Useful information on NZ
Cost involved in Relocating to New
Zealand
| IELTS (International English Language Test) |
£105 |
| New Zealand Registration (based on nursing registration, for
all other disciplines please see Registration Process. |
Approx £150 |
| Police Clearance |
£10 |
| Medical, blood tests and chest x-rays |
£200-350 |
| Flights (see travel agent) |
Approx £500 -900 pp |
| Initial temporary accommodation- Single |
Approx NZ $200-300 per week |
| Initial temporary accommodation- Family |
Approx NZ $350 - 700 per week |
A useful
Currency Calculator
More information on IELTs can be found on this
article and in these frequently asked
questions.
Salaries
Salaries for Nurses, Physiotherapists, Occupational Therapists
and Anaesthetic Technicians are national. All salaries paid
will be dependent on the number of years post-registration
experience you have. New Zealand does not have a grading system
such as 'D', 'E' 'F' etc.
For permanent roles, the starting salary for newly qualified
staff is currently in the range of $40,000 - $45,000 per annum and
for the top level $40,000 - $60,000 per annum.
Unsociable hour payments - or Penal Rates as they are called here -
will add another $5,000-$10,000 per annum, depending on the hours
worked. Manager salaries are dependent on role and
experience.
Dividing the New Zealand salary by the current exchange rate is
not really an accurate reflection of the value of your New Zealand
salary as cost of living here is generally lower (see cost of
living).
Tax
You will be taxed according to your income. This is
calculated on a sliding scale. The IRD website offers a
calculator by which to work out how much tax you will
pay. Visit the Tax
Calculator here.
Cost of Living
The cost of living varies depending on where you choose to live
in New Zealand with Auckland being our most expensive city.
For more information about general prices, household living or
internet grocery shopping visit the New Zealand Immigration
Website's Cost of Living Guidelines.
Bank Accounts
Opening a bank account in New Zealand is easily done on arrival
to the country. You need to ensure that you have a current
passport, a job offer letter, evidence of New Zealand address and a
current reference from your United Kingdom bank. However,
some banks may only need some dollars and your passport!
One New Zealand bank, the ASB bank, now has a Migrant Banking
Office in London to make it easy for UK and European residents to
open an ASB Bank account and transfer money to their new home in
New Zealand. Once you arrive in New Zealand your account can
be activated by visiting one of their branches.
For more information visit www.migrantbanking.co.uk or phone +44 (0) 20
7710 3990.
Renting or buying a house
Generally this is easily done once you arrive in the
country. The New Zealand Immigration website has lots of
useful information on renting and buying property here. Other
useful websites to look at for information on rental properties are
Trade
Me, NZ Flatmates, Flat
Finder.
For information on buying a house in New Zealand also have a
look at these real estate websites: Realestate.co.nz, Open2view, LJ
Hooker or Barfoot & Thompson.
Schooling
Your Geneva Consultant will be able to discuss schools
available in the area in which you will be working.
- School is compulsory for children aged from 6 to 16
years. Most children start school at 5 years of age
- The New Zealand Government funds state schools. You may
have to provide additional funding for example, a donation for
fees, sports clothes, school trips, text books
- School uniforms are sometimes worn at primary schools and are
worn at most intermediate and secondary schools
- Private schools are also available
School terms: The school year has four terms,
with the new School year commencing in early February.
Pre-School: There are many good childcare
facilities in New Zealand, which are required to be registered.
Private childcare centres charge a fee. Kindergartens and
play-centres also charge a small fee as these are subsidised by the
Government. Websites to look at: Barnardos, New Zealand
Childcare.
Primary School: Children up to 10 years,
Intermediate School: Children from 11 to 12 years,
Secondary School: Children from 13 to 17/18
years.
After the age of 17/18 years, further study is from a choice of
many New Zealand institutions:
23 Polytechnics, 8 Universities and Colleges of Education
(Teachers).
It is important to note that anyone attending tertiary
education will be charged international student fees unless they
are a New Zealand Resident.
For further information on education in New Zealand, visit the
Ministry of
Education website.
Holidays
Employees are entitled to at least four weeks paid leave as of
2007 after they have worked continuously for the same employer for
12 months. However, many District Health Boards offer
17-20 days leave which will be dependent on the Collective
Agreement in place at each hospital.
Unless the employment agreement provides for other days, or the
employee and employer concerned agree to other days, there are 11
public holidays (bank holidays) each year.
Hours of work
In New Zealand we have a 40-hour working week.
Standard hospital shifts are 8 hours (0700-1530, 1430-2300 and
2245-0715) but some Wards and Units also operate 10 or 12-hour
shifts.
Medical costs
Depending on what visa you are travelling on you may be entitled
to free public hospital care under a reciprocal agreement with the
UK. Visits to a GP or Dentist are not covered and will need
to be paid for.
Health Insurance
Many New Zealanders have private health insurance due to the
waiting lists in Public Hospitals. There are two main
private health suppliers:
If you have private health insurance you are still entitled to
receive public health services. It is unlikely that you
will be offered health insurance as part of your contract.
Climate
The warmest months are December, January and February (average
maximum temperatures range between 20°C - 27°C (68° - 77°F), and
the coldest months are June, July and August 8°C - 15°C (50 -
60°F), depending of course in which part of the country you
live.
Both islands enjoy a temperate climate but do have definite
seasons for you to enjoy the activity of the time of year,
including skiing on snow covered mountains, water skiing, tramping,
boating, camping etc.
Seasons:
Spring
September - November
Summer December -
February
Autumn March - May
Winter June -
August