Student visas

If the length of the course you are planning to study is designed to last for longer than 3 months, you must apply for a student visa, regardless of how long you plan to study in New Zealand.

The following documents must be submitted with your application:

• A completed Student Visa Application Form signed and dated by the applicant. To download the current application form, please visit www.immigration.govt.nz
• Passport valid three months beyond the intended date of departure from New Zealand
• Two (2) passport size photos with applicant’s name printed on the back
• If you are residing in a country other than your home country, submit documents regarding your residence situation
• Offer of place and payment confirmation from an educational institution in New Zealand in a course that meets foreign student policy requirements and recognised by the New Zealand Qualifications Authority www.nzqa.govt.nz. The letter of acceptance must specify the following information:
  • Course name and the minimum time required for completion
  • Course meets foreign student policy requirements
  • Total cost of the course
  • Fee for the full course and the annual fee for the course if it is longer than 1 year.
• The visa will not be issued until we receive payment confirmation of the programe. However, the Embassy will not be responsible for refunds or any other expenses in case the application is not been approved.
• If the course of study is for less than 12 months then we require flight itinerary or copy of airline tickets from travel agent or carrier confirming the purchase of a round trip ticket to a country to which you have right of entry.
• A guarantee of accommodation, either from the educational institution or from some other person providing accommodation.
• Legalised photocopy of Diplomas or any educational background
• Evidence of Financial Support:
  a) Students undertaking courses lasting less than 36 weeks must demonstrate that they have at least NZ$1,500 available to them per month for maintenance and accommodation
  b) Students undertaking courses lasting 36 weeks or longer must demonstrate that they have at least NZ$15,000 available to them per year for accommodation, maintenance and personal expenses.
  Funds for maintenance in New Zealand may be demonstrated either:
  • Letter or certificate from a New Zealand bank confirming the amount of funds required has been transferred to a New Zealand bank account and is available to the student OR
  • Letter from the educational institution confirming that accommodation and other living expenses are included as part of a pre-paid package (e.g. exchanges) OR
  • If the student is sponsored, the Financial Undertaking for a Student sponsorship form guaranteeing the student maintenance while in New Zealand.
    This must be signed and stamped by the guarantor’s bank and supported by evidence of financial solvency (such as recent original bank statements, certified true copy of credit card, together with recent credit card statements, or other evidence of funds such as bank deposits or ownership of property etc).
    Guarantors in New Zealand must be New Zealand citizens or residents.
• Where applicants are self-employed we require evidence showing that their business has been a going concern for the past year or more. Evidence can comprise but is not limited to business registration records, tax returns, bank statements etc.
• If you are working we require a certified copy of your work contract, (including level of remuneration) evidence of your earnings, (e.g. bank statement, tax returns) and a letter from your employer confirming your current employment situation and whether you will return to your current job after completing your study in New Zealand.
• If you are studying, please provide evidence that you are enrolled as a student and the level of study completed to date.
• If you are a student under 17 years require a notarised letter of consent from both of your parents or guardians allowing travel to New Zealand. The letter of consent should be accompanied by a full original birth certificate to show the relationship to the parties signing the consent.
• Private medical insurance to cover the period in which they will be in New Zealand is strongly recommended. For more information, visit the Ministry of Health website: www.moh.govt.nz.

Working while studying

You can work part time while studying full time, under certain circumstances:

•  to meet course requirements for practical work experience, or  
•  during the Christmas and New Year holiday period if you are in a full-time course of study lasting 12 months or longer, and/or 
•  for up to 20 hours in any given week during the academic year if you are in full-time study: 

*  at a private training establishment or tertiary institution and taking at least two academic years to complete, or  
*  culminating in a New Zealand qualification that would qualify for points under the Skilled Migrant Category, or  
*  at a secondary school full year course of study in years 12 or 13, provided you have written permission from your school and written consent from your parent, or 
*  in a full-time study course lasting at least six months, at a private training establishment or tertiary institution. Your immigration officer has to be satisfied that the main purpose of your course is to develop English language skills and you have an International English Language Testing System (IELTS) overall band score of 5.0 or above (General or Academic Module), or 

• at a tertiary level of at least one academic year duration as part of an approved tertiary student exchange scheme.

Please note: New Zealand law prohibits any person on a temporary entry visa, including a student visa, from providing commercial sexual services or operating or investing in a business which provides such services.
 In order to work, you will need to have the conditions of your student visa changed. 
 

To apply, complete the Variation of Conditions application form and include it in the application. No extra fee is required if it is requested with the Student Visa.

Health requirements

If you intend spending more than six months studying in New Zealand, please check the Immigration New Zealand website for details of health requirements. You may be required to complete a Medical and Chest X-Ray Certificate.

Additional requirements if course is longer than 24 months

When submitting your application you must provide:

• Two character references are required if you are under the age of 17 years or
• The police certificate is to be provided at the time you lodge your application unless there is a different instruction in the country-specific information. Applicants must supply a police certificate from any country in which they have lived for 5 years or more since attaining the age of 17 years as well as their country(ies) of citizenship, unless they can provide satisfactory evidence that they have never lived there

Important notes

• Only original documents will be accepted by the Embassy. Copies of documents are only acceptable if they have been verified as true copies by persons authorised by law in the applicant’s country or New Zealand to carry out this process, for example Notary Public, Justice of the Peace.
• Police certificates and medical tests issued in spanish must include translation into english.
• You may be asked to provide further information in support of your application.
• Incomplete applications will be returned if the applicant does not supply missing or additional requirements within 20 working days of being notified.
• As you are submitting passports and other valuable documents we ask that you use courier services. The New Zealand Embassy is not responsible for any documents lost in transit.

For further information, please write to us to: Visas

We recommend you to send your application two months in advance in cases of delays during peak season.