Intercountry Adoption Resident Visa

At a Glance

Item	Details
Visa name	Intercountry Adoption Resident Visa
Stay	Indefinitely
Cost	From NZD $5,360
Processing	Data not available
Eligibility timing	Adoption complete before applying
Age limit	24 years or younger
Work rights	If old enough
Study	Permitted
Medicare	Not stated in the source
Travel facility	Until travel conditions expire
Citizenship	May be available for citizen parents
Family sponsorship	Adoptive citizen or resident parent
Visa record	Conditions recorded in eVisa

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Purpose

This resident visa lets a New Zealand citizen or resident bring their adopted child to live in New Zealand indefinitely.

The child may study and, if old enough, work in New Zealand.

Eligibility

The applicant must be the child’s adoptive parent and must:

• Be a New Zealand citizen or resident.
• Live in New Zealand.
• Have an adopted child who meets dependent-child requirements.
• Meet all other visa requirements.

Child requirements

The child must:

• Be single.
• Be aged 17 or younger; or
• Be aged 18 to 24 with no children.

A child living with a partner is not considered single.

Adoption requirements

The adoption must:

• Be legally complete before application.
• Be recognised by New Zealand law.
• Have the same effect as a New Zealand adoption.
• Comply with the child’s home-country law.
• Be approved for the child’s removal from their home country.

Evidence may include certified adoption papers, biological parents’ customary-adoption confirmation, a New Zealand court ruling, or an INZ assessment.

If the adoption is not complete, the child is not eligible for residence. A visitor visa may be possible while finalisation is pending.

Required Evidence

Child identity

Provide:

• Two acceptable photos.
• Current passport or certificate of identity.
• Full birth certificate.

Additional identity documents may apply for children who are citizens of, or applying from, certain countries or territories.

Character

Children must be of good character.

Children aged 17 or older must provide police certificates from:

• Their country of citizenship.
• Any country where they spent 12 months or more in the past 10 years.

Police certificates must be less than six months old when applying.

Health

Children must complete a medical examination.

Children aged 11 or older must also have a chest X-ray. Children aged 10 or younger, or pregnant children, generally do not need an X-ray unless a special report is required.

Parent’s status and residence

Provide certified or original evidence of:

• New Zealand citizenship, such as a passport, birth certificate, or citizenship certificate; or
• A New Zealand Resident Visa.

Also provide evidence that you live in New Zealand, such as:

• Rates, utility, mortgage, or rental documents.
• Employment, benefit, tax, or relocation records.

Cost and Processing

• Cost: From NZD $5,360.
• Processing time: Data not available.
• Country-specific process and cost information is shown after nationality details are provided.

Rights and Conditions

Travel

The child may travel in and out of New Zealand until their travel conditions expire.

After travel conditions expire, they need either:

• A Permanent Resident Visa; or
• A variation of conditions.

Study and work

The child may study in New Zealand and may work if old enough.

Valid passport requirement

For travel, the visa must be in a valid passport.

If the passport expires, apply to transfer the visa before travelling. This requires:

• Old and new passports.
• Application for Transfer or Confirmation of a Visa.
• A transfer fee.

Arrival and Entry Permission

The child must obtain entry permission on arrival by completing a New Zealand Traveller Declaration.

A caregiver may complete the declaration for a child. The digital declaration may be started anytime, but can only be submitted from 24 hours before travel. Paper forms are available.

Entry permission may be refused if the child:

• No longer meets character requirements.
• Has changed circumstances since visa approval.
• Refuses a photo, fingerprints, or iris scan.

Citizenship

If the adoptive parent is a New Zealand citizen and the adoption is complete, citizenship for the child may be available.