Moving from USA to New Zealand Guide

If you want to be a New Zealander or a Kiwi (colloquially), you have the difficult task of getting to know New Zealand and preparing for your move. When moving to New Zealand from the US you will need not only your dream to do it and your enthusiasm but also useful information on the country itself, some tips for your move and information on how to get the best New Zealand house movers for your relocation there.

It all sounds like a tough job, right? But with this moving to New Zealand guide we’d like to assist you in this task and help you make a smoother transition to your new life. If you are looking for reasons to move to New Zealand, we may also give you some below.

New Zealand Interesting Facts

Location

New Zealand is an island country with a population of about 5,1 million people, situated in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, near the center of the water hemisphere. It consists of two main landmasses – North Island, South Island (which is the biggest piece of landmass), and many smaller islands. The distance between the two main islands at its narrowest point is about 22 km. The capital of the country is Wellington and the most populous city is Auckland. It is located about 1,500 kilometers east of Australia across the Tasman Sea.

Government

New Zealand is a Unitary parliamentary constitutional monarchy (a constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary democracy) with Queen Elizabeth II being head of state.

Settlement

Because of how remote it is, it was one of the last pieces of land to be settled by people. Most of the population – around 74%, is European descendants, the majority of whom are early British settlers, and the Maori – which is the largest minority.

Languages

That is why out of the three official languages, the dominant one is English, followed by Maori and NZ Sign Language.

Memberships

New Zealand is a member of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, the Commonwealth of Nations, the United Nations, the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, ANZUS and the Pacific Islands Forum.

Etymology

A Dutch explorer spotted the country and named it Staten Landt because he thought it was connected to a piece of land from the southern parts of America with the same name. A few years later in 1645 Dutch cartographers renamed NZ and called it Nova Zeelandia after a Dutch province under the name of Zeeland.

Later, the name of the country was anglicized to New Zealand by a British explorer. The Maori call the country Aotearoa which means “land of the long white cloud” which relates to the country being long and narrow. The Maori also call the North Island “the fish of Maui”, and the South Island – “the waters of greenstone” or “the canoe of Aoraki”.

Topography

The country has various topography, with most of the South Island being mountainous, divided along its length by the Southern Alps with their 18 peaks, and distinctive biodiversity in its flora, fauna and fungi species. Because of the size of the country, you are always no more than 15 minutes away from a mountain, beach or park, so you can have a more laid-back and relaxed way of life in New Zealand.

Also because of the smaller area of the country, you have a wider choice of housing because you don’t have such a long distance from your home to your work.

Infrastructure

Most of the bigger cities in NZ are connected by a bus system. The majority of the locals travel around by car though. There is a railway system too but it is used more for cargo than to transport passengers. Most of the people who arrive in the country take an airplane to one of the six international airports.

Education & healthcare

Primary and secondary school which is for children between the ages of 6 and 16 is compulsory. It is free for New Zealanders and New Zealand permanent residents between the ages of 5 and 19. The literacy rate for adults in the country is 99%. Secondary schools have playing fields and lots of sports to choose from, often there is a pool as well.

According to statistics, teenagers from NZ perform better at school than teenagers in the USA so if you want a good education for your children this country is a very good option. The country is good for kids, also because they can be close to nature and you have a wider selection of housing to choose from so that your children can have their own room. Healthcare is free or low-cost in New Zealand because of government subsidies.

Economy & cost of living

The economy of the country today is well developed, stable and corruption-free, and is based on tourism of course and on export, mainly of dairy products, meat, and wine. The currency used is the New Zealand dollar (NZD), colloquially called the “Kiwi dollar”. The country depends a lot on international trade mainly of agricultural products and products of the fishing, mining and forestry industries.

It exports mainly to China, Japan, the UK, the USA and Australia. New Zealand has handled the global recession and despite it, you, as an American, can still find a job there, many skills are sought after here like ICT, engineering, healthcare, etc. The fact that you are located overseas will not be an issue at all when looking for a job in NZ. You will certainly notice some things being cheaper and others – more expensive than in the USA but pretty much the cost of living here is similar to that in the USA so you’re unlikely to find any major differences.

Driving is on the left. You’ll have to get used to that.

Climate

The climate in NZ is mild and temperate maritime with a mean annual temperature that ranges between 10°C to the south and 16°C to the north. Still, the conditions could vary a lot – with high humidity on the West Coast of the South Island and subtropical in the Northland.

The driest city out of the biggest one in NZ is Christchurch and Auckland is the wettest. Both cities plus Wellington are very sunny. The sunniest areas in New Zealand are the north and north-east parts of the South Island.

The south and south-west parts of the South Island are cooler and cloudier. It doesn’t snow much on the North Island and on the South Island, it does, usually between June and October.

Sports

Most of them have British origin – rugby, cricket, tennis, netball and golf are the popular ones.

Moving to New Zealand – Tips & Moving Help

Working Visa

There are several different types of visas available for those who want to work in NZ. If you are at the age of 18 to 30 you can get a working holiday visa for up to 1 year. If you are older than this, you can get a temporary working visa which, again, is set for a certain period of time. If you want to permanently move to New Zealand from the USA, you can apply for a skilled migrant visa with which you can work in the country for as long as you wish.

This type of visa uses points that are made up based on a number of factors like your age, work experience and qualifications. You can always check and see if you will be approved. You can find information regarding applying for a visa like offices, fees, points, etc. at the website of the Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment.

Moving to New Zealand With a Pet

If you are moving to New Zealand with a dog, cat, snake, etc. you will find out that the country has some requirements. There are animals that are not allowed in like rats, pet birds, ferrets, snakes, mice and Guinea pigs. There are some breeds that are also not allowed in, so if your dog is a Brazilian Fila, American Pit Bull Terrier, Japanese Tosa, or a Dogo Argentino, you will have to say goodbye to it before the move.

If you want to know the precise requirements for the pet you wish to take with you to NZ, besides the ones mentioned as forbidden, you can check out the requirements of the Import Health Standards (IHSs). Enter the pet you have and your country and you will find out what you need to know.

Remember also that your pet will have to be checked in as cargo on your flight and there are a number of procedures that it will have to go through like tests, including blood tests. You should inform MAF Biosecurity New Zealand at least 72 hours before the expected time of arrival which is your flight/ ship number. For that purpose, you can use these contacts depending on your port of arrival:

• Auckland: mgsakac@maf.govt.nz/ phone +64 9 909 8631
• Wellington: mgswlg@maf.govt.nz/ phone +64 4 894 4213
• Christchurch: mgschc@maf.govt.nz/ phone +64 3 943 3803

Finding Your New Zealand Moving Company

If you are thinking if you can move to New Zealand, the answer is “yes”, but you should be prepared. You need the appropriate moving help for your relocation to NZ in order to make it an easier one. The first thing you should do is consider getting quotes by filling in our free form or call us directly at 1 (800) 680-6439 and speak with a representative.

It is good to compare information, services, and prices by several different movers in order to get the best deal. It is also important to mention that reading New Zealand movers reviews can give you lots of genuine useful information on the moving companies so before signing a moving contract with any, explore the variety of movers that is available and don’t rush into paying them the moving deposit.

It would be best to let movers in New Zealand help you with the packing and with moving your pets if you have any because it will take you a lot of time and effort to do all of this yourself. As an international move from the USA, New Zealand is not just an interesting destination but also a distant one, and even though you will certainly love it here, there are the details of the relocation process which are certainly not to be neglected.

Remember that besides the moving organization, you also have to find a property to rent or buy, collect documentation with you (birth certificate, marriage certificate, international driver’s license, pet, doctor, dentist, school records, etc.), you have your utilities to cut, subscriptions to cancel, etc. All of these are also time-consuming and for someone who isn’t a professional mover like yourself, you could find yourself in a position of lots of things to do and little time for it. That is why movers to New Zealand can be of such tremendous help.

Your search for information on New Zealand, checking visa requirements, pet entry requirements, finding a property to live in, looking for a job and a school for your kids, etc. – these are all time-consuming tasks so begin your moving process at least a year before your relocation. Remember, that there is also a technical time needed for some things like waiting for your visa to be issued (if you are approved), there is time before your utilities are disconnected and transferred to the new owner/ tenant of your current home, etc. These are all things to do which involve time and you have no control over that.

Start looking for a New Zealand moving company a few months before the planned moving date. You will find out that you will easily be consumed by all the hassle of this international move and your movers will help you a lot with it.

So, what else can we add? New Zealand is clean, and beautiful, with a prosperous and modern economy, and a friendly and easy-going English-speaking population, which makes it a great option for a place to live in. Good luck with your move!

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