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You'll probably arrive at one of three airports — Auckland, Wellington, or Christchurch. You may have arranged for a staff member of your education provider to meet you at the airport and take you to your accommodation.
If not, you can ask for help at an I-SITE Visitors Centre at the main airports. General information on how to get from the airport to where you're staying is below.
Auckland
Auckland is New Zealand's largest city. Many international students arrive here.
If you're flying to another city a free bus goes every five minutes (available 6:00am -10:30pm) between the international and domestic terminals. Or you can walk – follow the blue painted line on the pavement that shows the way between the two terminals.
To get into the city go by:
· Taxi: this costs about NZ$45-$60 and takes 30 or 40 minutes.
· Shuttle bus/ Mini-van: this costs about NZ$18-$25 and takes about 40 minutes.
· Public transport (bus): this costs about NZ$13 and takes about 60 minutes.
In times of heavy traffic (between 7 – 10am and 5 – 7pm on weekdays) the trip from the airport to the city can take longer than the times indicated above.
Wellington
Wellington is the capital city of New Zealand.
To get into the city go by:
· Taxi: this costs about NZ$25 and takes about 20 minutes.
· Shuttle bus/ Mini-van: this costs about NZ$8 and takes about 30 minutes.
· Public transport (bus): this costs about NZ$4.50 and takes about 45 minutes.
Christchurch
Christchurch is the largest and busiest city in the South Island.
To get into the city go by:
· Taxi: this costs about NZ$25 and takes about 20 minutes.
· Shuttle bus/ Mini-van: this costs about NZ$12 and takes about 40 minutes.
· Public transport (bus): this costs about NZ$2.70 and takes about 35 minutes.
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Airport Clearance
On arrival in New Zealand everyone goes through Customs, Immigration and Agriculture clearance. Clearance procedures protect New Zealand by restricting what crosses our borders. This includes unwanted goods, pests and diseases. Don't agree to take another person's belongings through Airport Clearance, they may have packed illegal goods. You should take only your own belongings through Airport Clearance.
Declarations
Before you arrive in New Zealand, you will receive a New Zealand Passenger Arrival Card. You must tick "Yes" in the Customs section of your arrival card if you are bringing any of the following into New Zealand:
· goods that may be prohibited or restricted, such as weapons, objectionable (indecent) articles, wildlife products, or illicit drugs
· goods in excess of the NZ$700 allowance and the tobacco and alcoholic beverages allowance
· goods for commercial, business, or trade purposes
· goods carried on behalf of another person
· NZ$10,000 or more, or the equivalent in foreign currency.
Please have any purchase receipts available
You don't have to declare your clothing or footwear (unless they have soil or seeds on them), jewellery, or toiletries. These are regarded as personal effects if they are intended solely for your own use.
The term 'personal effects' covers new or used articles which travellers may reasonably require for their personal use during a journey, or which returning New Zealand residents have acquired in the course of an overseas trip. Commercial quantities of individual items of apparel (including footwear) are not covered by this allowance.
Failure to declare something is an offence, and could result in you being issued with an instant fine or in prosecution. Ignorance of the law is not a defence, and every person who arrives in New Zealand and has completed the New Zealand Passenger Arrival Card is deemed to have read and understood New Zealand's border requirements. Translations of the New Zealand Passenger Arrival Card in simplified and traditional Chinese are available on arrival in New Zealand or can be accessed through the Customs website.
If you are carrying prescription medicines or controlled drugs you should:
· have a prescription from your physician advising that the medicine is being used under a doctor's direction
· carry the drugs in their original containers
· have sufficient quantity not exceeding three months supply for prescription medicines or one month supply for controlled drugs.
Red/Green Ways Out
After you collect your bags and have shown your passport and had it stamped, either:
· walk through the "Nothing to Declare Way Out" (green exit) if you have not declared any Customs or agricultural goods on your Arrival Card, or
· go to the "Goods to Declare Way Out" (red exit) if you have declared any Customs or agricultural goods on your Arrival Card, or you are unsure which exit to use.
Bag Search
Your bags may be searched by:
· Customs officers
· Agriculture/Quarantine officers.
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Convert your mobile phone for use in New Zealand
Call or Email home to say that you have arrived safely
Complete your enrolment process and update your information
Open your bank account
Buy a good quality Auckland map
Attend NZIoS International Student Orientation
Familiarize yourself with the layout of the campus
If your feel Culture shock, please talk to a counselor at NZIoS
