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9. Moving to New Zealand

New Zealand at a Glance

Moving to New Zealand

Rare animal species like the Kiwi can be found all over New Zealand.

Despite current economic difficulties, moving to New Zealand remains a popular option for potential expatriates, and many of those considering a move to New Zealand are attracted by the country’s high quality of living, its welcoming attitude towards foreigners, and its breathtaking scenery.

Moving to New Zealand has long been especially popular among those who appreciate the great outdoors. The diverse natural attractions range from beautiful coasts and beaches to vast forests, deep blue lakes, active volcanoes and majestic glaciers. Enjoying nature’s beauty will be part of your everyday life after moving to New Zealand.

But rest assured: If you move to New Zealand and you are not a fan of bungee jumping, hiking or paragliding, there will still be plenty of other, less adventurous ways to enjoy yourself in New Zealand.

Moving to New Zealand: The Economy

As most of those moving to New Zealand are probably aware of, both agriculture and tourism are very strong sectors in the local economy. The manufacturing and high-tech sectors, on the other hand, are relatively small. However, they too offer some great opportunities for expats moving to New Zealand, especially those with strong professional skills in these fields.

Even though both the export of agricultural products and the tourism industry are very profitable, they make the country highly dependent on international trade. Consequently, the country has been hit particularly hard by the global economic crisis, and the unemployment rate remains higher than it was before.

Move to New Zealand: Employment Situation

Especially for foreign workers moving to New Zealand, finding a job is currently not particularly easy. Nevertheless, for those who posses not only the required skills but also the right amount of perseverance, moving to New Zealand is still an attainable goal.

Not all expats who consider moving to New Zealand are aware of the fact that, regarding the GDP per capita, the country ranks only 51^st worldwide, exceeded by countries such as Spain, Slovenia and South Korea.

The income of the majority population is rather moderate, and expat salaries might be lower than what you expect before moving to New Zealand. On the other hand, local costs of living are also likely to be lower for expats after they move to New Zealand.

Moving to New Zealand: Popular Expat Destinations

Unless they are moving to New Zealand specifically to enjoy the solitude of the country’s wilderness, most expats moving to New Zealand end up living in one of the bigger cities, as 90 % of residents do.

The large majority of expatriates moving to New Zealand make Auckland or Wellington their home – two of the country’s largest cities, which are both continually ranked among the world’s most livable cities in international surveys.