Retiring in New Zealand from Singapore: Your 2025 Guide
Planning on retiring in New Zealand? This guide covers everything you need to know, from how to get a retirement visa to managing your finances.
How to migrate to New Zealand from Singapore: Everything you need to know
Famous for its gorgeous fjords, enjoyable hiking trails and delicious wine, New Zealand is a hot destination for both travellers and migrants. If you’re looking to migrate to New Zealand from Singapore, you’ll be able to enjoy plenty of nature and sports activities as well as a relaxed culture.
In this guide, we’ll go through everything you need to know, including how to get a job in New Zealand as a foreigner, the cost of living and more. We’ll also talk about how Wise is a fantastic option for Singaporeans looking to make the move, thanks to low, transparent fees and the mid-market rate¹ when sending and receiving international payments.
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How to migrate to New Zealand from Singapore
With cities like Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch available to choose from, Singaporeans will be spoilt for choice when looking for a city to move to. English and Maori are the official languages but English is the predominant language used, so there will be no issues with communication.
If the big cities don’t entice you, there are other smaller cities and towns like Hamilton, Dunedin and more that will offer a slower pace of life, lower cost of living and easier access to nature.
Facts about New Zealand
Here’s what you need to know about New Zealand.
| Population | 5,338,500 |
| Currency | New Zealand Dollar (NZD) |
| Language | English, Maori |
| Weather | Varied by location and season: Summer in Auckland averages 20 degrees, winter temperatures are generally around 11 degrees In Vancouver, summers average 18 degrees, with winter averages of about 6 degrees |
| Average salary in New Zealand² | 1,273 NZD/week - around 66,200 NZD gross annually (around SGD before tax) |
| New Zealand tax amount³ | Federal income tax of 10.5% to 39%, on a progressive basis |
*Information correct as of 12 September 2024
Visa requirements to migrate to New Zealand from Singapore
There are plenty of visa options if you’re looking to migrate to New Zealand from Singapore, whether it’s to work or to study. The easiest way to figure out which one is best is to use New Zealand’s visa checker tool.
Student Visa⁴:
- When to apply: Apply once you have been offered a place at an approved institution
- Costs and fees: 430 NZD application fee
- Validity period: Length of your course, up to 4 years
- Any other things to note? You will be able to apply for a Post Study Work Visa to work in New Zealand after graduation, up to 3 years.
Accredited Employer Work Visa⁵:
- When to apply: Once you have a job offer with an accredited employer
- Costs and fees: From 750 NZD
- Validity period: Up to 5 years
- Any other things to note? Check the requirements, based on your specific situation here
Skilled Migrant Category Resident Visa⁶:
- **When to apply:**Once you have a job offer with an accredited employer
- Costs and fees: From 4,290 NZD
- Validity period: Indefinitely
- Any other things to note? To qualify, you will need at least 6 points that can be gained from education level, skilled work experience in New Zealand or income. More information can be found here
How to get a job in New Zealand as a Singaporean
There are plenty of jobs in Canada for foreigners, but you will want to look for a company that is willing to sponsor your work visa. If you’re already on a lookout for a job, here are some online platforms that you’ll be able to use to search for jobs across Canada.
- LinkedIn - Hugely popular employment networking site
- Indeed - Umbrella website with jobs all over the globe
- SEEK - A global job site with a big presence in New Zealand
- trademe.co.nz - A classifieds platform that also has job listings
- Workhere - A job listings platform for New Zealand
Getting residency in New Zealand for Singaporeans
If you like New Zealand so much that you want to reside there permanently, the next step would be to get permanent residency before applying for citizenship in the future.
Citizenship is reserved for people who have been living in New Zealand on a residence or permanent residence visa for the last 5 years, and have been physically in New Zealand for at least 240 days in each 12-month period or at least 1,350 days in the last 5 years. You’ll need to prove your English language ability and prove you are of good character. Singapore does not permit dual citizenship, so if you’re thinking of becoming a New Zealand citizen, you’ll have to give up your Singaporean citizenship.
Here are some options for permanent residency in New Zealand:
| Work to Residence Visa | If you currently work for or have a job offer from an accredited employer and have worked in a Tier 2 Green List in-demand role for 24 months |
| Straight to Residence Visa | If you currently work for or have a job offer, from an accredited employer, and the role is on Tier 1 of the Green List in-demand. |
| Talent (Accredited Employer) Resident Visa | Available if you have been employed in New Zealand by an accredited employer for more than 2 years |
| Entrepreneur Resident Visa | Available if you have been self-employed in New Zealand at least 6 months, or have operated a self-employed business for 2 years on another visa |
What else do I need to know before I migrate to New Zealand from Singapore?
Moving to a brand new country is a huge life decision, and you’ll want to be well-equipped with all the knowledge available before making that decision. Here are some other things you’ll want to consider if you’re planning to migrate to New Zealand from Singapore.
Cost of living in New Zealand
The cost of living in New Zealand can vary widely between cities, with Auckland, Christchurch and Wellington being popular choices for people looking to migrate to New Zealand. There are plenty of job and schooling opportunities there, and the cherry on the top is that the cost of living in New Zealand is generally more affordable across the board when compared to Singapore.
- Excluding rent, Auckland is around 20.2% cheaper than in Singapore7
- Including rent in Auckland, life is 33.4% cheaper than in Singapore, on average
- Excluding rent, Christchurch is 26.1% cheaper than Singapore8
- Including rent in Christchurch the cost of living is 38.8% more affordable than in Singapore on average
And here’s a bit more detail on the sort of average prices you may expect9:
| Auckland | Christchurch | |
|---|---|---|
| Rent - 1 bed apartment in city centre | 2,091 NZD (about 1,677 SGD) | 2,279 NZD (about 1,828 SGD) |
| Utilities | 229 NZD (about 184 SGD) | 210 NZD (about 168 SGD) |
| Transport - local ticket, one way | 4.33 NZD (about 3.47 SGD) | 3 NZD (about 2.41 SGD) |
| Meal in an inexpensive restaurant | 25 NZD (about 20 SGD) | 28 NZD (about 22 SGD) |
| Cinema ticket | 23 NZD (about 18 SGD) | 18 NZD (about 14 SGD) |
*Price information correct at time of research 12 September 2024.
Housing in New Zealand
Housing is always going to be one of the biggest monthly expenses, but it’s nice that rental prices are generally lower in New Zealand than in Singapore. You’ll still want to sift through and compare options to ensure that you’re getting the best deal you can, however.
Here are a few websites where one can find rental options.
- realestate.co.nz - New Zealand’s oldest property website with rentals and home sales available
- trademe.co.nz - A classifieds platform that has listings for room rentals and flatshares.
Manage your money after moving to New Zealand from Singapore with Wise
You’ll want to open a bank account soon after moving to New Zealand from Singapore, but before that, a Wise account is a great choice for your NZD conversions and spending.
You can hold over 40+ currencies including SGD and NZD and convert freely between currencies at the mid-market rate as needed and make conversions, transfers, and payments with low, transparent fees.
Account details are available for 8+ currencies like NZD, so you can send and receive money before you even land in New Zealand. If you order a linked Wise card, you’ll even be able to pay for essentials in New Zealand, along with 40+ other countries, without having to worry about extra conversion fees. If you find yourself needing some physical cash, the Wise card even has some free ATM withdrawals of up to $350 SGD, so you can settle in seamlessly.
For convenience that begins before making your move
Sources:
- Pricing/fees: Please see Terms of Use for your region or visit Wise Fees & Pricing for the most up to date pricing and fee information
- Stats NZ - Income
- Inland Revenue NZ - Income Tax
- NZ Immigration - Fee Paying Student Visa
- NZ Immigration - Accredited Employer Work Visa
- NZ Immigration - Skilled Migrant Category Resident Visa
- Numbeo - Auckland v Singapore
- Numbeo - Christchurch v Singapore
- Numbeo - Auckland v Christchurch
*Please see terms of use and product availability for your region or visit Wise fees and pricing for the most up to date pricing and fee information.
This publication is provided for general information purposes and does not constitute legal, tax or other professional advice from Wise Payments Limited or its subsidiaries and its affiliates, and it is not intended as a substitute for obtaining advice from a financial advisor or any other professional.
We make no representations, warranties or guarantees, whether expressed or implied, that the content in the publication is accurate, complete or up to date.
