New Zealand
Make employment in New Zealand easy. Let us handle payroll, benefits, taxes, compliance, and even stock options for your team in New Zealand, all in one easy-to-use platform.
- Capital City
Wellington
- Currency
New Zealand dollar ($, NZD)
- Languages
English and Māori
- Population size
5,122,840
Facts & Stats
- Capital City
Wellington
- Currency
New Zealand dollar ($, NZD)
- Languages
English and Māori
- Population size
5,122,840
- Ease of doing business
Very easy
- Cost of living index
$$$$ (15 of 139 nations)
- Payroll frequency
Bi-Monthly/Monthly
- VAT - standard rate
15%
- GDP - real growth rate
2.8% (2019)
New Zealand is an island nation in the South Pacific. Aotearoa is the traditional Māori name of New Zealand, predominantly made up of two main islands, the North Island and the South Island (as well as other smaller islands). The North Island is home to two-thirds of the 4.9 million residents.
New Zealand has a very strong economy, consistently ranking highly on quality of life measures, making it an attractive place to do business. The land of the long white cloud is home to skilled workers across a diverse range of industries. Agriculture is its largest sector, with dairy farming at the top. The manufacturing, service, construction, and tourism industries are also growing.
The country is known for its beautiful landscapes. Because New Zealand is geographically separated from others, the country offers flora and fauna visitors can’t find anywhere else. This unique natural beauty, combined with New Zealand’s high quality of life is becoming an attractive draw for digital nomads and remote workers looking for an English-speaking relocation option.
Grow your team in New Zealand with Remote
Want to hire employees in New Zealand? Companies hiring in New Zealand are typically required to either own a local legal entity or work with a global employment platform like Remote that can legally provide employment services in the country.
Remote can employ team members in New Zealand and keep you compliant at all times. Remote can hire, onboard, and pay your New Zealand team so you don't have to set up local HR services in the region. Remote also makes it easy to pay contractors in New Zealand. now to get started or talk to an expert for more details.
Risks of misclassification
New Zealand, like many other countries, treats self-employed individuals or contractors and full-time employees differently. Misclassification of contractors in New Zealand may lead to fines and penalties for the offending company.
Employing in New Zealand
Remote makes it easy for companies of all sizes to employ workers in New Zealand using our employer of record solution. We can help employ your Kiwi team using our local New Zealand-based entity. We can handle your payroll, benefits, taxes, and local legal compliance. So you can focus on more important strategic work.
Minimum Wage
Effective April 1, 2025, New Zealand's minimum wage is set at $23.50 per hour. Starting-out and training minimum wage will go up from $18.52 to $18.80 per hour. All rates are before tax and any lawful deductions, for example, PAYE tax, student loan repayment, child support.
Payroll Cycle
For customers of Remote, all employee payments will be made in equal monthly installments on or before the last working day of each calendar month, payable in arrears.
Onboarding Time
We can help you get a new employee started in New Zealand fast. The minimum onboarding time we need is only 4 working days.
Our team ensures your employees are onboarded and paid as quickly as possible while keeping your business compliant with all local employment legislation. The minimum onboarding time begins after the employee submits all required information onto the Remote platform. The onboarding timeline is also dependent upon registration with local authorities.
For all non-nationals of the country of employment, the Right to Work assessment (if applicable) will add three extra days to the total time to onboard. There may be extra time required if we need to follow-up on the right to work assessment.
Please note, payroll cut-off dates can impact the actual first day of employment. Remote has a payroll cut-off date of the 10th of the month unless otherwise specified.
11 Public holidays
Effortless HR New Zealand: Take the Tour
Competitive benefits package in New Zealand
At Remote, we’re passionate about helping you craft the best possible employee experience for your team. We are leading the way in developing globally competitive benefits programs. This means making sure employees everywhere have access to both the required and supplemental benefits they need to thrive, and your company has the localized expertise needed to attract and keep the best global talent.
Our benefits packages in New Zealand are tailored to fulfill the local needs of employees. Typically, our packages contain some or all of the following benefits:
Health Insurance
Dental Insurance
Vision Insurance
Mental Health Support
Pension or 401(K)
Life and Disability Insurance
Transparent Pricing in New Zealand
Employer of Record
$599
per employee/month
Top features
Hire without opening a local entity
Guided onboarding
Local payroll paid on time, every time
Built-in security and compliance
Flexible, localized benefits
Offer equity incentives with tax assistance
Dedicated experts for local support
Contractor Management
$29
per contractor/month
Top features
Only pay for contractors you actively work with
Work with international contractors
Create, edit, and sign tailored, localized contracts
Approve contractor invoices with one click or auto-pay
Transparent payments with complete visibility
Payroll
$29
per employee/month
Top features
Powerful, transparent international payroll
Simple self-service platform
Personalized support from dedicated specialists
Adhere to local payroll regulations in every country
Integrated payroll, expense management, and HRIS solution
HRIS
$18
per employee/month
Top features
Guided onboarding and offboarding
Employee profile and document management
Contract templates and e-signing
Time off and time tracking
Expense management
Employee and manager self-serve experience
Mobile app