A full guide to Work and Travel in New Zealand – be best prepared for your adventure
New Zealand is one of the most popular countries for a Work and Travel adventure. If you are looking for an easy way to combine both travelling and working, this is your best choice. Especially for budget travellers and backpackers, this is the way to go as it allows you to travel almost completely independently. With working visas and special requirements, you will be able to live and work like a local abroad. And if you do not want to miss out on one of the most beautiful countries in the world with amazing landscapes and a trip to the beach right after work, New Zealand might be an option to consider. This is a full guide to Work and Travel in New Zealand – from how to plan and start the adventure to the best jobs and places to work.
How to plan a Work and Travel trip to New Zealand
The probably most important stage is the preparation. Planning and organizing a work and travel adventure can be quite time consuming. But only if you do not know how to do it. If you follow the most important steps and keep a clear focus, it won´t take long until you can book your flight and leave for New Zealand.
What you need before starting your adventure:
- Apply for your visa
- Set up an insurance
- Plan your first few days and weeks
- Book your flight
Those are the to-dos you need to work on from home. First, and most important is your visa. To be able to work in New Zealand, you need to apply for a so-called Working Holiday visa. A Working Holiday visa is basically your entry-card into the country for 12 months and gives you access to all different jobs available.
The only problem: you can only apply once for the visa. If you have already been in the country on that particular visa, there is no way to do it again. As well, you need to under 34 to be able to fulfill the application. You can either apply for the visa on your own or book an agency to do it for you. If you feel insecure and want to be 100% sure you get the visa, it is worth to pay the agency. Depending on your profile and the conditions, it takes a few weeks until you get your visa.
After getting a suitable travel insurance for New Zealand, you are all ready to book your flight. Of course, the planning as well involves packing, planning your route and much more – but let´s focus on the Work and Travel part only.
Is a Work and Travel agency worth it?
Before we start with the most important part of the guide, there is one frequent question that needs to be answered:
Do I need a Work and Travel agency to support me during my adventure in New Zealand?
The agencies are mostly located in your home country and support you from planning and organizing to finding jobs in the country. They apply for your visa, they assist you as soon as you arrive and are always available for questions. But to be honest: that´s it. Of course, that is always a personal opinion and if you are all on your own, it might make you feel more secure.
But if you are already on a budget, skip on the agency. Their work can easily be done by yourself and you save a lot of money. Thousands of travellers have done it without. And even more important: the agency won´t help you get a job. This does not add up to your chance of getting a job faster. It is simply for organizing and planning. And with guides like this one, you can easily do it on your own. You got this!
Arrival – the first steps
After you have safely arrived in New Zealand, you are not done with the preparing and organizing (yes, it is annoying, but so worth it). To be allowed to start working, there are still a few things that need to be done:
- Set up a bank account
- Get your tax ID
- Buy a car or get a bus pass
Let´s assume you are either arriving in Wellington, Auckland or Christchurch. As these are the only cities with an international connection, most Work and Travel adventures begin here. You might want to book yourself into a hostel for one or even two weeks to work everything out.
How to set up a New Zealand bank account
First of all, you need to set up a bank account. That is actually quite easy.
- Choose a bank (recommended for backpackers and travellers: the ANZ or the Kiwi Bank)
- Make an appointment at a nearby office for the next days (depending on how busy they are, you might need to extend your stay)
- Get a confirmation of residence (e.g., from the hostel you are staying in)
The confirmation of residence is of great importance. Make sure to check with your hostel for the document. And do not worry, it does not matter that this is only your temporary residence. When going to the appointment, make sure you got all the documents and your passport.
Setting up the account and saving all your personal information might take about 30 minutes. You should opt for a visa card as well, as it only costs 10 NZD for a year and allows you to enter your finances from anywhere.
After your bank account is all set up, you need to apply for your tax identification number. Yes, even though you are only a guest in the country, you are still committed to pay taxes. But here is some good news as well: you can get them back as soon as you leave the country.
How to get your New Zealand tax ID:
- Click here to get to the online formula for the application.
- If you add your email address, the confirmation will be sent by mail in the following days.
Notes-from-a-traveller´s tip:
Whatever document you have for your Work and Travel adventure, make sure to always have a copy and file saved. Your tax ID and your visa number, plus the details for the bank account are the basis for working in New Zealand. You really do not want to lose any of it!
To get all that organized, might take up to two weeks. Especially in Auckland, you need to wait for a few days until you get an appointment at the bank.
Oh, and not to be forgotten, to make it even easier to communicate the first thing to do: get a New Zealand number. Recommended is Spark NZ.
Where do you find jobs for Work & Travellers in New Zealand?
Now, as you are all set up for working, you can jump to the more fun part of the Work and Travel adventure. Depending on your plans, you either choose to start working right away or go travelling first.
The most important question when it comes to Work and Travel in New Zealand is:
- Where do you want to work?
- What job are you looking for?
Maybe you got a specific region in mind and maybe you even got a specific job in mind. But keep in mind, that the more open you are, the higher the chances to find a job. And here comes a hard truth for every Work and Traveller in New Zealand: finding a job is all but easy. Surely, you can be very lucky and get an offer right away. But most travellers do struggle to find a fitting job offer.
To start your search, here are the best websites to have a look at:
- The Backpacker Board has jobs especially made for backpackers or seasonal workers.
- Seasonal Jobs has some of the best offers for fruit pickers.
- Seek is the Number 1 website for jobs in New Zealand
- Another option is to look out for offers in the town or region you are staying. New Zealand is full of small towns, where words spread fast. In hostels, when a backpacker leaves to continue the travels, you can easily get a contact from a potential employer. Print out your CV and head out to bars and restaurants in your area. Be creative.
- Facebook groups are another option to check for announces and get contacts. Do not be too picky and check out multiple options.
Some of the most popular jobs as a traveller in New Zealand are either working in a restaurant as a waitress, fruit pickers or in hostels. If you have an education in being a chef or a construction worker, of course you have even more options and can make better money.
When you get a job interview or a trial, make sure to communicate that you are a traveller and how long you plan to stay. While some travellers are on a tight schedule and are only looking for a job lasting a month, others are free to stay for several months, which gives them more options on finding a job.
Notes-of-a-traveller´s tip:
If you are looking for a job you can do in a shorter period of time, you might want to check out fruit picking or farm work. They usually employ people for a few weeks which gives you the freedom to continue your trip after some time.
Get ready for your big adventure
Yes, to be able to start your Work and Travel adventure you need to do a lot of organizing and planning. And yes, it might take some time to find a job and yes, it might even be a job you are not happy about. But that´s the adventure in it, isn’t it?
A Work and Travel trip can be the best time of your life. You will collect some of the most precious experiences and learnings. Working and living in a new country is extremely exciting. You will meet new people and it can as well be a chance to get some insights into different job areas.
Really, this is the best work you´ll ever do and a great experience you should absolutely not miss out on! Take the chance of Work and Travel in New Zealand and start the best time of your life!
