Retire and Live in New Zealand

A recent survey by Bank of Scotland International that was conducted in the UK found that increasing numbers of British adults approaching retirement age were considering retiring to live in New Zealand.

Strong driving factors behind the choice of New Zealand as a retirement destination for Britons include the fact that the nation offers them the best balance between quality of life, cost of living, security and familiarity as a result of a common language.  In this article we’ll look at the essential aspects you need to consider if you want to retire and live in New Zealand.

According to Bank of Scotland International’s survey, of those questioned who were over the age of 45, between 31 and 49% of all respondents (depending on their age group) had strongly considered the option of moving abroad - and time and time again across the age groups New Zealand was the absolute number one choice of retirement destination.

It’s a fact that Brits and Kiwis share a great deal in terms of cultural heritage, language, general aspirations and weather (!) and so if you do want to retire and live in New Zealand you stand a very good chance of settling in to your new life quickly.  There is no such thing as a retirement visa or retirement program that will get you a residence visa to live in New Zealand however, and this is the very first hurdle you need to get to grips with.

There are many visa types that you can potentially apply for – for example, if you’ve retired well you might like to use part of your pension pot towards an investor visa.  If on the other hand you have a business you can take to New Zealand prior to retirement you could get an entrepreneur visa or even a long-term business visa.  If you have family already living in New Zealand then this is the absolute best method of approach as they can effectively sponsor your application to move to retire overseas.

For the latest information you should visit the New Zealand Immigration Department’s website, contact your local New Zealand embassy or consulate or even consider giving one of the relocation or visa application companies a try that advertise on the internet.  Be careful which experts you engage the services of however as not all are well qualified.  As a rule of thumb ask to see testimonials from happy clients and discuss whether there is some form of money back guarantee if they fail to get you your visa.

The next biggest issue to consider is getting housing and moving your personal effects (as well as yourself) to New Zealand.  I know it sounds obvious but New Zealand is a very long way away from the UK – and pretty much anywhere else apart from Australia for that matter!  So it’s important you give careful consideration to how much of your personal ‘stuff’ you want to take.  It’s expensive to send a container to New Zealand with everything in it and it may work out cheaper to sell off a lot of your less personal items such as furniture and then buy new once you get there and just pay to ship out essentials such as family photos and the like.

In terms of housing…it makes sense to find a property to rent to begin with.  You can then settle in to life in New Zealand, get to know the different communities and areas of both islands and eventually consider buying when you’re certain you’ve made the right decision to relocate and that you have found the perfect town or community to call home.

There’s an excellent service provided by the Ministry for Housing in New Zealand for tenants and you can learn all about the rental process from Tenancy Services.  Again, check out their website.

Finally, if you dream of living in New Zealand you are not alone and there are many who have gone before you.  You can learn from the benefit of their experiences, ask questions about even the most insignificant aspects of day to day life and get to make friends even before you retire to live in New Zealand by finding forums on the internet and making contact. 

Further Living in New Zealand Articles

Share this article with others.