Open your Kiwibank account before you arrive

If you're planning to move to New Zealand in the near future, you can open a Kiwibank account before you leave your home country.

Once your account's opened, you can transfer money into it before you get to New Zealand. And once you arrive, you'll be able to activate your account by visiting your local Kiwibank.

To open your account you'll need to do the following:

  1. Choose which personal and/or business account(s) and services you'd like.
  2. Make sure you've read our Terms and Conditions and Disclosure Statement. Read the Investment Statement for Term Deposits if you want to open a term deposit.
  3. To open a transaction account, complete our Migrant Banking forms (PDF 105KB) and for a Term Deposit, also complete the Term deposit application (PDF 70KB).
  4. Provide a copy of your passport and a recent utility bill (e.g. phone, electricity) or bank statement (less than 3 months old).
  5. Post these documents to us at:

    Kiwibank Migrant Banking
    Private Bag 39888
    Wellington 5045
    New Zealand

Next steps

Once we've processed your application, we'll send you a confirmation letter with your new account number.

If you indicated on your application that you'd like to make a deposit into your account before arriving in New Zealand, we'll also send details on how to do this by international money transfer.

When you arrive in New Zealand, you'll need to take the confirmation letter and your passport into your local Kiwibank to activate your account. Then you'll be ready to go.

Conditions

Download Kiwibank's Investment Statement for Term Deposits and Disclosure Statement or pick up a copies from your local Kiwibank. Kiwibank's terms and conditions and lending criteria apply.