New Zealand is no longer a well-kept secret but a thriving island nation whose economy is set to boom during the upcoming global recession.

In a nutshell, here is an overview of a few reasons why New Zealand should be on your investment radar:

1. The population is relatively small, and there has been incredible interest in migration, meaning there is a huge inflow of skilled capital from wealthy migrants. New Zealand’s immigration policy is still relatively affordable compared to Australia, and there are many options.

2. New Zealand exports high-quality food, hi-tech products and top education, so its economy is growing while its dollar is undervalued.

3. New Zealand grants you a passport after five years, which gives you the right to reside in Australia permanently.

4. Property prices are booming, and huge demand and low supply mean they will keep increasing.

Mundo's New Zealand freedom rating is essentially a freedom index whereby our team of specialists rates a combination of freedoms, including freedom from violence and personal attacks, financial freedom from high taxes and other government levies, and business freedom from government interference.

Political Stability: 9

According to the World Democracy Report, New Zealand is the fourth-strongest democracy worldwide. Transparency International ranks it as the least corrupt country and the World Justice Project ranks New Zealand as the seventh-strongest rule of law in the world. This speaks well enough about the institutional stability of the country. New Zealand is geographically far away from the world’s geopolitical issues and spiritually so. No refugee crisis, no coups, no wars, and no political decadence. It is one of the strongest liberal democracies worldwide and one that respects its citizens’ freedoms.

There are countries that after a certain time become known worldwide for one or two aspects. Some are known for their gastronomy and culture, others for their military might, and some for their natural wonders; but in this case, we are interested in talking about New Zealand, a country known for its ease of doing business.

Being in the top three countries with the highest economic freedom in the world surely has to be the kind of attention that every country wants to have, and New Zealand has consecutively achieved this to become one of the most desirable jurisdictions on the planet for various profiles of international investors.

Opening a business in New Zealand is such a smooth and rewarding experience that it is hard to believe at times. The process has so little friction you can open an account and meet the rest of the legal requirements to operate in less time than it would take even in our favorite jurisdictions.

Over the past 30 years, New Zealand has become one of the most favorable countries when it comes to the issues of asset protection, tax relief and stable business environment for entrepreneurs and foreign investors from all over the world.

The New Zealand government has made efforts to simplify the tax scheme, procedures, and payment forms so that more and more international investors put their money on Maori soil.

Perhaps, the best part of the New Zealand tax system is that the country, besides being an international financial center and being one of the best options that someone may have to optimize taxes, is also a member of the OECD, so those who want to access the tax advantages of this place do not have to worry about the persecution that many offshore jurisdictions are suffering right now.

New Zealand can afford the tax advantages which are described below in detail. 

New Zealand (NZ) foreign trusts as well as pre-migration trusts are popular with overseas investors. New Zealand has a well-established trust industry. Despite the worldwide initiative against trusts as vehicles of choice, New Zealand continues to be sought after as a jurisdiction of choice due to its white standing with OECD.

What Is a NZ Trust?

Trust definition is usually worded as a fiduciary relationship where the settlor (founder of the trust) transfers assets to the trustee, who holds or manages those assets for the benefit of third persons (beneficiaries). In effect, the legal and beneficial ownerships are split. Legal ownership is vested in the trustee, yet the beneficial ownership is that of the beneficiaries.

Recent changes to the legislation amended the period of the trust to 125 years. Irrespective of the trust period, the trust can be terminated earlier either by winding up or via resettlement to another trust or multiple trusts. When resettlement takes place, one must be careful that the trust period is not breached. 

New Zealand is a place that displays mysticism and an imperturbable and imposing nature. But we love this gorgeous island because New Zealand became one of the best options for people who want to keep their money in a safe and free place some time ago when the country entered the top 3 of the countries with more economic freedom according to the Index of Economic Freedom.

New Zealand is an authentic remote paradise with just 4.5 million inhabitants and far away from neighbours with unstable or authoritarian governments, and also away from calamities such as the Coronavirus pandemic. 

New Zealand's charms can also be seen in its economy. It is the third most economically free country in the world and one of the top ten countries in the world to live in. 

Setting up a bank has always been a tricky business, but today it is virtually impossible to overcome the wall of restrictions in most jurisdictions. That's where New Zealand, one of the most economically free countries in the world, comes in - the perfect place to provide financial services.

While traditional jurisdictions are becoming less attractive thanks to the wave of anti-business governments, New Zealand continues to capitalize on the opportunity to become one of the world's leading international financial centers.

A world where regulations are the bread and butter creates opportunities for countries like New Zealand to become safe harbors for international investors, especially those looking to obtain a financial license.

Ten years ago, when someone thought of places to protect and enhance their heritage, New Zealand was a practically unknown option, but the situation has changed rapidly. Today the great Maori archipelago is one of the favorite destinations of the most experienced investors and high net worth individuals with the highest and most sophisticated profiles in the world.

If we think about it, it makes much sense. After the financial crisis of 2008, we saw the jurisdictions that seemed to be the safest collapse. But at the same time, during that crisis, the distance that New Zealand is from the rest of the world's countries was advantageous because it allowed it to calculate its movements better to avoid any crisis.

Since then, New Zealand has become one of the best jurisdictions to invest in. That isolation for geographical reasons helped protect the New Zealand economy, which since then has not stopped growing and rising in the rankings of economic freedom and ease of doing business.

New Zealand is one of our favorite jurisdictions. This territory, composed of two large main islands, has an unparalleled cultural diversity and captivating cultural richness and enjoys a stable government and one of the world's freest economies.

If you have a family office or if you are looking for a destination for a pool of investors who want to invest their money in a jurisdiction that is not under the magnifying glass of the OECD and the procedures, requirements, and fees are not a problem, the Managed Funds of New Zealand are one of your best options.

By this point in our Country Focus, the idea of investing in New Zealand will have more than captured your attention. What follows now is to dive into the world of real estate in this jurisdiction that seems to have no weaknesses whatsoever. Real estate investment is one of the best options for those who want to shore up their economic opportunities on New Zealand soil, and in this section, we'll see why.

Buying property in New Zealand is an investment suitable for different profiles of investors or wealthy individuals. However, the entry prices are not the cheapest in the neighborhood. Of course, this is offset by the abrupt growth of the real estate sector over the last few years, which has allowed people to make fortunes from their properties through sales and rentals.

This is undoubtedly one of the most important parts of our Country Focus, because in any strategy to reduce the tax burden you are subject to, two of the main elements are always the place where you live and your nationality.

Protecting your assets and accessing top-notch financial services is much easier when you have a favorable nationality and a strong passport that allows you to travel with the least amount of limitations. 

Today, in the post-pandemic world, having a second passport has become a vital requirement to safeguard your freedom in the face of the wave of restrictive policies being pushed by most countries around the world. And of course, when it comes to a second passport, as with doctors and lawyers, it is advisable not to skimp.

In this section of our Country Focus, you can read a first-hand experience that will make you see the advantages of deciding to go and live in New Zealand as an expat to protect yourself (and your assets) from the growing anti-business and anti-freedom policies that are appearing with increasing frequency in most countries around the world.

One of our oldest friends decided a few years ago to move to New Zealand and agreed to share his story with us as long as we protect his identity. To maintain his anonymity, we have exchanged the names of our friend and his wife in this section on living as an expat in New Zealand.

Robert and Miranda are an Argentine couple who have worked hard to achieve a prosperous economic status for themselves and their families.

New Zealand is not a run-of-the-mill jurisdiction. In fact, it is one of the options we most highly recommend to foreign investors seeking the highest level of financial freedom without sacrificing other conditions such as having stability in laws and governance, or being on good terms with international regulatory agencies.

A little more than 18 months after the onset of the global coronavirus pandemic, New Zealand is already recovering the steady economic performance it had maintained over the last few years and which has made the country one of the most attractive destinations for high net worth individuals looking for an attractive place to protect and multiply their assets.

One of the most valuable resources for international investors and high net worth individuals is information. 

Or more specifically, accurate and up-to-date information. That's why having a glimpse of the New Zealand reality is vitally important when deciding whether or not it's worth investing in New Zealand at this time.

To stay informed, there is nothing better than getting information directly from the original source, which in this case is the New Zealand Government Agencies.