We want to bring a foreign investor into our company
Favorite
  • Home
  • Questions
  • We want to bring a foreign investor into our company

We want to bring a foreign investor into our company

1 answer

Answer to the question

0
0
0

10.07.2026

An overseas investor has offered to buy a stake in our New Zealand company. I do not know whether there are restrictions on foreign ownership or approvals needed. What should we be thinking about before we agree?

Site Administration
14.07.2026
reply date: 14.07.2026

Most business investments by overseas persons do not need approval, but the Overseas Investment Act 2005 requires consent for certain transactions, including acquiring significant business assets above specified value thresholds, sensitive land such as farmland or land near the coast, and in some cases investments in strategically important businesses. Thresholds and requirements differ by investor nationality, and free trade agreements can alter them. Also check tax consequences, exchange control is not an issue in New Zealand, and consider how to document the investment through a subscription agreement and a shareholders' agreement. Do your own due diligence on the investor and make sure the company remains compliant, including any requirement to have a New Zealand resident director. Get advice on the thresholds before signing.

Select the city below to get to the lawyers on this topic.:

Похожие вопросы

Show all

My business partner and I are drifting apart, do we need an agreement?

1 answer
19.08.2026
We started a small company together with equal shareholdings and no written agreement beyond the constitution template. Now we disagree about direction and I worry about what happens if one of us wants out. Would a shareholders' agreement help now, and what should it cover?
0
0
0

What legal duties do I have as a company director?

1 answer
05.07.2026
I recently became a director of a family-run company and did not realise it came with legal obligations of its own. Nobody explained what I am personally responsible for. What are the main duties of a director in New Zealand, and can I be held personally liable?
0
0
0

Do we have to register our club or society under the new rules?

1 answer
27.07.2026
I chair a community sports club that is an incorporated society. Members mention that a new law requires us to update our rules and re-register. What has changed and what happens if we do not comply? I am not sure where to start or who I should be contacting about this.
0
0
0

Should I set up a company or stay a sole trader?

1 answer
22.07.2026
I have been freelancing as a sole trader for a couple of years and my income is growing. An accountant friend suggests incorporating, but I am worried about paperwork and cost. What are the real legal differences between a sole trader and a limited liability company in New Zealand?
0
0
0

A supplier is threatening to sue over a contract we never signed

1 answer
27.08.2026
A supplier says we agreed to buy stock for the year based on email exchanges and a verbal chat with our manager. We never signed anything formal. They are now claiming a large sum for goods we did not take. Can a contract exist without a signed document?
0
0
0

Selling my company shares to a relative, are there restrictions?

1 answer
19.07.2026
I own shares in a family company and want to transfer some to my sister. The constitution seems to say something about the board approving transfers. Can the company refuse, and what paperwork is needed to complete the transfer properly?
0
0
0

Minority shareholder feels squeezed out by the majority

1 answer
01.07.2026
I hold a minority shareholding in a private company and the majority shareholders have stopped paying dividends and stopped giving me information, while awarding themselves generous salaries. I feel pushed out. Do minority shareholders have any legal protection?
0
0
0
Show all