Opening a bank account
You’ll need an ID (passport) and a proof of address. This can also be a hotel or youth hostel receipt (even if you just stay there for a night! doesn’t make sense, I know…) – or a letter from your landlord, stating that you live at his/her place.
Applying for a tax number
To apply for an IRD (tax-) number, you need your passport and a driver licence (and official translation, if your licence is not in english).
Getting a driver licence
I decided to also get an NZ drivers licence, since I don’t need to take any tests and it will be accepted as a proof of ID everywhere in NZ.
The downside of that is, that as a German (and ONLY as a German!) you have to hand over your current licence to the authorities, which will send it back to Germany. It’s a ‘german only’-thing. Who knows what the German government thought when they passed that law. Probably nothing – as usual….. They just have to be special – and especially difficult – in ANY way… stupid Germans! I am just curious how I will get it back – it doesn’t have an expiry date, remember? And if I have to pay for another card or not. My guess is: “yes, of course we will charge you again! We took it from you by law, so now you have to pay to get it back…” Well, I’ll then drive with my NZ licence for the next 10 years. I don’t care… :)
I might have been avoiding it by having an international licence and just hand that in. Don’t know if that had helped or not.
Good morning guy at the arse of the world,
well Germany is special and bureaucratic. That’s what they tried in Atlanta 1998 with me too. Just claimed not owning a german licence, because I bet my ass that with all that administration involved that card will vanish somewhere between a german aiport and the authorities. At the end you ll need to pay for a brand new one. Put aside 100 €, sorry dude.
Oh and btw, I woulnd’t drive with the Kiwi licence too long. It’s a criminal act.
Well, the authorities are not required to keep the licence anyway…. So if it gets lost – what difference does it make? :)
Driving with a Kiwi licence: I can up to one year. After I leave the country, the time starts again, so just need to go to Holland once a year ;-)
I think you have a while to figure it out before you go home. What if you stop in US on way back can you drive?
Yes I can. I have a valid (New Zealand) drivers licence.
Perhaps, you have to hand out your german licence because they want to avoid that you have something like a reserve license…
Enjoy your warm place it has been -8 here during the night with wind chills to -20. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!!