Fee Paying Student Visa

At a Glance

Item	Details
Visa name	Fee Paying Student Visa
Stay	Up to 4 years
Cost	From NZD $850
Processing	80% within 8.5 weeks
Apply timing	Apply 3 months before travel
Study	Full-time approved course
Work rights	Up to 25 hours weekly
Holiday work	Full-time, if visa conditions allow
Health care	Usually self-funded
Medicare	Not stated in the source
Insurance	Required, except PhD students
Travel facility	Multiple entry if granted
Citizenship	Not stated in the source
Family sponsorship	Family cannot be included
Family visas	Partner and children apply separately
Visa record	eVisa issued if approved
Application method	Online only

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Purpose

This visa allows international students to study full-time in New Zealand on an approved course. It is for students paying international tuition fees themselves, through family support, a loan or a partial scholarship.

Eligibility

You must:

• Have an offer of place from an approved education provider.
• Have enough money to pay tuition fees, or hold a scholarship.
• Have enough money for living costs, or an acceptable sponsor.
• Be in good health and of good character.
• Genuinely intend to study and comply with visa conditions.
• Show you can leave New Zealand at the end of your stay.
• Have full medical and travel insurance, unless you are a PhD student.
• Meet attendance and progress requirements if applying for another student visa.

Your education provider must be a signatory to the Education (Pastoral Care of Tertiary and International Learners) Code of Practice 2021.

Students under 10

If you are under 10 and will not live in an NZQA-approved school hostel, you must:

• Be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian.
• Live with that parent or legal guardian while studying.

The parent or legal guardian must apply separately for their own visa.

Stay

Your visa is normally issued for the period of study you have paid for. It may be shorter if:

• You paid for only part of a multi-year course.
• Your passport expires before your course ends.

The maximum stay is 4 years. You must leave New Zealand before the visa expires.

If approved while outside New Zealand, the visa starts when you enter New Zealand. If approved in New Zealand, it starts on the grant date.

Cost and Processing

• Fee: From NZD $850.
• Processing: 80% within 8.5 weeks.
• Recommended timing: Apply at least 3 months before intended travel.

Fees and processing information may vary by passport nationality.

Financial Requirements

Tuition fees

Unless exempt, you must show you have paid tuition fees for:

• One course, or
• One year of study,

whichever is shorter.

If applying from outside New Zealand, you may apply with unpaid fees. Immigration New Zealand may approve the application in principle, but you must provide proof of payment before the visa is issued.

Living costs

If paying for yourself, you must show:

Study type	Required funds
Tertiary, English language or non-compulsory study	NZD $20,000 yearly
Same study under one year	NZD $1,667 monthly
Years 1–13 compulsory education	NZD $17,000 yearly
Compulsory education under one year	NZD $1,417 monthly

Evidence may include bank statements, scholarship evidence, education-loan documents, fixed-term deposits, or proof that living costs have been paid.

For study exceeding one year, a credible plan to fund later years can strengthen the application.

Sponsors and guarantors

An acceptable sponsor may be an organisation or an individual family member or friend. Sponsors must provide a sharing ID and evidence they can pay for your accommodation and living costs.

A guarantor may be an organisation or an individual relative or friend. They must complete Financial Undertaking for a Student (INZ 1014) and show they have their own funds.

If applying in New Zealand for a further student visa, sponsorship is generally only allowed where your first student visa was sponsored by the same sponsor.

For citizens of India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal or Bhutan applying from those countries, only immediate family may sponsor or provide a financial undertaking.

Outward travel

You must show that you can leave New Zealand, using:

• A ticket out of New Zealand;
• Funds to buy a ticket; or
• A sponsor’s or guarantor’s agreement to pay for outward travel.

Funds for travel must be additional to required living-cost funds.

Study and Work Rights

You may study full-time on the approved course named on your visa.

You may be allowed to work:

• Up to 25 hours a week while studying; and
• Full-time during scheduled holidays and/or Christmas and New Year holidays.

Check your visa conditions before working.

Students aged 15 or younger cannot work on a student visa. Students aged 16 or 17 need written permission from both their parent or legal guardian and education provider to receive work rights. Students aged 18 or over do not need written permission for summer-holiday work.

For full-time scheduled-holiday work rights, provide evidence that:

• Your course is worth 120 credits; and
• Your course holiday dates are scheduled.

Required practical work experience is additional to your permitted work hours. If work becomes your main activity, apply for a work visa.

If working, you need an Inland Revenue Department (IRD) number and must pay tax.

Health, Character and Insurance

You must be in good health. Immigration New Zealand may require a chest X-ray, medical examination, or both.

A chest X-ray is generally required for stays over 6 months if you are from, or recently lived in, a country without a low tuberculosis incidence.

Medical and chest X-ray evidence must be less than 3 months old when received.

Police certificates are required if you are aged 17 or older and your total time in New Zealand will be 24 months or more. They must be less than 6 months old and obtained from:

• Countries of citizenship; and
• Countries where you have spent more than 5 years since age 17.

You must have acceptable medical and travel insurance from the start of your course until visa expiry. PhD students do not need insurance.

You or your sponsor must generally pay for health care or medical assistance received in New Zealand. Some people may be eligible for public health care.

Required Documents

Provide:

• Passport or travel-document information-page scan.
• One acceptable photo.
• Offer of place or returning-student enrolment confirmation.
• Tuition-fee payment or funding evidence.
• Living-cost evidence from a genuine, verifiable source.
• Sponsor sharing ID, if applicable.
• Completed INZ 1014 form, if using a guarantor.
• Evidence of practical work experience, if applicable.
• Work permission and holiday information, if applicable.
• Guardianship evidence for accompanied students.
• Medical or chest X-ray evidence, if required.
• Police certificates, if required.
• Evidence of onward travel arrangements.
• Certified English translations of non-English police or medical certificates.

Your passport or certificate of identity must remain valid for at least 3 months after your intended departure date.

How to Apply

1. Obtain an offer of place from an approved education provider.
2. Gather identity, financial, health, character and course documents.
3. Create or log into an Immigration New Zealand online account.
4. Apply online, upload documents and pay the applicable fee.
5. Respond to any request for further information.
6. Check application status online.

Apply online

Paper applications are no longer accepted.

After Approval and Arrival

If approved, Immigration New Zealand issues an eVisa.

On arrival, you must have:

• Evidence of onward travel or funds for a ticket; and
• Evidence of sufficient living-cost funds.

All travellers must complete a New Zealand Traveller Declaration. Air travellers can submit it from 24 hours before their journey begins.

You may be refused entry permission if, for example, you no longer have genuine intentions, no longer meet character requirements, have changed circumstances, or cannot show you intend to leave New Zealand.

Conditions and Obligations

While in New Zealand, you must:

• Attend the course stated on your visa.
• Make satisfactory academic progress.
• Meet attendance requirements unless you have a good reason for absence.
• Maintain required insurance, unless exempt as a PhD student.
• Follow all work conditions on your visa.
• Leave New Zealand before visa expiry.

If your passport expires, your visa may expire earlier. Renew your passport and apply for a new student visa or transfer the remaining visa balance to the new passport if you want to continue studying.

Travel

You may travel in and out of New Zealand only if you have valid multiple-entry travel conditions.

Applicants granted this visa while in New Zealand are normally given multiple-entry travel conditions. If you leave New Zealand without valid multiple-entry travel conditions, your visa expires.

Check your visa letter or label for travel conditions.

Family Provisions

You cannot include your partner or dependent children in this visa application.

Your partner and dependent children may apply separately for visas based on their relationship to you.