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Thread: Bank account

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Feb 2010
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    RO-->US ; US-->Auckland
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    Question Bank account

    Anybody opened a bank account in Auckland from US?
    I read some threads regarding bank choices, but I couldn't find anything on opening a b.a. before landing to NZ.
    Do you need an IRD to open a b.a.? If not, what kind of documentation is needed?

    Thanks a lot

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Oct 2009
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    Default

    I have not yet done so, but I think the term you want to use is "migrant banking"

    http://www.enz.org/forum/search.php?searchid=1339760

  3. #3
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    Stanley Bay, Auckland, NZ
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    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by vionz View Post
    Anybody opened a bank account in Auckland from US?
    I read some threads regarding bank choices, but I couldn't find anything on opening a b.a. before landing to NZ.
    Do you need an IRD to open a b.a.? If not, what kind of documentation is needed?

    Thanks a lot
    You don't need an IRD number to open an account - but not having one means that you'll pay interest on any money in it at the top rate of income tax (at the moment 38% but, from 1 October, 33%).

    You can open accounts from overseas - we opened ours through email and had access to online banking all set up from overseas. The account was, however, limited to only a small number of withdrawals until we turned up in person with ID in a branch (whereupon they gave us ATM cards and opened the account for us to use like normal).

    Most banks have a Migrant Banking section on their website which you can use to kick off the process. Have a look in the Money Matters section of this forum as there is a reasonable amount of detail and discussion in there!

  4. #4
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    This was no problem at all, we opened one online, without an IRD as we didn't have one. Our branch is based in Wellington but as we were spending a few nights on Waiheke on arriving we contacted the branch there and picked the card up when we arrived.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Oct 2005
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    Alaska > Greymouth
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    We set one up with Kiwibank prior to moving and have been extremely happy with their service. Here is the info:

    http://www.kiwibank.co.nz/personal-b.../moving-to-nz/

    When you set one up, you are not tied to a specific branch so you can walk in to any Kiwibank in the country and activate your account.

  6. #6
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    BNZ were superb for me, all very easy to set up from the UK.
    On arrival I went to the Queens Street Auckland branch and met with my personal account manager who handed over cards and processed things very quickly and efficiently.

  7. #7
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    May 2008
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    Wellington
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    Quote Originally Posted by Aquarian View Post
    BNZ were superb for me, all very easy to set up from the UK.
    On arrival I went to the Queens Street Auckland branch and met with my personal account manager who handed over cards and processed things very quickly and efficiently.

  8. #8
    Manks's Avatar
    Manks is offline Serial procrastinator and general busybody
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    Westpac were great for me. I dropped them an email and they gave me the link to apply online. They set up an appointment for when we arrived via email as well so we just had to turn up. I was badly organised on this bit and left it a bit late (like in the last week!) but the account was set up and waiting for us when we arrived and I could have even transferred some money into it. Westpac get the thumbs up from me.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Feb 2010
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    RO-->US ; US-->Auckland
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    Thanks so much.
    We are going to decide soon which one to pick

    51 more days to go
    Last edited by vionz; 2nd October 2010 at 02:16 PM.

  10. #10

    Default

    We set up an account with Wespac in Chch while we were still in the US. They were great.

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