About NewBee
NewBee (新小蜜) is an unofficial website that explains life admin in New Zealand in plain English and Chinese — IRD numbers, driving, renting, health, schools, government support and retirement. It has 48 guides in each language, based on 230 official pages from New Zealand government and public agencies, plus an AI assistant that answers questions from these sources.
What is NewBee?
NewBee is a free information website. It is not a government website and not an immigration or legal advice service. Each guide covers one task: who it is for, how to do it, what you need, what to watch out for and what has changed recently — with links to the official pages.
The Chinese site (https://newbee.nz/) and the English site use the same verified information. The English guides are written for newcomers whose working language is English, including skilled migrants, international students, working-holiday makers and visiting parents.
Where does the information come from, and how is it checked?
Guides are based only on official pages from New Zealand central and local government, Crown entities and statutory bodies (for example ird.govt.nz, nzta.govt.nz, immigration.govt.nz and healthnz.govt.nz). We do not use commercial websites, news media or forums. Amounts, time limits and rates are copied exactly from the official source.
Every day we automatically fetch all 230 source pages and compare them with the previous version. When an official page changes, the affected guides are flagged “Under review” straight away, and the “Verified” date only changes after the guide has been checked against the official page. Announced policy changes are recorded in each guide’s “What has changed” section.
The “Common questions” on each guide are written from that guide’s verified content. When a guide changes, its answers are rewritten — until then, the old answers are not shown.
How does the AI answer questions?
The AI assistant uses Anthropic’s Claude models. It checks our verified guides first, then 1,500+ official pages that are refreshed daily (including govt.nz and Inland Revenue pages), and only then searches New Zealand government websites. Answers show their sources and the date each official page was checked.
AI can make mistakes. Check the official page before you act, and for your personal visa, legal, tax or medical situation, contact the relevant agency or a licensed professional.
What NewBee does not do
We do not represent any government agency, give personal immigration, legal, tax or medical advice, sell courses or act as an agent, or charge for anything. We never sell your information or use it for advertising — see our privacy page.
Common questions
What is NewBee? Is it a government website?
NewBee (新小蜜) is an unofficial guide to life admin in New Zealand, with an AI assistant. It is not a government website and does not represent any government agency. Its 48 guides are written from official New Zealand government pages and link to them.
Who is NewBee for?
Newcomers to New Zealand — skilled migrants, international students, working-holiday makers, parents of students, visiting parents and visitors — and anyone living in New Zealand who needs to get something done. The Chinese site 新小蜜 serves Chinese speakers.
Can I ask questions in my own words or my own language?
Yes. The AI on the home page answers questions about IRD numbers, driving, renting, health, schools, government support and retirement in New Zealand. It checks our verified guides first, then official pages refreshed daily, and shows the source and the date each page was checked. It answers in the language you ask in.
Is NewBee free? Do I need an account?
It is free and you do not need an account. Signing in with Google is optional — it only saves your situation and what the AI remembers, so you can use them on another device.
How reliable is NewBee, and how often is it updated?
Guides are based only on official New Zealand government pages, and numbers are copied exactly from the official source. Every day we automatically check all 230 source pages. When an official page changes, the affected guides are flagged “Under review” and only get a new “Verified” date after they have been checked. Always check the official source before you act.
What if the AI gets something wrong?
AI can make mistakes, so open the official source linked in the answer before you act. If an answer did not help, tap “No”. If you find a mistake in a guide, leave a message on this page and we will check it against the official source.
Can NewBee help with my visa, or give legal or tax advice?
No. NewBee explains publicly available information only. It does not give personal immigration, legal, tax or medical advice and does not act as an agent. For visa questions, contact Immigration New Zealand or a licensed immigration adviser. In an emergency, call 111.
Are my questions saved?
Questions are logged anonymously to improve the guides. We do not record your name or email, and if you are not signed in we keep only the last two parts of your IP address. Please do not include passport, IRD or bank account numbers. See our privacy page.
How do I contact NewBee or report a mistake?
If you find a mistake or something out of date, or there’s a topic you’d like us to cover, leave a message below. We check every report against the official source. Please don’t include passport, IRD or bank account numbers.