Allowances and benefits
A range of allowances and benefits are available for overseas teachers provided they meet the criteria.
International Relocation Grant
If you are an overseas trained teacher* relocating to New Zealand and you have training and qualifications that are recognised by the New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA) and the New Zealand Teachers’ Council (NZTC) and a current work permit, you may be eligible for an International Relocation Grant.
The level of grant paid depends on your term of employment:
ECE
- $4000 for full-time positions of 20 weeks or more;
- $2000 for full-time positions of 6 - 19 weeks
Primary
- $4000 for full-time primary positions of 20 weeks or more;
- $2000 for full-time primary positions of 6 - 19 weeks
Secondary
- $4000 for 0.5 FTTE or more secondary positions of 20 weeks or more
- $2000 for 0.5 FTTE or more secondary positions of 6 - 19 weeks.
If you do not complete the minimum period of employment under this scheme you may be required to pay back the grant. To receive the grant, you must be appointed to a position within three months of arriving in New Zealand (you will need to show your passport as evidence of arrival date) and then you must apply through your principal or early childhood licensee within eight weeks of commencing employment.
To see if you meet all of the eligibility requirements, please access the International Relocation Grant application form for schools or International Relocation Grant for early childhood on the Ministry of Education’s website.
Support for overseas teachers
Overseas Teacher Time Allowance
State and integrated schools appointing an experienced overseas teacher to their first full-time entitlement teaching position in New Zealand will be eligible for additional staffing support of 0.1 Full Time Teaching Equivalent (FTTE) for a maximum of 10 weeks. This means that the school will get the equivalent of one week’s relief funding to release the teacher and/or induction staff from their classrooms.
The allowance begins at week one of the teacher’s appointment and assists schools to provide an induction programme for the teacher. Use of this time should be planned with input from the teacher. Teachers coming to positions should discuss induction and use of the allowance with their new principal before they arrive to ensure that full use is made of it.
The allowance is available from the date employment commences and is on a ‘use it or lose it’ basis. It cannot be backdated.
Applications must be made by the school within eight weeks of the teacher’s arrival in New Zealand. A copy of the teacher’s NZQA assessment must be submitted with the application form.
Beginning teacher time allowance
If an overseas trained teacher with less than a year’s teaching experience is appointed to a New Zealand school, they are entitled to 0.2 FTTE (full-time teaching equivalents) support time for a full-time position, and 0.1 FTTE support time for a 0.5 – 0.99 FTTE position. The Allowance is available for a maximum of 12 months.
* An overseas teacher can only claim one of the above allowances.
Retirement schemes
KiwiSaver is the only retirement savings scheme open to new state sector employees (this includes teachers) as at 1 October 2008.
The state sector retirement savings schemes that are closed to teachers from 1 October 2008 are:
TRSS applies to teachers and principals who belong to either the primary teachers’ union, NZEI, or secondary teachers’ union, PPTA, in a state or state integrated school. This includes kindergarten teachers in the early childhood sector.
SSRSS applies to teaching and non-teaching staff in a state or state-integrated school.
Note there is no compulsory retirement age in New Zealand for teachers.