Dear Visitor,  

As Ambassador I have the pleasure of welcoming you to the website of the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Wellington.

This website is designed to inform New Zealanders, Dutch nationals living in New Zealand and Dutch visitors, or indeed anyone coming to New Zealand, about a large range of subjects, including the history of the Netherlands; doing business in New Zealand; Dutch events in New Zealand; and the enduring links between the two nations. The historical links between New Zealand and the Netherlands go back a long way, starting with the discovery of New Zealand by Abel Tasman in 1643. This country bears the name of one of the provinces in the Netherlands – 'Zealand', and a large number of Dutch immigrants have come here since the 1950’s.

Although New Zealand is far from Europe, countless Dutch business people, tourists and students take the trouble of booking the long voyage. Invariably, they find their stay in New Zealand well worth the journey. In particular, they enjoy the wonderful beauty of the countryside and the friendly helpfulness of the people of New Zealand.

As Ambassador I am also accredited to Samoa, the Kingdom of Tonga, Fiji and Kiribati. Furthermore the Embassy takes care of Dutch consular matters in a number of other islands in this part of the Pacific Ocean. Please feel free to get in touch with us at the Embassy if you need more information. You will find our contact details on the website.

I hope that you find the website interesting and informative.

Annelies Boogaerdt

Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands