On this page, you will find information about car rental in New Zealand and also about the main car rental and driving restrictions valid in the country.
To rent a car in New Zealand, you must be at least 21 years old (age may vary by car category) and have held your license for one year. Drivers under the age of 25 may incur a young driver surcharge.
Rented cars are not allowed to travel outside New Zealand.
In New Zealand, traffic is on the left and overtaking on the right. The legal blood alcohol limit is 0.8‰ and drunk driving is severely punished. All passengers are required to use seatbelts at all times.
At a roundabout, signal if you wish to turn, then give way to traffic on the right and turn left into the roundabout. Do not overtake near a pedestrian crossing, railway crossing or an intersection.
A “No passing” line area is indicated by a solid yellow line on your side of the road.
When moving in or out of a parking space, always signal your intention before starting. In most cities in New Zealand, parking meters are available. Do not park within 6 metres of an intersection, pedestrian crossing or a broken yellow line. Illegally parked cars may be towed away.
Speed limits:| Area | Speed |
| Built-up areas | 50KM/H |
| Open road | 100KM/H |
Police/ambulance/fire: 111
There are no toll highways in New Zealand.
New Zealand is a country of exceptional beauty: awe-inspiring mountains, clear lakes, fast-flowing rivers and hissing geysers. There are also many volcanoes, forest reserves, long deserted beaches and a variety of fauna in the country. The national parks and protected areas are extremely valuable and contain features of great historic significance to the Maori. New Zealand is also home to two World Heritage sites.
New Zealand is the perfect place for those looking for adventures, offering you a number of outdoor activities such as skiing, rafting, paragliding and bungy jumping. You can swim with dolphins, practice whalewatching or fish for trout.
The local people are helpful, kind and overwhelmingly friendly.
Population: 3.7 million
Area: 268,000 sq km
Capital City: Wellington
Language: English
Time Zone: GMT + 12 (+3 in summer)
Monetary unit: New Zealand Dollar