Working remotely from New Zealand now permitted

Spotlight on APAC: New Zealand

In this Spotlight post on New Zealand we focus on a couple of recently announced immigration updates which may impact both employers and their workforce.

Key changes:

Working remotely from New Zealand now permitted

On 27 January 2025, the Government announced that the rules for visitors are changing and people arriving on a visitor visa or NZeTA can work for overseas employers or clients while visiting New Zealand.

This generous amendment applies to applications received from 27 January 2025 for all visitors, including tourists and people visiting family, and partners and guardians on longer-term visitor visas. These new conditions mean that tourists can stay in New Zealand, effectively as a digital nomad and continue to handle work from their home country without breaching their visa conditions.

Both visitor visa recipients and people who enter with an NZeTA (New Zealand Electronic Travel Authority) will receive these conditions.

Visitor visa holders must not:

• work for a New Zealand employer

• provide goods or services to people or businesses in New Zealand

• do work that requires them to be physically present at a workplace in Tax information.

Tax implications

The tax treatment of a digital nomad’s income from working for a foreign employer while in New Zealand depends on the person’s individual circumstances and the individual is responsible for understanding the tax rules relevant to their circumstances.  Employers and individuals should ensure that they take specific tax advice to ensure they remain compliant.

2025 opening dates for capped Working Holiday Schemes confirmed

The 2025 reopening dates for capped Working Holiday Schemes (WHS) have now been confirmed. The table here outlines the date each scheme will open, as well as how many places are available in each scheme for 2025.

Once each scheme opens, applications will be open until the quota is filled. Once the quota is filled, the scheme will close until 2026.

Working holiday schemes that still have places left from 2024 will remain open until the quota is reached. The quota will then reset on the 2025 opening date.

For assistance with your global immigration matters, please contact [email protected]

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