Student visa & permits in New Zealand
Student visa, residence permit, registration, fees, deadlines and document guidance for studying in New Zealand.
Read the complete New Zealand study abroad guide.
Visa & Immigration
Most international tertiary students use a Fee Paying Student Visa. The visa currently costs from NZD 850 and can be issued for up to four years. Immigration New Zealand encourages students to apply well before travel; its published processing indicator is 80% within eight weeks, but that is not a guarantee.
You need an offer of place from an approved education provider. If you apply from outside New Zealand, Immigration New Zealand can assess an application based on a conditional offer and approve it in principle, but you must provide an unconditional offer before the visa can be finally approved.
For tertiary, English-language or other non-compulsory study, you must normally show NZD 20,000 for each year if the course lasts at least a year, or NZD 1,667 for each month if it is shorter. This is living money; tuition and enough money for outward travel sit on top. The evidence must show funds from a genuine source Immigration New Zealand can confirm.
Medical and travel insurance acceptable to your education provider is normally a student-visa condition from the start of the course until the visa expires. PhD students are an explicit exception to that insurance condition. Depending on nationality and where you apply, Immigration New Zealand may also offer or require particular ways of documenting funds, including the Funds Transfer Scheme for some applicants.
Source: https://www.immigration.govt.nz/visas/fee-paying-student-visa/
Residence Permit
There is no address registration and no residence card. Your visa is electronic and linked to your passport.
Read the conditions on your eVisa. They set your work rights, your provider, and your course, and changing course or provider without approval from Immigration New Zealand can invalidate the visa. Apply for a variation of conditions first, not afterwards.
Your provider reports your enrolment and attendance to Immigration New Zealand. Repeated non attendance or failure can end your visa, not merely your enrolment.
Keep your contact details current with INZ, and keep your passport valid for at least three months beyond the date you intend to leave.
Source: https://www.immigration.govt.nz/
Common questions
What should international students know about visa in New Zealand?
Fee Paying Student Visa from NZD 850; living funds are NZD 20,000 a year or NZD 1,667 a month for shorter study, plus tuition and onward travel.
What should international students know about residence in New Zealand?
No registration to do. But your provider reports your attendance, and changing course without approval risks the visa.