Quick answerUpdated 2026-10-26
New Zealand suits you if you rank speed (WHV, 0–1 months) and a clearer route to permanent residency first. Thailand suits you if you rank the lowest entry fee (Non-B, $147) first. Which is right depends on your nationality, profession, savings, and whether you have a job offer. The free quiz scores your profile against every route in both countries.
Section 01
New Zealand vs Thailand: how do they compare for immigration?
| Measure | New Zealand | Thailand |
|---|---|---|
| Open visa routes tracked | 5 | 5 |
| Routes by type | 3 skilled worker, 1 entrepreneur, 1 working holiday | 3 digital nomad, 2 skilled worker |
| Fastest published processing | WHV, 0–1 months | LTR (WFTP), 1–3 months |
| Published processing time range | 0–18 months | 1–3 months |
| Cheapest route fee | WHV, $440 | Non-B, $147 |
| Government fee range | $440 to $16,400 | $147 to $19,100 |
| Lowest tracked salary floor | STR, NZD 35/hr (≈ $41,573/yr) (the 2025 median wage, applied only when no wage rate is specified for your Green List Tier 1 job) | LTR (WFTP), USD 40,000/yr (≈ $40,000/yr) (USD 40,000 to 80,000 with additional proof: a master's degree or higher in science and technology, or ownership of IP or Series A funding) |
| Published fixed permit length range | 1 year to 5 years | 1 year to 10 years |
| Path to PR | 4 routes, direct | 1 route, quickest about 3 yrs |
| No job offer needed | 2 of 5 | 2 of 5 |
| Language test required | 2 of 5, 1 not stated | 0 of 5 |
| Points-based option | Yes | No |
Aggregated from every New Zealand and Thailand visa Transita tracks. Fees are official government amounts in USD and exclude legal, translation, and relocation costs. Salary floors and points marks belong to different visa types, so read them as the lowest tracked figure, not a like-for-like score. A row is left out when either country has no published figure for it.
Key differences between New Zealand and Thailand
- Speed: New Zealand's fastest published route (WHV) takes 0–1 months, against 1–3 months for Thailand's (LTR (WFTP)).
- Fees: Thailand's cheapest tracked route (Non-B) costs $147 in government fees, against $440 for New Zealand's (WHV).
- Permanent residency: New Zealand has 4 tracked PR routes, Thailand has 1.
- Income: the lowest tracked salary floor is LTR (WFTP) for Thailand (USD 40,000/yr (≈ $40,000/yr) (USD 40,000 to 80,000 with additional proof: a master's degree or higher in science and technology, or ownership of IP or Series A funding)) and STR for New Zealand (NZD 35/hr (≈ $41,573/yr) (the 2025 median wage, applied only when no wage rate is specified for your Green List Tier 1 job)). These are different visa types, so check the one you would apply for.
- Stay length: Thailand's longest published fixed term is 10 years, New Zealand's 5 years.
- Points: only New Zealand has a tracked points-based route.
Section 02
Common questions
- Is it easier to get a visa for New Zealand or Thailand?
- New Zealand and Thailand are similar on access: 2 of 5 New Zealand routes and 2 of 5 Thailand routes can be started without a job offer. Which is easier comes down to your profession, points, and nationality rather than the country itself.
- Which country gives a faster visa, New Zealand or Thailand?
- New Zealand has the faster headline route: its WHV processes in about 0–1 months, versus 1–3 months for Thailand's quickest route (the LTR (WFTP)). Real timelines depend on caseload and how complete your application is.
- Which has easier permanent residency, New Zealand or Thailand?
- New Zealand has 4 PR routes, including a direct-PR option, while Thailand's quickest PR route takes about 3 years (1 PR route). On paper New Zealand offers the clearer route to permanent residency, but eligibility for the underlying visa decides your real odds. Not every applicant qualifies for the fastest path.
- Is it cheaper to immigrate to New Zealand or Thailand?
- Thailand has the cheaper entry point: its Non-B costs about $147 in official fees, versus $440 for New Zealand's cheapest route (the WHV). Both are government fees only. Legal, translation, and relocation costs usually dwarf them.
- Which country is better to settle in, New Zealand or Thailand?
- For long-term settlement, permanent residency is the deciding factor: New Zealand has 4 PR routes, including a direct-PR option, and Thailand's quickest PR route takes about 3 years (1 PR route). New Zealand has the clearer permanent-residency pathway on paper, but the "better" country to settle in depends on your job prospects, family, language, and where you'd actually want to live. The free quiz scores your specific profile against every route in both.
- What income do New Zealand and Thailand visas require?
- The lowest salary floor Transita tracks is NZD 35/hr (≈ $41,573/yr) (the 2025 median wage, applied only when no wage rate is specified for your Green List Tier 1 job) for New Zealand's STR and USD 40,000/yr (≈ $40,000/yr) (USD 40,000 to 80,000 with additional proof: a master's degree or higher in science and technology, or ownership of IP or Series A funding) for Thailand's LTR (WFTP). Floors differ by visa type and occupation, so read the threshold on the route you would use.
- How long can you stay on a New Zealand or Thailand visa?
- New Zealand routes grant 1 year to 5 years and Thailand routes grant 1 year to 10 years, depending on the visa. Routes whose source gives no fixed length are left out of these ranges.
- Where do these New Zealand and Thailand figures come from?
- The headline figures named on this page (fastest, cheapest, quickest PR, salary and points marks) come from these official government pages, one per claim. Ranges and counts summarise every open route Transita tracks. New Zealand: WHV fastest route (immigration.govt.nz, checked 2026-10-26); WHV lowest fee (immigration.govt.nz, checked 2026-10-26); STR quickest PR timeline (immigration.govt.nz, checked 2026-09-18); STR lowest salary floor (immigration.govt.nz, checked 2026-09-18); SMC lowest points mark (immigration.govt.nz, checked 2026-06-10). Thailand: LTR (WFTP) fastest route (ltr.boi.go.th, checked 2026-09-18); Non-B lowest fee (mfa.go.th, checked 2026-08-06); Non-B quickest PR timeline (mfa.go.th, checked 2026-08-06); LTR (WFTP) lowest salary floor (ltr.boi.go.th, checked 2026-09-18).
Official sources
Every route named above links to the government page it was read from. The oldest check among them is 2026-06-10.
- New Zealand: WHV fastest route · immigration.govt.nz (checked 2026-10-26) · WHV lowest fee · immigration.govt.nz (checked 2026-10-26) · STR quickest PR timeline · immigration.govt.nz (checked 2026-09-18) · STR lowest salary floor · immigration.govt.nz (checked 2026-09-18) · SMC lowest points mark · immigration.govt.nz (checked 2026-06-10)
- Thailand: LTR (WFTP) fastest route · ltr.boi.go.th (checked 2026-09-18) · Non-B lowest fee · mfa.go.th (checked 2026-08-06) · Non-B quickest PR timeline · mfa.go.th (checked 2026-08-06) · LTR (WFTP) lowest salary floor · ltr.boi.go.th (checked 2026-09-18)
Section 03
Explore each country
Further reading
New Zealand
NZ Skilled Migrant Category 2026: 6 Points Explained
Read the guide Singapore · Canada · France · Ireland · Netherlands · New Zealand · Australia · United Kingdom · Germany · Thailand · Italy · Portugal · Spain · Switzerland · United States · United Arab EmiratesThe Easiest Countries to Get Citizenship in 2026: Ranked by Years, Language Bar and Descent
Read the guide New ZealandAccredited Employer Work Visa NZ 2026: Fees & Rules
Read the guide New Zealand · United Kingdom · United Arab Emirates · United States · ThailandCitizenship by Investment in 2026: What Investor Visas Actually Lead To
Read the guideNew Zealand or Thailand, which fits you?
Your workspace scores your profile against every New Zealand and Thailand route (and 60+ others) and shows which is the best fit, with the why. Answer 8 questions to set up your free workspace. You see which routes you appear to qualify for, what may block each one and the official page to check.
Build my workspaceThe workspace is free. The optional $9 plan adds the document checklist for each route with its costs and lead times, the gaps between your profile and each route, and a suggested filing order. Fees are estimates. General information, not legal advice.