NZ Government Scholarship Student Visa

At a Glance

Item	Details
Visa name	NZ Government Scholarship Student Visa
Purpose	Full-time approved study
Stay	Up to 4 years
Cost	From NZD $750
Processing	80% within 3 weeks
Eligibility timing	Apply no earlier than 60 days
Study	Full-time study required
Work rights	Scheme-dependent; up to 25 hours
Medicare	Not stated in the source
Travel facility	Multiple entry until expiry
Citizenship	Not stated in the source
Family sponsorship	Not stated in the source
Family inclusion	Cannot include partner or children
Visa record	eVisa issued if approved
Post-scholarship obligation	Return home for 2 years
Application method	Online only

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Purpose

This visa is for people funded by a New Zealand scholarship administered by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) or Education New Zealand (ENZ). It allows full-time study at an approved education provider.

For study of less than 3 months, you need a Visitor Visa.

Eligibility

You must:

• Have an offer of place from an approved education provider, or enrolment confirmation if returning.
• Have an MFAT-funded New Zealand scholarship covering tuition fees and living costs.
• Be in good health and of good character.
• Have genuine reasons for studying in New Zealand.
• Plan to leave New Zealand at the end of your stay.
• Agree to return to your home country after completing the scholarship.
• If already holding a student visa, show satisfactory performance, progress and attendance.

To receive another NZ Government Scholarship Student Visa, you must continue to have MFAT funding.

Offer of place

Your offer must state:

• Course name and duration.
• Whether study is full-time, part-time, distance, or correspondence.
• That MFAT will pay tuition fees.
• Scheduled holiday dates for courses exceeding one academic year.

It must also include the provider’s signed declaration that the programme is appropriate and you have the English-language ability and academic capability to pass it.

Leaving New Zealand

You must show you will leave New Zealand, such as:

• An onward ticket to a country you can enter.
• Funds to buy an onward ticket.
• MFAT confirmation it will pay for your return home.

Ticket funds must be additional to your living-cost funds.

Stay and return-home requirement

You may stay for up to 4 years.

After completing your scholarship, you must return to your home country for at least 2 years. This supports applying your skills in government, civil society, or private business organisations.

For Short-Term Training Scholarships or English Language Training for Officials Scholarships of 12 months or less, the required return-home period may be at least 1 year.

Work and study rights

You must study full-time, attend the approved provider named on your visa, and make satisfactory academic progress.

Work permitted

You may work up to 25 hours weekly during the academic year and full-time during the Christmas–New Year holiday period if studying under:

• Commonwealth Scholarships.
• New Zealand Regional Development Scholarships.
• New Zealand Pacific Scholarships.
• New Zealand ASEAN Scholars Award.

Work prohibited

You cannot work if studying under:

• Short-Term Training Scholarships.
• English Language Training for Officials Scholarships.

You also cannot:

• Be self-employed or work as an independent contractor.
• Provide commercial sexual services.
• Operate a business providing commercial sexual services.

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

Family provisions

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

They may apply separately for visas based on their relationship to you:

• Your partner may be eligible for a work visa lasting your MFAT-funded scholarship.
• Your dependent children may be eligible for student visas.

Travel

You may travel in and out of New Zealand until your visa expires.

Your visa is valid from:

• Your arrival date, if approved while outside New Zealand; or
• The grant date, if approved while in New Zealand.

You must leave New Zealand before the visa expires.

Required documents

Provide:

• Passport or travel-document information-page scan.
• One acceptable photo.
• Offer of place or returning-student enrolment confirmation.
• MFAT evidence covering tuition fees and living costs.
• Practical-work-experience evidence, if applicable.
• Academic progress, performance and attendance evidence, if already a student.
• Chest X-ray or medical evidence, if required.
• Police certificates, if required.
• Onward ticket, funds, or return-travel funding evidence.
• Certified English translations of non-English police or medical certificates.

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

Country-specific documents

• Indonesian citizens: provide a Kartu Keluarga.
• French Polynesia, Wallis and Futuna, or New Caledonia applicants who are not French nationals: provide a carte d’assuré.
• New Caledonia applicants: also provide partner and children’s passport copies and a livret de famille, even if they are not travelling.

Health and character

You may need a chest X-ray, medical examination, or both.

Health 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 longer. They must be less than 6 months old when you apply and generally cover:

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

Applications lacking required police certificates may be declined or granted for a shorter period.

How to apply

1. Obtain an MFAT-funded New Zealand scholarship.
2. Secure an approved course offer or returning-student enrolment confirmation.
3. Gather identity, funding, health, character, study, and departure evidence.
4. Apply online through Immigration New Zealand.
5. Upload documents and pay the applicable fee.
6. Wait for a decision and respond to any requests for further information.
7. If approved, receive an eVisa by email.

Apply once study is confirmed, but no earlier than 60 days before your course begins.

Paper applications are no longer accepted.

Arrival and ongoing obligations

Before arrival, complete the New Zealand Traveller Declaration:

• Air travellers: from 24 hours before travel begins.
• Sea travellers: from 24 hours before the ship leaves its last overseas port.

At arrival, carry evidence of:

• Your onward travel, funds, or sponsored return travel.
• Sufficient funds for living costs.

Important warnings

You may be refused entry permission if you:

• Do not have genuine intentions to study.
• Do not meet character requirements.
• Have changed circumstances since visa grant.
• Refuse biometric collection.
• Cannot show you will leave New Zealand.

In the 2 years after completing your scholarship, another visa can generally be granted only with written approval from MFAT or ENZ. A short-term Visitor Visa outside New Zealand, or a work visa for minimum qualification-related practical work, may be available where needed.