Moving to Netherlands from New Zealand: 2025 Relocation Guide for NZ
The Netherlands is a popular destination to live, work and study, with high levels of English spoken, modern cities, a fascinating culture and friendly people. If you’re planning on moving to the Netherlands from New Zealand you will most likely need to get a job or a place of study sorted out in advance.
This guide looks at the basics of immigrating to the Netherlands from New Zealand, and highlights the Wise Account as a great way to manage your money as you move.
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Netherlands Visa for New Zealand Residents
If you plan on relocating to the Netherlands from New Zealand for more than 90 days, you need to follow the process for emigrating to the Netherlands. This involves getting the correct visa arranged based on what you intend to do in the Netherlands - study or work, for example.
You’ll be able to travel to the Netherlands with a New Zealand passport with no additional need for a visa. However, you can only stay for a maximum of 90 days before you need to have your new visa or permit set up1.
There are different visa types depending on the reason you plan to move to the Netherlands - and each visa has its own features and eligibility requirements. Common long stay residence permit categories include2
- Family or partner residence permit
- Work permit
- Study permit
- Au Pair and exchange permits
- Medical permits
You can use the tools on the Dutch government website to enter some details about yourself, your passport and the plans you have in the Netherlands, to find out about the visa or permit which will best suit your needs.
Dutch Immigration Requirements
The requirements to get a Dutch visa can vary depending on what you’re planning on doing in the Netherlands. To give an example, let’s look at an outline of the process for someone who is going to the Netherlands to work3.
Before you can enter the Netherlands to start working you’ll want to have secured a job with a local employer. You can enter the Netherlands without needing a specific visa, and then collect your residence permit from the Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND) once you arrive.
Not all jobs in the Netherlands qualify for a residence permit. Your employer will also need to have a work permit which allows them to employ foreigners, and you’ll need to be doing a job which fulfills the eligibility requirements which include income rules.
If you’re applying for a visa for the Netherlands make sure to start the process of securing work or a place to study well in advance to make the process as simple as possible.
Moving to the Netherlands checklist
Your move to the Netherlands is exciting but it also requires a lot of planning. Depending on what you intend to do in the Netherlands on arrival you may need months to get everything set up - so consider this a long term project. Here we cover some of the common things you’ll need to think about adding to your moving to the Netherlands checklist to make sure everything is done in good time.
Before You Leave New Zealand
You’ll need to get all the basic steps of your move laid out long before you travel to the Netherlands. If you’re shipping your household goods you can assume this will take around 8 weeks, which adds some practical complexity to your planning. Here are a few important things to think about:
- Use the online visa tools to figure out how to get an appropriate long term pass based on your work, study or personal situation
- Decide where in the Netherlands you would like to live, based on your work or study arrangements and your budget
- Work out the costs and a timeline for your relocation, including shipping household and personal goods, which will take many weeks
- Compare moving companies and arrange the practical aspects of your move taking into account a 6 - 8 week likely shipping time
- Check if you need to update any vaccinations before you travel, and get health insurance to cover your travel and on arrival
- Learn at least some basic Dutch - English is widely spoken, but the effort will be appreciated
- You may decide to get an international driving license before you travel, depending on your intentions when you arrive
Upon Arrival in the Netherlands
Assuming you’re moving to the Netherlands for work you won’t need a visa to enter the country, but you will need your employer to have arranged your residence permit within 90 days of your arrival - or ideally, before you land. Here are the most important things to add to your to do list once you get to Europe:
- Collect your residence permit from the Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND) and register with your local municipality
- Arrange rental accommodation, phone services, utilities, internet and so on
- Open a bank account or a multi-currency digital account which lets you manage EUR as well as NZD in one place
- Familiarise yourself with your local area - if you’re in the Netherlands through work or study your employer or educational institute may help
- Take out Dutch health insurance - this is compulsory and must include coverage from day 1 of your arrival
How much money does it cost to move to the Netherlands from NZ?
You’ll need to have a full budget to cover your move to the Netherlands, including the last couple of weeks in New Zealand and your first few weeks on arrival. This is especially important when shipping household goods - you could be without your personal things for several weeks while they're on the sea, so do make sure you have a plan for that period.
Some important things to factor into your moving budget include:
- Packing services if you choose to use them
- Shipping costs for household and personal goods
- Flights and initial living expenses for you and your family
- Pet relocation if needed
- Accommodation on arrival and until you arrange permanent housing
Moving with Pets?
Learn more about the costs of pet relocation in our handy guide.
Cost of Living in the Netherlands
In the Wise cost of living index, the Netherlands ranks as the 18th most costly place to live based on average cost of living, including housing, food, transport and more. New Zealand comes in at number 13. This means that while you’ll always find a bit of price shock in a new country, the overall differences in costs of living shouldn’t be huge.
In reality, your day to day costs depend on where exactly you live and lifestyle costs including food, leisure and travel. You’ll be able to build a full budget for life in the Netherlands before you travel, but it’s always wise to include a bit of a margin for error to allow you to enjoy yourself while you settle in.
Get an idea of how the cost of living in the Netherlands compares with New Zealand, in the Wise cost of living by country index.
Open a Dutch bank account as a NZ Expat
Managing finances as an expat in the Netherlands is easier when you have a local account to receive, hold and spend Euros. Get a guide on how to open a Dutch bank account as a NZ expat, including a look at top banks for foreigners, in the Wise guide to money and banks in the Netherlands. Or hit the ground running with a Wise Account which lets you manage your money across EUR and NZD before you travel.
Open a Wise Account online or in app before you leave to hold, receive, send and spend and exchange EUR alongside 40+ other currencies. You can pay and get paid in euros and get a multi-currency debit card for spending and cash withdrawals, with the mid-market exchange rate for currency conversion.
Moving your Money to the Netherlands from New Zealand
If you want to have euros in your pocket before you travel you can convert some NZD to EUR here - but do watch out for currency conversion markups commonly found in airport money exchange shops. If you’ve left it to the last moment to get your euros you may be better off just holding off and making a cash withdrawal on arrival at Schiphol - this is easy, and can be cheap if you use an account and card from a provider like Wise.
Add money to your Wise account in NZD, and convert to EUR in the Wise app with transparent exchange fees and the mid-market rate. You can withdraw EUR from ATMs in the Netherlands, and spend like a local in the Netherlands.
Moving your KiwiSaver Savings to the Netherlands
If you’re moving away from New Zealand permanently you are entitled to withdraw your KiwiSaver savings. This allows you to reinvest the funds in a local account in the Netherlands instead if you want to.
The process to withdraw your KiwiSaver funds can take a little while - and it’s not something you can start before you've moved. Contact your KiwiSaver provider to check their process, which will usually require you to complete the permanent emigration withdrawal form and send it in along with a statutory declaration, signed by an authorized person, which confirms your permanent emigration from New Zealand. You’ll also be asked for evidence of your move, like your flight tickets or your passport, and proof of your new address in the Netherlands.
Complete guide to withdrawing your Kiwisaver savings overseas 👉
Start your Dutch journey with Wise
Open a Wise Account before you leave New Zealand, to give you one less thing to worry about.
You can use Wise to receive euro payments, hold a balance in EUR and make payments in Europe easily, allowing you to pay for your rent or other costs even before you travel. Add funds to Wise in NZD to make simple payments and spend in the Netherlands with your linked debit card. You’ll automatically get currency conversion at the mid-market rate and low, fair fees - and you're ready to tap to pay like a local when you land.
Plus Wise makes it easy to send money back home to New Zealand, and you can simply swipe your card for NZD spending when you go back home to visit.
| 🏠 Update your Wise Account after your move! |
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| Once you have established your new home in the Netherlands, remember to change the contact details on your Wise account. To comply with local and international law, Wise may need to verify your address again - and remember that new pricing and account features may apply when you convert a Wise account to be registered in another country: Learn about Wise pricing in the Netherlands here. |
Relocating is a long term commitment, but by planning well in advance you can make it stress free. Use this guide to help you plan - and open a Wise Account before your move to the Netherlands to make sure you can manage your money without hassle no matter where you call home.
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