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Whether you’re moving to New Zealand for the relaxed way of life or the amazing scenery, there are some things that you need to know. Read on for advice on visas, living costs, how to move and some tips.
If you’re planning to relocate to New Zealand, you’ll be grateful to learn about the many reasons to live in this country. Its safety, stable political environment, high-quality education and work-life balance are only a few. However, one of the most important things to get sorted before is your visa.
As a South African, you can apply for a variety of visas. Find the most common ones in the table below:
| Visa | Basic Information |
| Accredited Employer Work Visa | Temporary (5 Years). You must have a job offer with the demanding skills and experience for it. |
| Skilled Migrant Category Resident Visa | Indefinitely. You must have a job offer with the demanding skills and experience for it. |
| Entrepreneur Resident Visa | Indefinitely. You must be self-employed in your own business for at least 6 months or 2 years on another visa. |
In addition to these work visas, there are some other visas that you can apply for:
😲 To be eligible for a permanent resident visa, you must have held a resident visa for at least 24 months. For more information on visas and their criteria, visit the website of the New Zealand Visas Page.
Each visa can require different specific documents. However, in general, they include:
Are you searching for movers to New Zealand? You’re in the right place. Take a look at our page with the best international removal companies from South Africa to New Zealand.
It’s a good idea to know what living in New Zealand is like to avoid any culture shock when you get there. This section goes through what it is like to live in New Zealand and how to find work and housing.
According to Numbeo, living costs are 118% higher in New Zealand. This is due to the stronger New Zealand dollar, housing, transportation and leisure costs. Nevertheless, this is counteracted by much higher salaries and wages.
Below should give you an idea as to the difference in living costs:
| Item | Average Price in South Africa | Average Price in New Zealand |
| One Litre of Milk | 12.94R | 25.81R |
| Meal, Inexpensive Restaurant | 120.00R | 151.67R |
| Average Monthly Net Salary | 16,315R | 36,213R |
| Domestic Beer (0.5 litre bottle) | 21.30R | 50.88R |
All of these prices were taken from Numbeo. If you want a better idea of how much your move may cost you, read our international moving costs page for more information.
If you don’t have a job, then you won’t be able to apply for a work visa. So, that should be your top priority. Some sectors that have been labelled as having skills shortages, such as medicine, engineering, IT, construction and trades.
There are some good online portals to find work, for example, Seek or Traderme. However, to secure the job of your dreams, there are some things to consider. Emigration New Zealand has summed up some tips on how to apply for jobs in New Zealand.
Buying a house in New Zealand is relatively easy and is mostly done through estate agents. Despite it not being complicated, we still advise people planning on moving to New Zealand to first rent a place to live rather than buy.
For rental, you can expect around 16,950R for a one-bedroom apartment in the centre of Auckland, compared to 10,800R in Cape Town. Prices are higher, however, they do vary depending on size, quality and location.
Below are some good online portals to find places to rent:
For more advice on renting in New Zealand, justlanded has a page explaining more about rental costs in Auckland and Wellington.
The work-life balance in New Zealand is probably one of the things that drew you to thinking of moving to New Zealand. The country has a lot to offer: amazing landscapes, low crime rates, an abundance of jobs and the friendly Kiwis.
For more information on what New Zealand is like, this article explains what the New Zealand Culture is like. The New Zealand government website has a lot of information that you can use to get a better idea of what New Zealand is like. They also have an online planning tool to plan your move.
This section goes through everything that you need to think about and prepare for when moving to New Zealand, even the things that you may not have thought of.
| Size of Household | Time it takes to Move | Cost of Move |
| 1-bed flat | 6-10 weeks | 34,800R-59,200R |
| 2-bed house | 4-7 weeks | 46,900R-78,200R |
| 3-bed house | 4-7 weeks | 83,400R-137,200R |
Above you can find the cost of moving to New Zealand via sea. Several factors influence the cost of your move: maybe you’re only moving a few boxes, some furniture or the entire contents of your home. If you need any more information on the costs of moving, read our container shipping prices page for tips and advice.
👉 Estimating the volume of your belongings will help you get a realistic price, saving you time and comparing accurate quotes!
Calculate Volume NowMoving a pet to New Zealand can range from 1,400 NZD to 2,000 NZD. This includes inspections made in the border clearance, veterinary and the inspectors themselves.
You’ll also be required to bring some documentation with you on the customs, such as evidence of the ownership, veterinary certificates and a permit to import the animal.
Read all the requirements in detail on Bringing pets and animals into NZ on the Customs Service or Travelling Pets to NZ on the Ministry for Primary Industries page.
If you’re planning on moving to another country, then making sure that your healthcare is covered is very important. New Zealand has both a public and private healthcare system and their standards of care are high. Under their public healthcare system, most services are free including standard medical tests, and children’s immunisations and most medication is subsidised by the government. However, some things aren’t covered by the government e.g. dental care and other non-emergency procedures.
There are three types of schools: state-run, state-integrated and private schools. No matter which school you attend, it is compulsory from the ages of six until sixteen.
State-run schools are free for citizens and permanent residents of New Zealand. Between the ages of three and five, a child can go to Early Childhood Education (ECE) service after which they attend primary school from the age of five until twelve. Then from the age of thirteen to seventeen, children attend secondary school.
Education in New Zealand is regarded to be of a high quality, so it’s no wonder that attending university there is popular for international students. Some of the best universities in New Zealand include the University of Auckland, University of Otago and the University of Christchurch.
To summarise everything we talked about in this article, make sure to take into account the following things when moving to New Zealand:
Find out more about Moving to and settling in New Zealand from New Zealand’s Immigration page or our Moving Abroad page for tips.
Overall, we hope that this page has helped you become better informed about moving to New Zealand. Request quotes through Sirelo today to get started on your moving process. Keep scrolling to find out the FAQ section and other resources that may be helpful.
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