COUNTDOWN CHECKLIST FOR MOVING TO NEW ZEALAND

Emigrating to New Zealand is a huge step emotionally and a mammoth organisational task. Getting all of the right things to happen at the right time is a real challenge, and you may find that your plans need to change over time as new opportunities appear or challenges arise. Use our handy countdown checklist to help stay organised.

PLANNING TO EMIGRATE

(6 MONTHS UNTIL DEPARTURE)

• Think about which household items you will take with you, and what you will leave behind. Start clearing out belongings that you will not be bringing with you.
• Continue sprucing up your home to rent out or sell.
• Talk to local estate agents about putting your house on the market if you are selling it. Speak to rental agents if you are planning on renting it out.
• Figure out where you will live in the short term if your house sells quickly!
• Look into bringing your pet with you, and start tests and vaccinations as necessary.
• Ramp up your job hunting efforts. You may find that employers take you more seriously if you have a definite travel date set. An immigration or recruitment consultant with good industry links can be invaluable at this point.
• Investigate your flights as your plans firm up. Get travel insurance once your flights are booked. (Remember to get flexible rather than bargain flights if your plans could still change.)
• Read your terms of employment with your current employer, and prepare to give the right amount of notice.
• Consolidate your bank accounts as necessary. We advise that you leave at least one account open in the UK.
• Think about what happens to your UK state, personal and occupational pensions. To find out more about your pension please get in touch.
• Keep an eye on the exchange rate, and open an account with a foreign exchange specialist if you haven’t already.

THE PAPERWORK STAGE

(2 MONTHS UNTIL DEPARTURE)

Some of the paperwork on this list, such as credit reports, bank statements, references, and insurance no-claims certificates should be considered optional. However as in the UK, sometimes having a lot of official-looking paperwork can smooth the way when you are dealing with any level of bureaucracy…

• Get a current statement of your UK State Pension Entitlement.
• Get current statement(s) from all your Company, Personal and Stakeholder Pension schemes. Also let the respective companies know your new address. (If you are thinking of transferring your pensions, don’t get transfer values until later – possibly even until you are in NZ. It generally takes a while to get these, and they will probably be out of date by the time you need them. Sometimes you will be charged if you ask for them a second time.)
• Get current statement(s) from all your PEPs, ISAs, Unit Trusts and other managed investments. Let the respective companies know your new address.
• Check whether your life assurance, medical insurance and income protection policies apply when overseas. Let the respective companies know your new address.
• Gather your original policy documents together, including pensions, insurance and endowments.
• Set up and test internet and phone access to your UK bank accounts. Don’t have the same password for every account or service you use on the internet.
• Consider opening a NZ bank account.
• Start planning your farewell party/events.
• Arrange a hire car to pick up on your arrival in NZ.
• Book accommodation in for your first few “furnitureless” weeks in NZ.
• Let your children’s schools know that you are emigrating, and ask for copies of any relevant records.
• Contact local schools and childcare and nursery schools at your destination to find out about enrolment procedures.
• Visit your optometrist, and make sure your glasses are OK – glasses can be more expensive in New Zealand.
• Consider applying for a Statutory Credit Reference from Callcredit, Experian or Equifax. It may come in handy, and only costs a couple of pounds.

FINAL COUNTDOWN

(1 MONTH UNTIL DEPARTURE)

• Ensure that you get a P45 (and a glowing reference) from your employer when you finish work.
• Complete a P85 or P85(S) to notify the UK Inland Revenue of your departure.
• Submit a UK tax return (you may be due a rebate!).
• If renting out your house, apply to the UK Inland Revenue for non-resident landlord status to not have tax deducted from your rent.
• Sell your car/s.
• Ask your car insurance company for a “No Claims Certificate” when cancelling your policy – this may help you to get favourable terms from a NZ insurer.
• Cancel any Child Benefit payments.
• Make a file for all your important financial documents, and bring it with you in your hand luggage. It may also be prudent to leave copies with a friend or family member in the UK. (We’ve made a list of the documents you’ll probably need to bring with you.)
• Sit down and have a think about settling in to New Zealand. Consider taking up or continuing a sport, hobby or interest. It pays to have a plan.
• Let your doctor and dentist know that you are emigrating. Get adequate supplies of any prescription drugs you are using. You could ask for a letter or referral, but shouldn’t need it if you can give a reasonable detailed verbal account of your medical history. It is definitely worth getting a detailed record of your children’s immunisations though, which should be in their health record book.
• Get your mobile phone unlocked if you can.
• Make a comprehensive address list of all of your friends and family and the UK and NZ companies and organisations you have been dealing with, and print it out.
• Let your bank/s know your new address. You may also need to fill in a form to have any interest due to you paid tax-free , and cancel direct debits and standing orders as appropriate. Ask for a reference – it isn’t essential, but may help.
• Re-check your booking with your removal company, and make sure that they have the right contact details for you in New Zealand.
• When you move out of your house, make sure that you cancel all your utilities and sort out council tax payments (as you would usually when you move house).
• As you cancel your house insurance policies and contents insurance policies, ask your insurance provider for a copy of your claims history.
• Ask your mortgage provider for a reference – it isn’t essential, but may help. Remember that they will need to know if you are renting your property out rather than selling it.
• Cancel magazine subscriptions.
• Send out “change of address” notifications to friends or relations you can’t email.
• Back up your computer/s to a portable hard drive (or USB memory stick or even a CD-rom if you don’t have much data). Bring it with you!
• Return all of your library books and rentals, pick up your dry cleaning and shoe repairs.

WELCOME TO NEW ZEALAND
(You’re finally here!)

• Pick up your rental car and get settled into your accommodation.
• The worst of your jetlag should be over with in about three days – take it easy.
• You’ll need to let everyone know that you have arrived safely – internet access is widely available at libraries and internet cafes. You can get cheap phone calls by picking up a pre-paid phone card from a post office or convenience store (dairy).

• Check that your wills are up to date, and look into setting up powers of attorney.
• Make the most of every opportunity to meet new people and try new things.
• Register to vote.
• Apply for NZ Driving Licences.
• Have a think about whether transferring your UK pensions to New Zealand may benefit you.
• If you have retained offshore investments, check what the tax situation is on them. Remember that you have a “grace period” of 4 years as a Transitional Resident, but you will need to re-think your offshore investments and even your house in the UK (if you have kept it) after this point.
• Check whether you’ll need to file a tax return.
• Keep it in mind that using a specialist foreign exchange company has many benefits over using a bank to transfer money to and from New Zealand.

To find out more, request a free copy of our Financial and Pension guides for New Zealand.