Work&Travel Checklist

What do you have to prepare before starting into a Work&Travel adventure?

  • Self-organisation or not? Since we have chosen to plan our trip with the support of a German organisation, we leave out some things you have to take care of when planning everything on your own - like comparing flight prices, finding a place to stay for the first few nights, etc. There is a good website for Germans to help you with that: http://www.auslandsjob.de/
  • Get a visa - you have to meet several requirements to be granted a Working Holiday Visa for up to 12 months (it can be extended in special cases.), e.g. a maximum age of 30, an amount of 4200,- NZ dollar (2670,-€ / May 2013) on your bank account, a return ticket or an approriate amount of money to buy one, etc. For all requirements and restrictions check out the website of "immigration New Zealand":  http://www.immigration.govt.nz/migrant/stream/work/workingholiday/
  • Health insurance - If you are looking for a health insurance, be aware that some of them don't cover accidents in (extreme) sportive activities, like jetboating, bungy jumping etc. Also, you won't need a coverage for accidents at work - everyone living in and visiting New Zealand is automatically covered by the ACC (accident compensation corporation) that pays all costs for personal injury treatment.                                                                                 Most long-time travel insurances have to be paid in advance - make sure you inlcude that in your calculation. We are insured via MAPFRE asistencia: http://www.mapfre.com/mapfreasistencia/en/travel-turism.shtml . They offer a full health insurance for 30€/month, including also accident- and third party liability- insurance. We had to use them once so far and it went very well and uncomplicated.
  • Changing/ transferring money - Before you leave, make sure you have enough money available to get started. The worst thing that can happen is running out of money in a foreign country, when you have loads of other things to organise already. One way is bringing a Credit Card to withdraw money directly from your home bank account - but be aware that your bank will most likely charge you for that. You should definitely have a good amount of NZ Dollars in your pocket to pay your first night in a hostel or a coffee for getting over the Jetlag :)  Try to avoid changing money on airports, they mostly take a big share for themselves. A good option for changing money before you leave the country is Travelex (www.travelex.de), where you can order the amount you need online.
  • Car insurance - Having an own car is very useful if you want to travel around without having to carry your heavy backpack everywhere. There are many companies to insure your car - one of them is the AA, who can also help you in case of a car breakdown in the middle of nowhere. However, an insurance is not obligatory in New Zealand.
  • For working in New Zealand you have to get a IRD number, in order to manage your taxes (and a possible refund you may get in the end). You can get the number in every post office as soon as you're in NZ.
  • Get a bank account in New Zealand. The big banks are ANZ, BNZ, Westpac and Kiwibank. They all basically have the same conditions. many exist in Australia, too, so check that out if you like to visit both countries. We are with ANZ, which has a centre in almost every little town. They are great.
  • Prepare work references and a CV to apply for jobs. Best save them digitally to have access at all times and places. For most seasonal jobs you won't need any fo these, though. It's always best to go there personally and present yourself with a smile ;)

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