – New Zealand’s original inhabitants. The vast majority of the remaining population has European origin which has led to a recognisable way of life that attracts many UK immigrants each year.

But it is not just the way of life or international centres for business that have been established in Auckland and Wellington that attract people to New Zealand. The country experiences a huge mix of weather and landscapes – especially in the South Island. The tourist hot spot of Queenstown experiences hot, sunny weather in the summer and then becomes a centre for skiing in the winter.

Facts about New Zealand

• No part of the country is more than 79 miles away from the sea.
• Wellington is the southernmost capital city in the world.
• According to the Corruptions Perception Index, New Zealand is tied with Denmark as the least corrupt nation in the world.
• There are three official languages in New Zealand: English, Māori & NZ Sign Language.
• Milford Sound, in the country’s south island, was named as TripAdvisor’s top travel destination in 2008.
• Sir Edmund Hilary, the first man to climb Mt. Everest, was from New Zealand (and is a previous Turnbull’s customer!).
• New Zealand was the first country to give women the right to vote in 1893.
• The south island city of Dunedin is home to world’s steepest street – Baldwin Street with a 38% gradient.
• There are more people living in New Zealand’s largest city Auckland than in the whole of the south island.

Largest Cities in New Zealand (2016 estimates)

Auckland, Auckland Region – 1,495,000

Wellington, Wellington Region – 405,000

Christchurch, Canterbury – 389,700

Hamilton, Waikato – 230,000

Tauranga, Bay of Plenty – 134,400

Napier-Hastings, Hawke’s Bay – 131,100

Dunedin, Otago – 118,500

Palmerston North, Manawatu-Wanganui – 84,300

Nelson, Nelson Region – 65,700

Rotorua, Bay of Plenty – 57,800

New Zealand Immigration Information

New Zealand has a strict outlook on immigration and splits its visas into four main categories. We have split this down to a brief outlook at the time of writing which should not be considered official advice:

Skilled – Under 55’s who will be asked to complete an EOI (Expression of Interest) which is scored in points. These visas are targeted towards trades or professions approved by Immigration New Zealand.

Family – Split into Partner or Parent categories, applicants must have a partner or child who are permanent residents of New Zealand to apply.

Business – There are different types of Business Visas which would either required investment from the applicant or sponsorship from the employer.

Temporary – There are many different visa options of which some provide a permit for employment and some do not. There is also a work to residence visa if you have an offer of employment from an accredited employer.

Preparing For New Zealand

Away from the larger cities of Auckland and Wellington, New Zealand has certainly focused on maintaining its culture. A third of New Zealand is protected as national parks. This means that the roads are largely single lanes despite the familiarity of driving on the left hand side. But it does mean that most major centres in New Zealand take a while to drive to so do your research on where you are looking to move.

There are strict rules on what you can bring in to the country so ensure to check. But on arriving in New Zealand, opening bank accounts and other tasks are quite simple.

Moving to New Zealand

Britannia Turnbull’s is an expert in moving overseas and has the tools and knowledge required as an international removals company to complete a move to New Zealand. To find our more you can speak to one of our friendly removals experts.

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