New Zealand’s work life-balance is a big attraction for many expats and returning Kiwis relocating to Aotearoa. Public holidays occur throughout the year so there are lots of long weekends to play with.

In this blog we outline the stories behind our public holidays, and tips on how canny Kiwis strategically combine public holidays and a few days leave to gain extra weeks holiday time each year.

If you’re a Kiwi or expat relocating to New Zealand, our unique COVID Managed Isolation System (MIQ) is something you’ll need to understand.

Lonely beaches, lush rolling hills, geothermal wonderland, sand dunes, glaciers, fiordlands or majestic mountain ranges - Aotearoa is an exciting place to travel, no matter if you are a returning Kiwi or calling New Zealand home after relocating here.

Everybody is getting excited about the upcoming summer holidays, preparing to explore beyond their own backyard.

The Mobile team across the country has gathered their personal highlights and insider tips to inspire you wherever your summer journey might take you.

The festive season has arrived and with borders being closed for 20 months now, expats in New Zealand and Kiwis living offshore will be facing another summer far away from loved ones.

On top of not being able to physically spend the holidays with family, New Zealand’s unique time zone further disrupts attempts to synchronise celebrations.

To help address these issues, Mobile Relocation recently collaborated with author and Distance Family Expert Helen Ellis.

Reading up before you move to a new country is a must for any planner.

Novels written by local authors help you get under the skin of your new home, opening your eyes to the culture and customs. Non-fiction drawing on research and the experience of others helps guide you through the process of relocation, resettlement and re-establishment in your new home.

If you’re a Kiwi who’s worked in the US, or an American citizen relocating to New Zealand, you’ll have some finances to move here along with your shipping container. On the surface it might seem as simple as closing your accounts and starting to pay New Zealand tax. In reality, tax, regulatory and administrative requirements are complex, and potentially costly, if you get it wrong.

Kiwis wanting to return home from the UK have shared their main concerns ranging from finding work and finances to settling in and relocating with family.

Mobile Relocation has teamed up with experts from Kiwis in London, Pension Transfers, World Travellers Motueka, Home Recruitment, the Practical Psychologist and ReachNZ Immigration for an informative webinar hosted by Halo Financial to ensure people get accurate and authoritative advice on the many complexities of relocating to NZ.

Whether you’re sending your life savings to New Zealand, or just enough money for rental deposit, no expat or returning Kiwi wants to spend more on currency transfers than is absolutely necessary. It’s a complex process and there are many ways to do it - cost, risk and ease all come into the decision process.

So we’ve asked Geraldine Collett, from international currency transfer specialists, Halo Financial, to explain the ins and outs in our latest Mobile Expert Interview.

COVID has been tough on expats and returning Kiwis moving to New Zealand. Many are separated from friends and family and unsure when in-person meetings will be possible again. Others have found WFH and lockdowns even harder without the support of well established local friendships and networks.

Expat Mental Health Specialist, Dr Sonia Jaeger sheds light on how COVID has challenged expat wellbeing and what you can do about it, in our latest Mobile Relocation Expert Interview.

What are the visa options for Kiwi recruiters, HR teams and businesses to get international talent into New Zealand?

With our borders closed for nearly 18 months, skill shortages are starting to bite for the many businesses dependent on international talent they just can't find locally.

So we asked Lane Neave Immigration Partner, Rachael Mason to explain all you need to know in our latest Mobile Expert Interview.

After 170+ days without community COVID transmission, New Zealand plunged back into lockdown on 17 August 2021.

For our recently-arrived expat and returning Kiwi clients, this is their first experience of lockdown New Zealand style.

Our lockdowns are strict, and it can be quite an adjustment figuring out how to manage routines, source what you need and take care of wellbeing in a Kiwi context, even if you’re an overseas lockdown veteran.

So we’re sharing our 5 top tips for nailing lockdown as a newcomer to New Zealand.

Over the past 18 months there has been intense focus on Kiwis expats returning to New Zealand, over 50,000 so far. What’s often forgotten is that many are relocating to Aotearoa with international spouses or partners, for whom New Zealand is not home. They face a different set of challenges which are no less worthy of attention.

Amanda Sadlier, moved from Seattle to Auckland with her Kiwi husband in July 2020. Here are her reflections on the experience, and what she’d tell herself if she could go back in time.

Relocating household effects is an important task for most expats and returning Kiwis moving to New Zealand. It’s a complex and costly exercise in normal times, but COVID has significantly disrupted international shipping.

Extra charges and delays are now frequent occurrences for our clients, so we asked shipping expert, Matthew Woodley from NZ Vanlines to explain what’s happening and we’ve pulled together some tips to make the best of the situation.

We’ve worked with many expats and Kiwis relocating to New Zealand since COVID hit in 2020. They worry about many different things - jobs and careers, how their kids will adjust, culture shock. But the most common concern is MIQ.

We decided the only way to get accurate and authoritative information was to ask the Head of MIQ, Megan Main. Here are our top three tips for expats moving to New Zealand or Kiwis planning to return home and needing to go through MIQ.

Relocating to New Zealand is a dream for an increasing number of Americans attracted by the country’s handling of COVID and liberal politics. But what is it really like for someone from the US to live in New Zealand? What are the challenges, rewards and stand-out differences? Hear from one of our clients as she reflects back on her two-year experience of being an American in New Zealand.

Returning Kiwis or people wanting to relocate to New Zealand often asked questions like: How much longer will MIQ be required? What’s it like with young children? Can you choose which hotel? When and how will MIQ requirements change for people vaccinated? Since it’s such a hot topic we´re happy to provide you the answers as we had the opportunity for an exclusive video interview with the Head of MIQ, Megan Main.

Operating as a family separated by geography is a daily experience for expats relocating to New Zealand as well as Kiwis living offshore. In this interview Helen Ellis, author and 'distance family' expert, talks to Mobile Founder, Bridget Romanes, about upsides, downsides and tips to achieve great family relationships across borders.

For Amanda Sadlier, relocating from the US to her Kiwi husband’s homeland has been a life-changing experience. With their three young children, the couple moved to Auckland mid-COVID in July 2020.

Amanda shares her challenges, joys and learnings in an interview with Mobile’s Founder, Bridget Romanes.

Culture shock is a well-known phenomenon when moving abroad. Yet the phase of readjustment and possible emotional difficulties when coming back to your home country - reverse culture shock - is often underestimated. Many Kiwis face this as they relocate to New Zealand. In this article we answer the most common questions about reverse culture shock, so you can understand the challenges and triggers and be equipped to deal with them.

When you think about moving to New Zealand, you may wonder about how you’ll relocate your favourite pet. It’s often possible to bring your cat or dog with you, but you should know that the process is involved. Further, the difficulty and expense have recently increased due to the very limited number of flights currently operating.