How do you hire a New Zealand employee in 2026?
Only a brand-new hire can be put on a 90 days trial in New Zealand. If the person has worked for you before, that option is gone, and a dismissal during any other probation still has to be fair. Check the history before you write the offer.
· New Zealand guide
Illustration · Auckland, New Zealand
The New Zealand hire process has five steps. Written employment agreement, work-visa check, signed agreement before day one, KiwiSaver and IRD setup, first payday.
Every employee must get a written employment agreement, and it has to be signed before work starts. A 90 days trial can only be used for someone who has never worked for you before. New Zealand sets no minimum notice period in law, so the notice rule lives in the agreement you write.
KiwiSaver is the workplace savings setup. The minimum employer contribution rises to 3.5% from 1 April 2026. New employees gain 4 weeks of paid annual holidays after 12 months and 10 days paid sick leave after 6 months.
What does the end-to-end New Zealand hire process look like?
Five steps take you from accepted offer to first payslip. Written agreement, work-visa check, signed agreement before day one, KiwiSaver and IRD setup, first payday.
The work-visa check for migrants must be done before the start date. New Zealand citizens and residents can start sooner.
| Step | What happens | Owner | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Written employment agreement | Draft the individual employment agreement with role, pay, hours, leave, and any trial-period term for first-time hires | Client / Teamed drafts | Same day after verbal accept |
| 2. Work-visa check | Confirm New Zealand citizenship or residence, or verify a valid work visa for migrants, before the start date | Teamed | Before the employee starts |
| 3. Sign the agreement | Both parties sign the written agreement, with time given to seek advice on it, before work begins | Teamed (legal employer) | Before day one |
| 4. KiwiSaver and IRD setup | Enrol the employee for KiwiSaver, collect the IRD number and tax code, set up PAYE and bank details | Teamed | Days 1 to 7 |
| 5. First payday | First payslip issued on the agreed pay cycle; PAYE, KiwiSaver, and any student loan deductions filed to Inland Revenue | Teamed | First pay run |
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Draft the offer letter
Send a written offer the same day as verbal acceptance. Include role, pay at or above the NZ$ 23.50/hour adult minimum, start date, hours, and whether a 90 days trial applies for a first-time hire.
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Complete the work-visa check
Confirm citizenship or residence by collecting passport or residence evidence, or verify a valid work visa for migrants before the employee starts. Keep copies of all documents on file.
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Sign the employment agreement
The written individual employment agreement must be signed before day one, with time given to seek advice on it. Teamed's standard New Zealand agreement covers all Employment Relations Act 2000 requirements. Clients choose commercial terms; Teamed signs as the legal employer.
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Set up KiwiSaver and Inland Revenue
Enrol the employee for KiwiSaver, collect the IRD number and tax code, and set up PAYE and bank details. This runs across days one to seven.
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Run the first payday and file deductions
Run the first payroll on the agreed pay cycle. File PAYE, KiwiSaver, and any student loan deductions to Inland Revenue. The employee receives their payslip and is on the payroll record.
What must a New Zealand offer letter include?
The offer letter is not the binding agreement. It is the document the candidate decides against.
Include role title, reporting line, start date, gross pay at or above the NZ$ 23.50/hour adult minimum, work location, hours, whether a 90 days trial applies, and any condition such as a valid work visa.
Three traps to avoid in New Zealand offer letters:
- Naming a trial period the person does not qualify for. A 90 days trial only binds an employee who has never worked for you before. Offer one to a returning contractor or former staff member and the clause has no effect, leaving you with an ordinary probation and a full fair-dismissal test.
- Promising notice without writing the rate. New Zealand has no minimum notice period set in law. If the offer hints at notice but the signed agreement leaves it out, a court reads in fair and reasonable notice instead, which is often 2 to 4 weeks.
- Quoting pay below the floor. The adult minimum wage is NZ$ 23.50/hour. Quoting an annual figure that works out below this for the agreed hours creates a breach the moment the first payslip runs.
Teamed's standard New Zealand offer letter template covers all required ground and lines up with the individual employment agreement that follows. Clients choose the commercial terms. Teamed holds the legal-employer position and issues the final agreement.
New Zealand work-visa checks for migrant employees
New Zealand citizens and residents can start work straight away. Migrants must hold a valid work visa before their first day.
Employing someone without the right to work is an offence under the Immigration Act 2009, and the employer carries the liability.
Citizens and residents
New Zealand citizens and holders of a resident visa can work for any employer without a separate permit. The employer keeps a copy of the passport, birth certificate, or residence evidence as a standard right-to-work record. Australian citizens and permanent residents may also live and work in New Zealand under the trans-Tasman travel arrangement.
Migrants
Every other worker must hold a valid work visa that allows the specific job before starting. The most common route for skilled roles is the Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV), which requires the employer to hold accreditation with Immigration New Zealand, run a job check, and pay at or above the immigration median wage for many roles. Processing times vary, so allow several weeks for a new application.
Accreditation, the job check, and the visa application are separate stages, each with its own documents and fees. The employer must also confirm the visa conditions match the role before the person begins work.
Immigration New Zealand sets the accreditation, job-check, and wage rules for employing migrants on the Accredited Employer Work Visa. Employers must verify every worker's right to work before the first day and hold the visa evidence on file.
Ongoing visa renewals
Work visas in New Zealand are time-limited and tied to set conditions. Employers must track expiry dates and start renewals early. Teamed monitors each visa expiry and alerts the employee and client ahead of the deadline so no lapse occurs.
The New Zealand written employment agreement: what must it contain?
New Zealand law requires a written, signed individual employment agreement for every employee, with no exceptions.
The agreement must be in place and signed before work starts. It is the binding document. The offer letter is not.
What a New Zealand individual employment agreement must cover under the Employment Relations Act 2000:
- Names of the employer and the employee
- A description of the work to be done
- The place of work
- The agreed hours, or an indication of the hours to be worked, capped at 40 hours a week in the agreement unless both sides agree more
- Gross pay or the pay rate, at or above the NZ$ 23.50/hour adult minimum
- How and when the employee will be paid, since the law sets no pay frequency
- A plain-language explanation of how to resolve an employment problem, including the 90 days personal grievance window
- Annual holidays of 4 weeks after 12 months, and 10 days paid sick leave after 6 months
- Any trial-period clause, valid only for a first-time hire and capped at 90 days
- The notice each side must give, since there is no figure set in law
New Zealand has no single codified document like the UK's Section 1 statement. The rule is that a written, signed individual employment agreement exists and contains the terms above, and that the employee had a fair chance to take advice before signing. Teamed's standard New Zealand agreement satisfies every Employment Relations Act 2000 requirement. Clients choose the commercial terms; Teamed signs as the legal employer.
Key source: Employment New Zealand: notice and the Employment Relations Act 2000.
Onboarding admin in the first week
Days 1 to 7 cover the signed agreement, KiwiSaver enrolment, the IRD number and tax code, PAYE setup, and bank details.
Teamed handles the Inland Revenue and KiwiSaver steps. The client handles the operational side.
| Onboarding task | Who does it | Day |
|---|---|---|
| Written employment agreement signed | Employee and Teamed | Before day one |
| Work-visa check completed | Teamed | Day 0 (before start for migrants) |
| IRD number and tax code collected | Employee submits to Teamed | Day 1 |
| KiwiSaver enrolment and opt-out notice | Teamed | Days 1 to 7 |
| PAYE and payroll record set up | Teamed | Days 1 to 7 |
| Bank account details collected for payroll | Teamed | Days 1 to 7 |
| Leave balances opened (annual, sick) | Teamed | Day 1 |
| Equipment and system access | Client | Days 0 to 1 |
| Manager introduction and first-week plan | Client | Days 0 to 7 |
| 30-60-90 day plan documented | Client (manager) | Days 1 to 14 |
How does Teamed handle New Zealand employment for you?
Teamed becomes your legal employer of record in New Zealand for from $599 per employee per month, with zero FX mark-up in any currency.
The individual employment agreement, KiwiSaver, IRD filing, and leave tracking all run on one platform.
Real HR and legal experts handle your New Zealand hires, from the first offer letter through every PAYE and KiwiSaver filing to Inland Revenue. An actual person, not a chatbot or a pooled queue. There is no setup fee and no exit fee. Employer cost passes through at cost, itemised on every invoice, and you see the conversion rate against the mid-market reference on each one.
EOR payroll, contractor onboarding, and entity setup all live on one platform. A New Zealand contractor who converts to direct employment keeps their record. Run the Crossover Calculator to see when your New Zealand headcount is ready to graduate to your own entity. Start from the New Zealand hiring overview; each guide here takes one layer of New Zealand employment law.
Key sources: Employment New Zealand (MBIE), Inland Revenue KiwiSaver for employers, and Immigration New Zealand.
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to hire someone in New Zealand through Teamed?
Teamed can onboard a New Zealand citizen or resident within a few business days once the offer is accepted. The written employment agreement must be signed before day one. KiwiSaver enrolment, the IRD number, and PAYE setup are completed in the first week. Migrants who need a work visa must hold it before the start date, which adds lead time depending on the visa type and Immigration New Zealand processing queue.
What is the trial period in New Zealand and who can be put on one?
A trial period can last up to 90 days and can only be used for an employee who has never worked for you before. It must be written into the signed employment agreement before work starts. If the person has worked for you previously, the trial clause has no effect, and any dismissal then has to meet the full fair-process test. An ordinary probation can still be agreed, but it does not remove the right to a fair dismissal.
What notice period applies in New Zealand?
New Zealand sets no minimum notice period in law. The notice each side must give is whatever the signed employment agreement states. If the agreement is silent, fair and reasonable notice must be given instead, and 2 to 4 weeks is often treated as fair depending on the role. An employee can raise a personal grievance within 90 days if a dismissal is unjustified.
Does the employer have to pay into KiwiSaver?
Yes. KiwiSaver is the workplace savings setup, and the minimum employer contribution rises to 3.5% of gross pay from 1 April 2026. The employee contributes at the same minimum and can elect a higher rate. New employees are usually auto-enrolled and can opt out within the set window. There is no separate general social security charge in New Zealand.
What leave does a New Zealand employee get?
Employees earn 4 weeks of paid annual holidays after 12 months of continuous work. They also get 10 days of paid sick leave after 6 months, and unused sick leave carries over up to 20 days in total. There are 11 national public holidays each year, plus regional anniversary days. Paid primary carer leave runs up to 26 weeks, funded by Inland Revenue.
Is a 13th-month salary required in New Zealand?
No. New Zealand has no statutory 13th- or 14th-month salary. Pay is made weekly, fortnightly, or monthly, on whatever cycle the employment agreement sets, since the law does not fix a pay frequency. Annual holidays are paid at the greater of ordinary weekly pay or average weekly earnings, but there is no separate bonus month built into the law.
New Zealand's trial period catches companies out. It only ever applies to a brand-new hire, never a returning contractor or former employee. Put one in the wrong agreement and you are back to an ordinary dismissal that has to be fair. Check the work history before you draft the clause, not after.
In New Zealand, the trial period works for first-time hires and no one else. Name it for a returning contractor and the clause does nothing.
No minimum notice is set in law here. Whatever the signed agreement says is what binds.
KiwiSaver climbs to a 3.5% employer minimum from April 2026.
