Open a bank account in New Zealand

It is very easy to open a bank account in New Zealand. If your stay in the country should exceed 3 months, it is highly recommended to open a bank account to pay for your bills, cash in your salary and avoid bank commissions linked to the use of your international credit card. To open your bank account, you must provide a valid passport, your visa, evidence of residence in New Zealand and possibly an international credit card. Upon presentation of the requested documents, and once all the forms completed, you will get your EFTPOS debit card (accepted both in stores and cash dispensers). A deposit is sometimes required when opening an account. In any case, check your current bank to get information about partnerships that could exist between your bank and a bank in New Zealand.

As stated above, you will get a debit card without any difficulties. However, if you're not a permanent resident in New Zealand, you may be denied a credit card. For your information, you can check one of the numerous "immigrant banking packages” available on the Internet and issued by most banking brands. For example, check the immigrant package of the National Bank at http://www.nationalbank.co.nz/.

 Good to know:

You can sometimes open your account before arrival in New Zealand. Everything will be arranged by your bank beforehand and an appointment will be set as soon as you arrive in the country. You can also open a banck account in foreign currency.

 Useful links:

ANZ New-Zealand

http://www.anz.co.nz/default.asp

HSBC New-Zealand

http://www.hsbc.co.nz/1/2/nzm2/

National Bank

http://www.nationalbank.co.nz/default.aspx

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