From talking with clients over the years, and rounding up advice from our partners Mobile Relocation Experts, here are some tips for UK ex-pats who want to feel at home in New Zealand.

Expect to have to adapt

Coming from the UK, you may not expect a big change. After all, New Zealand and the UK have similar values, a shared history, and the English language. But there are still some differences to consider.

Here are some that our UK ex-pat clients often mention:

• Compared to Europe, where hopping from one country to the other is easy and affordable, New Zealand is far away from any other place and travelling overseas can be costly; also, being so cut off means you can sometimes feel isolated from the rest of the world (and friends and family back home).
• Compared to the UK, New Zealanders are typically ‘early birds’: we like to get up early, start working around 8 am and leave work early (at 4 or 5 pm). Most UK ex-pats appreciate the more relaxed lifestyle and work-life balance, but coming from a more frenetic work pace, it may take a while to slow down.
• About 10 per cent of the population is Māori and Māori culture has a strong influence on New Zealand culture overall (you can find out more here); besides this, just like the UK, New Zealand is a melting pot of cultures, particularly the ‘big cities’.
• New Zealand English is full of local slang and Māori expressions, which can be difficult to understand if you’re new here, and even if you’re a native English speaker.

These are just some of the things that ex-pats notice about New Zealand. Many also appreciate Kiwis’ friendliness, laid-back attitude, willingness to help, and open-mindedness when it comes to social issues.

So, if you’ve been looking for a progressive nation with stunning scenery and a diverse range of cultures, it probably won’t take you long to find your feet here. There’s a reason why New Zealand rated as Britons’ favourite country in 2020 – even more than the UK itself.

Learning from others

If you’d like to ease your adaptation, it can be a good idea to talk about your experience with other ex-pats who are going through the same journey. Also, as our partners at Mobile point out here, listening to colleagues and peers and observing how they interact can help you fit in quickly.

Don’t expect settling in will happen overnight

According to NewZealandNow.govt.nz, settling in happens in stages that researchers call the ‘settlement curve’. The very first stage is Fun: everything is new, different, exciting. Then, you may go through the Fright, Flight, and Fight stages: this is when you start facing the challenges of living in a new country. In time, you’ll move on to the Fit stage, which is also the final stage of the settlement curve.

The bottom line is, settling takes patience. And in the whirlwind of making new friends, finding a job, finding a home – it’s perfectly normal to feel homesick at times. Again, NewZealandNow.govt.nz has some great tips on how to cope with homesickness.

Remember, life in New Zealand won’t always be easy or perfect, but there are many undeniable reasons to choose this country as your home. Did you know, for example, that this small insular nation consistently makes the list of the top 10 happiest countries in the world?

Need to transfer your UK pension to NZ?

As part of your move to New Zealand, you may also be considering transferring your UK pension closer to you. This is a complex decision to make, so it’s a good idea to work with a UK pension expert like us. 

Click here to contact us or give us a call on 0800 UK 11 NZ to book a review. At Pension Transfers, over the past 20-plus years, we have helped thousands of clients make informed decisions about their UK pension transfer and future financial needs.

Disclaimer: Please note that the content provided in this article is intended as an overview and as general information only. While care is taken to ensure accuracy and reliability, the information provided is subject to continuous change and may not reflect current developments or address your situation. Before making any decisions based on the information provided in this article, please use your discretion and seek independent guidance. Past fund performance is no guarantee of future returns.