Working holiday vehicle rental

Are you thinking about coming to New Zealand on a working holiday? NZ is a great place to earn money and get some overseas work experience while you travel and see the sights around the country. 

Working Holiday Visas are generally open to those aged 18-30 years, although they’re available for up to 35 years old from some countries. They are valid for up to 12 months, or 23 months if you’re visiting from the UK or Canada. Travelling around New Zealand on a working holiday is a great way to meet locals and experience local life. You can work in any job, as long as it’s not a permanent role.

There are working holiday opportunities available all around New Zealand. There is year-round demand in the hospitality sector in larger cities like Auckland, Wellington, and Christchurch and visitor hotspots like Queenstown and Wanaka.

If the idea of working outdoors appeals to you, seasonal fruit picking is a good option. Fruit picking jobs are available in the Bay of Plenty, Hawke’s Bay and Nelson, while you can find vineyard opportunities in the Hawke’s Bay, Marlborough, and Central Otago.

If you plot these places on a map, you’ll see that they are spread all across the country. This means you ideally need some regular and reliable form of transport to take you from place to place. The idea of a working holiday is that you use your time off to see the country, so a dependable vehicle is recommended.

If you’re a visitor on a Working Holiday Visa looking for a reliable and cost-effective long-term vehicle rental, Lease2Go has the perfect car for you. Our flexible and stress-free service includes an easy-to-navigate online application system that lets you quickly and easily evaluate contract length options, so you can decide on the perfect vehicle lease package for your working holiday.

We have a wide range of late-model vehicles and you can drive away with complete peace of mind, knowing we are just a phone call away if anything happens. Best of all, you don’t have to stump up several thousand dollars upfront for a dodgy second-hand car that you have to try and on-sell later.

We take care of every long-term vehicle rental detail, including registration, WOF, maintenance, and mechanical warranty, so you don’t have to. Our helpful on-site Auckland and Christchurch staff are available to answer any questions and make your time in New Zealand as stress-free as possible, so you can relax and enjoy your working holiday experience!

Lease2Go replaces high-fee short-term rental contracts with the certainty of a reliable, long-term lease. Our contracts provide a fixed price, with no booking fees or hidden costs. We offer you a new or near-new low-mileage car without you having to spend a fortune. You also don’t have to worry about upkeep costs or fear getting locked into a long-term commitment. 

With Lease2Go, you can lease a modern, reliable, and comfortable vehicle for as long as you want, while you enjoy the benefits of a full mechanical warranty, maintenance, and scheduled services.

As part of your planning for your New Zealand working holiday, get in touch with Lease2Go and secure your long-term vehicle – it will be here ready and waiting when you arrive!

Payment, driver’s licences, and vehicle insurance

Lease2Go offers a flexible payment system, that lets you pay weekly or monthly, interest-free. We accept Visa, Mastercard, and American Express (Amex). Please note that if you wish to pay by Visa or MasterCard credit card there is a 3% surcharge and if you wish to pay with Amex there is a 5% surcharge. There are no fees for paying in cash. 

We also accept payment via WeChat or Alipay, which will incur a 2% fee. Please note that we don’t issue refunds if you return your car earlier than the contracted date.

Lease2Go accepts most overseas driver’s licences, and the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) permits holders of a foreign licence to drive here for up to 12 months. If you don’t have an international licence and your licence isn’t in English, you must carry an English translator. Visit Licence Translations to get your licence approved by an approved translator.

We also accept New Zealand restricted licences but require a NZ$500 refundable bond upfront. If you hold a student visa, we require upfront payment in full.

Insurance is an important part of hiring a car and we advise you to purchase comprehensive insurance for your leased vehicle. You can arrange this yourself, or a member of our team can help. The cost varies according to the provider but, if you are over 25 years old and hold a full New Zealand driver’s licence, expect the costs to be around NZ$500 a year, with a $400 excess.

When leasing a vehicle from Lease2Go, you agree to not exceed the kilometre limit of 7,500km for a 6-month lease term and 15,000km for a 12-month lease. If this limit is exceeded for petrol vehicles, there is a 9c surcharge per kilometre and a 19c surcharge per kilometre for hybrid vehicles. Along with these restrictions, we ask you to not smoke in your rented vehicle, to keep our vehicles in premium condition.

We recommend you consult our Wear & Tear Policy to inform yourself of the expected returned condition of the vehicle. If the car is returned damaged, we will assess the damage and quote to return it to its original condition.