Residents » Overview » Before You Arrive

Once you’ve made the decision to move to New Zealand, you’ll probably think of 101 things you need to do before booking that flight. Make yourself a list and start with the basics. You’ll need a passport and a visa to get into New Zealand. More details on visa requirements can be found on page XXX and at www.immigration.govt.nz. Tell your bank about your plans – they should be able to help you set up an account in New Zealand, enabling you to access funds from the minute you arrive in the country. If you want to invest in property in New Zealand, you should do some homework. Sites such as www.finda.co.nz and www.MyPlace.co.nz will give you an idea of what money will buy. If you have children, you will also need to swat up on schools. The Education Review Office monitors schools in New Zealand and its website (www.ero.govt.nz) includes details of every school and its performance rate. Finding a job might also be high on your list of priorities. There are a number of recruitment agencies and websites that can help with your search for the ideal job. These will be discussed in more detail further on in this chapter.