New Zealand Student Visa Guide

Document checklist

• ✓Offer of place from an approved New Zealand education provider
• ✓Evidence your tuition is paidFor 1 course or 1 year of study, whichever is shorter.
• ✓Evidence of living fundsTertiary study: NZD 20,000 for each year, or NZD 1,667 for each month if you study for less than a year.
• ✓Evidence of onward travelA ticket out of New Zealand, proof you can pay for one, or a sponsor’s agreement to cover it.
• ✓Medical and travel insurance for your whole stayA condition of the visa from the start of your course (PhD students excepted); it must meet the Education (Pastoral Care of Tertiary and International Learners) Code of Practice 2021.
• ✓Chest X-rayRequired for stays over 6 months if you come from a country with a high incidence of TB, which includes India. Must be less than 3 months old when you apply.
• ○Medical certificate (optional)Needed if you will stay more than 12 months. Must be less than 3 months old.
• ○Police certificate (optional)Needed if you are 17 or older and your total stay will be 24 months or more. Must be less than 6 months old.
• ○English test results (optional)Not a visa requirement, but can help show you are a genuine student. Your university sets its own English entry requirement.
• ✓Valid passport

Step-by-step process

1. 1

   Get an offer of place

   From an approved New Zealand education provider.

2. 2

   Pay your tuition

   For the first course or first year, whichever is shorter, and keep the provider’s evidence of payment.

3. 3

   Prepare funds and onward-travel evidence

   NZD 20,000 for each year of study, plus a ticket out or the means to buy one.

4. 4

   Book your medicals

   A chest X-ray (and a medical certificate if you will stay over 12 months). Both must be under 3 months old when you apply, so time them close to submission.

5. 5

   Apply online and pay

   Immigration New Zealand accepts online applications only. The application fee is NZD 850.

6. 6

   Wait for the decision

   Immigration NZ decides 80% of applications within 8 weeks; check your status online. Arrange your insurance before your course starts — it is a visa condition.

Interview tips

• Immigration New Zealand assesses whether you are a genuine student. If an officer contacts you, explain clearly why this course and this provider, and how it builds on your previous study or work.
• Know exactly where your NZD 20,000-a-year living funds and your tuition money come from, and be able to show it.
• Be specific about your plans after the course — whether that is returning home or a Post-Study Work Visa, and what you would do with it.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Showing less than NZD 20,000 of living funds per year of study.
• Submitting an X-ray or medical certificate older than 3 months.
• Travelling without insurance that covers the whole stay — it is a condition of the visa.
• Budgeting around part-time income: funds must be shown up front, and work is capped at 25 hours a week during study.
• Leaving the police certificate too late when the total stay will be 24 months or more.