Starting a Business - New Zealand

There are no restrictions on foreign shareholding or shareholder residency; a New Zealand company can be wholly foreign-owned. Separate consent under the Overseas Investment Act 2005 is only needed for investments in sensitive land, fishing quota, or significant business assets above value thresholds.

Every company must have at least one director who lives in New Zealand, or who lives in Australia and is also a director of an Australian-registered company. This is the principal hurdle for non-resident founders, who typically appoint a local nominee or service provider.

There is no minimum share-capital requirement. A company need only issue at least one share; most issue a small number of NZD 1.00 shares.

Registration is fully online via the Companies Office. After application, the Registrar emails consent forms to each director and shareholder that must be signed and returned within 20 working days; incorporation is typically completed within one working day once documents are ready.

The company must maintain a physical New Zealand registered office and an address for service where records can be delivered and inspected; PO boxes and private bags are not accepted.

While the legal entity can be formed in about a day, AML/CFT identity verification and Inland Revenue (IRD/GST) and bank-account onboarding for foreign-owned entities can extend the practically operational timeline to several weeks.

Amendments under the Overseas Investment (National Interest Test and Other Matters) Amendment Act came into effect on 6 March 2026, refining screening for overseas persons; ordinary small-business startups are generally unaffected, but larger acquisitions/sensitive land require consent.