New Zealand's Employment Relations Act deals directly with triangular employment. In an EOR arrangement you direct the work, so you are a controlling third party, and you can be joined to an employee's personal grievance and ordered to pay a share of the remedies.
Statutory employer costs are low: the KiwiSaver employer contribution, the ACC work levy and the Working Safer levy. The best EOR for New Zealand follows a fair process on dismissal and redundancy and is clear about how a grievance would be handled between you.
EOR services in New Zealand at a glance
- The 5 providers shortlisted here publish starting fees of US$199–699 per employee per month (about NZ$400–NZ$1,200 at the US Treasury rate of 30 September 2026).
- Mandatory employer costs add about 4% on top of a salary of NZ$95,000.
- Key issue: A client directing the work can be joined to an employee's personal grievance.
- Hiring a team? Compare EOR fees with running your own New Zealand company or branch in the EOR vs entity calculator.
- 1
Grievances and your liability
Ask how the provider would handle a personal grievance, and what the service agreement says about your share of any award if you're joined as a controlling third party.
- 2
Fair process
Dismissals and redundancies must be justifiable and follow a fair process. Ask what process the provider follows and how it involves you.
- 3
Trial periods and notice
A written trial period of up to 90 days is allowed for a new employee, and notice is set by the agreement. Ask what the provider's contracts include.
- 4
KiwiSaver and ACC
Check the employer's KiwiSaver contribution, the ACC work levy and the Working Safer levy are itemised.
- Get a quote
Deel
From US$599 / employee / month (about NZ$1,100)
Published EOR price from US$599 a month; ask how it handles personal grievances.
- Contract length:
- Month-to-month, with no long-term commitment required.
- Cancellation:
- Cancel at any time; for EOR employees, local labour law on notice and severance still applies.
- Other fees:
- Deel says local compliance, payroll and benefits administration are included in the quoted price, with no hidden fees.
Delivery model in New Zealand: Confirm with provider. Deel pricing, fees and terms
- Get a quoteAffiliate link
Remote
From US$599 / employee / month (about NZ$1,100)
States an owned-entity model; ask about its dismissal process.
- Setup and onboarding fees:
- None. The Remote Platform is included at no extra cost on every plan.
- Deposit:
- No standard deposit or deposit fee. In certain circumstances Remote may require a refundable reserve, confirmed during onboarding before payment is due.
- Currency exchange:
- Remote sets one FX rate for each monthly billing cycle, shows it on the invoice and keeps it locked for the cycle.
Delivery model in New Zealand: Owned entities (provider's stated model). Remote pricing, fees and terms
- Get a quote
Oyster
From US$699 / employee / month (about NZ$1,200)
Publishes a New Zealand EOR page and its EOR price.
- Setup, onboarding and offboarding fees:
- None: Oyster says these are included in the subscription fee.
- Deposit:
- Oyster requires a refundable deposit for EOR team members to start the engagement.
- Currency exchange:
- A conversion fee applies only if you pay in a currency different from the contract currency. You can pay in USD, EUR, GBP or CAD.
Delivery model in New Zealand: Confirm with provider. Oyster pricing, fees and terms
- Get a quote
Playroll
From US$399 / employee / month (about NZ$700)
Lower published starting price; check what it includes in New Zealand.
- Onboarding and offboarding fees:
- None.
- Deposit:
- A fully refundable security deposit equal to one month's salary when you onboard an employee.
- Minimum commitment:
- No minimum commitment and no minimum number of employees.
Delivery model in New Zealand: Confirm with provider. Playroll pricing, fees and terms
- Get a quote
RemoFirst
From US$199 / employee / month (about NZ$400)
Lowest published starting price; ask what it includes in New Zealand.
- Setup, onboarding and termination fees:
- None.
- Contract terms:
- No annual contracts and no minimum number of employees.
- Country pricing:
- The fee starts at US$199 and may vary with local requirements; RemoFirst says it gives a full cost breakdown before you commit.
Delivery model in New Zealand: Confirm with provider. RemoFirst pricing, fees and terms
For a NZ$95,000 salary, mandatory employer costs add about NZ$3,544 a year. With an EOR fee of NZ$1,061 a month, the total is roughly NZ$111,276 a year (1.17× salary). Every employer contribution is broken down in cost to hire an employee in New Zealand, and you can run your own numbers in the New Zealand cost estimator.
| Team at NZ$95,000 each | Salaries, employer costs and EOR fees a year |
|---|---|
| 1 employee | NZ$111,276 (about US$62,800) |
| 5 employees | NZ$556,378 (about US$314,200) |
| 25 employees | NZ$2,781,888 (about US$1,570,800) |
At some headcount, running your own New Zealand company or branch costs less than the EOR fees. Find yours with the EOR vs entity calculator.
Before you request quotes, read the full Employer of Record in New Zealand guide for contribution rates, employment rules and official sources.
What is the best EOR for New Zealand?
How much does an EOR cost in New Zealand?
Can the client be liable in a New Zealand EOR arrangement?
Related research
- EOR in New Zealand: full guideCosts, rules, providers and official sources.
- New Zealand employer rates and thresholdsEvery employer rate and threshold on one page, with official sources.
- Cost to hire in New ZealandEmployer costs at four salary levels, explained line by line.
- Deel vs RemoteThe two best-known EOR platforms, with similar headline prices. The real differences are in how they employ people locally and how much of the wider HR stack you want from one vendor.
- Deel vs OysterA broad workforce platform versus a provider built around small and mid-sized distributed teams. Here's how their published pricing and positioning compare.
- How EOR pricing worksFees, deposits and hidden costs to check in every quote.