Set up mail redirection with NZ Post

NZ Post's redirection service forwards your mail to your new address for a set period (options range from a few weeks to a year). It's a paid service, but cheap insurance against missed bills or important letters during the handover. Set it up online in advance — it takes a few working days to activate, so don't leave it until moving week.

How to do it

1. Decide between personal and whole-household redirection — personal only covers mail addressed to you by name; whole-household covers anyone at the old address, which matters if you're flatting or moving as a family.
2. Choose a length that covers the handover properly — options run from a few weeks up to a year, and it's easy to underestimate how long mail keeps arriving at an old address, especially from organisations you update last.
3. Set it up before you move, not after — it takes a few working days to activate, and anything sent before it kicks in still won't be redirected.
4. Remember it only covers NZ Post mail, not courier deliveries from other carriers — update your address directly with anyone you get regular parcels from, since a redirection order won't catch those.
5. Treat this as a safety net, not your main address-update strategy — actively updating your address with banks, IRD, and subscriptions still matters; redirection just covers what slips through in the meantime.

Common mistakes

• Setting it up the week of the move and finding it hasn't activated yet by moving day.
• Choosing personal-only redirection when other household members also receive mail at the address.
• Assuming it covers courier and parcel deliveries the same way it covers standard mail — it doesn't.

Useful links

• Set up mail redirection (NZ Post) — book online; apply at least a few working days ahead since it isn't instant.