Always select this for every post in addition to the main category
Just like New Zealand, South Africa is fighting the coronavirus. At the time of writing, both countries have entered into a nationwide lockdown. As Intergate Emigration have offices in South Africa, we wanted to brief you on South Africa’s lockdown and how it will affect our operations.
South Africa’s decision for a nationwide lockdown
All of South Africa have been called upon by President Ramaphosa, to unite in the fight against the coronavirus outbreak. Due to his swift and decisive decision making, South Africa entered into a nationwide lockdown for 21 days at midnight, on 26 March. The lockdown will last until midnight on the 16th of April.
What is a lockdown?
This is an emergency protocol taken by the South African government in terms of the country’s Disaster Management Act. It requires that all those in South Africa stay at home with exception of certain individuals and industries providing essential services.
How will this affect Intergate’s business operations?
Intergate Emigration has had to close our South African offices during the lockdown period, but our aim is to offer clients full operational continuity and service delivery. Our team will remain available by email, and our administrators are equipped to stay connected from home.
If you are interested in immigration to New Zealand, you can still contact us. We’ll proceed with the parts of the process that we can, considering New Zealand’s lockdown. Our advisers will be able to discuss with you what’s possible and what’s not. As a starting point, please book a free initial assessment.
Please note, however, that we will be operating on a reduced schedule and we kindly ask for your understanding at this time.
Keep in touch to stay updated
To know when things change, please sign up for newsletter – it’s free – or follow us on either Facebook or LinkedIn.
- Published in Immigration Advice, Our very latest posts
COVID-19 and New Zealand: National lockdown and more in effect
New Zealand is battling the coronavirus, also known as COVID-19, just like most other countries around the world. At the time of writing, New Zealand has entered a four-week lockdown. During this lockdown, all New Zealanders have to stay at home.
Below we’ll summarise all the important information to know about the lockdown as well as other measures that New Zealand have taken to help curb the spread of the coronavirus.
Four-week lockdown, but not for essential services
New Zealand’s lockdown began at midnight on Wednesday, 25 March. For now, the lockdown is set to continue for four weeks but it may last for longer.
During the lockdown, New Zealanders have to stay at home with the exception being those working in essential service businesses. These are businesses in industries such as food, medicine, healthcare, energy, fuel, waste-removal, internet and financial support.
Furthermore, New Zealanders returning from overseas during the lockdown will have to quarantine in airport hotels or motels if they did not have anywhere to self-isolate in the city they arrive in.
Prime Minister Ardern has received praise for how she’s handled the pandemic thus far, specifically for providing clarity and compassion at a time when it’s sorely necessary.
New Zealand borders have closed to almost all travellers
New Zealand has closed their borders to all travellers during the lockdown, except for New Zealand citizens, permanent residents, residents with valid travel conditions and their immediate family.
These immediate family members, which include partners, spouses, legal guardians and dependent children under the age of 24, must have a valid visa or NZeTA and travel with the New Zealand citizen or resident family members on the same flight to New Zealand.
Australian citizens and permanent residents who normally live in New Zealand can also return to New Zealand.
All travellers must isolate themselves for 14 days upon arrival, either at home or at an airport hotel or motel as discussed above.
Entry restriction exceptions
Immigration New Zealand are making exceptions to the border closure on case-by-case basis for:
- Humanitarian reasons.
- Health and other essential workers.
- Citizens of Samoa and Tonga for essential travel to New Zealand.
Immigration New Zealand has advised that those with a valid visa who think they may be eligible for an exception should contact their airline.
All INZ’s overseas office are closed
Unfortunately, all of Immigration New Zealand’s overseas visa processing offices have closed for the foreseeable future. Moreover, INZ only have skeleton staff in New Zealand and their only priority is dealing with COVID-19 requests. INZ are prioritising responses based on the government’s direction and are only intended for exceptional cases.
See the Immigration New Zealand website for more
Immigration New Zealand has a page on their website dedicated to their coronavirus response. You’ll find all the latest restrictions and measures on this page. See it here.
If you have an urgent immigration query, you can still contact Immigration New Zealand by using the following numbers:
- Outside New Zealand: +64 9 952 1679
- Within New Zealand: 0508 225 288
You can also follow Intergate Emigration on either Facebook or LinkedIn where we’ll inform you of updates and developments as it happens.
- Published in Immigration Advice, Our very latest posts
Auckland, Christchurch and Wellington are the New Zealand cities most popular with migrants. That’s why we wanted to compare the costs of basic expenses between these cities.
Our aim?
To give you the information you need to make an informed decision about where you want to live.
Our comparison covers the costs of:
- Rent;
- Utilities;
- Groceries;
- Getting around;
- Entertainment; and
- Childcare.
Of course it is important to also look at average salaries, so that you can see how your expenses are likely to relate to your income. This is why we start by sharing the average annual salary of each city.
Please note: All costs are quoted in New Zealand dollars.
Salaries
| Auckland | Christchurch | Wellington | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Annual Salary | 65,000 | 63,000 | 67,000 |
Monthly expenses
Your monthly expenses will include costs such as rent, groceries, and entertainment. Your rent will be the first expense to take care of each month, so let’s start there.
1. Rent
We look at 1-bedroom and 3-bedroom apartments both in and outside the city centre:
| Auckland | Christchurch | Wellington | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1-bedroom apartment in the city | 1,931.38 | 1,465.45 | 1,815.68 |
| 1-bedroom apartment outside of the city centre | 1,616.67 | 1,185.83 | 1,415.19 |
| 3-bedroom apartment in the city | 3,443.58 | 2,231.67 | 3,252.38 |
| 3-bedroom apartment outside of the city centre | 2,769.48 | 1,866.67 | 2,457.20 |
2. Utilities
This is how much utilities could set you back each month:
| Auckland | Christchurch | Wellington | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic utilities for a 85m2 Apartment (Electricity, Heating, Cooling, Water, Garbage) | 169.64 | 181.91 | 170.61 |
| Internet (60 Mbps or More, Unlimited Data, Cable/ADSL) | 83.52 | 84.27 | 83.53 |
Now let’s look at some of the other monthly costs you’ll have to budget for…
3. Groceries
Groceries will demand a large chunk of your income each month. This is how much basic groceries could set you back:
| Auckland | Christchurch | Wellington | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1L Milk | 2.58 | 2.78 | 2.99 |
| Loaf of bread (white) | 2.40 | 2.86 | 2.51 |
| 12 Eggs | 5.15 | 4.68 | 5.99 |
| 1kg Local cheese | 9.85 | 9.61 | 10.39 |
| 1kg Chicken fillets | 13.25 | 12.23 | 13.22 |
| 1kg Apples | 3.79 | 5.04 | 3.62 |
| 1kg Bananas | 2.92 | 3.17 | 2.84 |
| 1kg Tomatoes | 4.87 | 5.97 | 4.54 |
| Lettuce | 2.91 | 2.48 | 2.48 |
| 1.5L Water | 2.22 | 1.60 | 2.18 |
4. Getting around
If you don’t import your car, you’ll have to buy a new one or make use of public transport. This is how much both these options could cost you:
| Auckland | Christchurch | Wellington | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Volkswagen Golf 1.4 90 KW Trendline (or equivalent new car) | 35,000.00 | 36,990.00 | 34,990.0 |
| Toyota Corolla Sedan 1.6l 97kW Comfort (or equivalent new car) | 29,794.06 | 29,443.33 | 30,465.00 |
| 1-way Ticket (local transport) | 3.75 | 3.50 | 5.00 |
| Monthly pass (regular price) | 215.00 | 110.87 | 150.00 |
| 1L of Petrol | 2.24 | 2.21 | 2.23 |
5. Entertainment
No-one only works to pays the bills. We also also spend time with friends and loved ones! Here’s how much you could spend on entertainment:
| Auckland | Christchurch | Wellington | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Restaurant meal | 20.00 | 20.00 | 17.50 |
| 3-course Dinner for 2 | 90.00 | 100.00 | 90.00 |
| 330ml Imported Beer | 9.00 | 10.00 | 9.00 |
| Coke/Pepsi | 3.39 | 3.01 | 3.20 |
| Cappuccino | 4.82 | 4.75 | 4.56 |
| Movie ticket | 18.00 | 16.00 | 16.00 |
6. Childcare
If you’re a family moving over to New Zealand, you’ll have to enroll your children of school-going age into a school:
| Auckland | Christchurch | Wellington | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Private preschool (or kindergarten) - Monthly for 1 child (full day) | 1,220.04 | 1,112.50 | 1,108.08 |
| International primary school - Yearly for 1 child | 20,846.15 | 14,750.00 | 15,500.00 |
If there are any other costs you’re curious about, such as clothing, head on over to Numbeo. All of the costs above were taken from Numbeo and valid as at Feb 2020. Salaries were taken from Payscale.
- Published in About New Zealand, Our very latest posts
Your New Zealand visa application: Here’s how to prevent delays
Is this you – you’re eager to lodge your New Zealand visa application, because you want to get to New Zealand as quickly as possible?
Yes, it is?
Then let’s pause and remind you of the saying ‘haste makes waste’ – when you try to do things too quickly, sometimes you get them wrong or have to do them all over again.
Unfortunately it’s all too easy to ‘make waste’ when doing a visa application and the result often is unnecessary delays.
The best strategy is to take the necessary time and precautions to submit a complete and correct application.
Here’s our tips on how to do this:
1. Plan ahead
You have to start with an assessment to find out if you’re eligible to live in New Zealand. Book one as soon as possible if you haven’t done that yet.
The assessment will show which visa you stand to qualify for, which in turn will highlight the best way forward.
Knowing the emigration route available to you, means knowing which documentation you’ll need in future, whether or not you’ll have to do an English test, if you have to register with a professional body, etc. Essentially, all the parts of your application that you’ll have to submit.
2. Check that you’ve included all the required documentation
The one thing most applicants are guilty of, is neglecting to submit all the necessary documents. Our advisers often have to request documents a second time because it wasn’t included in the original pack.
The best thing to do is to have a checklist, to tick off documents as you go. Mark up also if documents should be photocopies, originals or certified copies.
If you’re working with an adviser, you should get a list of all required documentation. Your adviser should also check all documents once received, to ensure that you’ve sent them everything.
You may of course choose to do your New Zealand visa application on your own, but be aware that the experience might be more stressful, especially if you’re someone who gets stressed easily.
3. Check your passport
Your passport must be valid for at least 3 months after your visa expires and have enough free pages for any required visa labels.
When our clients have a passports valid for only a couple of months, our advice is always to apply for a passport before starting any visa applications.
When you have to apply for a new passport in the middle of an application, it could lead to delays.
4. Apply for your visa in time
Visa application take time to be decided and there’s nothing you, or us, can do once an application is in the hands of Immigration New Zealand.
It is thus important to allow sufficient time for your application when making the rest of your plans.
Need professional help with your New Zealand visa application?
Like we said, you can do your visa application on your own, but if you suspect that it would be a more pleasant experience with a professional by your side, you are more than welcome to contact us.
You can speak to an adviser by calling +27 (0) 21 202 8200 or by emailing us.
We’ll start with an assessment, the important first step, and then we’ll explain the best way forward – so that you can plan ahead and apply for your visa in time.
- Published in Immigration Advice, Our very latest posts
New Zealand Investor Visa
The New Zealand investor visa offers eligible candidates from around the world the opportunity to gain residence in New Zealand. There are two visa options:
- Investor visa
- Investor Plus visa
The route you’re able to choose will depend on your ability to meet the investment thresholds and the other relevant requirements associated with each visa.
1. Investor visa
You intend to make an investment of NZ$1.5 million in New Zealand for 4 years.
What are the requirements?
To be eligible for the Investor visa, you must:
- Be 65 years of age or under.
- Demonstrate 3 years of business experience in owning a business or being in a senior management position within a business:
- With an annual turnover of at least NZ$1 million;
- And with at least 4 full-time employees.
- Meet the English language requirements. This extends to any eligible accompanying family members.
- Be able to prove that you have an additional NZ$1 million available to use as settlement funds.
- Meet New Zealand’s health and character requirements.
- Meet the required points score.
2. Investor Plus visa
You intent to make an investment of NZ$10 million in New Zealand for 3 years.
How does the Investor Plus visa differ from the Investor visa?
When you choose to invest through the Investor Plus visa, you’ll have fewer requirements to meet than someone who invest through the Investor visa:
- There are no age restrictions on the Investor Plus visa.
- You don’t have to demonstrate any business experience
- You don’t have to have settlement funds available.
- There is no English language requirement or points test applied to the Investor Plus visa.
What are the requirements?
To be eligible for an Investor Plus visa, you must:
- Make the required investment in an acceptable investment.
- Meet New Zealand’s health and character requirements.
How should you make the investment?
You can only invest in acceptable New Zealand investments, for both visas. Additionally, investments must be made through the New Zealand banking system and investments must be from a validated source.
What is considered an acceptable investment?
Immigration New Zealand recognizes the following as ‘acceptable investments’:
- Equity in New Zealand firms, both public and private. An equity investment can be active or passive, and can be made direct or via managed funds.
- Bonds, issued by the New Zealand government, local New Zealand authorities or approved New Zealand banks, finance companies or firms.
- New residential property development that is not for your personal use and designed to make a commercial return on the open market.
- Up to 15% of the investment total can be philanthropic investment.
Generally, an investment must:
- Be capable of a commercial return under normal circumstances.
- Be invested in New Zealand in New Zealand currency.
- Have the potential to contribute to New Zealand’s economy.
- Not be for the personal use of the investor.
You can read more about acceptable investments on Immigration New Zealand’s website.
Here’s how the application process works
If you wish to apply for a New Zealand Investor visa, you must first lodge an Expression of Interest. If your Expression of Interest is successful, you’ll get an invitation to apply for New Zealand residence.
Should INZ approve your residence in principle, you’ll have 12 months to transfer your investment funds into an acceptable investment in New Zealand. You’ll have to provide verifiable documents to show that the investments came from the funds and/or assets that you nominated.
What happens after you get residence?
You’ll have to do the following once INZ has approved your residence:
Investor visa:
- Keep the investment funds in an acceptable investment for four years.
- Spend at least 146 days of each year in New Zealand in years two, three and four of your four-year investment period or 438 days over the four-year investment period.
Investor Plus visa:
- Keep your investment funds in an acceptable investment for three years.
- Spent at last 44 days in New Zealand each year in years two and three of your three-year investment period or 88 days over the three-year investment period.
For both visas, the number of days you’ll have to spend in New Zealand over the investment period will depend on the make-up of your investment.
Find out if you’re eligible for a New Zealand Investor visa
To see if you’re eligible to apply for a either the Investor or Investor Plus visa, simply book a free initial immigration assessment with our consultants. This assessment will show all New Zealand visas for which you could qualify. Following the outcome of the assessment, our consultants will discuss the best way forward for your emigration to New Zealand.
- Published in Immigration Advice, Our very latest posts
The cost of living in New Zealand: Your ultimate guide (2020 Update)
One of the main research point for our clients is the cost of living in New Zealand. Time and again clients tell us they want to know that they’ll be able to live comfortably.
This has lead us to put together the ultimate guide to the cost of living in New Zealand – and today we’re sharing it with you.
You’ll get a better understanding of how much money you could expect to earn and what your average living costs would be:
- Housing
- Utilities
- Groceries
- Transport
We’ll even tell you where to go do a realistic cost-of-living calculation. But first let’s look at how much you could expect to earn…
Salary
As in all countries, salaries range by profession, experience and skill level. To get an idea of what you could earn in your job, have a look at the salary guide on TradeMe.
Housing
You can choose to rent or buy a home in New Zealand. You might have to rent a home when you first arrive so let’s start there:
Renting:
In 2019, the average cost of rent increased just about everywhere in New Zealand:
| City | Avg Weekly Rent at end of 2019 | Year-on-Year Increase |
|---|---|---|
| Wellington | NZ$604 | 10% |
| Auckland | NZ$563 | 2.2% |
| Dunedin | NZ$464 | 8.4% |
| Hamilton | NZ$420 | 6.1% |
| Christchurch | NZ$379 | 1.7% |
Experts are not expecting rental prices to come down in 2020. In fact, the average Wellington rental property is on track to hit an all-time high of NZ$640 per week in February.
In a recent article on Newshub it was explained that the increase in rental prices mostly comes down to supply – high house prices mean people stay in rentals longer to save deposits, putting pressure on the market. In turn, rent prices are going through the roof. “Essentially, we need more houses,” explained infometrics senior economist Brad Olsen.
These are the rental costs to expect:
Your initial costs when renting a home will include a portion of the rent in advance and a letting fee if you use an agent and a bond.
A landlord can ask for a maximum of two weeks rent in advance while you can expect that the bond (or deposit) will be equal to four weeks’ rent. This means you’ll have to pay up up to six weeks of rent upfront.
You’ll get the bond back at the end of the leasing term, provided you leave the place in a good condition.
To do a search for rental prices in the area you plan on staying, go to TenancyServices, a website hosted by the New Zealand Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment.
Buying:
Just like the cost of rent, New Zealand house prices also increased in 2019. At the end of December, the average house prices in 16 of New Zealand largest cities were as follows:
| Average Value | 3 Month Change | |
|---|---|---|
| Invercargill | NZ$334,353 | 6.4% |
| Palmerston North | NZ$483,695 | 4.9% |
| New Plymouth | NZ$495,649 | 3.8% |
| Malborough | NZ$496,590 | 2.4% |
| Rotorua | NZ$499,702 | 5% |
| Christchurch | NZ$507,852 | 2.1% |
| Dunedin | NZ$514,680 | 8.7% |
| Whangarei | NZ$548,568 | 1% |
| Hastings | NZ$563,890 | 5.4% |
| Napier | NZ$578,861 | 4.7% |
| Hamilton | NZ$604,034 | 2.3% |
| Nelson | NZ$638,842 | 1.5% |
| Wellington Area | NZ$746,955 | 4.4% |
| Tauranga | NZ$763,422 | 2.1% |
| Auckland Area | NZ$1,047,110 | 1.9% |
| Queenstown Lakes | NZ$1,202,625 | 0.9% |
Experts did expect this tide to turn in 2020, and for house prices to fall, but the resurgence in Auckland specifically now have economists predicting that house prices will continue to rise. Most economists agree on an increase of at least 5%.
To get an accurate view of how much you’re likely to spend on a home this year, you can check the median values of homes in any region, city or even street on QV.co.nz.
Keep this in mind: Property ads in New Zealand usually show either an RV (Rateable Value), GV (Government Valuation) or CV (Council Valuation) figure. These figures refer to the valuation used by the local council to calculate rates for the property. These aren’t registered valuations and often don’t reflect the property’s true market value.
Utilities
The main utilities for any home would be water and electricity. Of course an internet connection is also considered essential in this day and age.
Water:
Most regional councils charge for the water they supply and the rates vary from region to region. If you own your home, the cost is added to your rates as water rates.
Electricity:
When it comes to electricity, you’ll find that there are a number of electricity and gas retailers in New Zealand. You can search for the best deal on the PowerSwitch website run by ConsumerNZ and MBIE Consumer Affairs.
Internet:
There are a range of internet service providers to choose from in New Zealand. Glimp lets you compare providers by price, speed, data and plan specifics. You can also use Broadband Compare for service provider comparisons.
Transport
While public transport is available in New Zealand, most New Zealanders choose to own a car and drive to where they need to be.
Choosing to also go this route might mean that you’ll have to buy a car once you arrive in New Zealand. You can use New Zealand’s AA website to see how much your favourite car will cost you new, but here are a couple of prices to start with:
| Model (New) | Price |
|---|---|
| Ford Fiesta | NZ$25,490 |
| Citroën C4 | NZ$35,990 |
| Toyota RAV4 | NZ$34,990 |
| Mazda3 | NZ$36,595 |
| Hyundai Sonata | NZ$45,990 |
What about insurance and petrol?
Insurance is not compulsory in New Zealand but third party insurance will insure you against having to personally pay the cost of damage to someone else’s vehicle. Petrol prices are on the AA’s site where regularly updates are published.
Groceries
The general rule is that local produce will be cheaper than imported items.
Keep in mind that imported items travel far due to New Zealand’s ‘end of the earth’ location. This means you might pay considerably more for certain items than you’re used to.
Numbeo is a great site if you’d like to check average grocery prices in New Zealand. You can also look at specific cities or compare the prices between cities.
Let’s take a look at the prices of a couple of basic groceries:
| Price | |
|---|---|
| Milk (1L) | NZ$2.59 |
| Fresh white bread | NZ$2.31 |
| Eggs (12) | NZ$4.92 |
| Cheese (1kg) | NZ$9.92 |
| Chicken breasts (1kg) | NZ$12.45 |
| Rice (1kg) | NZ$2.79 |
| Apples (1kg) | NZ$3.54 |
| Bananas (1kg) | NZ$2.88 |
How does New Zealand’s cost of living compare to that of other countries?
Numbeo’s 2020 Cost of Living Index compares the cost of living of 440 cities around the world. Auckland is New Zealand’s most expensive city. At number 53 on the list, Auckland is cheaper than Sydney in Australia but more expensive than Brighton in the UK.
The only other New Zealand’s cities that ranked on the Index are Christchurch and Wellington at numbers 79 and 113 on the list.
The most expensive city in the world, in case you wanted to know, is Zurich.
And, as promised – how to do a realistic cost-of-living calculation
We said we’ll tell you where to go for a realistic calculation of your cost of living and here it is:
You can use New Zealand Now’s cost calculator. You can tailor your income and expenses (be sure to click on the + signs on the expenses!) and adjust to a monthly or weekly outlook.
Of course here at Intergate we like to go the extra mile, so here is a bonus tip to end off our guide to the cost of living in New Zealand – use PriceMe to compare the prices of computers, appliances, phones, furniture, savings accounts and much more.
- Published in About New Zealand, Our very latest posts
Come see us at the Emigration Expo in February!
The Emigration Expo, held in the Netherlands, is Europe’s largest meeting point for the emigration industry. The 2020 event is hosting 200 exhibitors and more than 11,000 visitors are expected. The Intergate Group will be joining too!
Emigration information for emigrants, expats, students, entrepreneurs and job seekers
The 24th Emigration Expo takes place during the weekend of 8 and 9 February. It is the only international event for those who want to live abroad. A visit to the Expo will quickly provide you with all you need to know about living, working, studying and doing business overseas. You’ll get information through a comprehensive range of options, services, vacancies and products as well as attend free lectures and presentations on issues, topics and trends relating to emigration.
Find Intergate for advice on South Africa, Australia and New Zealand
Intergate had a successful event in 2019 so we’re going back in 2020! We’ll be available to answer all your questions about emigration to New Zealand, Australia and South Africa. Come see us, at whatever stage you are of your emigration journey. We’re looking forward to meeting you!
Event details:
When?
Saturday 8 February and Sunday 9 February 2020, from 10am to 5pm.
Where?
Expo Houten
Meidoornkade 24
3992 AE Houten
The Netherlands
How much?
- €17.50 at the door.
- €12.50 when ordering tickets online.
- €8.75 for students, on production of a student pass at the door.
Your ticket is valid for both Saturday and Sunday.
For more details: www.emigrationexpo.com
- Published in Intergate Emigration, Our very latest posts
Expat Explorer Survey: New Zealand vs Australia
What’s the best way to find what it’s like to live in a country? By searching for answers online? This approach could give you some answers, we agree. Would it perhaps be a better idea to visit for a holiday? You’ll definitely get a feel for the country, but holidaying in a country or city is often vastly different from living there permanently.
The best thing to do (in our opinion)? Speak to people who already live there. That’s exactly what the Expat Explorer Survey does and it’s how we’re going to compare life in New Zealand to Australia today.
The reason for the comparison is not only because we offer immigration services for both countries. It’s also because many people interested in living in New Zealand also consider Australia when setting out on their emigration journey.
What is the Expat Explorer Survey?
The Expat Explorer Survey happens annually. It is a global survey and in 2019 the survey was completed by 18,059 expats in the world. Respondents answer a set of 27 questions and their answers are used to calculate a league table. A minimum sample of 100 expat respondents is required for a country to be included. In 2019, 33 countries from around the world made the cut.. These 33 countries included New Zealand and Australia.
The survey has three categories – Living, Aspiring, and Little Expats
The Expat Explorer Survey’s 27 questions are spread across three categories:
- Living
- Aspiring
- Little Expats
While ‘Living’ covers a multitude of aspects around your well-being, ‘Aspiring’ covers income and career. ‘Little Expats’, as the name suggests, addresses issues that affect children.
Here’s how New Zealand and Australia did in each category:
1. Living
Between New Zealand and Australia, New Zealand came out tops for fulfillment, political stability, ease of settling in, and having welcoming communities. These last two are surely linked! New Zealanders are known as friendly people who go out of their way to help others. Many new expats of stories of how a New Zealander helped them out in the first few months in the country.
Australia, on the other hand, beat New Zealand when it came to qualify of life as well as physical and mental well-being. The beautiful weather gets the credit for making expats feel physically healthier than in their home countries.
Position out of 33 countries in the Survey: New Zealand – 3rd | Australia – 4th
2. Aspiring
While New Zealand were scored higher by expats for income, Australia scored more for disposable income. So it seems that although expats in New Zealand earn more, expats in Australia has more of their salary to spend after deductions.
Australia also beat New Zealand when it came to career progression. The Expat Explorer Survey found that while expats don’t initially opt for Australia to help progress their careers, this is one of the reasons expats often end up staying long term.
New Zealand came out tops again, however, in reaching one’s potential and work-life balance. This is to be expected as New Zealand is known as a country that values work-life balance. In fact, this is often one of the main reasons expats choose to go to New Zealand.
Position out of 33 countries in the Survey: New Zealand – 8th |Australia – 12th
3. Little Expats
Expat parents in New Zealand rated the country highly for their children’s ability to make friends. New Zealand came in two spots above Australia, in fact. However, Australia beat New Zealand in learning and schooling. The difference again was only two spots, so your children are going to have a great childhood in either country.
Position out of 33 countries in the Survey: New Zealand – 9th | Australia – 8th
Where do New Zealand and Australia sit on the Expat Explorer Survey league table?
New Zealand came in at 5th place overall while Australia took 6th place. Switzerland, Singapore, Canada and Spain claimed the top four spots. Turkey, Germany, the UAE and Vietnam made up the rest of the top 10.
View the full league table here and view the comparison of Australia and New Zealand here.
- Published in About New Zealand, Our very latest posts
FAQs: Healthcare In New Zealand
New Zealand healthcare is among the best in the world!
In a 2019 study conducted by ID Medical, a UK healthcare recruiter, New Zealand’s healthcare system was tied with that of the UK. New Zealand also fares well in the World Health Organisation’s rankings where it finds itself among the top 50 countries.
It’s really no surprise that many migrants who pick New Zealand lists the country’s healthcare as a ‘pull factor’. Especially those migrants with families! Parents naturally want to secure the best possible healthcare for their children.
Parent or no parent, though, you’re sure to have questions about New Zealand’s healthcare system. That’s why we’ve decided to answer 8 of your most frequently asked questions today. Up first:
1. Does New Zealand have a public healthcare system?
Yes, New Zealand does have a public healthcare system. Eligible residents get free or subsidised health and disability services which include:
- Primary healthcare visits such as doctor’s visits.
- Prescribed medicines.
- Public hospital services.
- Support services if you have disabilities.
2. Does the public healthcare system also cover dentistry?
While dental care is free for eligible children up to the age of 18, you’ll have to pay for most dental services yourself. However, the Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC), a government agency, will help with the cost if you need dental treatment because of an accident or injury.
Please note that free dental care for eligible children are not available through every dentist practice. You’ll have to check with your dentist if their practice offers this service.
3. Who is eligible for New Zealand’s public healthcare system?
You may be eligible for subsidised or free healthcare under the public system if you are:
- A New Zealand citizen or permanent resident or resident, although some exceptions do apply; or
- A work visa holder who is allowed to work in New Zealand for two years or more; or
- The holder of a work visa that allows you to work in New Zealand for two years or more when combined with time spent in the country just before getting your current work visa; or
- Under 17 and your parent or guardian is eligible; or
- An interim visa holder who was eligible immediately before you got the interim visa; or
- A refugee or protected person.
There is a chance that you’ll still qualify for public healthcare despite not meeting any of the requirements above. Please get advice from your immigration advisor or consult the Ministry of Health’s website.
4. Is private healthcare also available in New Zealand?
Yes, New Zealand does have private healthcare facilities. You’ll have to pay for healthcare services at these facilities yourself as the New Zealand government does not subsidise or pay for private healthcare services.
It is important to note, however, that you must be eligible for public healthcare in order to be allowed to take out private health insurance.
The benefits of private health insurance is that it allows you to decide how much cover you want and the type of services you want cover for. Private health insurance also means you can go to the doctor, specialist or hospital of your liking.
To compare private health insurance policies, go to LifeDirect, a New Zealand insurance comparison website.
5. Can I count on New Zealand healthcare’s system to look after my children?
Most definitely! As mentioned earlier, eligible children under the age of 18 are entitled to free dental healthcare. That’s not the only way healthcare in New Zealand looks after your children though:
- From birth to the age of 5: All children in New Zealand qualify for a free health service called Well Child/Tamariki Ora. This service gives children access to a range of health checks and provides support and advice to new parents.
- Under the age of 13: All children younger than 13 are eligible for the following free medical services:
- Immunisations against serious diseases.
- Regular eyesight and hearing checks at school.
- Visits to the doctor. Not all GPs may provide free visits, so check with your GP first.
- Basic dentistry, as mentioned.
- Under the age of 17: Publicly-funded healthcare.
6. What do I do in the case of a medical emergency?
In the unfortunate case of a medical emergency, you can either dial 111 to request an ambulance or go to the closest hospital’s 24-hour emergency department. You can get more information about when to visit an emergency department on the Ministry of Health’s website.
If injuries are sustained due to an accident, the Accident Compensation Corporate (ACC) cover will take care of most of the costs.
7. How do I find a doctor?
The good news is that New Zealand have over 35,000 GPs, so you’re sure to find a doctor in your area. Simply go to the Healthpoint website and do a search by suburb, name or service. This website also gives information about services and common treatments offered by GPs as well as referral expectations.
It’s important to know that doctors usually give priority to people who live or work in their local area, so local is always best when picking a GP.
8. How do I find hospitals in my area?
New Zealand has both public and private hospitals. You can find a hospital in your area by doing a search on the Ministry of Health’s website. Click here for public hospitals and here for private hospitals.
Go the Ministry of Health’s website for more on healthcare in New Zealand…
New Zealand’s Ministry of Health has a comprehensive website where you’re sure to find the answers to any other questions you might have. You can find the website here: www.health.govt.nz
- Published in Our very latest posts, Relocation Advice - New Zealand
10 New Zealand job agencies
Want to increase your chances of getting a job when immigrating to New Zealand? Work with New Zealand job agencies. These agencies have recruiters with the contacts, know-how, and industry knowledge to secure you a job.
10 of New Zealand’s top recruiters
1. Adecco
Adecco has offices in 16 cities across New Zealand. Their recruiters can assist with jobs for a wide range of industries, including engineering, constructions, and sales and marketing.
2. Drake New Zealand
Drake New Zealand can connect you with jobs in several industries, ranging from healthcare and IT to engineering and education. These recruiters have 11 offices across New Zealand. You can sign up for job alerts on the website and access career advice too.
3. Enterprise Recruitment
Enterprise is divided into four specialists division – Information Technology, Business Support, Professional, and Industrial. Each division offers dedicated expertise and knowledge. You can find Enterprise in Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, and Invercargill.
4. Fosterra
Fosterra works specifically with technically-orientated companies on the South Island. They specialize in Senior Management, Sales and Marketing and most types of technical professional. Fosterra’s office is in Christchurch.
5. HQ Recruiting
HQ Recruiting has two offices, one in Auckland and one in Wellington. They work with candidates in early childhood education, transport, and IT.
6. Michael Page
Michael Page matches professionals with Auckland jobs across a wide range of industries. You can sign up for job alerts on the website. The website also has a comprehensive career advice section and offer market insights.
7. OCG
OCG offer recruitment solutions across for the HR, technology, manufacturing and industrial industries. They have offices in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch. You’ll find a career support section on the website, where OCG gives you advice on your resume, interviews, and job hunting.
8. Superior Personnel
Superior Personnel connects job seekers with opportunities in Auckland, Waikato and Bay of Plenty. The team specializes in manufacturing, freight and logistics, infrastructure, specialist trades and clerical roles.
9. Tradestaff
As the name suggest, Tradestaff provides recruitment services for the trades and industrial sectors. They have 11 offices across New Zealand, each with a unique understanding of their geographic area.
10. Also visit New Kiwis
New Kiwis is not a job agency, it is a free employment service to migrant job seekers and Zealand employers. Applicants can upload their CVs and search the job section, while employers use the site to search for candidates and post vacancies. You can thank the Auckland Chamber of Commerce and Immigration New Zealand (MBIE) for this initiative.
Here’s how a recruiter can help you
- New Zealand job agencies are experts on the New Zealand job market. You’ll get insider information and tips to help you succeed in your job search.
- Recruiters often know about jobs that are not being advertised on job boards or social media.
- Specialist agencies in your industry are already connected with the companies you should approach.
- Recruiters can also help you with your CV and give advice on your career path.
- When you apply for a job, the recruiter follows up on your application. This means you don’t have to and you get regular feedback on your application.
- Using a recruiter is free!
Our advice?
New Zealand employers often use recruiters to screen candidates, especially for specialist and high-level jobs. Our advice is thus to seriously consider using a job agency! Not only for this reason, but also the 6 reasons we list above. With a recruiter by your side, especially when you’re job hunting before you emigrate, you have a much bigger chance of finding the perfect job.
Please note: Intergate Emigration is not affiliated or associated with any of the job agencies listed above.
- Published in Immigration Advice, Our very latest posts