Crown Relocations is NZ’s leading moving company.
Moving to Bangalore is nothing like what you might expect, especially if you’re returning to Bangalore after years of living in New Zealand. The city you think you’re moving to doesn’t really exist anymore and it’s easy to get completely lost. Childhood neighborhoods now have modern metro stations and world-class shopping malls where there used to be empty lots.
Bangalore, also known as Bengaluru, has rapidly become India’s technology capital, hosting technology giants such as Google, Microsoft and Amazon alongside numerous startups. The Bangalore of today has Ubers that arrive faster than in Auckland, online food delivery that works better than anywhere else, and lightning fast WiFi. But it also has traffic that can turn a 20-minute trip into a 2-hour adventure, and monsoons that flood streets within minutes.
What really surprises newcomers about moving to Bangalore isn’t the obvious stuff like the crowds or the heat. It’s how quickly things change. Buildings go up overnight, new restaurants open every week, and your favorite coffee place might have three new competitors by the time you finish your latte. Coming from New Zealand where change happens slowly and gets debated for years, this can be overwhelming at first. But many come to love that energy. When relocating to Bangalore, you are not just moving to a city – you’re joining something that’s constantly evolving, embracing change and innovation.
Yes, New Zealanders can move to Bangalore. The visa situation is more flexible than most people realize. Many come on a tourist visa initially to visit and check things out. You can stay for 6 months, which gives you time to decide whether you want to stay. If you are planning to work, you’ll need an employment visa. But here’s what nobody tells you – getting the job offer is actually easier than the visa paperwork. Companies here are used to hiring internationally. The business visa route is useful if you’re thinking of starting a business. There are Kiwis who have come over on this visa.
Also, if you have Indian heritage, seriously look into getting the OCI card. It’s like having Indian citizenship without giving up your New Zealand passport. The application process through the Wellington High Commission of India takes about 3 months for most people, but best to start early because timing can be unpredictable. Make sure you have multiple copies of everything certified before you submit as well.
Crown has Licensed Immigration Advisors to help you with India’s immigration requirements. Call us today on 0508 227 696 to find out more.
Relocating from New Zealand to Bangalore can be expensive. Shipping costs, finding accommodation, and living costs in a new country all add up. Crown is best placed to help you enjoy a stress-free move at a reasonable cost. As well as providing packing and relocation services, we offer additional services such as moving insurance, international vehicle transport and pet relocations. Let us take care of your international move.
To find out how much it will cost, give our friendly team a call on 0508 227 696 or obtain a free quote online.
The first 8 weeks can be rough when moving to Bangalore from New Zealand. Many newcomers find themselves sitting in their temporary apartment after the second day trying to open a bank account, literally googling “how to survive in Bangalore” because everything feels impossible. Getting a phone connection requires documents you don’t have, opening a bank account needs proof of address you don’t have, and getting proof of address needs a bank account. It’s like some weird bureaucratic puzzle.
But then something clicks around week 8 or 9. Suddenly you understand which auto driver is trying to rip you off versus who is just starting a conversation. The traffic patterns start making sense. You find good coffee places. Most importantly, you have connected with other expats who share everything from how to open a bank account to where to buy decent cheese.
The expat community in Bangalore is incredible, full of people who genuinely help each other out. After 6 months, most Kiwis have become comfortable in their daily routines and can navigate the city confidently, and often help new arrivals figure out the same problems that stressed them out when they first arrived in Bangalore.
Crown provides a whole range of services to make your move to Bangalore simpler and hassle-free. This includes settling-in services which will help you connect with your new community in Bangalore, India.
Call our friendly team on 0508 227 696 or fill in our online quote form
Crown Relocations has a variety of international shipping options that can be tailored to meet your budget and relocation needs. Whether you’re shipping a few items, or a full household, we are experts in moving internationally. With 60 years of experience, we guarantee a reliable and simple relocation experience, helping you with every step of your journey.
Talk with our friendly team on 0508 227 696 or request an online quote.
This depends on what you are looking for, whether for just yourself or your family, as well as your budget and why you are moving to Bangalore. Koramangala is a newer suburb where the startup crowd and entrepreneurs hang out. There are lots of late-night dining options and coworking spaces everywhere, but it can feel like everyone’s always working. Koramangala is great if you’re in your 20s or early 30s and want to network constantly.
Indiranagar has more character with old trees, decent pubs, and better restaurants. Many expats end up there and love it. It has good metro connectivity too. Whitefield is popular with families, especially if you need international schools. However the commute into the city is brutal. Expats living there basically live in their cars.
Hebbal is becoming really popular now because of the airport connectivity and metro expansion. Property prices there have risen sky high in the last couple of years though. Jayanagar is great if you want that old Bangalore feel, with tree-lined streets, traditional breakfast places, and less of the startup crowd.Each area really has its own personality, so spend some weekends exploring before deciding where to focus your hunt for your new home.
This is where relocating to Bangalore gets expensive and complicated. Forget everything you know about renting from New Zealand. First, security deposits are insane. You can easily pay 10 months rent upfront as a deposit. Ten months! In New Zealand, that would be illegal, but in Bangalore, it’s normal. Most places want between 6-12 months advance.
The rental market works mostly through brokers and word of mouth. There’s no TradeMe equivalent that actually works well. Most expats end up in gated communities because they come with security, maintenance, and you instantly get neighbors who can help with local information. Many buildings have WhatsApp groups where people share everything from electrician contacts to weekend plans.
Getting all the paperwork sorted for a place to live means visiting multiple government offices that seem to operate on random schedules. You can easily spend three different mornings at different offices just to get your rental agreement registered. Use a broker who knows the system. It’s worth paying the fee. Property prices have absolutely exploded, especially near metro stations.
At Crown, we can help you find accommodation before moving to Bangalore, making your move even easier.
This might be the biggest pleasant surprise about moving to Bangalore. The healthcare in Bangalore is genuinely world-class and costs a fraction of what you’d pay in New Zealand. The private hospitals like Apollo and Fortis are seriously impressive with advanced technology. The doctors are often trained overseas and speak perfect English. Many have patient coordinators who handle everything for you, which is amazing when you’re dealing with insurance and paperwork.
If you’re working for a big company, they will generally pay for your health insurance. If not, then many expats end up getting international coverage which works well. You can also access traditional treatments like Ayurveda alongside modern medicine. Emergency services in the main areas are really good with fast response times. Just make sure you have good insurance sorted before you arrive, because while private hospitals are cheaper in India, paying out of pocket for major medical issues can still add up.
If you’re moving to Bangalore with kids, you are actually in luck. The international schools there are easily comparable to top New Zealand international schools and far cheaper than similar schools in Auckland and Wellington. Places like Oakridge International and Inventure Academy offer internationally recognised curricula along with a great range of extracurricular activities.
The school year runs June to March, which is different from New Zealand, so you’ll need to plan the timing of your move carefully. Most international schools have programs to help kids settle in, and the parent communities are quite active socially, which helps families integrate faster.
Bangalore also has some of India’s best universities like the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) and the Indian Institute of Management Bangalore (IIMB), so if you have older kids or are thinking long-term, there are amazing higher education opportunities. The competition is intense, but the quality is genuinely world-class. Many young adults from international schools in Bangalore end up at top universities globally because the preparation is so thorough.
Our team at Crown can help you to find the best school for your child with our school search programme.
Your money definitely goes further in Bangalore than in New Zealand. But it also depends on your lifestyle choices. Rent and school fees might be similar percentages of your income, but almost everything else is much cheaper. Eating out is ridiculously affordable – you can get an amazing meal for the price of a flat white in Wellington.
Having domestic help is normal in Bangalore and affordable. Most families have someone for cleaning, with many having cooks too. It’s a lifestyle adjustment that feels weird at first but becomes normal quickly. Most expats have someone who comes twice a week for cleaning and it costs less per week than buying daily coffees in Auckland.
Imported stuff and international brands cost about the same or more than in New Zealand. However, local transport is super cheap, local food is very affordable, and services like haircuts, massages, repairs are all a fraction of New Zealand prices. You will probably save money even while living better. Just be aware it is easy to get lifestyle inflation with all the dining and travel opportunities. Most expats eat out way more than they ever did back home.
Getting around Bangalore is an adventure, in both good and challenging ways. The metro is clean, air-conditioned, and connects most places you want to go. It has expanded a lot even in the last few years. The buses are comprehensive and cheap, though they get very crowded during peak hours. The new BMTC app helps track buses in real time, which is genuinely useful.
Uber and Ola work great most of the time, but surge pricing during rain can be brutal, with 4 times the pricing charged during heavy downpours. Auto-rickshaws are fun once you get used to the negotiation dance. It’s not really about getting the lowest price, it’s about both parties feeling okay about the deal.
A lot of expats eventually get scooters, which seems terrifying at first but is actually the most practical way to get around. The traffic looks chaotic but has its own logic. Everything takes longer than you think it should, especially during festival seasons or when it rains. But honestly, some of the best podcast listening and thinking time happens during these longer commutes.
English gets you by in most professional and social situations, but learning some Hindi and Kannada makes life so much easier and more interesting. Kannada is the local language and really helps with daily activities, such as dealing with auto drivers, shop keepers or building maintenance staff. Even basic phrases will get you better service and prices.
Hindi is useful for traveling around India and connecting with people from other states who work in Bangalore. There are language schools and apps available, but honestly, you pick up a lot just from daily life. Kids learn incredibly fast through school and playing with neighbours.
What’s interesting is that most conversations naturally mix multiple languages anyway. People switch between English, Hindi, and Kannada in the same sentence. It feels weird at first but becomes natural. The effort you make to learn local languages is really appreciated by people, and it opens up so much more of the culture and daily life here.
Crown offers language learning as part of our additional services, so you can be more confident when moving to Bangalore.
The networking scene here is pretty incredible. There are regular meetups for everything from startups to photography to hiking groups. The business community is generally open and collaborative, with people happy to meet for coffee and share advice or connections.
The startup ecosystem means there are lots of informal networking. You meet people at coffee shops who are working on interesting projects. LinkedIn is heavily used in Bangalore, and people are responsive to connection requests. Women’s networking groups are particularly active and well-organized with social opportunities and career development.
Your apartment complex often becomes a social hub. Many buildings have regular potlucks and kids’ play dates. and there are lots of expat groups on Facebook and WhatsApp that are genuinely helpful for everything from finding services to organizing weekend trips.
Building a good network takes time but happens naturally if you’re open to meeting people and joining activities. Most people who’ve been successful with their Bangalore relocation say the relationships they built were crucial, both professionally and personally.
Moving to Bangalore? Go knowing
Relocating to Bangalore from New Zealand can be harder than you expect in some ways, but way more rewarding than you thought possible. The city has this incredible energy that is growing and changing so fast, you feel like you’re part of something really exciting. Whether you’re here for career opportunities, to reconnect with your heritage, or just because you wanted an adventure, Bangalore delivers in ways that will surprise and delight you.
Sure, there are frustrations, with the traffic, the bureaucracy, the occasional power cuts. But most people who move to Bangalore end up staying longer than they originally planned. The opportunities keep expanding, the community of people from all over the world keeps growing, and once you figure out how it all works, life can be pretty amazing.
Go knowing you can trust Crown to make your move to Bangalore simple and hassle-free.
Call us on 0508 227 696, fill in our online quote request, or visit Crown Relocations NZ for more information.
Hi there, you’ve reached us outside of business hours. Please leave your name and number and we’ll be in touch with you soon.
Hi there, you’ve reached us outside of business hours. Please leave your name and number and we’ll be in touch with you soon.
