Just arrived in New Zealand? A first-week and first-month checklist for new migrants
In your first week in New Zealand, apply for an IRD number, open a bank account, give your employer an IR330 tax code form when you start work, and save the emergency numbers. In your first month, enrol with a GP, check that your rental bond has been lodged, check how long you can drive on your overseas licence, and apply for a RealMe verified identity. Families with children should also enrol them in school and check whether they can get Working for Families. Each step links to a verified guide and the official source.
What do I need to do before and when I arrive?
Arriving in New Zealand: declaring food and medicines
Everyone arriving must complete the New Zealand Traveller Declaration (NZTD) and declare risk items such as food and medicines. If you are not sure, declare it.
- Who must complete the NZTD: Everyone who arrives, including New Zealand citizens and residents. Babies and children each need their own declaration.↗
- Cost: Free. You can complete it on the NZTD website or in the NZTD app.↗
- Risk items you must declare: Any food (fresh, dried, raw or packaged), any plants or seeds, wooden items, animals or animal products, traditional or herbal medicines, and worn or used footwear and sports or outdoor equipment.↗
- Penalties for a false declaration: Your items may be confiscated, and you may get an instant fine of at least NZ$400. You may also be prosecuted, jailed or deported.↗
What should I sort out in my first week?
Apply for an IRD number
You need an IRD number if you earn income in New Zealand. If you have just arrived on a visa, you can use the simpler new arrival process.
- Application fee: Free. You do not pay Inland Revenue anything to apply.↗
- New arrival process: time to get your number — Within 2 days of approval, sent by text or email↗
- New arrival deadline for visa holders: The final date you must arrive in New Zealand by, as shown on your visa↗
- If you have no IRD number: Your income is taxed at the highest tax rate↗
Opening a bank account
Open a local bank account (or activate one you opened before you came), and give the bank your IRD number.
Tax codes and your end-of-year tax refund or bill
When you start a job, give your employer a completed IR330 form with the right tax code.
Emergency numbers and getting help
Save the emergency number, the Police non-emergency number and the free health advice line.
- Emergency number (Police, Fire, Ambulance): 111. When the call is answered, you will be asked if you need Police, Fire or Ambulance↗
- Police non-emergency number: 105. Works nationwide, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You can phone or report online↗
- Healthline: 0800 611 116, free, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week↗
What should I sort out in my first month?
Enrolling with a GP and who can get publicly funded healthcare
Enrol with a GP clinic while you are well, and check whether you are eligible for publicly funded healthcare.
Rental bond: how much you pay, how to check it and how to get it back
If you paid a rental bond, check that it has been lodged with Tenancy Services.
- Maximum general bond: No more than 4 weeks' rent↗
- Deadline for the landlord to lodge the bond: If you pay the bond to your landlord, they must lodge it with Tenancy Services within 23 working days of receiving it↗
- No lodgement notice received: If you have not received a notice that your bond is lodged within 6 weeks, contact your landlord to check↗
Driving on an overseas licence and converting to a New Zealand licence
Before you drive, check how long you can use your overseas licence. If it is not in English, carry a translation when you drive.
- Current time limit for driving a car on an overseas licence: Up to 18 months from your arrival in New Zealand, if you stay continuously (Class 1 car licence)↗
- When the 18-month rule ends: It ends from 1 November 2026. If you arrived between 1 November 2024 and 31 October 2026, you still get 18 months↗
- If your licence is not in English: You must carry an accurate English translation whenever you drive↗
RealMe login and verified identity
Get RealMe: a login works for many government services such as myIR and Immigration New Zealand, and a verified identity lets you prove who you are online.
KiwiSaver retirement savings
New Zealand citizens and permanent residents are usually enrolled in KiwiSaver automatically when they start a new job.
- Who can join: New Zealand citizens and permanent residents who live or normally live in New Zealand↗
- Employee contribution rates you can choose: 3.5%, 4%, 6%, 8% or 10% of your pay before tax; if you do not choose, the default is 3.5%↗
- Minimum employer contribution: 3.5% (except where the employer already contributes for you to another superannuation scheme)↗
What else do families with children need to do?
Starting school in New Zealand: school age and school zones
Enrol your child at a school. If you live in the school's home zone, your child is guaranteed a place.
Is my child a domestic student (free school)?
Check whether your child counts as a domestic student and can study free at a state school.
- Who is a domestic student: New Zealand citizens; people who hold a residence class visa; and people the Ministry of Education lists in a notice in the Gazette, as allowed by law, to be treated as domestic students↗
- Free schooling: Domestic students aged 5 to 19 can study free at state and state-integrated schools↗
- Children of work visa holders: A child who holds a student visa, with one parent on a work visa, is treated as a domestic student until the end of the year in which that work visa expires↗
Working for Families tax credits
Check whether you can get Working for Families tax credits.
- Residence requirements (for you as the applicant): New Zealand resident + lived in New Zealand for 12 months in a row at any time + New Zealand tax resident (or your child meets the requirements instead)↗
- Child's IRD number: Your child must have an IRD number if you want payments for more than 8 weeks↗
Common questions
I just arrived — what should I sort out in my first week?
In your first week, apply for an IRD number, open a bank account and give the bank your IRD number, give your employer an IR330 form when you start work, and save the emergency and Healthline numbers. Application fee: Free. You do not pay Inland Revenue anything to apply. New arrival process: time to get your number — Within 2 days of approval, sent by text or email. Emergency number (Police, Fire, Ambulance): 111. When the call is answered, you will be asked if you need Police, Fire or Ambulance.
What should I do first after arriving in New Zealand?
Apply for an IRD number first — you need it if you earn income in New Zealand. Application fee: Free. You do not pay Inland Revenue anything to apply. New arrival process: time to get your number — Within 2 days of approval, sent by text or email. If you have no IRD number: Your income is taxed at the highest tax rate.
How soon should I enrol with a GP after arriving?
As soon as you can — enrol while you are still well. How long enrolment takes: Enrolment can take up to 3 months to complete, so enrol while you are still well. Cost to enrol: Enrolling with a GP clinic is free. The clinic may charge a fee each time you visit.
How long can I drive on my overseas licence after arriving?
It depends on when you arrived and what you drive. Current time limit for driving a car on an overseas licence: Up to 18 months from your arrival in New Zealand, if you stay continuously (Class 1 car licence). When the 18-month rule ends: It ends from 1 November 2026. If you arrived between 1 November 2024 and 31 October 2026, you still get 18 months. Standard time limit (motorcycles, trucks and other non-car classes): Up to 12 months from your arrival in New Zealand, if you stay continuously. After the 18-month rule ends, new arrivals driving a car also get 12 months.
How much rental bond can I be asked for, and how do I know it has been lodged?
There is a limit on bonds, and your landlord must lodge your bond with Tenancy Services. Maximum general bond: No more than 4 weeks' rent. Deadline for the landlord to lodge the bond: If you pay the bond to your landlord, they must lodge it with Tenancy Services within 23 working days of receiving it. No lodgement notice received: If you have not received a notice that your bond is lodged within 6 weeks, contact your landlord to check.
What do I need before I start work?
You need an IRD number and an IR330 tax code form for your employer. Tax code for your main income: Use 1 main tax code for your main income (the one that pays the most). This is usually M. If you have a student loan, use M SL. If you do not give an IR330: Your employer must take tax at the non-declaration rate of 45%.
Answers are based on the verified content of this page — the official source always prevails.
Which guides and official sources is this based on?
Everyone who arrives in New Zealand must complete a New Zealand Traveller Declaration (NZTD). This includes New Zealand citizens, residents and babies. The NZTD replaced the old paper Passenger Arrival Card. You must declare all food, plants and seeds, animal products and traditional or herbal medicines. A false declaration can bring an instant fine of at least NZ$400. If you are not sure, declare it.
An IRD number is your personal tax number in New Zealand. You use it for all your tax matters, and it stays the same for life. You need one if you earn income in New Zealand. Applying is free. If you have just arrived on a visa, you can use the simpler 'new arrival' process and usually get your number within 2 days.
You need a New Zealand bank account to get paid, pay rent and pay for everyday things. Some banks let you open an account before you leave your home country and activate it after you arrive. When you activate it, the bank usually checks your identity. Give your bank your IRD number. If you don't, the bank takes tax from your interest at the highest rate. If you have a problem with your bank, complain to the bank first. If that doesn't fix it, you can go to the free, independent Banking Ombudsman.
If you get wages, a benefit or a pension in New Zealand, you must tell the payer your tax code on an IR330 form. The payer uses this code to take tax from each payment. If you choose the wrong code, you may have to pay more tax at the end of the year, or you may get a refund. The tax year ends on 31 March. If tax has already been taken from all your income, Inland Revenue (IRD) works out your tax for you and sends you an income tax assessment. If you have income that has not been taxed, you must file an IR3 return yourself.
In New Zealand, call 111 if someone's life is in danger or a crime is happening now. When the call is answered, say if you need Police, Fire or Ambulance. For police matters that are not urgent, use 105. If you feel unwell and are not sure what to do, call Healthline. If you think someone has been poisoned, call the National Poisons Centre. Call 111 even if your English is not strong. Say the English name of your language to ask for language help.
In New Zealand, you usually see a family doctor (GP) first when you are unwell. If you are eligible for publicly funded health services, you can enrol with a GP clinic for free. After you enrol, visits cost less, and you get reminders and screening services. Enrol before you get sick.
When you rent a home in New Zealand, your landlord can ask for a bond (a security deposit). The bond can be no more than 4 weeks' rent. Your landlord cannot keep it. They must lodge it with Tenancy Services, a government service. When you move out, your landlord starts the refund online and you confirm it. If you cannot agree on the refund, you can try mediation or apply to the Tenancy Tribunal.
When you first arrive in New Zealand, you can drive on your overseas licence, but only for a limited time. If you want to keep driving, you need to convert it to a New Zealand licence. Important: from 1 November 2026, new arrivals can drive a car on an overseas licence for 12 months instead of 18 months. Licences from some countries need a theory test and a practical driving test to convert. Check whether your country is one of them.
RealMe is the New Zealand government's single login and online identity service. It has two parts. A RealMe login is a username and password that you can use for many services, such as myIR and Immigration New Zealand. A RealMe verified identity is a digital identity issued by the government. It lets you prove who you are online, for example to open a bank account online. Many services only need a login. Applying for a verified identity is free, and it lasts 10 years.
KiwiSaver is New Zealand's voluntary, work-based retirement savings scheme. You save part of your pay before tax, and your employer and the government also add money to your account. You usually cannot take the money out until you are 65. You can take it out earlier in some cases, such as buying your first home. From 1 April 2026, the default contribution rate went up from 3% to 3.5%.
Most children in New Zealand start primary school from their 5th birthday. Children aged 6 to 16 must go to school or be home educated. Many schools have a home zone. If you live in the zone, your child is guaranteed a place. If you live outside it, you can apply, and if there are not enough places the school holds a ballot. Domestic students do not pay fees at state schools, and school donations are voluntary.
At New Zealand primary and secondary schools, domestic students study free at state and state-integrated schools. International students pay fees. New Zealand citizens and residents are domestic students. A Ministry of Education notice also lists some children on temporary visas who are treated as domestic students. The most common case is a child on a student visa with a parent on a work visa.
If you have dependent children, you can apply to Inland Revenue (IRD) for Working for Families payments. There are four main types: family tax credit, in-work tax credit, minimum family tax credit and Best Start. How much you get depends on your family income and how many children you have. You must also meet residence requirements.
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The AI answers using this guide and official New Zealand government websites.