Child of a New Zealander Visitor Visa

At a Glance

Item	Details
Visa name	Child of a New Zealander Visitor Visa
Purpose	Visit parent in New Zealand
Stay	Up to 9 months
Cost	From NZD $341
Processing	80% within 2.5 weeks
Applicant	Dependent child of NZ parent
Parent status	New Zealand citizen or resident
Eligibility timing	Ages 20–24 need residence application
Work rights	Limited; eligibility-dependent
Study	Up to 3 months
Health care	Parent or sponsor pays
Medicare	Not stated in the source
Travel facility	Multiple entry must be requested
Citizenship	Not stated in the source
Family sponsorship	Acceptable sponsor permitted
Visa record	eVisa
Leave requirement	Must leave before expiry

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Purpose

This visa lets dependent children visit their New Zealand citizen or resident parent for up to 9 months.

The child must be single and financially dependent on the parent.

Eligibility

The applying parent must:

• Be the child’s parent.
• Be a New Zealand citizen or resident.
• Be financially responsible for the child.
• Show sufficient funds, or arrange an acceptable sponsor.
• Show the child can leave New Zealand after the visit.

The child must:

• Be in good health and of good character.
• Have genuine reasons to visit.
• Intend to leave at the end of the stay.
• Be single and financially dependent on the parent.
• Meet one of these age requirements:
  • Aged 17 or younger.
  • Aged 18 or 19, with no children.
  • Aged 20 to 24, with an eligible resident visa application.

For children aged 17 or younger, financial dependency is assumed. For children aged 18 or 19, Immigration New Zealand may request evidence of dependency.

Stay and visa validity

The child can stay for up to 9 months and must leave before the visa expires.

The visa is valid from:

• The date of entry, if approved while the child is outside New Zealand; or
• The date of grant, if the child is already in New Zealand.

Financial requirements

The child must have:

• At least NZD $1,000 per month, or
• At least NZD $400 per month if accommodation is prepaid.

Evidence may include bank or credit-card statements, prepaid accommodation evidence, bank drafts, or travellers’ cheques.

An acceptable sponsor may support the child instead. The sponsor must complete the Sponsorship Form for Temporary Entry (INZ 1025) and may need to provide financial evidence.

The child must also have:

• A ticket out of New Zealand;
• Funds to buy an onward ticket; or
• Sponsorship for onward travel.

Funds for an onward ticket must be additional to living-expense funds.

Health and character

Health

The child must be in good health. Immigration New Zealand may require a medical examination or chest X-ray.

• A chest X-ray is not normally required for stays under 6 months.
• A medical certificate is not normally required for stays under 12 months.
• Children under 11 normally do not need an X-ray unless a special report is required.
• Medical and X-ray results must be less than 3 months old when received.

For stays over 6 months, a chest X-ray is required if the child:

• Is from a country without a low incidence of tuberculosis; or
• Has spent more than 3 months in the past 5 years in such a country.

Character

Police certificates may be required where the child:

• Is aged 17 or older; and
• Will have spent 24 months or more in New Zealand in total.

Certificates must be less than 6 months old and generally cover countries of citizenship and countries where the child has spent more than 5 years since turning 17.

A visa may be refused if the child has a criminal conviction or presents a security risk.

Required documents

Provide:

• Child’s passport or certificate of identity.
• One acceptable photo online, or two paper photos.
• Evidence of the parent-child relationship, such as a birth certificate or adoption papers.
• Dependency evidence, if required.
• Parent’s New Zealand citizenship or residence evidence.
• Financial evidence or sponsorship documents.
• Evidence of onward travel arrangements.
• Medical or X-ray evidence, if required.
• Police certificates, if required.
• English translations and original scanned documents for non-English records.

The child’s passport or certificate of identity must remain valid for at least 3 months after the planned departure date.

Additional documents for some applicants

Children aged 17 or older who are Chinese citizens applying from China, Hong Kong or Macao must provide:

• Supplementary Form for Chinese visitors, workers and students (INZ 1027).
• A copy of their Hukou.
• A copy of their identity card.

Applicants aged 17 or older applying within China, Hong Kong or Macao using certain Hong Kong or Macao documents must provide:

• Supplementary Form for Hong Kong and Macau visitors, workers and students (INZ 1220).
• A copy of their identity card.

A Taiwan compatriot passport is not accepted as proof of citizenship.

Rights and conditions

Study

The child may study:

• At school for up to 3 months in any calendar year; or
• At a tertiary institution for up to 3 months in any 12-month period.

A student visa is required for study exceeding 3 months.

If study exceeds 2 weeks, the education provider must be a signatory to the Education (Pastoral Care of Tertiary and International Learners) Code of Practice 2021.

Work

The source states that some dependent children may be able to work part-time if included in an eligible resident visa application or if they have applied for their own eligible resident visa.

The child should also check whether remote work for an overseas employer or client is permitted.

Health care

The parent or sponsor must pay for any health care or medical assistance needed in New Zealand.

Full medical insurance is recommended. Some people may be eligible for public health care.

Travel

Travel conditions are recorded in the child’s eVisa.

To leave and return to New Zealand, the child needs valid multiple-entry travel conditions.

Multiple-entry conditions must be requested. To qualify, the child must not have spent more than 9 months in New Zealand in the previous 18 months.

If the child is outside New Zealand when travel conditions expire, the visa also expires.

Arrival obligations

On arrival, the child may need to show:

• An onward ticket, funds to purchase one, or sponsorship for onward travel.
• Evidence of sufficient living funds or acceptable sponsorship.

Everyone must complete a New Zealand Traveller Declaration.

It may be submitted:

• By air: from 24 hours before travel begins.
• By sea: from 24 hours before the ship leaves its last overseas port.

A caregiver may complete the declaration for a child.

Important warnings

The child may be refused entry permission if they:

• Are not a genuine visitor.
• No longer meet character requirements.
• Have changed circumstances since visa approval.
• Refuse a photo, fingerprints, or iris scan.

Incorrect identity details can delay processing, lead to refusal, or result in refusal of entry.

How to apply

Apply online

1. Gather identity, relationship, dependency, financial, health, character, and onward-travel evidence.
2. Translate non-English documents into English.
3. Apply through the Immigration New Zealand online system.
4. Upload documents and pay the applicable fee.
5. Respond to any requests for further information.
6. Check application status online.

If approved, the child receives an eVisa.

Apply on paper

1. Gather supporting documents and translations.
2. Complete the Visitor Visa Application (INZ 1017).
3. Submit the application through a Visa Application Centre or by post.
4. Pay the applicable fee.
5. Respond to any further requests from Immigration New Zealand.

If the child is already in New Zealand, they must keep a valid visa while the application is processed. An Interim Visa will normally be issued if their temporary visa expires during processing.