[clairelouise]

I am bringing over NZ$10000 when I fly in November, which I know is an OK amount as far as declaring it at customs. However, family have given my daughter and me money as leaving prezzies and I was wondering if I am OK to double the limit if I include my DD? She is only 8 so obviously I would be using her in name only and hopefully not letting her carry wads of cash though customs!

I am not opening a bank account in NZ yet (OH is there and taking care of that side of things this week however cant get a joint account open til I get there too :() I just wanted to take the physical cash to last a while since my OH has to shoot back off to training college a day after we arrive.

Is it better and safer to just declare however much I have with me? I obviously dont want to get stopped if I dont have to!

Thanks guys,
Claire

[James 1077]

How come you can't open a joint account until you get here? We were able to open our Westpac account via email from the UK so that we could transfer the money. Alternatively you can open the account from the UK offices of the various NZ banks.

$10,000 is a lot of money to have sitting around in an overhead locker / under the seat in front of you for 24+ hours.

I don't think that your daughter can have her own allowance though - however it isn't a problem having to declare the money. They just want to know that you have a legitimate use for it and aren't laundering money in any way - moving to New Zealand permanently is a legitimate excuse.

[clairelouise]

I know we should've done the account from here but it just got put on the back burner for so long that it was too late, and now with one of us in one country and the other in another its just not possible. Probably my mistake since I am the one with all the lists!

[KerryS]

But your signature says you're not moving over until 6th November, which would give you time to open an account online and transfer the cash securely. If you're not able to do this, can you not leave it in an account in the UK and then transfer it over once you're in NZ and have set up an account?

There is no way I'd be wanting to travel with that amount of cash on a long journey.

[clairelouise]

No, I meant it was too late to open up the joint account.
The original plan was just to have the one account (joint one) in NZ, but it looks as though I will have to open an account here in my name only. Any recommendations?

[dharder]

No, I meant it was too late to open up the joint account.
The original plan was just to have the one account (joint one) in NZ, but it looks as though I will have to open an account here in my name only. Any recommendations?

Could you not just open your own and then make it a joint one as soon as you get here? My OH opened an account before I got here, and it took about 8 minutes to turn it into a joint one once I arrived.

Daniela

[clairelouise]

Thanks Daniela, if its that easy then it shouln't be a problem.
I'l have to open one here first by the look of it rather than joining on to OH's when I arrive. He's picking us up from the airport in Kaitaia on a Saturday afternoon, then has to be back in Wellington by Monday morning so he wont have time to come to the bank with me. His training finishes in mid December so it looks like we'l have to wait to merge the account till then.

[James 1077]

Remember that the banking system in New Zealand is far friendlier than the UK's - people will honestly go out of their way to help you out (including, in Westpac's case, opening up a little earlier on Sunday for my wife and I so that we could get cash out to pay the bond to the landlord at our 10am meeting!).

You may therefore find that you'll be able to convert to a joint account with your husband in the Wellington branch and you in Kaitaia.

Carrying $10k+ in cash on the aeroplane would be the last option that I choose - especially as the exchange rate to get the cash will be rubbish compared to transfering it with HiFX or similar!

[Tia Maria]

There are several banks that are OK, we used this one:

www.asb.co.nz/Personal/Banking_with_ASB/Moving_to_New_Zealand/

Have to say I agree with all the others and wouldn't bring all that dosh on the plane, I'd have to sleep with one eye open!

Cheers

Tia

[M-Squared]

We carried *cough* more than we were supposed to *cough*. Far more. :exit

Then we bought cars and stuff while our house sale money got transferred over. Doesn't mean I felt good about it. Still, hubby had some in his side trouser pockets (the type on workman's trousers, down by the knees, button-up) and I had a bum-bag so theft wasn't an issue for us.

Can you not set up a transfer through HiFX?...

[clairelouise]

Yes it looks as though I will have to. I will still carry some cash through though. I imagine that the last thing I want to to after such a long journey is to have to pop to the bank straight away to officially set up the account or withdraw some money, so I'l carry enough to see me and DD through till the jet lag has dissipated some!

[Spudgun]

Another option worth considering is opening an account with Nationwide BS in the UK. They have zero fee's for withdrawing cash in NZ and the rate is very good.

Only downside is being limited to taking out $500 per day.

[JandL]

I thought 10k was just the limit before you had to declare it, you can still bring it in, but have to tell them where you got it (ie bank statement/conversion bill).

Where would you be able to change 10k of notes anyway at a decent rate, the professional converters seem to all give much better rates that I have seen.