While the rule change falls short of a full digital nomad visa, it’s now easier to work while visiting New Zealand. Working from home has become quite the privilege in the post-pandemic era. While some companies are rolling back work-from-home rules, others have enshrined them in their culture, actively encouraging workers to stay home and avoid the commute.
While most of us might be confined to the dining table or bedroom desk on work-from-home days, there’s now another option. How about working from home in New Zealand for a proposal? government is relaxing the rules around visas to allow those on tourist visits to continue their work while visiting the country. Under the new rules, which came in on Monday 27 January, tourists will be allowed to work remotely for a foreign employer under the country’s new ‘digital nomad’ initiative.
“The change is part of the Government’s plan to unlock potential by shifting the country onto a faster growth track,” growth minister Nicola Willis says. “Making the country more attractive to ‘digital nomads’ – people who work remotely while travelling – will boost New Zealand’s attractiveness as a destination.” The government hopes that, by making it easier for people to work from the country, visitors will be encouraged to stay longer, meaning they’ll spend more and boost the economy in the process.
New Zealand’s economy has been struggling in recent years, falling into a technical recession in the third quar.