The British High Commission in Wellington has been temporarily closed because of damage from last week's big earthquake.

The closure came after engineers inspected the building at 44 Hill Street in Thorndon on Monday.

High Commissioner Jonathan Sinclair said the building will be shut until further notice for safety reasons.

"All of our staff will be working around the temporary closure to provide the best possible service to British nationals and to continue to work with the New Zealand government, businesses and communities," he said.

"However, the closure of the building will affect how we help British nationals."

The 7.8-magnitude earthquake, which was located near the Canterbury town of Hanmer, struck in the early hours of last Monday.

On Tuesday, the staff at the Thai Embassy in Wellington were among those who were evacuated after concerns that a nearby building, at 61 Molesworth St, was at risk of collapse.

That building is about to be deconstructed.