Moving to New Zealand from Zimbabwe

moving to

What to Expect

A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Zimbabwe to New Zealand — from daily expenses to quality of life.

If you moved from Zimbabwe to New Zealand. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Wellington averages 62°F vs 78°F in Harare, making it significantly cooler.

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Who Else Is Making This Move?

Real numbers on people moving from Zimbabwe to New Zealand, and how the trend has changed.

Moved in 2023
1,200 ↑ 304% vs 2022

people moved from Zimbabwe to New Zealand · OECD (latest data available)

Who's moving to New Zealand?

Top countries of origin for New Zealand's foreign-born residents.

Foreign-born population · UN DESA (2020)

Key Indicator Comparison

How Zimbabwe and New Zealand stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.

Is it safe?

Homicide rate United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

per 100,000 people per year

ZW
6.7
NZ
1.1
Road traffic deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

per 100,000 people per year

ZW
29.9
NZ
6.6

New Zealand performs significantly better than Zimbabwe across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per person World Bank, 2024

annual government + private spending per person

ZW
$63
NZ
$5,576
Doctors per 10,000 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

affects wait times and access to care

ZW
1.7
NZ
35.7

New Zealand generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Zimbabwe leads in healthcare spending per person.

What about the environment?

Air pollution deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2019

deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people

ZW
56.0
NZ
12.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

ZW
0.8t
NZ
6.0t

Zimbabwe generally does better on environment, though New Zealand leads in air pollution deaths.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Broadband per 100 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work

ZW
1.3
NZ
35.9
Water stress level United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

ZW
46.1%
NZ
8.1%

New Zealand performs significantly better than Zimbabwe across all infrastructure metrics.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate The World Factbook, 2023

percentage of the labour force without work

ZW
8.8%
NZ
3.7%
GDP per capita The World Factbook, 2023

a broad measure of economic output per person

ZW
$3,500
NZ
$48,800

New Zealand performs significantly better than Zimbabwe across all employment & economy metrics.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy The World Factbook, 2022

average years of life at birth

ZW
63.3 yrs
NZ
82.5 yrs
Infant mortality The World Factbook, 2022

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

ZW
28.5
NZ
3.4

New Zealand performs significantly better than Zimbabwe across all family life metrics.

Data: The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank, Zimbabwe Revenue Authority

What's the Climate Like?

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Harare Rain: 33.1 in/yr (841 mm)
78° / 54°F

Avg. annual high / low

Wellington Rain: 37.7 in/yr (957 mm)
62° / 51°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Harare Wellington
Jan–Mar 79°/59°F (26°/15°C) 69°/58°F (21°/14°C)
Apr–Jun 75°/49°F (24°/10°C) 59°/49°F (15°/10°C)
Jul–Sep 76°/48°F (25°/9°C) 56°/46°F (13°/8°C)
Oct–Dec 82°/59°F (28°/15°C) 64°/53°F (18°/12°C)
View all months
Month Harare Wellington
Jan 79°/60°F (26.2°/15.8°C) 70°/58°F (21.2°/14.7°C)
Feb 79°/60°F (26.0°/15.7°C) 70°/59°F (21.3°/14.8°C)
Mar 79°/58°F (26.2°/14.5°C) 68°/56°F (19.8°/13.5°C)
Apr 78°/54°F (25.6°/12.5°C) 63°/53°F (17.4°/11.5°C)
May 75°/49°F (23.8°/9.3°C) 59°/49°F (15.2°/9.7°C)
Jun 71°/44°F (21.8°/6.8°C) 56°/46°F (13.1°/7.9°C)
Jul 71°/44°F (21.6°/6.5°C) 54°/44°F (12.3°/6.9°C)
Aug 75°/47°F (24.1°/8.5°C) 55°/45°F (12.9°/7.4°C)
Sep 83°/53°F (28.4°/11.7°C) 58°/48°F (14.5°/8.8°C)
Oct 84°/58°F (28.8°/14.5°C) 60°/50°F (15.8°/10.0°C)
Nov 82°/60°F (27.6°/15.5°C) 64°/53°F (17.5°/11.4°C)
Dec 79°/60°F (26.3°/15.8°C) 67°/56°F (19.6°/13.5°C)

Data: Meteorological Services Department Meteorological Services Department, New Zealand National Meteorological Service New Zealand National Meteorological Service

Visitor Visa Requirements

Short-stay tourist visa rules between Zimbabwe 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.

Zimbabwe passport

Zimbabwe passport holder visiting New Zealand

Visa Required
Zimbabwe passport holders need a visa to enter New Zealand.
New Zealand passport

New Zealand passport holder visiting Zimbabwe

Visa on Arrival
New Zealand passport holders can obtain a visa on arrival in Zimbabwe.

Data: 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?

With 35.9 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, New Zealand can support video calls in major cities. The hard part is paperwork — visa category, employer policy on overseas staff, and tax residency in Zimbabwe and New Zealand.

Is New Zealand safe for expats?

New Zealand performs significantly better than Zimbabwe across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in New Zealand is 1.1 per 100,000 people, compared to 6.7 in Zimbabwe.

How is healthcare in New Zealand compared to Zimbabwe?

New Zealand generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Zimbabwe leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 35.7 doctors per 10,000 people in New Zealand, compared to 1.7 in Zimbabwe. New Zealand scores 85 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Zimbabwe: 55).

What's the weather like in New Zealand compared to Zimbabwe?

The average high temperature in Wellington is 62°F, compared to 78°F in Harare. Wellington receives around 37.7 in of rainfall per year, while Harare gets 33.1 in.

What language do they speak in New Zealand?

The official languages in New Zealand are English, Māori and New Zealand Sign Language. In Zimbabwe, the official languages are Chewa, Chibarwe, English, Kalanga, Khoisan, Ndau, Northern Ndebele, Shona, Sotho, Tonga, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa and Zimbabwean Sign Language.

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At a Glance

ZW NZ
Population 15,121,004 5,053,004
Currency Zimbabwean Dollar (ZWL) New Zealand Dollar (NZ$)
Languages Chewa, Chibarwe, English, Kalanga, Khoisan, Ndau, Northern Ndebele, Shona, Sotho, Tonga, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa, Zimbabwean Sign Language English, Māori, New Zealand Sign Language
Driving side Left Left
Calling code +263 +64
Time zones 1 5
Emergency number 999 111