Options for New Zealand Nationals
New Zealand combines a top-tier passport with a favorable transitional tax regime and no broad capital gains tax, making it an appealing long-term destination for internationally mobile individuals. Its close integration with Australia through the CER agreement effectively doubles the lifestyle and opportunity base for New Zealand citizens.
Your Passport
Passport Rank
#8
Visa-Free
187
destinations
allowed
residence based
Key Considerations for New Zealand Nationals
- 01New Zealand offers a Transitional Resident exemption granting new tax residents a 48-month window during which most foreign-sourced income is exempt from New Zealand tax
- 02New Zealand has no general capital gains tax on most asset classes, including investment property held outside a trader context, though the bright-line test taxes residential property sold within 2 years
- 03The Closer Economic Relations (CER) agreement with Australia allows New Zealand citizens to live and work in Australia indefinitely under a Special Category Visa, with near-equivalent rights
- 04New Zealand's Active Investor Plus visa requires NZD 5 million in active investments over a 3-year period, offering a faster residency pathway for qualifying investors
- 05The cost of living in New Zealand, particularly in Auckland and Wellington, is relatively high by global standards, and housing affordability is a persistent challenge
- 06New Zealand allows dual citizenship and does not require renunciation when naturalizing, making it a clean addition to a portfolio of citizenships
Program Restrictions
general: Requires NZD 5M in qualifying active investments; passive investments (bonds, listed equities) must be balanced with active fund commitments; mandatory minimum time in NZ
general: Previously required NZD 3M over 4 years; replaced by Active Investor Plus in 2023 with new categorization and activity requirements
Visa Programs Available to You
68 programsPortugal D7 Passive Income Visa
Portugal PRT
Processing
2mo
Min. Income
$820
Citizenship
5y
Portugal D8 Digital Nomad Visa
Portugal PRT
Processing
2mo
Min. Income
$3,280
Citizenship
5y
Portugal Golden Visa (ARI)
Portugal PRT
Processing
6mo
Min. Income
ā
Citizenship
5y
Spain Non-Lucrative Visa
Spain ESP
Processing
3mo
Min. Income
$2,800
Citizenship
10y
Spain Digital Nomad Visa
Spain ESP
Processing
3mo
Min. Income
$2,800
Citizenship
10y
Italy Elective Residence Visa
Italy ITA
Processing
3mo
Min. Income
$33,000
Citizenship
10y
Greece Golden Visa
Greece GRC
Processing
4mo
Min. Income
ā
Citizenship
7y
Malta Permanent Residence Programme (MPRP)
Malta MLT
Processing
6mo
Min. Income
ā
Citizenship
No
Ancestry / Descent Options
Based on common ancestry patterns for New Zealand nationals.
Banking That Accepts Your Passport
10 optionsWise (formerly TransferWise)
multi currency account
40 currencies
Free
Revolut
digital bank
36 currencies
Free
N26
digital bank
1 currencies
Free
Chase UK
digital bank
1 currencies
Free
HSBC Expat
traditional bank
19 currencies
$35/mo
Interactive Brokers
brokerage
23 currencies
Free
Charles Schwab International
brokerage
1 currencies
Free
Standard Chartered
traditional bank
12 currencies
$10/mo
DBS Bank Singapore
traditional bank
13 currencies
$7/mo
Emirates NBD
traditional bank
6 currencies
Free
Company Formation Jurisdictions
12 jurisdictionsUK Private Limited Company (Ltd)
Setup: $50
25% (19% for profits under GBP 50,000; marginal relief between GBP 50,000ā250,000)
Banking: moderate
US Delaware LLC
Setup: $200
0% at state level (no Delaware state income tax on out-of-state activity); federal tax depends on election (pass-through by default or C-Corp election)
Banking: moderate
US Wyoming LLC
Setup: $100
0% at state level (no Wyoming state income tax); federal tax depends on entity election
Banking: moderate
Estonia OĆ (Private Limited Company)
Setup: $265
0% on retained earnings; 20% on distributed profits (unique deferred distribution tax model)
Banking: difficult
Dubai DMCC Free Zone Company
Setup: $8,500
9% UAE Corporate Tax (effective June 2023) on taxable profits over AED 375,000; 0% for Qualifying Free Zone Persons meeting substance requirements
Banking: moderate
Dubai IFZA Free Zone Company
Setup: $5,500
9% UAE Corporate Tax on profits over AED 375,000; 0% for Qualifying Free Zone Persons on qualifying income
Banking: moderate
Singapore Private Limited Company (Pte Ltd)
Setup: $400
17% headline rate; effective rate often 8ā10% due to startup tax exemptions (75% exemption on first SGD 100,000 for first 3 years)
Banking: moderate
Hong Kong Private Limited Company
Setup: $500
16.5% standard; 8.25% on first HKD 2 million of assessable profits (two-tiered regime)
Banking: difficult
BVI Business Company (BC)
Setup: $2,000
0% (no corporate income tax, capital gains tax, or withholding tax)
Banking: difficult
Cayman Islands LLC
Setup: $3,500
0% (no corporate tax, income tax, capital gains tax, or withholding tax; 20-year tax exemption certificate available)
Banking: difficult
Portugal Lda (Sociedade por Quotas)
Setup: $1,200
21% standard IRC; 17% on first EUR 25,000 for SMEs; municipal surcharge up to 1.5%; RFAI and other incentives available
Banking: moderate
Georgia Individual Entrepreneur (IE) with Virtual Zone
Setup: $50
1% on turnover up to GEL 500,000/year (Small Business Status); 0% on IT/software exports for Virtual Zone Person status; standard rate 15% corporate + 5% dividend withholding
Banking: easy
Citizenship by Investment
10 programsMalta Citizenship by Naturalisation for Exceptional Services by Direct Investment
Malta
From
$690,000
Processing
14mo
Visa-Free
186
Due Diligence
extensive
St Kitts and Nevis Citizenship by Investment
St Kitts and Nevis
From
$250,000
Processing
6mo
Visa-Free
157
Due Diligence
enhanced
Commonwealth of Dominica Citizenship by Investment
Dominica
From
$100,000
Processing
5mo
Visa-Free
144
Due Diligence
enhanced
Antigua and Barbuda Citizenship by Investment
Antigua and Barbuda
From
$130,000
Processing
6mo
Visa-Free
151
Due Diligence
enhanced
Grenada Citizenship by Investment
Grenada
From
$150,000
Processing
6mo
Visa-Free
148
Due Diligence
enhanced
St Lucia Citizenship by Investment
St Lucia
From
$100,000
Processing
5mo
Visa-Free
146
Due Diligence
enhanced
Turkish Citizenship by Investment
Turkey
From
$400,000
Processing
4mo
Visa-Free
110
Due Diligence
standard
Vanuatu Citizenship by Investment (DSP / VDSP)
Vanuatu
From
$130,000
Processing
2mo
Visa-Free
113
Due Diligence
standard
Egyptian Citizenship by Investment
Egypt
From
$300,000
Processing
6mo
Visa-Free
53
Due Diligence
standard
Jordanian Citizenship by Investment
Jordan
From
$750,000
Processing
9mo
Visa-Free
57
Due Diligence
enhanced