This Guide aims to help better prepare you for life and study in New Zealand.  It should help answer any questions you may have before you leave, when you arrive or after you have been in New Zealand a while. 

Each year many students come to study and live in New Zealand.  Living and studying in a new country away from friends and family can be exciting and scary at the same time.  There will be lots for you to learn!

This Guide contains lots of useful and practical information for day to day living in New Zealand. It also contains information that you may find helpful if you encounter a problem or difficulty. When reading through this Guide, you could be forgiven for thinking international student life in New Zealand is fraught with problems and difficulties!  Please remember that most students enjoy their stay in New Zealand and encounter few problems, and go home with memories they will cherish for a lifetime.  However, if you do come across any difficulties it is not always easy to know how to deal with them or what support is available, and that is where this Guide aims to help.  We have focussed on problems or difficulties, and you may never experience these, but in case you do, it is good to know help is available. 

The Ministry of Education would like to know what you think about this Guide.  If you have any comments on the information provided, or have ideas for other useful information to include in future editions, please let us know.  You can send us your comments by emailing international.unit@minedu.govt.nz.

While we have tried to make sure that the information included in this Guide is accurate and up-to-date, you will appreciate that details about websites, contact details and prices etc., change over time.  If you find any information in this Guide that is incorrect, please let us know by sending an email to the address above.

We hope you have a fantastic time living and studying in New Zealand.