New Zealand Student Visa for International Students
5000+
3,00,000+
International Students study in the U.K. every year
2 Yrs PSWV
Scholarships
Apply For Upcoming Intake
Getting your offer letter from a New Zealand university is the moment everything becomes real. The next step — your student visa — is where careful preparation genuinely pays off. New Zealand runs one of the more transparent visa systems among major study destinations: the process is fully online, the financial threshold is published openly, and the rules changed in students’ favour twice in the last year.
This page covers the New Zealand student visa requirements for 2026/2027 exactly as Immigration New Zealand (INZ) publishes them, including the updates taking effect in November 2026 that many older guides still get wrong.
Key Facts: New Zealand Student Visa Process
The Fee Paying Student Visa is your main route. This is the standard visa for international students paying their own tuition, and it can be granted for up to 4 years. The published cost is from NZD $850, and INZ processes 80% of applications within 8 weeks. (Source: Immigration New Zealand — Fee Paying Student Visa)
Living costs are set at NZD $20,000 per year. For tertiary, English language and other non-compulsory study, you must show NZD $20,000 for each year of study, or NZD $1,667 per month if your course runs under a year. This is separate from tuition fees and separate again from your return airfare. (Source: Immigration New Zealand — Fee Paying Student Visa)
Applications are online only. INZ no longer accepts paper applications for this visa. Everything is submitted through Immigration Online. (Source: Immigration New Zealand — Fee Paying Student Visa)
Apply three months ahead. INZ strongly encourages international students to apply 3 months before their intended travel date. (Source: Immigration New Zealand — Fee Paying Student Visa)
Step-by-Step: How to Apply for a New Zealand Student Visa
1. Choose the Right Visa Category
Most degree students need one visa. A few need a different one.
Fee Paying Student Visa — the standard choice if you are paying international tuition yourself, or with help from family, a loan or a partial scholarship. Covers one course of study.
Pathway Student Visa — if your plan runs through more than one stage (an English course, then a foundation year, then a degree), this lets you cover up to three consecutive programmes on a single visa. From 20 July 2026, INZ made this visa considerably more flexible: students moving from school into tertiary study now have only the qualification type and provider written into their visa conditions, so they can change disciplines with their provider’s approval without applying for a new visa. The visa also now covers pathways at NZQCF Levels 1 to 4, and first-time holders can spend up to 30 weeks on English language study. (Source: Immigration New Zealand — Improvements to the Pathway Student Visa)
A rule that catches students out: if you change education provider or move to a lower level of study after arriving, you generally need a whole new student visa — not just a variation of conditions. Confirm your course before you commit.
2. Secure Your Offer of Place
You need an offer of place from an approved education provider that is a signatory to the Education (Pastoral Care of Tertiary and International Learners) Code of Practice 2021.
Your offer letter must state the course name, its duration, whether study is full-time or part-time, and the dates of scheduled holidays if the course runs longer than one academic year. It must also include a signed declaration from your provider confirming they are satisfied the course suits your expectations and that you have the English language ability and academic capability to pass it. (Source: Immigration New Zealand — Fee Paying Student Visa)
Useful to know: if you are applying from outside New Zealand, you can submit with a conditional offer of place. INZ can assess and approve your visa in principle, but you will need to supply the unconditional offer before the visa is actually granted. This lets you start the clock earlier during peak season.
3. Understand the English Requirement Properly
Here is where most guides mislead students. Immigration New Zealand does not mandate an IELTS, PTE or TOEFL score for a student visa. Your education provider assesses your English ability and declares it on your offer of place.
INZ’s own position is that English test results are not mandatory, but that supplying them can help demonstrate your genuine intention to study. (Source: Immigration New Zealand — Fee Paying Student Visa)
In practice: your university will almost certainly require a test score for admission — commonly IELTS Academic 6.0–6.5 for undergraduate and 6.5 for postgraduate, depending on the programme. So you will likely sit a test anyway. Just understand that it is an admission requirement, not a visa requirement, and including a strong score in your visa file works in your favour.
4. Build a Clean Financial File
This is where most refusals originate. INZ needs to see that your money is real, accessible and traceable to a genuine source.
What you must show:
- Tuition: proof you have paid the fees for one course or one year of study, whichever is shorter — or that you are not required to pay them.
- Living costs: NZD $20,000 per year (tertiary), or NZD $1,667 per month for courses under a year. Compulsory school study is NZD $17,000 per year.
- Return travel: a ticket out of New Zealand, or bank evidence you can buy one. This money must be in addition to your living costs.
Acceptable evidence includes bank statements, evidence of a full or partial scholarship, fixed-term deposits, your sponsor’s sharing ID, a completed Financial Undertaking for a Student (INZ 1014) form from a guarantor, or an education loan — and for loans, INZ wants the sanction letter covering the security, moratorium period, interest payable and repayments, plus evidence of how the loan will be repaid. (Source: Immigration New Zealand — Fee Paying Student Visa)
Important rule for South Asian applicants: if you are a citizen of India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal or Bhutan applying from any of those countries, only immediate family can sponsor you or provide a financial undertaking. INZ defines this as your partner, parents, siblings, grandparents and parents-in-law. An uncle, cousin or family friend will not be accepted. (Source: Immigration New Zealand — Fee Paying Student Visa)
The Funds Transfer Scheme (FTS) — Indian students should know about this. INZ operates the FTS with ANZ Bank New Zealand, and it is available to citizens of India, China, Nepal, the Philippines, Sri Lanka and Vietnam. If INZ asks you to use it, you receive an approval-in-principle letter, open an FTS savings account plus an everyday account, and transfer at least NZD $20,000 in. Once you arrive, a monthly automatic payment of up to NZD $1,666 moves from savings into your everyday account. It is a clean way to demonstrate genuine access to funds — though INZ is explicit that using the FTS does not by itself guarantee approval. (Source: Immigration New Zealand — Funds Transfer Scheme)
A strategy note: if your course runs longer than a year, you only need the funds for year one. But INZ says a credible plan showing how you will fund subsequent years — family income evidence, for example — strengthens your application by supporting your credibility as a genuine applicant.
5. Health, Character and Insurance
These are conditional requirements, not universal ones. Check which apply to you before spending money.
Chest X-ray: required if you will be in New Zealand for more than 6 months and you are a citizen of a country that is not classified as having a low incidence of tuberculosis, or you have spent more than 3 months in the last 5 years in such a country. India is not on the low-incidence list, so most Indian students on a course longer than six months will need one. Evidence must be less than 3 months old when INZ receives it.
Medical certificate: you do not normally need one if staying under 12 months, and INZ states that full fee-paying students do not usually need to provide a medical certificate at all.
Police certificate: required only if you are 17 or older and your total time in New Zealand will be 24 months or longer (including any past stays). Certificates must be less than 6 months old at submission, and must come from countries you hold citizenship of and any country you have spent more than 5 years in since turning 17. INZ will not accept a receipt showing you have applied for one. (Source: Immigration New Zealand — Fee Paying Student Visa)
Insurance is mandatory. You must agree to hold medical and travel insurance from the start of your course until your visa expires — this becomes a condition of your visa. Your education provider specifies what the policy must cover, or arranges it for you. PhD students are exempt. (Source: Immigration New Zealand — Fee Paying Student Visa)
6. Submit Online and Wait
Create your account on Immigration Online, upload your documents, and pay. INZ will email if more information is needed. Approved applications receive an eVisa, emailed to you — there is no passport sticker to collect.
Before you fly, everyone travelling to New Zealand must complete the New Zealand Traveller Declaration (NZTD), which can be submitted from 24 hours before your journey begins. (Source: New Zealand Traveller Declaration)
Master Document Checklist: New Zealand Student Visa 2026/2027
| Document Category | What INZ Requires |
|---|---|
| Passport | High-quality scan of the information page. Must be valid for at least 3 months beyond your planned departure from New Zealand. |
| Photograph | One acceptable photo meeting INZ visa photo specifications. |
| Offer of Place | From an approved education provider, including course name, duration, study mode, holiday dates (for multi-year courses) and the provider's signed declaration. |
| Tuition Evidence | Receipt or letter confirming fees paid, confirmation you are exempt, or government loan documentation with a provider letter. |
| Living Cost Funds | NZD $20,000 per year (tertiary) from a genuine, verifiable source — bank statements, scholarship letter, fixed deposits or a compliant education loan file. |
| Sponsor / Guarantor | Sponsor's sharing ID, or a completed Financial Undertaking for a Student (INZ 1014). South Asian applicants: immediate family only. |
| Onward Travel | Ticket out of New Zealand, or bank evidence you can buy one — held separately from your living cost funds. |
| Chest X-ray | If staying over 6 months and from a country without low TB incidence. Less than 3 months old. |
| Police Certificate | If aged 17+ and total NZ stay will be 24 months or more. Less than 6 months old. |
| Insurance Declaration | Confirmation you will hold medical and travel insurance acceptable to your provider. |
| English Test Score | Not required by INZ, but recommended — it supports your genuine intent and is usually needed by your university anyway. |
| Translations | Certified English translations of any police or medical certificates not in English. |
After You Graduate: Post-Study Work Pathways
This is where accuracy matters most, because the visa length depends entirely on what you studied.
Post-Study Work Visa (PSWV)
The PSWV allows you to stay and work in New Zealand for up to 3 years, and it can lead to residence. The cost is from NZD $1,670, INZ processes 80% of applications within 4 weeks, and you must show at least NZD $5,000 for living expenses. You can only be granted this visa once. (Source: Immigration New Zealand — Post-Study Work Visa)
How long you actually get:
| Your Qualification | Study Duration Required | PSWV Length |
|---|---|---|
| Level 9 Master's or Level 10 Doctorate | At least 30 weeks full-time in NZ | 3 years |
| Level 7 Bachelor's or Level 8 qualification | At least 30 weeks full-time in NZ | Equal to the time you spent studying in NZ |
| Non-degree Level 7 or below (on INZ's eligible list) | Full duration of the qualification in NZ | Equal to time spent studying |
(Source: Immigration New Zealand Operational Manual — WD3.5)
Work conditions differ too. With a degree at Level 7 or above, you can work in any job for any employer. With a non-degree Level 7 or lower qualification, the job must relate directly to what you studied, and this will be written into your visa conditions.
Deadlines are strict. Apply no later than 3 months after your student visa expires — extended to 6 months for doctoral graduates, who can also apply once they have submitted their thesis for examination. (Source: Immigration New Zealand — Post-Study Work Visa)
New from 16 November 2026: Short-Term Graduate Work Visa
Immigration New Zealand is opening a new 6-month open work visa for graduates who complete study in New Zealand but do not qualify for the PSWV. Applications open Monday 16 November 2026.
To be eligible you must hold a qualification at NZQCF Level 5 to 7 that was studied full-time in New Zealand for at least 24 weeks and is not an English language, foundation or bridging qualification. You will also need at least NZD $5,000 in funds, and you must not previously have been granted a Short-Term Graduate Work Visa or a PSWV. (Source: Immigration New Zealand — New and updated post-study work visa options)
The visa gives you open work rights while you look for a role and, where appropriate, move onto an Accredited Employer Work Visa.
Also from 16 November 2026: Graduate Diploma Route into the PSWV
PSWV eligibility is being extended to applicants who hold an NZQCF Level 7 graduate diploma studied full-time in New Zealand, and a bachelor’s degree completed either in New Zealand or overseas. This opens post-study work rights to a group that previously had none. (Source: Immigration New Zealand — Post-Study Work Visa)
Longer-Term: Residence Pathways
New Zealand’s main job-based residence route is the Skilled Migrant Category (SMC), which underwent significant restructuring on 24 August 2026. The changes introduced new pathways based on skilled work experience and on trades and technician occupations, alongside the existing points system, plus simplified median wage settings and clarified qualification requirements. (Source: Immigration New Zealand — Further changes to the Skilled Migrant Category)
Separately, the Green List covers occupations in national shortage and offers two streamlined routes — a straight to residence path and a work to residence path. Aligning your course with a Green List occupation is one of the more reliable ways to build a long-term plan. (Source: Immigration New Zealand — Overview of skilled residence pathways)
On the Horizon: The India–New Zealand FTA
India and New Zealand signed a Free Trade Agreement on 27 April 2026 that includes a dedicated annex on student mobility and post-study work rights — the first such annex New Zealand has signed with any country. Reported provisions include guaranteed part-time work rights during study and extended post-study work pathways.
Be careful with this one. The agreement is signed but not yet in force; it takes effect only after both countries complete ratification, and Immigration New Zealand has not yet published implementing visa rules. Plan around the rules that exist today and treat the FTA as upside. (Source: Ministry of Commerce & Industry, Government of India — India–New Zealand FTA Factsheet)
The Eleevate Advantage: Built Around What Actually Gets Refused
New Zealand does not refuse applications on technicalities as often as it refuses them on credibility. A file with the right documents but a weak funding story, a course that doesn’t fit the applicant’s background, or a sponsor who falls outside the immediate-family rule will struggle regardless of how neatly it is assembled.
Our team builds the case, not just the checklist. We audit your sponsor’s financial profile against INZ’s genuine-source expectations, map your course choice to the post-study work rights it will actually deliver — so no one is promised three years on a one-year bachelor’s — and prepare your Immigration Online submission end to end.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. How much is the New Zealand student visa fee in 2026?
The Fee Paying Student Visa costs from NZD $850, paid directly to Immigration New Zealand through the Immigration Online portal. The fee is non-refundable regardless of outcome, and it does not include the cost of medicals, police certificates or insurance. Always confirm the live figure on immigration.govt.nz before paying. (Source: Immigration New Zealand)
2. How long does a New Zealand student visa take to process?
Immigration New Zealand processes 80% of Fee Paying Student Visa applications within 8 weeks. Because that is a percentile rather than a guarantee, and because peak intake periods run longer, INZ strongly encourages international students to apply 3 months before their intended travel date. (Source: Immigration New Zealand)
3. How much money do I need to show for a New Zealand student visa?
You must show NZD $20,000 for each year of tertiary study, or NZD $1,667 per month if your course is shorter than a year. This covers living costs only — it is separate from your tuition fees, and separate again from the money you need for a return ticket, which INZ requires to be held in addition to your living costs. (Source: Immigration New Zealand)
4. Do I need IELTS for a New Zealand student visa?
Not for the visa itself. Immigration New Zealand states that English language test results are not mandatory, though they can support your genuine intention to study. Your education provider assesses your English ability and declares it on your offer of place. In practice, most universities require an IELTS, PTE or TOEFL score for admission, so you will usually take one regardless. (Source: Immigration New Zealand)
5. How long is the post-study work visa in New Zealand?
Up to 3 years, but the length depends on your qualification. Only Level 9 master's and Level 10 doctoral graduates who studied full-time for at least 30 weeks receive the full three years. For a Level 7 bachelor's or Level 8 qualification, the visa matches the time you actually spent studying in New Zealand — so a two-year bachelor's component returns roughly two years, not three. (Source: Immigration New Zealand Operational Manual)
6. What if my qualification doesn't qualify for the Post-Study Work Visa?
From 16 November 2026, a new Short-Term Graduate Work Visa gives eligible graduates 6 months of open work rights. You need an NZQCF Level 5–7 qualification studied full-time in New Zealand for at least 24 weeks (excluding English language, foundation and bridging programmes), at least NZD $5,000 in funds, and no previous grant of a PSWV or Short-Term Graduate Work Visa. (Source: Immigration New Zealand)
