Domestic Relocation Grant
What is the Domestic Relocation Grant?
The Domestic Relocation Grant (DRG) is a new initiative designed to support early learning centres and schools to get qualified teachers to those places and in those subjects most needed. The DRG supplements the Overseas Relocation Grant and recognises that sourcing new teachers from overseas is currently challenging due to measures necessary to control the transmission of COVID-19.
If you are a teacher returning to or beginning teaching and if you move within New Zealand to fill a teaching vacancy, you may be eligible for reimbursement of up to $5,000 (GST inclusive) for actual incurred relocation costs (the New Zealand Inland Revenue Department defines the types of expenses that can be claimed).
Am I eligible?
You may be eligible if:
- The ECE you commence employment with is in a NZDep2018 decile D8, D9, or D10 location as per the Ministry of Health Deprivation Index; OR
- The school you commence employment with is a Decile 1, Decile 2, or Decile 3 New Zealand state or state-integrated school or is classified as a “hard to staff” state or state-integrated school; OR
- The position you fill is a STEM, te reo Māori or Māori Medium position.
Additionally, you:
- Must be a former or beginning teacher who is registered and certificated by the Teaching Council, and have not been teaching in any New Zealand ECE or school within the last 3 months before commencing employment in an ECE or school;
- Must be a teacher who has been residing in New Zealand but who moves at least 50 kms to take up a teaching role;
- Must have accepted an offer of employment from the ECE or school as a teacher (not a reliever, teacher aide or Limited Authority to Teach) on a full-time or part-time basis (either permanent or fixed-term) for at least 12 months.
Finally, you:
- Must apply after you commence employment in the ECE or school, and within 3 months of commencing employment in the ECE or school or before the 30th of April 2021 (whichever comes first).
How to apply?
We’ll be adding more information and an application form to this page shortly - watch this space for updates.