Working Holiday in New Zealand: Before Your Arrival

Your Visa
The New Zealand Government intends the Working Holiday Visa to be for young people who are travelling around the country and who need to work to up their finances.

Proof of Funds
Your visa issued on the understanding that you will be able to show that you have access to a certain amount of money on entry to New Zealand. For Malaysians the minimum fund is NZ$2,250. Usually, on average it takes 1 to 3 weeks to find a job. Make sure you bring enough money to support yourself for at least 6 weeks since you are not often paid for two weeks after starting your job. Also a deposit may be required before you can move into your accomodation.

Money Currency and Value
New Zealand's unit of curency is the New Zealand Dollar (NZ$). There are coins to the value of 10, 20 and 50 cents and $1 and $2. The notes (bills) are to the value of $5, $10, $20, $50 and $100. All the notes are a different size and colour, making it easy to distinguish the different values.

ATM Cards and Withdrawing Money
You can access money from your home bank account visa the international cash machine network. For this you need a debit card either a Maestro, Plus, Visa or Cirrus symbol on it. Most banks will impose a transaction charge for cash machine (ATM) withdrawals made outside the country of origin. Contact your bank for details of the international banking services they offer and check if your pin number will work in New Zealand. Also, most ATM's in New Zealand have a withdrawal limit of NZ$800 per day.

If there is not a bank in your area, enquire at your local store as New Zealand has a nationwife system of EFTPOS terminals (Electronic Funds Transfer at Point of Sale). You will be issued with a NZ EFTPOS Card when you open a bank account in New Zealand. This system allows you to use your cash card as a form of payment and in most cases for withdrawing cash from your account at almost any store, bar, cafe, taxi, etc. accross New Zealand.

Credit Cards
If you have, or can get, a credit card, you should take it with you when you travel. Credit cards can often to be used as ID and they will enable you to make telephone bookings for concerts, reserve plane tickets, or make hotel reservations. Credit cards are usually necessary for renting a car and you also withdraw cash at the bank using a credit card. Visa and MasterCard are the most widely accepted cards throughout the world. Make sure you know the PIN number for your card (if you have one) and your credit limit. We recommend you inform your bank in advance that you will be travelling overseas to New Zealand and that you may be making a large purchase, such as a vehicle or bus pass. You may also get a Visa Debit Card which acts as a Visa card for online purchase.