Moving to New Zealand from North Korea
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from North Korea to New Zealand — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from North Korea to New Zealand, and you’d need to navigate life in English, Māori and New Zealand Sign Language. You’ll also switch from driving on the right to the left.
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Key Indicator Comparison
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from North Korea to New Zealand.
How's the healthcare?
affects wait times and access to care
WHO index from 0–100 measuring essential service access
share of adults with obesity
per 100,000 people — a proxy for mental health support
North Korea generally does better on health & wellbeing, though New Zealand leads in health coverage index.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
North Korea generally does better on environment, though New Zealand leads in air pollution deaths.
Will I have good infrastructure?
higher means greater strain on freshwater supply
annual consumption — reflects grid capacity
New Zealand performs significantly better than North Korea across all infrastructure metrics.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
North Korea generally does better on employment & economy, though New Zealand leads in gdp per capita.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better
New Zealand performs significantly better than North Korea across all family life metrics.
Data: The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | P'yongyang | Wellington |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 38°/20°F (4°/-7°C) | 69°/58°F (21°/14°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 72°/52°F (22°/11°C) | 59°/49°F (15°/10°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 81°/65°F (27°/18°C) | 56°/46°F (13°/8°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 50°/31°F (10°/0°C) | 64°/53°F (18°/12°C) |
View all months
| Month | P'yongyang | Wellington |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 31°/13°F (-0.8°/-10.7°C) | 70°/58°F (21.2°/14.7°C) |
| Feb | 36°/18°F (2.4°/-7.8°C) | 70°/59°F (21.3°/14.8°C) |
| Mar | 48°/29°F (8.9°/-1.8°C) | 68°/56°F (19.8°/13.5°C) |
| Apr | 63°/41°F (17.1°/4.9°C) | 63°/53°F (17.4°/11.5°C) |
| May | 73°/52°F (22.6°/10.9°C) | 59°/49°F (15.2°/9.7°C) |
| Jun | 80°/62°F (26.7°/16.5°C) | 56°/46°F (13.1°/7.9°C) |
| Jul | 83°/69°F (28.6°/20.7°C) | 54°/44°F (12.3°/6.9°C) |
| Aug | 84°/69°F (28.9°/20.5°C) | 55°/45°F (12.9°/7.4°C) |
| Sep | 76°/58°F (24.7°/14.3°C) | 58°/48°F (14.5°/8.8°C) |
| Oct | 65°/44°F (18.2°/6.7°C) | 60°/50°F (15.8°/10.0°C) |
| Nov | 49°/31°F (9.4°/-0.3°C) | 64°/53°F (17.5°/11.4°C) |
| Dec | 35°/19°F (1.7°/-7.2°C) | 67°/56°F (19.6°/13.5°C) |
New Zealand National Meteorological ServiceVisitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between North Korea and New Zealand. To live, work, or study long-term in New Zealand, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check New Zealand's immigration authority.
North Korea passport holder visiting New Zealand
Visa Required
New Zealand passport holder visiting North Korea
Visa RequiredData: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I work remotely from New Zealand?
Usually fine from major cities in New Zealand. The harder questions are legal — digital nomad visa eligibility, your employer's overseas-work policy, and tax residency in both countries.
How is healthcare in New Zealand compared to North Korea?
North Korea generally does better on health & wellbeing, though New Zealand leads in health coverage index. There are 35.7 doctors per 10,000 people in New Zealand, compared to 36.7 in North Korea. New Zealand scores 85 on the WHO universal health coverage index (North Korea: 68).
What's the weather like in New Zealand compared to North Korea?
The average high temperature in Wellington is 62°F, compared to 60°F in P'yongyang. Wellington receives around 37.7 in of rainfall per year, while P'yongyang gets 37.0 in.
What language do they speak in New Zealand?
The official languages in New Zealand are English, Māori and New Zealand Sign Language. In North Korea, the official language is Korean.
