Auckland is New Zealand's biggest city yet feels compact: both universities sit right in the CBD, and everything downtown is walkable in under 45 minutes. You get a real academic choice, AUT's easier, well organised semester or UoA's globally ranked, tougher one, plus beaches, volcanoes and Hauraki Gulf islands right outside your door.

• AUT keeps the semester easygoing and well organised, while UoA carries real academic weight (top 70 worldwide on the QS ranking) and a heavier workload.
• Both campuses sit in the compact CBD, so beaches, parks and volcanoes are a short bus ride or walk away, not a whole day trip.
• This suits students who want to travel and improve their English more than party every night, Auckland's nightlife shuts down early.

Socialising happens in the halls of residence, not in lecture theatres full of strangers who come and go. AUT residents get weekly free food, karaoke and a Thursday bingo night at Miss Lucies; UoA students get 80 plus clubs, the SASS society and a local 'Buddy' mentor. Joining a local sports club, not just a university one, is the fastest way to actually meet Kiwis.

• Book a hall of residence and request an international flatmate group, that is where the friendships actually form, not in lecture halls.
• Join the Studcasa Auckland group before you arrive to compare AUT and UoA residences and swap contacts ahead of orientation week.
• Sign up for a local club outside university, like rugby at College Rifles or Eden Rugby, it is the real way to meet Kiwis.

Day to day costs land close to France overall, with pricier rent, alcohol and dairy but cheaper petrol and chicken. Watch for hidden fees: many shops add a 0.5 to 2.5 percent card surcharge, and ATMs charge a flat 3 NZD (BNZ machines are free). Most exchange students keep a French phone plan instead of a pricey local SIM.

• The Free plan from France (about 20 euros a month for 25 to 35 GB) works fine in New Zealand and is what almost every exchange student ends up using.
• Carry some cash, card surcharges of 0.5 to 2.5 percent and flat 3 NZD ATM fees add up fast, BNZ machines are free.
• Shop at Pak'nSave for the cheapest groceries and grab a free Woolworths loyalty card, skip New World if you are on a budget.

Renting privately from France is nearly impossible without a local phone number and email, so almost everyone books an official residence instead. AUT students choose between WSA (shared flats by the City Campus) and UniLodge Mayoral Drive (private studios, minus a 2,000 NZD AUT discount); UoA students go through Carlaw Park Student Village or Te Tirohanga near Queen Street.

• WSA runs about 6,500 NZD (roughly 3,700 euros) a semester in a five person flat, tick the international flatmate box when you apply.
• UniLodge Mayoral Drive costs about 450 to 468 NZD a week, but AUT students get a 2,000 NZD discount and there is no deposit.
• UoA's Carlaw Park Student Village runs 320 to 330 NZD a week and takes most internationals, apply through the university's own accommodation portal early.

Buses do not sell tickets on board, so get an AT Hop card early (convenience stores or the airport) and top it up on the AT Mobile app. Tag on and off every ride, distance based fares run 1 to 5 NZD, and remember to activate the tertiary student discount. The CBD itself is entirely walkable, just hilly, Auckland sits on old volcanoes.

• Get an AT Hop card as soon as you land, buses will not sell tickets on board and fares are calculated by distance.
• Activate your tertiary concession discount on the AT Mobile app, it is not automatic and easy to forget.
• Expect public transport to feel patchy outside the centre, a car becomes necessary the moment you want to leave Auckland itself.

Both universities run four courses per semester with surprisingly few contact hours, 8 to 15 a week, so most learning happens independently. AUT is widely seen as the easier, more accommodating option, with assignment based grading that lets you finish early and travel. UoA is prestigious (top 70 worldwide) but its final exams are much harder than the midterms suggest, so keep working steadily.

• At AUT, pick assignment based courses over test based ones when you can, it lets you finish coursework early and travel more.
• At UoA, do not relax after easy midterms, the final exams are notoriously much harder, keep studying steadily through the semester.

For a single exchange semester, students choose between the Fee Paying Student Visa, which does not allow work, and the Working Holiday Visa (WHV), which allows work but can only be used once in a lifetime. Both are handled entirely online through a RealMe account and Immigration New Zealand, no embassy visit needed, and take about 1.5 to 3 hours to fill in. Processing time varies wildly, from 2 weeks to 2 to 3 months, so applying about 3 months ahead is safer. Visa fees have risen noticeably between 2024 and 2025 and should be checked directly on immigration.govt.nz before applying.

• Student visa costs around 430 NZD (about 250 euros) but fees climbed further in 2025, always double check the current amount on immigration.govt.nz.
• Required documents include a bank guarantee letter written in English, a passport valid at least 6 months after the application, a clean criminal record, and a photo meeting strict pixel and no jewellery rules.
• A student visa lets you stay in the country for one extra month after the semester ends, useful for a final trip.
• If transiting through the United States, an ESTA (21 dollars) is mandatory even for a few hours layover; routing through Asia or the Middle East (Singapore, Seoul, Dubai, Doha) avoids the risk of a denied boarding.

Local food culture is thin, think fish and chips, meat pies and sausage sizzles, but the city's strong Asian influence means excellent, often cheap Chinese, Korean and Japanese restaurants. Kiwis eat dinner early, around 6pm, and most restaurants and cafes close by 8 or 9pm. Cooking at home, especially with meat and chicken, stays the cheapest option.

• Eat out at Asian restaurants when you do not want to cook, they are often cheaper than making the same meal yourself.
• Plan dinner earlier than you are used to, most restaurants close by 8 or 9pm, unlike in France.
• Expect dairy, cheese and cold cuts to disappoint and cost more, meat and chicken are the better value groceries.

The CBD around Queen Street holds both universities and every residence, lively on weekends and quiet on weeknights. Ponsonby is the go to strip for bars and good restaurants, K Road leans alternative but is not one to walk alone late at night. Parnell and Newmarket suit a quieter, residential feel near the UoA halls, with Auckland Domain and Albert Park as the nearby green spaces.

• Head to Ponsonby for the best bars and restaurants, it is the liveliest strip most weekends.
• Avoid K Road alone late at night, it is fine earlier but leans more alternative and isolated after dark.
• Base yourself near Parnell or Newmarket if you want a quieter, more residential feel close to the UoA halls.

Weekend trips across the North Island are easy in one to three hours: Coromandel's Hot Water Beach, Rotorua's geothermal pools, the Tongariro Crossing and Hobbiton all fit into a long weekend. Ferries reach Waiheke and Rangitoto in under an hour. The real highlight is the two week April break, when almost everyone vans down the South Island, Lake Tekapo and Milford Sound included.

• Save money and hassle on the van rental by booking through Transfercar or comparing prices on MotorHome Republic before the April break.
• Use the two week April break for a South Island van trip, budget about 1,100 euros per person for the full two weeks.
• Take a short ferry to Waiheke or Rangitoto for an easy half day escape without leaving the Auckland region.

Arrive in early February, before orientation week, to catch the last of summer and settle in before classes start. Sort your international driving permit 6 months ahead in France, rental car insurance excess can run into the thousands if you skip full cover. Claim back your AUT imposed insurance once Chapka is sorted, and above all, do not just stick with other French students.

• Get your international driving permit sorted 6 months ahead in France, translating one locally later costs 35 to 60 NZD and takes a day.
• Take the full insurance option on any rental car, the excess without it can run into thousands of euros after an accident.
• Do not stay only with other French students, reaching out to a past exchange student before you leave is the most repeated advice in every report.