General

When visiting someone's home for the first time, ask if you should remove your shoes.

Queueing (getting in line) is polite in stores, post offices, banks, public transport stops and entertainment venues. It is rude to cut in ahead of others.

In stores, bars, pubs and restaurants use 'please' and 'thank you' frequently, e.g. when asking an assistant/server a question, when placing an order (e.g. 'two glasses of beer please'), or when offering or asking for an item to the assistant/server you wish to buy (i.e. "this/these please"). When being handed change say 'thank you' and when about to leave say 'thank you'.

Table manners are similar to the United Kingdom. Do not put your elbows on the table, do not burp, ask for shared food items to be passed to you if they are out of reach, etc.

Do not ask others what their income is and do not talk about your own.

Money, sex and religion are not suitable topics for conversation in public places including bars, pubs and restaurants.

Do not ask a newly introduced person overtly personal questions or disclose too many personal facts of your own. New Zealanders are reserved, modest people and prefer to learn about others over time.

Do not say or imply that the way your country does something is better than the way New Zealanders do it, especially if you only visiting. If you are pressed to comment on an issue be sure to make clear at the outset you understand you are "just a guest/visitor and this is only my humble opinion." New Zealanders would not openly criticise your country on your home soil unless invited to and in return do not expect you to criticise theirs on their home soil.

Do not criticise someone's home.

The majority of New Zealanders are an easy-going, relaxed people and do not appreciate aggressive, pushy, loud, impolite or arrogant people.

Relax, be polite, be modest, speak softly and you will get along fine.

Language

Be polite. Use 'please' and 'thank you' frequently.

You may hear people swearing in public but most New Zealanders think this is offensive and think less of the people doing it. Swear privately or with friends but not in public places.

Keep your voice down. Talking loudly so everyone can hear your conversation is bad manners.

Sheep related humour is likely to bring derision from the majority of New Zealanders, who see this stereotype at once clichéd and offensive, and it should thus be avoided. Although in relaxed social situations a certain amount of banter will be engaged in, it is advisable to wait until you know people well, as in any culture, before engaging in such humour.

The term "dairy" refers to a convenience store, not a cow farm.

It is rude to try to get someone's attention by saying "Oi!" or whistling, especially in bars/pubs and restaurants.

Maori

Correct pronunciation of Māori words and place-names, and the word "Māori" itself, is often important to Māori, although usually less so to non-Māori.

It is incorrect to pluralise "Māori" by adding an "s", as the word is used in both the singular and plural.

While technically incorrect to use the word "māori" in referring to the Māori language, (it is more properly called te reo, "the language"), it is socially acceptable to use it for both the people and the spoken language.

Sitting on or resting one's backside against a table or desk can offend Māori. A table is where food is served and should not be touched by the "unclean” regions. Similarly, you should not sit on a pillow - the head is tapu (sacred), and pillows are for resting heads only.

Shoes should always be removed before entering a Māori sacred building, such as a marae.

Driving

As many of New Zealand's roads, including state highways outside of metropolitan areas, can be winding and narrow (often both), it is polite when a vehicle (i.e. a truck and trailer, a caravan, or a generally slower vehicle) pulls left to allow you to pass to offer two brief toots of your vehicle's horn. Be cautious of using your horn within metropolitan areas for reasons other than as a "warning device" (as this is technically against the law, but rarely enforced), and do not sound just a single toot or any that are long-in-duration as this may send a message of unappreciation. Also, use discretion in taking up a passing opportunity offered in this way as road width and traffic volumes can be unpredictable.

The car horn is not used very often, only in emergency, or when extremely aggravated.

Tipping

Tipping is seen as a foreign custom and sometimes as patronising; service is included in what you pay for. It remains fairly rare even in the main centres and should never be considered compulsory. Some cafés have "tip jars" for loose change at the counter, but putting coins in the jar is the exception rather than the rule. It has long been customary to tell taxi drivers or food delivery people to "keep the change", although taxi drivers are equally likely to round a fare down.

With the exception of cafes, bars, restaurants, taxi drivers and food delivery people tipping is virtually non-existent. If staff request a tip it is considered grounds for complaint by the customer.