Our first three weeks in New Zealand was action packed with everything from exploring our new environment to getting tax numbers. Our vlog will give you a general idea of what the experience was like, so in this post I'll be going into a bit more detail. We might have forgotten a few things, so please don't use this as a complete list (if you know of anything we missed, please add it in the comments below).
BANK ACCOUNTS
If you're super organized, you can definitely open a bank account from abroad, we believe all you have to do is go into a branch upon arrival to prove your identity if you've done everything else in advance. We, on the other hand, were too caught up in the busyness of packing up and getting rid of all our things...and ALL the other admin that needed to be done. We knew though we'd have time to sort out bank accounts once we arrived. Based in Whangarei, we paid Bank Street a visit, where we found the ANZ and BNZ banks. ANZ required us to book an appointment online, which could take up to two weeks to get. BNZ helped us straight away. It took about an hour in the branch to sort everything out.
Some of the documents we needed were:
Passports
Proof of address (we used a South African bank statement with our address)
Tax number (from home country)
IRD NUMBERS (Inland Revenue Department / tax numbers)
I'm not sure if this can be obtained before you arrive in New Zealand, but we visited the IRD on our second day in the country. Also situated in Bank Street, it made it easy to get some outstanding documents we needed from our bank, BNZ.
Some of the documents we needed were:
Passports
Proof of address (we used the BNZ statement)
A statement of your New Zealand bank account with at least one deposit and one withdrawal
Tax number (from your home country)
Proof of reason for applying for an IRD number (we used a letter from Craig's employer, on a letterhead)
Marriage certificate
Make sure to consult the IRD website or contact them for the best and most current information: Living overseas - IRD number application
Our experience at the IRD office was great. The office is such a nice space and the people were super friendly and helpful. We received our tax numbers via email 4 days after we submitted our application.
APPLYING FOR A RENTAL HOUSE/APARTMENT
Finding a rental might prove challenging for most. There are various websites to view available properties, but even though we applied for one or two while in South Africa, we were unsuccessful. We managed to view three properties in our first week in New Zealand. After seeing the first, we were a bit disheartened...the house smelled mouldy, had carpet throughout (which is apparently very common in NZ) and I saw a big dead spider in the corner of the main bedroom lol The second was perfect! Modern, new and half carpet half wooden laminate floor. The showstopper was definitely the kitchen! The last house we viewed was in the same area as the second, a newly developed area. This house was nice and modern as well, but had 4 bedrooms and 2 living rooms. There were also over 20 other people at the viewing. On a side note, at the time that we were searching we only saw houses listed, not any apartments. We also couldn't find anything for under $620 per week at the time.
This is the 1st house we viewed:
We decided to apply for the second. And boy is it a process! We had to go through the estate agent's website, and complete a long form requiring personal information. We also had to supply 2 references, and both got phoned! Ultimately, it's up to the landlord to select the tenant. We still don't know how...but we got the one we applied for. Unfortunately, we had to wait almost 3 weeks before we could move in, which meant spending more time and money on an AirBnb. It was worth the wait and we spent an amazing couple of weeks in our accommodation in the Whangarei Heads.
This is the 2nd house we viewed and ultimately moved into:
Websites to view rentals:
ELECTRICITY & INTERNET
This is where we had to do quite a bit of research. There are numerous providers for both. It also depends on your area and specific needs. Once we signed our lease, the estate agent put us in touch with a company called Moving Hub. They have a full list of different providers for various utilities including internet, electricity, gas, Sky TV, etc. We were only looking for electricity and internet, so we got quotes from various companies, Craig made a spreadsheet and we chose a provider that supplied both services, and we got a sneaky little discount for getting both from them.
CELLPHONE DATA & MINUTES
Craig was lucky that his new company supplied him with a phone and a contract. So in our second week in the country, it was my turn to get connected. After going into a Spark shop, they told me about Skinny. This service provider doesn't have a physical shop, which makes their prices a lot lower than any other providers. I also had a choice between 4 or 5 different numbers. I bought the sim card for $2, put it in my phone, and activated it with one quick automated phone call. Everything else happens through the Skinny Mobile app. It's month to month, and I get to keep the number even if I change service providers. The package I went with was the $36 Endless Data. The first 4,5GB is nice and fast, but slower speeds after that is used up. (It's quite a bit slower to load social media posts, but works fine with WhatsApp). It also includes unlimited call minutes and texts to anywhere in NZ or Aus. So far I'm happy with Skinny and will stick with them for now :)
EXPLORING
While running around town opening bank accounts, getting tax numbers and finding a new home, it was very important for us to explore our new surroundings. This was very motivating and excited us to be in a new, beautiful country. So if you're in a similar position, make sure to get out there and see what your new area has to offer. We managed to go on a day trip to the Bay of Islands and we went on a hike to Smuggler's Bay. The Rand to NZ$ exchange rate is terrible, but don't let that put you off. Walking around and hiking is free and you can always get snacks at a better price in grocery stores.
Oh, also, we loved to go into all the different shops and see new products, brands and what CHOCOLATE we could find :)
Let us know what you would like to know about in future blog posts :)