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New Zealand

New Zealand
	Capital	Wellington
	Population	4,213,418
	Area	268,680 sq km
	Language	English and Maori (official)
	Currency	New Zealand Dollar (NZD)
		1.000000NZ$ (NZD) = 0.699968$ (USD)

Beautiful, safe and friendly, New Zealand remains one of the most undiscovered countries in the world. This English speaking country boasts some of the best weather in the world where some towns average 2,400 hours of sunshine a year. New Zealand is a wealthy Pacific nation with diverse and spectacular landscape and a very “green” outlook on life. (New Zealand is consistently ranked as on of the top 20 greenest countries in the world). A significant portion of the country’s energy is generated by hydropower sources and Waitakere City Council is currently creating New Zealand’s first eco-city where sustainable, environmentally friendly homes are the norm.

New Zealand is free of political turmoil, has a thriving economy and due to its geography is the first country to cross the International Dateline each morning. Named the most peaceful country in the world by the Institute for Economics and Peace, New Zealand is a welcoming place for expats to begin their new life, provided they fulfill the relatively strict entry requirements.

Top 3 Places to Live and Invest

The Nelson Region, located at the top Northwest corner of the South Island is an irresistible blend of lifestyle and stunning landscape. It is in the Nelson region where the most sunlight hours per year occur. The average price of a house in the Nelson region is $231,000, but there are deals to be found in the tiny expanding town of Richmond. Situated on the Tasman Bay and know for its coffee and art scene, Richmond is by no means cheap, but a nice 3-bedroom bungalow recently sold for $161,000 and the further down the coast, the lower the housing prices.

The capital city of Wellington is filled with urban luxury and suburban charm. The average price for homes in Wellington is between $240-340,000. Furnished one-bedroom apartments go for about $160,000 in some of the surrounding suburbs and in Wellington City Proper, the same can be had for $90,000. A 2-bedroom spacious loft with a state of the art kitchen and appliances in the city goes for $275,000.

The average price for houses in Christchurch and surrounding suburbs is about $250,000. Christchurch is the largest city in the South Island, full of Gothic architecture, museums, universities and a plethora of festivals held throughout the year. Brand new luxury 2-bedroom condos are on offer for $202,000 and the best part about buying in New Zealand is that mortgages are available.

Health and Senior Benefits

New Zealand citizens and ordinary residents are eligible for publicly funded healthcare. To become an ordinary resident, you must either hold a work permit (for two years at a time) or become a permanent resident. If you have qualified then your partner and children under the age of 19 are also covered. Under pubic healthcare, the following are free services (at public hospitals): children’s immunizations, emergency medical care, prescriptions for children under 6 and all hospital patients, x-rays, lab tests, healthcare for pregnancy and childbirth, check-ups, breast-screening for women between ages 50-64 and acute medical conditions.

Prescriptions, ambulance service, visits to general practitioners, chiropractors and osteopaths are subsidized by the healthcare system. A visit to a general practitioner between the hours of 8 am and 6 pm is about $36. By joining a Primary Health Organization, this cost can be reduced (to $18). Nearly all New Zealanders have joined a PHO, which also lowers prescription prices to $2.20. Many people also chose to have private insurance in order to bypass long lines and waiting rooms. Having private insurance also gives people access to free public health services.

The New Zealand government pays a pension (superannuation) to all eligible people in New Zealand aged 65 or over. Much like the pubic health system, you need not be a New Zealand citizen to be eligible, but you must have lived 10 years in New Zealand and five of those must be since turning 50. (Time spent abroad in countries such as Canada, UK, Australia, Denmark, Ireland or Greece also counts.) The superannuation is currently $13,713 per person or $10,339 per person for couples that are married or in a civil union. The pension is taxed annually and if over 65 you are eligible to work and get the superannuation at the same time.

New Zealand does not have an official retirement immigration category. However, you still may be able to retire to New Zealand provided you have already qualified for permanent residence under one of the country’s normal immigration categories.  Under these categories, unless you have family in New Zealand you need to have had a work permit in an area of skill that New Zealand requires, or have shown a certain level of financial investment in the country. You should also be able to speak English.

Safety and Infrastructure

Two of New Zealand’s biggest cities were ranked in the top five “Best Cities in the World” by Mercer’s Quality of Life survey and in the top ten for safety. Personal crime is extremely low and most reported crime is from theft of cars, campers and other vehicles. Violent crimes against foreigners are extremely rare; yet exercise caution when walking at night or in isolated places.

The roads in New Zealand are in good condition, although due to its rugged terrain, sharper and steeper curves and cliffs are prevalent. Remember to drive on the left side of the road and abide by the posted speed signs. Public transportation, such as buses, trains and taxis are reliable and safe. Internet access is widespread in New Zealand and its quality varies in the more isolated areas. New Zealand’s telephone system has excellent domestic and international service. The majority of New Zealanders use cell phones. In the past few years telephone, Internet and cellular phone service has increased in service and decreased in price.

Culture and People

New Zealanders are typically called by the Maori word “Kiwi” after the native flightless bird in the area. Even the country’s dollar is referred to as the Kiwi. Much of the modern New Zealand culture is due to Maori settlers and British colonial history. The Maori people are from Polynesian roots and landed in New Zealand sometime before the 1300s. The British began to colonize New Zealand in the 1800s bringing religion, technology and the English language with them. Despite their distance from England, European Kiwis have maintained strong cultural ties to the British Motherland. The combination of British, Maori, Asian and Pacific Islander makes the people of New Zealand very diverse.

Kiwis are a friendly, independent and inventive people numbering just over 4 million inhabitants and every single person is either an immigrant or a descendent from one. An isolated country often called the “end of the world,” at one time there were 20 sheep for every New Zealander. However, with the number of people increasing and the number of sheep decreasing, the number is now 12 sheep for every one person. The isolated geography of New Zealand makes Kiwis very self-reliant, quiet people who welcome the chance to become friends with foreigners.

Average Monthly Budget for a Couple in Wellington, New Zealand

Rent for a 2-bedroom apartment in a nice part of town: $700
Daily maid service (Twice a week, 10 hours total): $140
ADSL Internet: $50
Telephone (1 landline, 2 cell phones): $75
Cable TV: $35
Water: $10
Electricity: $60
Gas: $10
Private Health Insurance: $150
Food: $300
Transportation (2 cab rides a day, averaging $3 a ride): $180
Total: $1710 per month