IRD number, bank and first month in New Zealand

Your first fortnight in Auckland comes down to two numbers: an IRD number and a bank account number. Get both sorted early and your first pay packet arrives with the right tax taken off.

The short version

An IRD number is your New Zealand tax number, like a National Insurance number and UTR rolled into one. It's free and you keep it for life [1].
New arrivals on a visa apply online through myIR, by the final arrival date on the visa. If approved, the number comes by text or email within 2 days [2].
Some banks let you open an account from the UK before you fly; Westpac says up to 180 days ahead. You usually verify your identity once you land [3][4].
Give your employer a tax code declaration (IR330). Without an IRD number and tax code you pay tax at a much higher rate until it's fixed [5].
Don't forget the UK end: tell HMRC you've gone (form P85) and keep a UK bank account and mobile number working.

Pound conversions in this guide use the Bank of England spot rate of 5 November 2026 (£1 = NZD 2.4016), rounded.

Before you fly: the paperwork that comes first

The smoothest first months start back home in Blighty. A rough order:

Visa granted. Note your Immigration New Zealand application number and the final arrival date on the visa. You need both for the IRD number [2].
Open a New Zealand bank account from the UK if your bank allows it (more below).
Tell HMRC you're leaving. Most people use form P85. Our guide to telling HMRC and your last tax year explains what goes on it and how split-year treatment works.
Keep a UK bank account and a UK mobile number. UK banks and HMRC still send security codes by text. See keeping a UK mobile number and address.
Pack your ID. Your passport, visa and something with your UK address. The FCDO notes that you may need ID other than your UK passport for a bank account or IRD number, and suggests the Kiwi Access Card (18+) once you're here [6].
Bring your UK driving licence. You can drive a car on it for 12 months if you arrived on or after 1 November 2026 (18 months if you arrived earlier), then you must convert to a New Zealand licence [6].

Getting your IRD number

Inland Revenue (Te Tari Taake, still called "IRD" by everyone) runs the process. How you apply depends on if you're already in New Zealand or still overseas [1].

If you've just arrived on a visa

This is the easy route. Inland Revenue checks your identity directly with Immigration New Zealand, so you don't post off certified copies of your passport [2].

Register for a personal myIR account online.
Apply in myIR using the new arrival process.
Have these ready: your passport details and your INZ application number. Work and student visa holders also give their most recent overseas tax number, if they have one, so your National Insurance number or UTR [2].
Wait for a text or email. If it's approved, your IRD number arrives within 2 days. Inland Revenue gets in touch if it needs more [2].

The deadline matters. You must apply by the final arrival date on your visa. Apply after that and you have to use the slower "Living in New Zealand" process instead, which uses form IR595 and more paperwork [2][1].

You can add a child to the process if your residence visa includes them [2].

Do I need one before I start work?

Strictly, no, but you'll want it. If you start work without giving your employer an IRD number and tax code, your pay is taxed at the non-declaration rate, which is far higher than your normal rate, until you sort it [5]. You can claim the extra back, but nobody fancies lending the taxman money in their first month.

Your tax code and the IR330

New Zealand doesn't have a personal allowance in the UK sense. Instead, every dollar is taxed at a sliding scale, and your employer deducts PAYE using a tax code you choose on the IR330 tax code declaration [5].

Your main job usually takes the code M (or M SL if you have a New Zealand student loan, which most Brits won't).
A second job or other secondary income takes a secondary code, set by how much you expect to earn in total [5].
Your tax rates from 1 April 2025 are in the table below [7].

Taxable income (a year)	Rate	Roughly in pounds
Up to NZ$15,600	10.5%	up to £6,500
NZ$15,601 to NZ$53,500	17.5%	£6,500 to £22,280
NZ$53,501 to NZ$78,100	30%	£22,280 to £32,520
NZ$78,101 to NZ$180,000	33%	£32,520 to £74,950
Over NZ$180,000	39%	over £74,950

An ACC levy also comes off your pay to fund New Zealand's no-fault accident cover. It's a small percentage and shows separately on your payslip.

Most employees on PAYE don't file a return each year. Inland Revenue squares things up automatically. That changes if you have UK income, such as rent from a flat back home or a UK pension, which you declare. See our guide to New Zealand taxes for Brits.

Opening a bank account

Immigration New Zealand's advice is that some banks let you open an account from your home country, depending on your visa and arrival date, and that having it set up early means your employer can pay you sooner [3]. Westpac, for example, says you may be able to open an account up to 180 days before you arrive and has a migrant banking team [4]. The other big banks in Auckland are ANZ, ASB, BNZ and Kiwibank, and most have a "moving to New Zealand" offer.

What to expect:

Verification on arrival. You'll usually need to activate the account in a branch or by video. Banks are required to verify your identity and address under anti-money laundering rules [3].
Proof of address. The awkward one in your first weeks, when you're in a short-term let or a mate's spare room. Ask your bank in advance what it accepts as a temporary address [3].
Give the bank your IRD number. Without it, interest is taxed at the highest rate [3].
EFTPOS. New Zealand runs on it. Your debit card works almost everywhere, and contactless is normal. Cash is becoming rare.

Getting money over from the UK is its own topic. Our guide to sending money between the UK and abroad sets out the options.

Phone, home and the rest of the first month

Mobile

The three networks are One NZ, Spark and 2degrees, with smaller brands using their networks. A prepaid SIM at the airport or a supermarket gets you a local number on day one, which you'll need for myIR codes and every booking form. Check your UK phone isn't locked to your UK network before you leave. Keep your UK number too, on a cheap UK plan or an eSIM, so British bank texts still reach you.

The first-month checklist

Week	Job	Why
Week 1	Local SIM, IRD number in myIR, activate bank account	Pay, tax and codes
Week 1	IR330 to your employer	Right tax from your first pay
Weeks 1–2	Kiwi Access Card (optional)	Photo ID that isn't your passport [6]
Weeks 2–4	Find a flat, enrol with a GP	Bond, tenancy and healthcare
Weeks 2–4	AT HOP card for buses, trains and ferries	Getting around Auckland
Month 1	Register your address with your bank and Inland Revenue	Post and security
By month 18	Convert your UK driving licence	The limit for cars [6]

On the GP front: if you're eligible for publicly funded healthcare, you enrol with a GP practice, which isn't free like the NHS but is much cheaper once you're enrolled. Our guide to healthcare in Auckland explains who's eligible.

Help when things go wrong

The British Consulate General in Auckland and the British High Commission in Wellington can't give personalised advice or help with visas [6]. For tax, it's Inland Revenue. For visas, Immigration New Zealand. For the small, practical questions (which bank actually answered the phone, which suburb has the shortest commute), our community group for Brits in New Zealand is full of people who did it last year.

IRD number, bank account and your first month in New Zealand: the Brit's checklist