If you’re relocating to New Zealand, whether it be for business or personal reasons, there are a number of things you may want to make yourself aware of before making the big move. With this guide, we hope to make your move to New Zealand easy.
If you’re relocating to New Zealand, whether it be for business or personal reasons, there are a number of things you may want to make yourself aware of before making the big move. With this guide, we hope to make your move to New Zealand easy.
Additionally, you can read on to find out more about My Baggage – our convenient, affordable and reliable door to door luggage shipping service could help you to save significant time and money on transporting all of your possessions to New Zealand.
Situated in the southwestern Pacific Ocean is New Zealand (also known as Maori Aotearoa, meaning the land of the long white cloud), an island country consisting of two main islands, North Island and South Island. NZ is known around the world for it’s spectacular natural beauty, its association with Lord of the Rings and of course, rugby.
| New Zealand Quick Facts | |
|---|---|
| Language: | English |
| Population: | 4.794 million |
| Capital City: | Wellington |
| Largest City: | Auckland |
| Currency: | New Zealand dollar (NZD) |
| Timezone: | NZDT |
| Date Format: | dd/mm/yyyy |
| Dialling Code: | +64 |
New Zealand is a hugely popular destination among expats, thanks to job opportunities aplenty for skilled workers, its favourable climate and laid-back lifestyle, all to name but a few. It’s easy to see why so many people from all over the world decide to pack up their belongings and make the move to NZ. English and Maori are the official languages of New Zealand, with English being spoken by the majority of the locals. As such, English speaking expats won’t be faced with the often difficult challenge of language barriers.
Most popular relocation destinations in New Zealand:
| Top 10 Reasons To Relocate To New Zealand |
|---|
| 1. New Zealand's spectacular scenery is renowned over the world. |
| 2. It has a fascinating, rich and diverse culture. |
| 3. If you enjoy the great outdoors, NZ is the place to be. |
| 4. It boasts huge landmass with a low population density. |
| 5. There are plenty of jobs for skilled expats. |
| 6. It has a favourable sub-tropical climate. |
| 7. It is a melting pot of European, Asian and indigenous cultures. |
| 8. Wellington was named 'the coolest little capital in the world'. |
| 9. It punches above its weight in the culinary world. |
| 10. There is unique wildlife to be found all over. |
Moving to a new country, perhaps on the other side of the world, is an exciting yet undeniably daunting experience. The one thing that you can do to ease your mind is to research everything as thoroughly as possible, so that there is not unexpected hiccups along the way. From understanding the way of life in New Zealand, to wrapping your head around the healthcare and education systems— here are just a few of the most important things you need to know before making the move to New Zealand.
Each and every country is different. Each has its own laws, rules and way of life— and New Zealand is certainly no exception to this. Many expats enjoy New Zealand because of its slower pace of life— much slower than that of the UK or many parts of the United States. It is also said that New Zealand is an ideal place to have a more family-focused life due to the fact that people go to work earlier, and therefore come home earlier.
As with any country, the cost of living, of course, depends on where you live and the type of lifestyle that you lead. Many parts of New Zealand can be expensive, especially in terms of house prices and travel. Australia is the closest country to NZ, but still an expensive four-hour flight. With all of that said, the cost of living in NZ generally tends to be very up and down, so your individual experience will depend on where you live.
Before embarking on your big move to New Zealand, it is vital to understand how the healthcare system works. NZ has a public healthcare system that offers taxpayer-funded free or subsidised care for hospital stays and emergency treatment. As an expat, you are entitled to join this healthcare system when you are a legal resident in New Zealand. If you are entering NZ on a work permit, you will be required to have been a resident in the country for a minimum of 24 months before being entitled to this healthcare system. NZ’s public healthcare system is of a good standard, however, it can be subject to delays. For this reason, private healthcare providers are available, and the cost of which are low.
It is often said that New Zealand has one of the best climates in the world. It really does get the very best of each season, with glorious summer sunshine, cosy snowy winters, refreshing springtimes and picturesque autumns. Depending on where you’re relocating from, NZ’s seasons can take some getting used to. December marks the beginning of summer in New Zealand, whereas winter starts in June and runs through August. That means waking up on Christmas morning to bright sunshine and warm temperatures!
New Zealand boasts approximately 9,300 miles of coastline, so it’s certainly no surpriser that seafood is a traditional part of Maori cuisine. All across the country, crayfish and kina, and a variety of sea urchin are hugely popular dishes. However, don’t fret if you’re not a seafood fan. New Zealanders cherish other dishes including a variety of sweet potato called dumara, and Hokey Pokey ice cream. NZ also boasts a thriving restaurant scene, particularly in Wellington, punching above its weight in the culinary world.
When it comes to relocating overseas, one of the most important things to consider and plan adequately is how you’re going to transport all of your possessions to your new home. Thankfully, there are a number of ways to do this, with a number of options to suit different budgets and circumstances. To shed a light, we’re detailing a few options.
1. Carrying bags with you on your flight.
Of course, one of the easiest ways to bring your belongings with you to New Zealand is simply to carry them with you on your flight. However, if you have a substantial amount of things to bring with you, multiple heavy bags and suitcases could weigh you down on your long-haul travel— literally! Not only that, but if you do not take careful consideration when packing, you could be faced with excess baggage fees at the airport check-in desk if any bag or suitcase even slightly exceeds the limit. As a result, the overall cost of your move to New Zealand could be significantly increased, which isn’t ideal.
2. Hiring an international removals company.
Hiring a traditional international removals company has proven to be one of the most popular methods of transporting belongings overseas when relocating. If you need to transport exceptionally large items such as sofas, beds, or even your car to New Zealand, then this method can certainly prove to me the most cost-effective. However, depending on the scale of your move and the type of service that you hire, costs can quickly mount up. If you’re only shipping small items, it can be expensive, so do keep that in mind.
Container shipping is generally the most affordable method of international removals. You will make significant savings when you opt for sea freight over air freight. However, you should bear in mind that it can be an exceptionally slow voyage— in fact, you could be waiting for up to two months for your belongings to arrive with you in New Zealand, depending on where they are coming from. It’s also important to be aware that although the majority of international removals companies will deliver straight to your door, some may require you to arrange transportation to and from the ports entirely yourself.
Air freight is a much faster method of shipping your belongings, though as it is typically priced by weight and volume, it is more costly as a result. Again, some international removals companies will offer a full door to door delivery service, whereas some may require you to arrange the transportation of your items to and from the airports yourself.
3. Booking with My Baggage.
My Baggage offers a brand new approach to transporting your belongings to New Zealand. We provide a convenient and affordable removals service to New Zealand and to over 200 countries worldwide, across over 1,000 routes. With stress-free door to door shipping, full online tracking and dedicated, unrivalled customer support at any time.
At My Baggage, we strive to provide a service you know you can trust every single time. It’s only natural to feel slightly apprehensive about handing everything you own to a removals service, entrusting that it will all arrive at your new home in one piece. That’s why, at My Baggage, we have partnered with some of the world’s leading international courier services to bring you the highest standard of service to eliminate that worry.
From the moment you make your booking on our website until the moment your shipment arrives safely at your new home in New Zealand— My Baggage keeps you up to date on every aspect of its journey. We provide full online tracking information so that you can monitor the status of your shipment every single step of the way. Your tracking information can be accessed at any time by logging into your My Baggage account. You’ll also have the option to opt-in for text and email notifications for when you’re on the go.
If you happen to have any questions or concerns along the way, our dedicated, unrivalled customer support team will always be happy to assist. Thanks to so many years of experience in logistics, our team are experts when it comes to shipping personal effects to New Zealand and the rest of the world. Contact us via telephone, email and live chat.
At My Baggage, we understand that when it comes to relocating, getting your personal belongings transported to your new home as quickly as possible is what most people want. After all, it beats having to wait weeks for everything you own to arrive, possibly having to buy temporary belongings to keep you going in the meantime.
In comparison to traditional international movers, which in some instances can take months to arrive— with My Baggage, you don’t have to worry about waiting. We offer super fast removals, with a 2-5 working day transit time to New Zealand.
At My Baggage, we pride ourselves on our fantastic low prices. Hiring a traditional international removals company can be expensive, and so not a feasible method of transport for all kinds of people who might be relocating to New Zealand. For others, airline baggage can be risky. My Baggage can be a welcomed and affordable alternative.
We aren’t just affordable— our service offers fantastic value for money. We offer a huge 30kg/66lbs weight allowance per item for as little as £99 to New Zealand. And, if you happen to find a better price elsewhere, you can even use our handy Price Match tool.
If you happen to be relocating to New Zealand to further your education, My Baggage can help you with your move. Whether you’re studying for a semester, an academic year or for the duration of your degree course— My Baggage can help you to transport all of your personal belongings straight to your new home on campus safely.
My Baggage prices are student-budget friendly. And we’re not just affordable— our student shipping services offer value for money. You can send as many items as you like with us, and we offer a huge 30kg/66lbs weight allowance per box or suitcase.
My Baggage’s online booking system and door to door collection and delivery makes our service easy and convenient for busy students. And with My Baggage, you don’t need to worry about waiting weeks (or even months) for your important belongings to arrive. We offer fast transit times, with Express services available to and from all universities.
The My Baggage team is made up of former students and recent graduates, so we understand how stressful the prospect of moving to university can be— not to mention relocating to a new country to do so! We make it our priority to make your experience as easy as possible. Our convenient student shipping services to New Zealand allows you to relax and enjoy what should be one of the most exciting times of your life. Want to know what other students think of My Baggage? You can read through our customer reviews.
My Baggage specialises in shipping personal effects all over the world. However, for security and customs reasons, there are certain items which are considered prohibited.
As a general rule, you can be sure that the following items are prohibited:
It is also important to be aware that although certain items can be carried on our services, some may not be covered under our compensation cover and so are sent at your own risk. If you choose to send any non-compensation items, please ensure they are packaged appropriately, with plenty of internal packaging for fragile items.
Find out more about My Baggage’s prohibited and non-compensation items.
Please note that import allowances, security and customs processes differ all around the world, so we recommend that you do your own personal research into what may be prohibited in your destination country before booking your shipment with us.
When sending your belongings with My Baggage, we recommend using either suitcases or strong cardboard boxes to package your items so they are suitable for transit.
We advise against using fragile or expensive suitcases, as packaging is not covered under our compensation cover. With regards to boxes, it’s always best to invest in a new, sturdy, double-walled cardboard box as they are most durable and suitable for transit.
If you are sending fragile or delicate items, we recommend using internal packaging to protect them during transit. You can use materials such as bubble wrap or newspapers.
You can read through our complete packaging guide here.
When shipping goods to New Zealand, you are legally required to complete and send a customs invoice with your shipment. Whether you are simply sending personal effects or a gift to a loved one— if your shipment does not have a customs invoice attached, it will not make it past your local country border, and you may have to pay return charges to get it back. My Baggage will provide you with the appropriate customs documents for you to print, sign and attach to your shipment when you send any shipments to New Zealand.
Generally, My Baggage shipments clear customs in a timely manner, free from duties and taxes, as most countries offer a generous duty-free allowance on personal effects. However, customs processes and allowances differ around the world, and because My Baggage has no direct association with any customs authority, we do advise doing your own personal research into New Zealand customs regulations and quarantine before booking your shipment to New Zealand. Please make yourself aware of any potential customs policies in New Zealand and follow any advice provided by customs directly.
Please note that shipments to New Zealand with a declared value under £120/$170 USD will typically clear customs in 1-2 days. However, shipments with a declared value over this threshold will require self-clearance and additional fees may apply.
Booking to transport your belongings to New Zealand with My Baggage couldn’t be easier. Our easy to use online booking process takes just a few short moments to complete, and is available 24/7. Here’s a step-by-step guide on booking with us:
Step 1: Start by getting a quote from our homepage and proceed to booking.
Step 2: Input the dimensions and weight of each of your boxes/suitcases.
Step 3: Fill in the collection and delivery address details.
Step 4: Choose your preferred collection date.
Step 5: Pay for your shipment.
Step 6: Fill in your customs documentation straight from your account.
Step 7: Print and attach your customs paperwork and shipping labels.
Step 8: Attach the paperwork to your boxes and suitcases as per our packaging guide.
Step 9: Sit back and relax as we take care of the rest!
My Baggage offers convenient and affordable shipping services for absolutely everyone, whether you’re a business user, a holidaymaker, an expat or, of course, relocating. No matter your reason, absolutely anyone can take advantage of our competitive prices and excellent services. In fact, many savvy business users regularly avail of our low cost and convenient shipping services in order to relocate their employees all over the world.
So, what are you waiting for?
