Living in New Zealand as a French Citizen: Cities, Cost of Living, Visas and Settling In

New Zealand is first of all lived at the scale of a city. According to Stats NZ, nearly two inhabitants out of three (64 %) live in Auckland or one of the country’s 12 cities; among city dwellers, 53 % live in Auckland, 12 % in Christchurch, and Hamilton and Wellington each take in 6 % of them (estimates at 30 June 2025). The choice of city determines rent, climate, schools and job prospects.

For a tourist stay, France Diplomatie (the French foreign ministry) states that French citizens enter without a visa for under 90 days, with a valid passport, an NZeTA electronic authorisation valid for two years, a return ticket and sufficient means. To work or stay longer, a suitable visa is needed (see below). The country applies very strict biosecurity on arrival, with fines of up to NZD 400, and France Diplomatie reminds travellers of the country’s seismic activity (around 20,000 tremors a year), the volcanic sites to monitor and the tsunami alerts along the coast. The New Zealand country guide details the health insurance requirements for each visa.

The most often cited assets, backed by official figures:

• A solid base wage: the adult minimum wage is NZD 23.95 an hour since 1 April 2026 (Employment New Zealand), and median hourly earnings reach NZD 35.96 in the second quarter of 2026 (Stats NZ).
• An accessible way in: the Working Holiday lets you stay 12 months, take temporary jobs and study for up to 6 months (Immigration New Zealand).
• Accident cover for everyone: ACC (the Accident Compensation Corporation) covers accidental injuries to anyone present in the country, residents and visitors alike (ACC).
• Free state school for families: the children of work visa holders attend state school without tuition fees (Immigration New Zealand).

Points to anticipate:

• Housing: the national median rent on new tenancies reaches NZD 590 a week in July 2026 and exceeds NZD 800 in Queenstown (Tenancy Services).
• A job to prepare: the unemployment rate stands at 5.6% in the second quarter of 2026, a level that argues for securing an offer before committing to a work visa (Stats NZ).
• Healthcare to finance: publicly funded care requires residence or a work visa of 2 years or more; a Working Holiday holder pays for their own care (Health New Zealand; Immigration New Zealand).
• Distance and natural hazards: New Zealand sits on the other side of the world from France, with a large time difference that weighs on administrative procedures and family relationships, and a seismic risk documented by France Diplomatie.

The rents below are the median on new tenancies in July 2026, all types of housing combined (Tenancy Services); the table at the end of the page compares them with July 2025.

• Auckland (1.8 million inhabitants, +1.0% over a year): the largest city, with a median rent of NZD 640 a week and the largest number of new tenancies in the country. It is also where the École française internationale d’Auckland (the international French school) opened.
• Wellington (median rent of NZD 560): the capital, home to the French embassy. Stats NZ notes a slight fall in its population (-0.3%) over the year to June 2025.
• Christchurch (419,200 inhabitants, +1.0%): the main city of the South Island, which recorded the strongest net internal migration of the country’s cities (+1,700), with a median rent of NZD 550.
• Queenstown: the Queenstown-Lakes district is among the most dynamic (+1.7% in population) and posts the highest median rent of the cities listed, at NZD 800 a week.
• Tauranga: a median rent of NZD 690, with half of tenancies between NZD 620 and 775, a narrow range.
• Dunedin: the lowest median rent of the group, at NZD 520, with an almost stable population (net migration of +50 over the year to June 2025).
• Nelson: a median rent of NZD 550, up from NZD 523 in a year, for a city whose population fell by 0.3% (Stats NZ).

Stats NZ measures a rise in consumer prices of 4.1% over 12 months to June 2026, driven by fuel, electricity (+12.0%) and local authority rates (+8.8%). Excluding food, household energy and fuel, the rise is 2.5%. For a settling-in budget, these three items (fuel, electricity, local rates) weigh as much as rent.

On the income side, Stats NZ gives median weekly earnings of NZD 1,419 and median hourly earnings of NZD 35.96 in the second quarter of 2026, or NZD 38.00 for a full-time worker. The national median rent on new tenancies stayed at NZD 590 a week between July 2025 and July 2026 (Tenancy Services). Also budget for health cover, which is among an expatriate’s first expenses (see the guide to the cost of healthcare abroad).

France Working Holiday: reserved for ages 18 to 30, this visa is applied for online, from NZD 770. It allows a 12-month stay, temporary jobs (a permanent job is excluded) and up to 6 months of study. It requires NZD 4,200 in funds, an outbound ticket or the means to buy one, and comprehensive medical insurance for the whole stay. The detailed conditions are in the working holiday guide, on the page on working in New Zealand and in the page on working holiday insurance.

Work visas: the Accredited Employer Work Visa, from NZD 1,540, lets you take a position offered by an accredited employer, for up to 5 years depending on the skill level. Residence goes through the Skilled Migrant Category (6 points, 55 years old at most, from NZD 6,450) or through the Green List, which leads straight to residence for tier 1 jobs or after 24 months of work in New Zealand for tier 2. The spouse of a work visa holder can obtain a partner work visa of the same length, from NZD 1,630.

Study: the student visa starts at NZD 850, allows up to 25 hours of work a week during term and requires travel and health insurance for the whole length of the visa (see student insurance abroad).

The IRD number is the New Zealand tax identifier, essential to be paid. A newcomer applies for it online from a myIR account, with their passport, the number of their visa application with Immigration New Zealand and, where relevant, their last foreign tax number; if the application is accepted, the number is sent by text message or email within 2 days. This procedure is open until the arrival deadline shown on the visa (IRD).

A person present for more than 183 days in 12 months becomes a tax resident from the first of those days. The income tax scale for a resident runs from 10.5% to 39% (details on the page on working in New Zealand). A new migrant who has not been a New Zealand tax resident during the previous 10 years also benefits from a temporary 4-year exemption on most foreign income, other than earnings from work (IRD). The first 90 days checklist helps you put banking, housing and insurance in order.

Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora funds public care for citizens, residents and holders of a work visa that allows them to stay 2 years or more; people who are not eligible pay all medical costs, and the government strongly recommends travel insurance with comprehensive health cover. ACC funds accidental injuries for everyone; illness is a matter for insurance. Immigration requires comprehensive medical insurance of Working Holiday holders and students.

In an emergency, the single number is 111, free even from a mobile phone with no credit. For what comes next, see the guide to the New Zealand healthcare system, the page on healthcare reimbursement or expat health insurance.

Schooling is compulsory from age 6 to 16 and most children start school at 5. The school year begins in January, with 4 terms, 2-week breaks between them and 6 weeks of summer holiday; for children aged 3 and 4, the first 20 weekly hours of childcare are funded by the state (Immigration New Zealand). The children of work visa holders attend state school free of charge, with possible extra costs and donations that schools may ask for.

On the French side, the embassy lists the École française internationale d’Auckland, opened in 2025, which teaches in French and English following the French and New Zealand curricula (from the last year of nursery school to the third year of primary school according to the embassy page, with an extension announced), and six FRENZ bilingual units in state schools in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch. French is the first foreign language taught in the New Zealand school system, with 47,000 pupils according to France Diplomatie. For families, the guide to children’s cover abroad details the health cover.