With the promise of fatter paychecks, lower living costs and sunny beaches, it’s no wonder Brits are eyeing up New Zealand for their big move abroad.
Now it’s easier than ever after the Government relaxed rules to allow non-nationals to work remotely for a foreign employer whilst visiting for a period of up to 90 days – which can be extended to up to nine months.
It was all too tempting for Robert Eaton and his wife Sabrina who had been living in Chippenham, Wiltshire, for the past six years whilst he worked for Vodafone.
Robert hails from Essex but working in the telecommunications industry has seen him live in Taiwan, China, the Philippines and Europe.
He met Sabrina, 47, in Jakarta and the pair tried living in Singapore, Sydney and Auckland for six months in 2017 due to his job.
But the 46-year-old found his most recent role at Vodafone ‘isolating’ with his team stationed in Europe as he worked from home, so he ‘halfheartedly’ applied for a job in New Zealand.
‘The offer was good. My UK gross salary was the same as my New Zealand net salary when we moved last year,’ he told The Telegraph.
The couple had previously visited New Zealand on holiday and fell in love with ‘the scenery, the culture and the people’.
His new role was on Tier 1 of the Green List of high-demand and hard-to-fill jobs and he is under 55, so was able to apply for a Straight to Residence Visa which is a direct pathway to permanent residency after two years.
After accepting the job, Robert and Sabrina packed all of their belongings into a 20ft container and had it sent to their new home in Whangaparāoa on the Hibiscus Coast, north of Auckland, for £10,000.
They paid an extra £1,000 to have it insured and another £2,000 to have their cat flown over.
It was all too tempting for Robert Eaton and his wife Sabrina who had been living in Chippenham, Wiltshire, for the past six years whilst he worked for Vodafone
New Zealand came out of a recession at the end of last year, but unemployment remains unchanged at 5.1 per cent – compared to Australia’s 4.1 per cent and the UK’s 4.4 per cent.
Many New Zealanders have jumped ship to Australia for more job opportunities with around 72,000 leaving in the year to December 2024, according to their government.
But New Zealand’s skills shortage means it is easier to get a job in sectors such as education, healthcare, engineering and cyber security.
Even though he could earn more money in the same role in Australia, Robert and Sabrina were not as happy there and said ‘it wasn’t as welcoming’.
The only downside the pair discovered when they got to their new home is that the cost of living was not as cheap as they may have been led to believe.
‘We loved the area – the Whangaparāoa Peninsula has beautiful beaches around it – but we were shocked at how high the house prices were,’ he said.
Renting a four-bedroom house around 25 miles from Auckland is costing them £375 per week (NZ$850).
They could have chosen a smaller new-build in the area for £310 (NZ$700) but opted for a big garden and sea views in the pricier property worth around £554,000 (NZ$1.25m).
After the landing the job, Robert and Sabrina packed all of their belongings into a 20ft container and had it sent to their new home in Whangaparāoa (pictured) on the Hibiscus Coast, north of Auckland, for £10,000
Robert now commutes by bus to Auckland every day whilst Sabrina looks for a job in recruitment.
Sabrina, who grew up in Malaysia, said: ‘I’m hoping the market is going to pick up, but here in New Zealand it’s all about who you know, so it takes time to get established But the sense of community is better.’
The cost of living is lower than in the UK with their food shop costing £243 ($550) per month and other costs including broadband at £22 to £44 ($50-$100), mains water at £44 ($100), electric at £75 ($170), gas at £35 ($80) and phone bills at £18 to £29 ($40-$65).
Petrol is cheaper in New Zealand and eating out is also more pocket friendly with a quick lunch in Auckland costing around £6 to £8 each and a coffee priced at £2.21 ($5).
