New Zealand – General info

New Zealand – General information

New Zealand is part of the British Commonwealth and is located about 2,000 km east of Australia between the 165th and 180th degrees east longitude and the 34th and 47th degrees south latitude. The country consists of a north and a south island as well as numerous smaller islands.

Area: 268,021 km² (land and water area together approx. 270,000 km²).

Administrative structure: 16 regions (Auckland, Bay of Plenty, Canterbury, Gisborne, Hawke’s Bay, Manawatū-Whanganui, Marlborough, Nelson, Northland, Otago, Southland, Taranaki, Tasman, Waikato, Wellington, West Coast) and 3 associated territories in the Pacific (Cook Islands, Niue, Tokelau).

Population: Population: around 5.3 million (as of 2026).

Cities (conurbation/agglomeration values, rounded):

• Wellington (capital): approx. 420,000
• Auckland: approx. 1.73 million (largest city and economic center of the country)
• Christchurch: approx. 400,000
• Hamilton: approx. 115,000
• Dunedin: approx. 120,000 (of which around 25,000 are students)
• Napier: approx. 57,000
• Gisborne: approx. 35,000

Language: In New Zealand, English, Māori and New Zealand Sign Language are official languages. Everyday language is predominantly English; Māori terms and bilingual signage (especially place names, authorities) are increasingly present.

Time difference: New Zealand is in the NZST time zone (UTC+12), during New Zealand summer time (NZDT, late September to early April) UTC+13. Compared to Central Europe (CET/CEST), there is a time difference of about +10 to +13 hours, depending on the time of year – it is worth checking the exact difference before you travel using an up-to-date time zone calculator, as the daylight saving time regulations in Europe and New Zealand do not overlap exactly.

Voltage: 230 volts alternating current, 50 hertz. 3-pin, flat plug types (type I) are used. A travel adapter is required.

Internet: Country code “.nz”. Wi-Fi is now available in most hotels, cafés and public facilities in the cities, often free of charge. In remote regions (Figfjord country, parts of the Southern Alps) network coverage may be limited.

Phone: The country code from Germany to New Zealand is 0064, from New Zealand to Germany you dial 0049. Prepaid SIM cards from New Zealand providers (e.g. Spark, One NZ, 2degrees) are available at airports and cities at low prices and are recommended for travellers.

Holidays: 1 and 2 January (New Year’s holidays), 6 February (Waitangi Day), Good Friday, Easter Monday, 25 April (Anzac Day), 2nd Monday in June (Matariki – Māori New Year, a public holiday since 2022), first Monday in June (King’s Birthday), last Monday in October (Labour Day), 25 and 26 December (Christmas). In addition, each province has its own Provincial Anniversary Day.

Opening hours: Banks : Mon–Fri approx. 9 a.m. to 4.30 p.m. Shops: Mon–Fri approx. 9 a.m. to 5.30 p.m., Sat 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the city centres, in suburbs often until 6 p.m. On Sundays, many shops in city centres are open; large supermarkets usually open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., “dairies” (small neighbourhood shops) often until late in the evening or around the clock.

Currency: New Zealand Dollar (NZ$/NZD), 1 NZ Dollar = 100 Cents.

Approximate exchange rate (fluctuates daily, non-binding): 1 euro ≈ NZ$1.95–1.98 US$1 ≈ NZ$1.70

Card payment (Visa, Mastercard, EFTPOS) is widely used in New Zealand and is accepted almost everywhere, even for small amounts – cash is increasingly less needed, but should still be carried in small quantities for rural areas and small providers.

New Zealand – Entry and Visa

German, Austrian and Swiss nationals do not need a classic visa for tourist stays of up to 3 months (for UK nationals up to 6 months), but they must apply for a New Zealand Electronic Travel Authority (NZeTA) online before entering the country. The NZeTA is not a stand-alone residence permit, but an electronic entry permit that is linked to the passport and is usually processed within a few minutes to 72 hours. It is valid for two years and entitles you to multiple entries, provided that the conditions of stay are met in each case. The application should be made exclusively via the official website (immigration.govt.nz) or the official app; the fee is around NZ$17–23, depending on the channel.

In addition to the NZeTA, the New Zealand authorities levy an International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy (IVL), a type of tourism and conservation levy that is paid online along with the NZeTA.

Important: All information on entry requirements can change at short notice. Before each trip, travelers should check the current requirements directly via the official portal of Immigration New Zealand.

New Zealand Economy

Agriculture – especially the export of wool, meat and dairy products – formed the basis of New Zealand’s modern economy and is still of central importance today, supplemented by wine, fruit and vegetable cultivation. The kiwifruit continues to be one of the country’s best-known export goods. In recent decades, the economy has become increasingly diversified: in addition to the processing of agricultural products, the paper and wood industry, the production of chemical products, mechanical engineering and a growing technology and creative industries (including the film and software industries around Wellington and Auckland) play an important role. Tourism continues to be one of the country’s most important economic sectors and foreign exchange earners.

New Zealand – Religion

New Zealand is religiously diverse and increasingly secular. Christianity remains the largest religious community (including Anglicans, Catholics, Presbyterians, Methodists, and the Māori-influenced churches of Rātana and Ringatū), but the proportion of non-denominational people has risen noticeably in recent years and now accounts for a significant proportion of the population. Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism and Islam form growing minorities, not least due to immigration from Asia and the Pacific region.

New Zealand – Climate

The seasons in New Zealand are opposite to the European ones: summer lasts from December to February, autumn from March to May, winter from June to August and spring from September to November.

New Zealand is mostly in the temperate zone, but the weather is much more changeable than in Central Europe. The North Island, which is closer to the equator, is warmer and subtropical in the north, cooler in the south; the South Island, which is located further south, is colder overall and its climate is more Central European, but with slightly higher average temperatures. Precipitation is largely evenly distributed over the year.

Temperatures: In the high altitudes, temperatures drop much more at night than at sea level – when visiting the Southern Alps, you should expect values below 10 °C even in summer. Thanks to the balancing effect of the surrounding water masses, the temperature differences between the North and South Islands are smaller than the distance of around 1,500 km would suggest (exception: the more continental Central Otago with greater temperature fluctuations). The highest annual average of 13–14 °C is reached in the north of the North Island; towards the south, the values drop to around 9–10 °C. Summer daily highs of over 22 °C are common in the North Island as well as in the north and east of the South Island, temperatures below 0 °C are rather rare even in the New Zealand winter (June–August) outside the Southern Alps, Central Otago and the central volcanic area of the North Island.

Best time to travel: Thanks to the mild climate, any season is suitable for a stay in New Zealand. The main tourist season is in the summer months of December to February; during this time, accommodation should be booked well in advance from your home country, as many New Zealanders also go on holiday during this time.

Sunshine duration: Despite comparatively high rainfall, New Zealand offers more hours of sunshine in large parts of the country than Central Europe (around 1,600 hours/year). The average annual sunshine duration varies between about 2,500 hours in the north of the South Island and around 1,500 hours in the Southern Alps and Fiordland. For the coastal areas of the North Island, 2,000–2,200 hours of sunshine per year are common.

New Zealand – Fauna

About 80–100 million years ago, New Zealand drifted from the supercontinent Gondwana to the South Pacific. Since then, a unique flora and fauna has emerged with numerous endemic bird species as well as direct descendants of prehistoric wildlife such as the Tuatara. New Zealand is considered one of the last refuges for species that are extinct elsewhere.

Before humans settled in New Zealand, the country was covered extensively with lush, native bushland, which allowed for exceptional bird diversity. Since many birds did not have natural land predators, wings became obsolete for them in the course of evolution – giving rise to flightless species such as the kakapo, the kiwi, the takahē and the now extinct moa, once the largest bird in the world.

With the arrival of Māori and Europeans, rats, weasels and other introduced predators entered the country, which, together with the loss of habitat, led to the extinction of several bird species (including moa and huia). Other species such as kakapo and takahē are now considered critically endangered; extensive conservation programmes (including on predator-free islands) contribute to their protection.

Kiwi: The national symbol of New Zealand is a flightless, nocturnal bird with nostrils at the tip of its long beak. It is considered endangered, difficult to observe in the wild and can be territorial and defensive despite its cute appearance.

Moa: The moa was the only completely wingless bird ever; the giant moa reached a height of up to 3 meters, making it the largest known bird on earth. It was probably extinct by hunting around 400–600 years ago.

Other birds: Other native species include the intelligent mountain parrot Kea, the flightless Weka, the Takahē with its striking indigo-coloured plumage, the vocally strong Tui and the nocturnal Ruru (Morepork Owl).

Tuatara: The Tuatara is a living relic from the time of the dinosaurs – the last remaining reptile of its own order (Rhynchocephalia), whose remaining representatives became extinct around 65 million years ago. It can live for over 100 years and today lives only on protected islands, such as in the area of the Marlborough Sounds.

Whales and dolphins: New Zealand has a rich and diverse marine life; whale watching and swimming with dolphins are among the popular activities. The small Hector’s dolphin is found exclusively in New Zealand waters worldwide and is one of the most endangered dolphin species of all.

New Zealand – Flora

New Zealand was once part of the primordial continent Gondwana, which also included today’s continents of Australia, Antarctica, South America, Africa and India. The origin of many native plant species of New Zealand can be traced back to this landmass.

Around 80 million years ago, New Zealand lost its land connection to the rest of the world. The arrival of the Māori brought some new crops (including taro) and the first mammal, the kiore (Polynesian rat), into the country, which had a noticeable influence on the native flora and fauna. The European settlers who arrived from the 18th century onwards also brought a large number of foreign plant and animal species with them, which means that large parts of New Zealand today bear a certain resemblance to European landscapes. In total, several hundred introduced plant species have established themselves in the country, while several hundred more are endemic.

The original vegetation consisted mainly of evergreen, hardy plants. On the North Island, temperate rainforests with mosses, ferns, tree ferns and lichens can be found in many places; in the highlands, Monterey pines were planted over large areas to combat soil erosion.

New Zealand History

Around 1250–1300 AD (recent archaeological and genetic research dates the settlement much later than previously assumed), the Māori, a people from Eastern Polynesia, reached the islands of New Zealand and gave the country the name Aotearoa.

In 1642, the Dutch navigator Abel Tasman was the first European to reach the west coast of the South Island; the islands were later named “Nieuw Zeeland” after the Dutch province of Zeeland.

In 1769, the British navigator James Cook explored the coasts of both islands in detail. At that time, it is estimated that over 100,000 Māori lived in the country.

From 1839/40 onwards, the systematic immigration of European settlers began. The Treaty of Waitangi (1840) between the British Crown and numerous Māori tribal leaders (iwi) laid the foundation for the British administration of the country – the treaty is still considered the founding document of New Zealand and is the subject of ongoing legal and political reappraisal (including via the Waitangi Tribunal).

In 1841, New Zealand became a British crown colony with Auckland as its first capital (from 1865 onwards, Wellington took over this function). Land conflicts between British settlers and Māori led to the New Zealand Wars (1845–1872).

In 1852, New Zealand received its own constitution, and in 1893 it was the first self-governing country in the world to grant women the right to vote.

New Zealand fought on the British side in the First and Second World Wars and joined the ANZUS defence pact with Australia and the USA in 1951 (security cooperation with the USA was significantly restricted in the 1980s as a result of New Zealand’s anti-nuclear weapons policy). From the 1970s onwards, the country increasingly separated economically and politically from Great Britain and oriented itself more towards the Pacific region and Australia. In recent decades, the political and social reappraisal of relations between Māori and Pākehā (New Zealanders of European descent) has also intensified, including through treaty settlements under the Treaty of Waitangi.

New Zealand – Food & Drink

Picnics and barbecues are an integral part of the lifestyle for New Zealanders (“Kiwis”). At the same time, a diverse upscale gastronomic scene has developed since the 1990s, strongly influenced by European and Asian influences – there is something for practically every taste. The price level in restaurants is now often above the German average.

The once strict alcohol laws have been relaxed over the years; in the cities, many pubs and cafés are open until after midnight. Alcohol is available in supermarkets and specialised “liquor stores”. New Zealand has earned an excellent international reputation as a beer and especially as a wine country – Sauvignon Blanc from Marlborough as well as Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Gewürztraminer from various regions are among the best-known and multi-award-winning wines.

Most restaurants have their own alcohol license (“licensed”); some are still run as “BYO” (“Bring Your Own”), where guests are allowed to bring their own wine (sometimes for a small corkage fee).

Culinary highlights include the excellent New Zealand lamb, farmed game and first-class seafood: snapper, orange roughy and trout are among the well-known types of fish, as well as various types of mussels (pāua, pipi, scallops) and the prized bluff oysters from the Foveaux Strait. A special delicacy is whitebait, a tiny type of fish that migrates upstream in spring and is served freshly prepared. A dessert classic is pavlova, a sweet meringue pastry with cream and fruit, the invention of which has been amicable between New Zealand and Australia for decades.

New Zealand – Accommodation

In addition to hotels, motels and inns, there is also the option of staying in traditional Māori accommodation (marae) – usually as part of organised cultural experiences.

In rural regions, overnight stays tend to be cheaper than in the big cities. Motels with private cooking facilities make up a significant part of the accommodation offer and are particularly popular with self-drivers. In the tourist high season (December to February and around Easter), early booking is strongly recommended, as capacities are limited, especially in popular regions (Queenstown, Fiordland, Abel Tasman).

Farmstays: Numerous farms host guests and often offer additional activities such as fishing, horseback riding or skiing in winter; prices usually include breakfast and dinner.

Backpackers: Backpacker hostels are spread throughout the country and are part of New Zealand’s fixed tourist infrastructure, especially along the classic round trip routes.

Camping: Numerous campsites of different price and equipment classes are available, from simple DOC (Department of Conservation) campsites in national parks to comfortable holiday parks with washing and cooking facilities. Between December and Easter, it is advisable to book in advance. Wild camping outside designated sites is restricted or prohibited by law in large parts of New Zealand – the respective local regulations should be checked before travelling, especially if travelling by motorhome.

Note: All information on population figures, exchange rates, entry requirements and opening hours is subject to change and has been researched to the best of our knowledge as of August 2026. For binding and up-to-date information – especially on visa/NZeTA and exchange rates – it is advisable to take a look at the official portals immigration.govt.nz and an up-to-date currency converter before travelling.