Everything you need to know before moving to New Zealand on a working holiday

Planning on doing a working holiday in New Zealand? Or passing through on your gap year? Excellent choice. Henry shares visa advice, job hunting tips and how to make the dream of living and working in NZ a reality.

Originally from the UK, Henry has been living in different parts of the world for the last five years – currently in New Zealand’s version of the Alps, a town called Wanaka about an hour away from Queenstown on the South Island.

Here is his advice for anyone thinking of moving to New Zealand.

Is New Zealand a good place for a working holiday?

The short answer is YES. There are loads of jobs ranging from ski season work to summer hospitality, the landscape is incredible and there's a huge community of working holidayers from all over the world. I picked New Zealand because of the snowy winters, outdoor adventures, and the fact that there are fewer snakes in New Zealand than in Australia.

Who can get a New Zealand working holiday visa?

Requirements vary depending on your passport, so check the current Immigration New Zealand rules before applying. For most nationalities, you have to be between 18 and 35.

Getting my working holiday visa for New Zealand was actually pretty simple and quick – it only took four weeks after I submitted the documents.

Arriving in New Zealand

With JENZA's Work New Zealand experience you have the option of spending 4 or 9 days in Auckland with accommodation sorted and an orientation week.

When you first step foot off the plane into the southern hemisphere in December the first thing you notice is - it's HOT! Don’t forget your sunscreen.

After going through immigration, the shuttle bus that JENZA had organised was waiting out front of the airport to take me directly to the Lylo hostel in Auckland. In my opinion, Lylo is like the Ritz of all hostels and feels like a cool and trendy co-working space as opposed to some of the old and dingy (but charming?) hostels i've experienced.

When I arrived, I was put into a room with six others from JENZA. The good thing about this is you instantly have a group of mates who you can start exploring with.

Henry's top tip: I would strongly recommend booking a package with an orientation week. It means you have a base when you first arrive and you meet people straight away who are on the same journey as you. You'll also get all the insider knowledge and advice you need to help you get set up in the country.

The orientation week kicks off with all the 'need to do' life admin – the tax numbers, bank accounts, local sim card and editing your CV. It was nice to be walked through the process and ask questions, which made the whole situation less stressful.

On the first two nights, there are opportunities to meet up and get food together which was awesome as it meant I didn’t have to cook when I was trying to stay awake from jet lag.

Finding a job in New Zealand

Get your planner out and your CV ready. Jobs are very easy to find in New Zealand – from seasonal jobs to short-term hospitality roles. When I was getting ready to come out I was quite nervous about not having a job lined up before I left home, so I decided to apply for a job at Cardona Alpine Resort and had it all organised and ready for when I arrived in New Zealand.

The way I found my job was just looking around on websites such as Indeed, Seek and Trade Me as well as the company's website. The JENZA Job Hub would have saved me a whole lot of time - seasonal and casual work opportunities are listed and can be applied for pre-arrival and you know they're legit as they've been pre-vetted by the JENZA team. During the orientation week, you're given heaps of advice on where to look for casual, seasonal and longer-term work too.

Thinking about doing a working holiday in New Zealand?

Whether you've already booked on a New Zealand working holiday or are thinking about it, hopefully Henry's tips have helped. We currently offer experiences with either a 4-day or 9-day introduction in Auckland. Both include visa support, airport shuttles, hostel nights, assistance with all the nerdy bank and tax stuff, as well as ongoing housing and job support.