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New Zealand checklist

Get started in New Zealand

The practical order of things for your first days on a New Zealand working holiday: what to sort, when to do it, and where to go next. Most steps link to our verified living guides.

  1. 1
    Before you fly

    Sort your phone and data

    Employers, banks, landlords and Inland Revenue all need to reach you on a local number.

    Install a travel eSIM before you land, then buy a local prepaid SIM or eSIM from One NZ, Spark, 2degrees or budget brand Skinny. Heading rural? Check the coverage map first.

    Read the SIM guide
  2. 2
    Before you fly

    Book your first nights

    You need a roof and an address to give the bank and employers before you settle.

    Book a hostel or short stay for your first week or two while you scout suburbs near where you will work.

    Find a hostel (YHA)
  3. 3
    Day one

    Open a New Zealand bank account

    No New Zealand employer can pay you without a local account number.

    ASB and BNZ can verify you offshore, so start before you fly; ANZ, Westpac and Kiwibank verify your ID once you arrive.

    Read the banking guide
  4. 4
    Week one

    Get your IRD number

    Without an IRD number your employer must tax you at a flat 45%. With one you start at 10.5%.

    Apply online through Inland Revenue as a new arrival, using your passport and Immigration New Zealand application number. It usually arrives within two working days.

    Read the tax guide
  5. 5
    Before you flyPassport dependent

    Sort your healthcare cover

    Medical insurance is a visa condition for most nationalities. Citizens of the UK, Ireland, Japan and Malaysia are exempt but should still hold cover.

    ACC covers accidental injury free, but not illness, and most WHV holders cannot use the public system for non-accident care.

    Make sure your travel/medical insurance is active for your whole stay. Save 111 (emergency) and Healthline (0800 611 116).

    Read the healthcare guide
  6. 6
    Week one

    Prepare your CV and find work

    Most casual and seasonal jobs are filled through online listings and walk-ins.

    Adapt your CV to a New Zealand format with a local number. Use Seek and Trade Me Jobs for general roles, Backpacker Board for seasonal work.

    Search jobs on Seek
  7. 7
    Week one

    Find longer-term accommodation

    A flatshare is far cheaper than a hostel, and income makes you a credible tenant.

    Browse Trade Me Property and flatmate-finder sites. Budget a bond (up to four weeks rent, lodged with Tenancy Services) plus rent in advance. Never pay before seeing the room.

    Browse rooms on Trade Me

Sources: ird.govt.nz · immigration.govt.nz. Last verified 2026-06-11.

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