# Is there any way to get a NZ phone number from here in the US



## Brythonic (Jul 1, 2014)

Hello,

Long time lurker, first time poster. I wasn't ever sure I would make an account because almost all of my questions had been asked before and answered better than I would have hoped.

We currently live in the US, but my wife already has a job lined up in NZ in November. We plan on visiting in August, checking out the area we're moving to, looking at places to live, and complaining about the cost of things. I would like to have a couple of interviews lined up, but know that not having a NZ phone number is really lowering my chances. 

I've done all of the Googling I can trying to find a way to get a NZ from here in the States. Barring bribing someone in NZ to send me a phone or SIM card, I'm not sure if it's possible, but thought I would turn to the experts here for any tricks I've missed. 

Does anyone have a way of getting an active NZ phone/SIM/number from overseas?

Thank you,

Brian


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## suslik (Jul 20, 2012)

You could do it through Skype.

https://support.skype.com/en/faq/FA331/what-is-a-skype-number


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## Brythonic (Jul 1, 2014)

suslik said:


> You could do it through Skype.


Edit: Woah, I should have looked at your link more closely before posting my first reply. Why didn't I find that by Googling?!?! Have you done this? Does it work well? Can people in NZ identify these as not actually local? Can I use it to set up things like a bank account (we will have an address in August) or utilities?


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## Brythonic (Jul 1, 2014)

Brythonic said:


> Edit: Woah, I should have looked at your link more closely before posting my first reply. Why didn't I find that by Googling?!?! Have you done this? Does it work well? Can people in NZ identify these as not actually local? Can I use it to set up things like a bank account (we will have an address in August) or utilities?


Also, how common is it for someone to have an area code from another area. Say, if I were to get a 4 area code for Wellington, but we lived in the 3 area code in Christchurch?


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## suslik (Jul 20, 2012)

Brythonic said:


> Edit: Woah, I should have looked at your link more closely before posting my first reply. Why didn't I find that by Googling?!?! Have you done this? Does it work well? Can people in NZ identify these as not actually local? Can I use it to set up things like a bank account (we will have an address in August) or utilities?


The quality of connection depends on the quality of your internet connection, and on what sort of microphone you use. It may sound "tinny" on the other end if you have a crappy, little microphone, or "echoy" if you're using speakers rather than headphones because then the other end would hear themselves back. Basically, it'll sound the same as it would through regular Skype - if the connection is good, and your microphone is good, it sounds fine. Radio New Zealand, for example, often use Skype for their live interviews.

As to utilities and banking, I don't know. I don't see why not? I set up mine onto a mobile phone number, so it's not like they needed me to have a landline anyway... They might, however, ask for proof of address.

Edited to add: callers can't identify these as Skype numbers by the number itself, no. It looks like any other landline number.


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## escapedtonz (Apr 6, 2012)

Brythonic said:


> Hello, Long time lurker, first time poster. I wasn't ever sure I would make an account because almost all of my questions had been asked before and answered better than I would have hoped. We currently live in the US, but my wife already has a job lined up in NZ in November. We plan on visiting in August, checking out the area we're moving to, looking at places to live, and complaining about the cost of things. I would like to have a couple of interviews lined up, but know that not having a NZ phone number is really lowering my chances. I've done all of the Googling I can trying to find a way to get a NZ from here in the States. Barring bribing someone in NZ to send me a phone or SIM card, I'm not sure if it's possible, but thought I would turn to the experts here for any tricks I've missed. Does anyone have a way of getting an active NZ phone/SIM/number from overseas? Thank you, Brian


Try here.

http://www.newzealandsimcard.com

We bought two 2degrees pay as you go SIM cards from this online shop a couple of months before we arrived in NZ. They were posted to us in the UK so we could register them and have the numbers to give family and friends before we even left. Cost $35 for two delivered to the UK and each had around $10 credit.
They were already set up for international roaming so we could have used them straight away in the UK if we'd wanted.
Never had any problems with them.
As soon as we landed in Auckland we just swapped SIM cards and they worked straight away. Still use the same numbers and SIM cards now although we transferred them to Pay Monthly after a few weeks.

Don't understand how not having an NZ number is lowering your chances of a job ?

Sent from my iPad using ExpatForum


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## Kimbella (Jul 4, 2013)

Brythonic said:


> Hello,
> 
> Long time lurker, first time poster. I wasn't ever sure I would make an account because almost all of my questions had been asked before and answered better than I would have hoped.
> 
> ...


I used to have a NZ number in California for my kiwi boyfriend to call me on (rang on my regular house-line). It was through Vonage, it was called a "virtual number" -- it was a local NZ number they called, so the only cost to them was local as well. Check out Vonage's website for more info, as I don't remember the price or plan details... 

Best of luck!


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## Brythonic (Jul 1, 2014)

Thank you for all of the responses! 

I like the idea of having a number that we can keep with our phones when we move more than trying to continue the wifi calling of Skype. But I'm curious, the couple of the websites say that you are emailed your new phone number within 24 hours. Does that mean you can set up your voice mail or do you have to wait until we land to activate that feature?


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## escapedtonz (Apr 6, 2012)

Brythonic said:


> Thank you for all of the responses!
> 
> I like the idea of having a number that we can keep with our phones when we move more than trying to continue the wifi calling of Skype. But I'm curious, the couple of the websites say that you are emailed your new phone number within 24 hours. Does that mean you can set up your voice mail or do you have to wait until we land to activate that feature?


We set up our NZ mobile accounts, voicemail etc as soon as we received the SIM cards and whilst still in the UK.


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## Brythonic (Jul 1, 2014)

escapedtonz said:


> We set up our NZ mobile accounts, voicemail etc as soon as we received the SIM cards and whilst still in the UK.


Were you able to check it from your UK phones and how did you know if you had a voicemail?


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## escapedtonz (Apr 6, 2012)

Brythonic said:


> Were you able to check it from your UK phones and how did you know if you had a voicemail?


We set it up, but didn't need to check it as we wouldn't have had any voicemail since no-one other than friends / family had our NZ numbers and they all knew when we were travelling.
I suppose all you would need to do after setting it all up would be to insert the SIM into a phone and turn it on, then either wait for the notification or dial the voicemail number.
You could just buy a cheap phone in your home country and after registration, insert the SIM from NZ, set up the required notifications and use it in roaming mode until you get here. All the networks have online account management and access so shouldn't be any issues topping up credit etc.


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