How to Close a Bank Account in New Zealand© Unsplash
How to Close a Bank Account in New Zealand

How to Close a Bank Account in New Zealand

© Unsplash

How to Close Your NZ Bank Account (in New Zealand or Overseas)

The devastating time has come to leave New Zealand, but it’s not all bad. Now you can have one less bank account to worry about by closing your New Zealand bank account. While many people prefer to wait until they have left New Zealand to close their bank account, we recommend closing your account before you leave! Not only is closing your New Zealand bank account easier and quicker while you are in New Zealand, but you also don’t have to worry about any ongoing fees, like fees for having an inactive bank account, that might be happening while you are not using it! All in all, it’s best to close a bank account in New Zealand if you no longer intend to use it. You don’t even need it to receive a tax refund if you have worked in New Zealand.

Nevertheless, if New Zealand is long behind you, you are now overseas and moved onto your next adventure, never fear. You can still close a New Zealand bank account from overseas. It’s just not as easy. We’ll go through it all in the guide to closing a New Zealand bank account.

4 Things to Do Before Closing Your New Zealand Bank Account

There are a few things you should consider doing before closing your New Zealand bank account:

  1. Download any statements or documents you may need from your online banking
  2. Delete or edit any automatic payments
  3. Pay any over-drawn amounts
  4. Take your money out of your account so that your balance is zero (more details below).
How to Close a Bank Account in New Zealand© Unsplash

Make Sure the Account Has Zero Balance

Not only does having a bank account with zero balance makes things go a lot smoother when closing your bank account, but we guess you will actually want the money from your New Zealand bank account, right? Either way, closing a New Zealand bank account goes a lot smoother if the balance is at zero – that means there is no money in it and no overdraft.

Transferring Money from Your New Zealand Bank Account Overseas

Withdraw the cash out from the bank or, if it is an amount of money you would rather not carry around with you, transfer the money to your overseas bank account i.e. the bank account you use at home. There are a few different methods of doing this, some more efficient and cheaper than others. For instance, you can:

  • Make an international telegraphic transfer
  • Use an international bank draft
  • Use an online foreign exchange broker like XE Money or Wise which, in most cases, offer the lowest rates.

Check out How to Send Money Overseas from a New Zealand Bank Account for a complete guide on the process.

NZPocketGuide.com© NZPocketGuide.com

How to Close Your Bank Account While Still in New Zealand

The easiest way to close your New Zealand bank account is by visiting one of your bank’s branches and closing your account in person. Booking an appointment with your bank makes this process as quick as possible, but isn’t necessary.

When you go to your appointment to close your New Zealand bank account, take a form of ID (your passport or a New Zealand driver’s license, if you have one) and any debit/credit cards with that bank with you. In the case of ASB, you will need to bring two forms of ID. Your banker will go through a few steps, make sure there are no overdrafts in your account, and then boom! You’ve closed your bank account. The process should take no longer than 20 minutes.

Pexels© Pexels

Closing Your New Zealand Bank Account from Overseas

How easy it is to close your New Zealand bank account from overseas depends on who you are banking with. While banks like Kiwibank allow you to close your bank account by sending a “secure mail” through their online banking portal, other banks usually require you to close your account over the phone and/or send some proof of identification.

To close your New Zealand bank account from overseas, you must:

  • Transfer any remaining balance to another bank account. (XE Money and Wise are easy options from overseas if you have your bank account number. Otherwise, you may need to contact your bank to write you an international bank draft)
  • Have your passport number, bank account number and any access codes on hand
  • Contact your bank at their overseas phone number (be aware that some banks require you to contact the specific branch where you opened your bank account).

Once you have gone through the identification process over the phone, in most cases, you will be able to close your bank account over the phone. Additionally, you might be asked to mail or email an identification document (i.e. your passport or New Zealand driver’s license).

How to Close a Bank Account in New Zealand© NZPocketGuide.com

Getting Your Tax Return

Don’t forget! If you have worked in New Zealand, you can claim your tax return even when you have left New Zealand! Through your online IRD account, you can request the tax return payment to be made into a chosen bank account – not necessarily your New Zealand bank account, so you can still get a tax refund after you have closed your New Zealand bank account.

Find out more about the process at How to Get Your Tax Refund in New Zealand.

More on How to Close a Bank Account in New Zealand

That’s it for our complete guide on how to close a New Zealand bank account and how to do it from overseas. For more advice to wrap up your time in New Zealand, check these out:

Finally, if you’re leaving New Zealand, be sure to check out our Checklist for Leaving New Zealand.

Sources:

The information in this guide has been compiled from our extensive research, travel and experiences across New Zealand and the South Pacific, accumulated over more than a decade of numerous visits to each destination. Additional sources for this guide include the following:

Our editorial standards: At NZ Pocket Guide, we uphold strict editorial standards to ensure accurate and quality content.

About The Author

Robin C.

This article has been reviewed and approved by Robin, who is the co-founder of NZ Pocket Guide. With more than 15 years of experience in the New Zealand tourism industry, Robin has co-founded three influential tourism businesses and five additional travel guides for South Pacific nations. He is an expert in New Zealand travel and has tested over 600 activities and 300+ accommodations across the country.

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