Partner of a New Zealander Visitor Visa

At a Glance

Item	Details
Visa name	Partner of a New Zealander Visitor Visa
Purpose	Visit New Zealand partner
Stay	Up to 3 years
Cost	From NZD $341
Processing	80% within 11.5 weeks
Eligibility	Genuine, stable cohabiting partnership
Eligibility timing	One-year visa if under 12 months
Supporting partner	New Zealand citizen or resident
Work rights	No New Zealand work
Remote work	May be permitted offshore
Study	Up to 3 months
Healthcare / Medicare	Some may qualify public healthcare
Travel facility	Multiple entry only if stated
Citizenship	Not stated in the source
Family sponsorship	Include dependent children aged 19 or younger
Visa record	eVisa issued if approved
Residence pathway	May apply based on partnership

---

Purpose

This visa lets you visit New Zealand to join your New Zealand citizen or resident partner. You can explore New Zealand and may include dependent children in your application.

Stay

• If you have lived with your partner for less than 12 months, your visa will be for 1 year. You may apply for further visas, up to 3 years total.
• If you have lived with your partner for 12 months or more, your visa may be granted for up to 3 years.
• You must leave New Zealand before your visa expires.
• A visa granted while you are outside New Zealand starts when you enter New Zealand. If granted in New Zealand, it starts on the grant date.

Eligibility

You must:

• Have an eligible New Zealand citizen or resident partner supporting you.
• Be living together in a genuine and stable relationship.
• Be in good health and of good character.
• Be a genuine visitor and intend to leave New Zealand.
• Have enough money for living costs, or an acceptable sponsor.
• Show you can leave New Zealand at the end of your stay.
• Not work in New Zealand.

Your supporting partner must plan to be in New Zealand while you visit.

Supporting partner requirements

Your partner must complete Form for Partners Supporting Partnership-Based Temporary Entry (INZ 1146).

They must be eligible to support a partnership-based resident visa application within 12 months. They cannot be liable for deportation or have suspended deportation liability.

A New Zealand citizen or resident can support:

• Only 1 partner for residence in a 5-year period.
• Only 2 partners for residence in total.

A partner with convictions for domestic violence or sexual offences does not meet the supporting-partner character requirements.

Financial and departure requirements

If paying for yourself, you must have:

• NZD $1,000 per month, or
• NZD $400 per month if accommodation is already paid.

You must also have, separately from living funds:

• An onward ticket to a country you can enter, or
• Enough money to buy one.

An acceptable sponsor may support your living and onward-travel costs using Sponsorship Form for Temporary Entry (INZ 1025).

You or your sponsor must pay for healthcare or medical assistance. Full medical insurance is recommended.

Rights and conditions

Work

You cannot work in New Zealand on this visitor visa.

You may be able to:

• Volunteer.
• Work remotely for an employer or client based outside New Zealand.

Study

• You may study for up to 3 months in any 12-month period.
• School-aged children may study up to 3 months in a calendar year.
• For study longer than 2 weeks, the child’s provider must meet the specified pastoral-care requirements.

Travel

Check your eVisa conditions before travelling.

• You need a valid multiple-entry travel condition to leave and return to New Zealand.
• If you leave without a multiple-entry condition, your visa expires.
• Each arrival requires onward-travel evidence or funds, unless the visa says “Return/onward travel not required”.

Dependent children

You may include dependent children aged 19 or younger in your application, or they may apply separately.

Provide evidence of:

• Your relationship to each child.
• Each child’s identity.
• Each child’s health and character requirements.
• Their right to leave their country of residence, if requested.

Use Additional Dependants for a Visitor Visa (INZ 1205) if required.

Required documents

Provide:

• Passport or certificate of identity.
• One acceptable photo online, or two paper photos.
• Relationship evidence with your partner.
• Completed INZ 1146 from your supporting partner.
• Evidence of your partner’s New Zealand citizenship or residence.
• Financial evidence or sponsorship evidence.
• Evidence of onward travel or funds to purchase it.
• Health evidence, if required.
• Police certificates, if required.
• Dependent-child documents, if included.
• English translations and copies of non-English documents.

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

Relationship evidence

Evidence should show:

• How long you have been in the relationship.
• How long you have lived together.
• Shared finances and responsibilities.
• Time spent together, including photos, emails or social-media messages.
• Recognition of the relationship by other people.

Health evidence

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

• Health evidence must be less than 3 months old when received.
• For stays over 6 months, a chest X-ray is required in specified tuberculosis-risk circumstances.

Police certificates

Police certificates are required if:

• You are aged 17 or older, and
• Your total time in New Zealand will be 24 months or longer.

Certificates must be less than 6 months old when you apply. They are required from countries where you are a citizen and countries where you have spent more than 5 years since turning 17.

How to apply

Apply online

1. Gather identity, partnership, financial, health and character documents.
2. Obtain English translations for non-English documents.
3. Create or log in to an Immigration New Zealand online account.
4. Complete the application, upload documents and pay the applicable fee.
5. Check your account for updates and respond to requests for information.

If approved, Immigration New Zealand issues an eVisa and emails a copy.

Apply on paper

1. Gather required documents and translations.
2. Complete Partnership-based Temporary Visa Application (INZ 1198).
3. Attach supporting documents.
4. Submit the application and pay the applicable fee.

Arrival obligations

Before travelling, complete the New Zealand Traveller Declaration:

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

At arrival, carry evidence of:

• Onward travel, onward-travel funds, or sponsor support.
• Enough money for living costs.

You may be refused entry permission if you are not a genuine visitor, no longer meet character requirements, have changed circumstances, refuse biometric collection, or cannot show onward-travel evidence or funds.

Staying longer

Apply for a new visitor visa before your current visa expires if you need more time for a genuine reason.

• Any new visitor visa is single-entry.
• Total stay cannot exceed 3 years.
• Your current visa expires when the new visa is granted.
• If your current temporary visa expires while a decision is pending, Immigration New Zealand will normally issue an Interim Visa to keep you lawfully in New Zealand.