Moving to Taranaki
Moving countries can be a very daunting experience. Part of you is excited about the new adventure, the new challenges, the new friends and the unknown. However you would still like a little more information on what to expect. You’ve seen the beautiful pictures of our mountain and beaches, the hospital and region, but what are the costs to live here, where will your partner work and how do I relocate?
Here is some information that will assist you to help make your choice a little more informed.
New Zealand Immigration Service
Visas come under a number of categories – residence, work, study, working holiday, visitor, skilled migrant, family, business and investment, so make sure you apply for the right one to suit your situation. If you are an Australian citizen, you are automatically eligible to enter New Zealand. If you are from anywhere else you will need a visa. Many countries do have reciprocal agreements, so check this out with the NZ Immigration service, which provides information on what visas are available and which one(s) you may be eligible to apply for:
www.immigration.govt.nz/migrant/
Settling into a foreign country is one of the most important and often difficult processes for newcomers. Whether you feel settled often determines whether you will or won’t stay in a new place or job. Immigration New Zealand has information on Taranaki to read:
www.newzealandnow.govt.nz/regions-nz/taranaki
Citizenship
In New Zealand, residence and citizenship are different. If you are granted residence, you retain your original citizenship. However, after you’ve held residency here for a certain period of time you may apply for New Zealand citizenship and the right to hold a New Zealand passport.
For official New Zealand Government information on citizenship requirements, visit the Department of Internal Affairs website.
www.dia.govt.nz
Employment for my partner
One of the key factors in moving for a job is how easy it is for my partner to find work. Te Whatu Ora Taranaki employs over 2,000 staff so whether they are a clinical specialist or work in any number of fields from trades to admin, to IT to hospitality, there is a good chance there is a role for them within the organisation.
If they are keen to work outside of healthcare then Taranaki offers opportunities in other industry such as agriculture, petro-chemical, education or government departments. The recruitment team at Te Whatu Ora Taranaki has networks and knowledge of the local job market and could advise you on who could assist your family in finding employment. So just ask when you contact them about your job vacancy. They will make sure you get well looked after.
Many jobs in New Zealand are listed on
www.seek.co.nz/ or
www.trademe.co.nz/
Cost of Living
It’s very hard to work out how much money you are going to need when you have no idea how much things will cost. People tell us that overall the costs of living in Taranaki is comparable to many of the main cities in the world, though cheaper than New Zealand’s other main cities, Auckland and Wellington.
You can find information on the cost of living in New Plymouth here -
www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/city_result.jsp?country=New+Zealand&city=New+Plymouth
You can find information on the cost of living in New Zealand here - www.newzealandnow.govt.nz/living-in-nz/family-friendly/comparable-living-costs
Banking
Deciding to move to New Zealand is a big step, so you will want to make sure all your banking requirements are organised before you leave or as soon as you arrive. Opening a bank account is quick and easy, but you will need one before you can start work.
New Zealand has modern banking practices, from traditional to online and in Taranaki you have all the options available to meet your banking and financial needs. In fact, the region is home to the highly reputable Taranaki Savings Bank (TSB Bank), which is one of the fastest growing banks in the nation.
As an employee of Te Whatu Ora Taranaki you can get discounted rates at both TSB Bank and Westpac .
If you are interested in moving to Taranaki and would like to contact a local banking institution, the following links will take you directly to the banks’ websites for more information.
www.tsb.co.nz
www.westpac.co.nz
www.anz.co.nz
www.asb.co.nz
www.bnz.co.nz
www.kiwibank.co.nz
www.co-operativebank.co.nz
Paying Tax
On commencement Te Whatu Ora Taranaki will advise you how to make an application for an individual tax number from Inland Revenue (IRD) NZ. You can to go to their website to find out more about how to apply for an IRD number www.ird.govt.nz
Most people pay their taxes as they earn their income, so employers deduct tax on salary and wages with the tax year being from April 01 to March 31. For more information on Individual tax rates for income bands go to www.ird.govt.nz
You can calculate the actual tax you will need to pay on the salary offered by clicking on this link:
www.ird.govt.nz/calculators/tool-name/tools-t/calculator-tax-rate.html
Taranaki Multi-Ethnic Council
The Taranaki Multi-Ethnic Council was established in 1994 and aims to preserve and foster an understanding of different ethnicities and cultures. It works closely with other community programmes to help immigrant families settle into the community.
Driving in New Zealand
In New Zealand, we drive on the left. Whether you are here for a short or long stay you will need to be aware that while our road rules are similar to those in the UK and overseas, there are some important differences. We strongly suggest that you familiarise yourself with the New Zealand Road Code before heading out onto the roads.
www.nzta.govt.nz/licence/residents-visitors/driving-nz.html
In addition, the licence holder will be required to carry their original licence with them at all times when driving and drive according to the conditions of their overseas licence. Not all overseas licences permit you to drive in New Zealand, thereofe you must obtain an international drivers licence before driving in New Zealand.
The following links have further information about driving in New Zealand.
If you have any further queries, please visit our website www.nzta.govt.nz or phone 0800 822 422 or +64 6 953 6200. We're open Monday to Friday, from 8am to 6pm.
Shipping / relocation companies
If you are looking to relocate your possessions, pets and vehicles we recommend you contact a reputable shipping and relocation company to manage the packing and shipping.
nzvanlines.co.nz
www.alliedpickfords.com
www.crownrelo.co.nz
www.hookers.co.nz
www.intlmovers.com/new_zealand.html
www.johnmason.com/shipping/tonewzealand
Last updated:
Wednesday, June 7, 2023
