Eligibility on a New Zealand Permanent Residence Visa

Once you have your Permanent Residence visa, you (and your partner and children if you have included them in your application!) can live and work in New Zealand indefinitely.

In addition, in most cases you can:

• Contribute to the KiwiSaver retirement savings scheme,
• Be covered by ACC if you suffer an accident in New Zealand, and be covered by ACC if you suffer an accident outside New Zealand and have been away for less than 6 months,
• Receive subsidised health care in New Zealand,
• Receive publicly funded primary and secondary education and subsidised tertiary education on the same terms as a New Zealand citizen,
• Claim New Zealand citizenship for any of your children born in New Zealand,
• Import your household goods into New Zealand without having to pay duty or GST on their value,
• Apply for life, income & TPD, health insurance and travel insurance cover on the same terms as a New Zealand citizen,
• Transfer your UK personal and occupational pensions to New Zealand,
• Start building up your eligibility for New Zealand Superannuation,
• Receive Working for Families tax credits or
• A four year exemption from New Zealand tax on your foreign sourced income as a Transitional Resident.

But please note that some things take time:

• Some New Zealand welfare benefits require a minimum period of residence, such as unemployment benefits and sickness benefits, which require you to have lived in New Zealand for two years,
• You are eligible to apply for New Zealand citizenship once you have lived in New Zealand for five years,
• You can register to vote in New Zealand elections once you have lived in New Zealand for one year,
• You need to have lived in New Zealand for three years before you can sponsor other relatives (e.g. parents, siblings and adult children) to live in New Zealand.
• Under New Zealand employment law, you need to have worked with the same employer for 6 months to qualify for paid maternity leave, paternity leave, sick leave, bereavement leave, and flexible working arrangements.
• From 1st January 2011 permanent residents will need to have held their permanent residence for two years and to have been resident in New Zealand for two years before they become eligible for student loans. Refugees will not have to meet the two-year requirement.

And, understandably enough:

• You cannot donate blood in New Zealand if you have lived in the UK, Ireland or France for more than 6 months between January 1980 and December 1996. This is due to the risk of transmitting CJD or Mad Cow Disease, and also applies to the donation of heart valves, skin and your body to science. You can still donate some organs, check the Organ Donation New Zealand website for more information. 

Check our article for an introduction to New Zealand permanent residence visas.

Please contact us if you have any questions about the financial side of life in New Zealand, and don't forget to order your free copy of our comprehensive New Zealand Guide.