New Zealand changes visa rules in appeal to digital nomads

Photo by Nathan Cowley

New Zealand recently made changes to its visa rules in an attempt to attract digital nomads.

Visitors can now work remotely in New Zealand if they are working for overseas companies or clients. This applies to “all visitors, including tourists and people visiting family, and partners and guardians on longer-term visitor visas.”

Visitors who work remotely in New Zealand will be exempt from New Zealand taxes if they work in the country less than 92 days per year. If they are a resident of certain countries that New Zealand has a Tax Treaty with “(such as Australia, most of Europe, the UK, the US and much of Asia)” then they can have an extension of up to 183 in New Zealand.

This does not apply to those who: work for a New Zealand based company, “provide goods or services to people or businesses in New Zealand,” or “do work that requires them to be physically present at a workplace in New Zealand.”

Nicola Willis, the Economic Growth Minister, said the goal was to attract “highly skilled people with roles that connect them to powerhouse firms and industries globally. These are jobs they hold offshore and that they’ll be able to stay connected to while in New Zealand.”

Erica Stanford , the Immigration Minister, also said “The change will enable many visitors to extend their stays, which will lead to more money being spent in the country. We welcome visitors of all types to New Zealand and in this particular announcement, those who are able to work as digital nomads here on our shores.”