StudyU
🇷🇺Русский🇬🇧English
Free consultation
Blog

New Zealand Student Visa: Requirements, Documents, Work Rights and Post-Study Options

Free consultation
Home / Blog / New Zealand Student Visa: Requirements, Documen…
StudyU editorial team

Self-funded students at New Zealand universities need a Fee Paying Student Visa. Applications are made online with Immigration New Zealand; for a Russian citizen the charge is NZD 850 ($480) including the International Visitor Levy, and 80% of applications are decided within eight weeks. You need an offer of place, proof of paid tuition for the first year, NZD 20,000 ($11,340) for each year of living costs, insurance for the whole visa, and, for stays over six months, a chest X-ray if you are a citizen of a country such as Russia or Kazakhstan that is not on the low-tuberculosis list. The visa normally allows 25 hours of work a week during study, and graduates can move to a Post-Study Work Visa of up to three years.

This guide covers the student and graduate visas, what Immigration New Zealand assesses, the document list, the application steps, work rules, visas for partners and children, the Short-Term Graduate Work Visa with applications from 16 November 2026, and common mistakes. Rules were checked on the Immigration New Zealand website on 28 September 2026; US dollar figures use the ECB rate of the same date. Choosing a university and applying are covered in applying to New Zealand universities, and full budgets in the cost of studying in New Zealand.

Panorama of the city with house roofs, the centre and the harbour against hills under a clear sky
View over Wellington and its harbour from Kelburn, New Zealand. Photo: Panamitsu / source, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Visas for students and graduates

Visa Who it is for Length Fee (from)
Fee Paying Student Visa students paying their own tuition, with family support, a loan or a partial scholarship up to 4 years, usually the paid period NZD 850 ($480)
Pathway Student Visa up to three consecutive programmes with participating providers, such as foundation plus a bachelor's up to 5 years NZD 750 ($430)
Partner of a Student Work Visa partners of master's and doctoral students and of some level 7–8 students same as the student's visa NZD 1,630 ($920) online from within New Zealand; RUB 90,950 from Russia or Kazakhstan via the Moscow visa application centre
Post-Study Work Visa graduates who studied full-time in New Zealand up to 3 years NZD 1,670 ($950)
Short-Term Graduate Work Visa graduates of level 5–7 programmes who do not qualify for the Post-Study Work Visa; applications open 16 November 2026 6 months fee to be published

"From" amounts vary by nationality and where you apply. The Fees, decision times and where to apply tool on the Immigration New Zealand website shows the exact figure for your passport.

What Immigration New Zealand assesses

A place on an approved course. The offer of place must state the programme name, its length, full-time or part-time study and, for programmes over one academic year, the scheduled holiday dates. It comes with a signed declaration from the provider that the course suits your expectations and that you have the English and academic ability to pass. Only signatories to the Education (Pastoral Care of Tertiary and International Learners) Code of Practice 2021 can enrol international students. Offshore applicants can apply with a conditional offer: the visa is approved in principle and issued once the offer becomes unconditional.

Tuition. You must show payment for one course or one year of study, whichever is shorter. Offshore applicants may pay only after approval in principle, which lengthens processing.

Living funds.

Situation Amount required
Tertiary study or English language study of a year or more NZD 20,000 ($11,340) per year
Study shorter than a year NZD 1,667 ($950) per month
School study (Years 1–13) NZD 17,000 ($9,640) per year or NZD 1,417 per month

Evidence can include bank statements, term deposits, scholarship letters, an education loan with its repayment terms, or a sponsor. An individual sponsor must be a family member or friend and completes their own online form using a sharing ID you provide. Alternatively, a guarantor signs the Financial Undertaking for a Student (INZ 1014) and shows the money is their own, not borrowed. For programmes longer than a year, a credible plan for later years, such as evidence of family income, strengthens the application; you do not need to hold all years' funds now. You also need an onward ticket or extra money to buy one.

Insurance. Medical and travel insurance is required from the start of the course until the visa expires and must meet the Code's standards. Universities usually arrange the policy and invoice it. PhD students are exempt from this visa condition.

Health. For stays over six months, a chest X-ray is required if you are a citizen of a country that is not on the low-TB-incidence list or have spent more than three months in such countries in the past five years. Russia and Kazakhstan are not on the list; Belarus is. A full medical examination is not normally needed for stays under 12 months, and fee-paying students rarely need one. Results must be less than three months old when Immigration New Zealand receives them.

Character. A police certificate is needed if you are 17 or older and your total time in New Zealand will reach 24 months, which covers most bachelor's degrees. It must be under six months old, come from each country of citizenship and each country where you have lived more than five years since age 17, and include a certified English translation. Applicants under 20 who have held New Zealand student visas continuously since turning 17 are exempt.

Genuine intention to study. Officers look at whether your course choice makes sense for your background. English test results are not mandatory for the visa but help show you are ready to study.

Document checklist

  • scan of the passport information page, with at least three months' validity beyond your planned departure from New Zealand;
  • a visa-compliant photo;
  • the offer of place with the provider's declaration;
  • proof of tuition payment, or of your ability to pay after approval in principle;
  • proof of living funds from a genuine, traceable source, a sponsor's sharing ID or a guarantor's form;
  • holiday dates and evidence of a 120-credit course if you want full-time work in holidays;
  • a letter confirming compulsory practical work, if relevant;
  • for applicants aged 16 or 17, written permission to work from a parent and the provider;
  • chest X-ray or medical results when required;
  • police certificates when required, with certified translations;
  • an onward ticket or funds for one.

Translating other supporting documents is optional but recommended to avoid delays, and translations must meet Immigration New Zealand's translator requirements.

Application steps and timing

Step Action Timing
1 Receive the offer of place and check its length, holiday dates and declaration four to six months before the start
2 Prepare financial evidence, order the police certificate and translations in parallel; the certificate must be under six months old when you apply
3 Create an account, complete the form, upload documents and pay by Visa, Mastercard or UnionPay at least three months before travel; October to March is the peak period
4 Complete the chest X-ray with a panel physician once requested straight away; results are valid for three months
5 Receive approval in principle, pay tuition and upload the receipt when asked
6 Receive the eVisa and check its conditions: dates, work rights and provider before buying flights

Where panel physicians exist in your country, you must use one; where none exist, any registered doctor can complete the Immigration New Zealand forms. The list of clinics by country is on the Immigration New Zealand website.

Notes for applicants from Russia and Kazakhstan

  • You apply online from any country; the visa page offers only online applications, and visas are issued electronically. For citizens of Russia and Kazakhstan the fee tool showed NZD 850 on the check date, already including the immigration levy and the NZD 100 IVL. Other passport holders should check the tool for their own figure.
  • Fees are charged to a Visa, Mastercard or UnionPay card. Cards issued by Russian banks do not work abroad, so arrange a lawful payment route early; see how to pay for studies abroad from Russia.
  • The chest X-ray is always required for stays over six months, so allow time to book a clinic.
  • Russian police certificates must be translated into English with certification.
  • Funds should have a clear history; a large recent deposit without an explanation raises questions.

Work during study

Since 3 November 2025 the limit has been 25 hours a week, up from 20. Work rights are written into the visa conditions; no separate permit is needed.

Who Work allowed
Full-time students on a programme of at least two academic years or a qualification at level 4 or above up to 25 hours a week during study
Students on a programme of at least one academic year, worth 120 credits, with at least two semesters over eight months full-time in scheduled holidays
Research master's and PhD students no hour limit, provided study stays full-time
Secondary students in Years 12–13 aged 16 or over up to 25 hours with school and parental permission
Under 16 no work

International students cannot be self-employed; they must work for an employer under an employment agreement. Compulsory practical work does not count towards the hour limit. If your course ends while the visa is still valid, the visa conditions continue to apply.

Since the same date, changing provider or moving to a lower level of study usually requires a new student visa rather than a variation of conditions.

Partners and children

Any student can support visitor visas for a partner and children. A Partner of a Student Work Visa is possible if the student is enrolled in:

  • a level 9 or 10 qualification (master's or doctorate);
  • a level 7 or 8 qualification named on the Green List as a requirement or registration qualification;
  • a level 7 qualification on the list of qualifications eligible for a Post-Study Work Visa.

The partner needs at least NZD 4,200 ($2,380) for living costs, both partners must be at least 18 and living together. A partner applying from Russia or Kazakhstan is directed by the fee tool to the VFS Global visa application centre in Moscow (in person or by post), with an application cost of RUB 90,950 plus a RUB 4,800 centre fee, payable in roubles. Applied for online from within New Zealand, the same visa costs NZD 1,630. A PhD student can support student visas for dependent children, who then attend school as domestic students; a partner holding a work visa can also support the children's student visas.

After graduation: the Post-Study Work Visa and the new short-term visa

The Post-Study Work Visa gives open work rights with any employer. Its length depends on the qualification:

Qualification completed in New Zealand Visa length
Master's or doctorate with at least 30 weeks of full-time study in New Zealand 3 years
Bachelor's degree (level 7) or a level 8 qualification, at least 30 weeks full-time equal to the time spent studying for it, up to 3 years
Non-degree level 4–7 qualification on the official list time spent studying; job must relate to the study
From 16 November 2026: a level 7 graduate diploma held together with a bachelor's degree from New Zealand or overseas time spent studying, up to 1 year

Apply within three months of your student visa expiring, or six months after a doctorate, and show at least NZD 5,000 ($2,830). The visa is granted once per lifetime, even after a higher degree. Holders can support work visas for partners and student visas for children.

The six-month Short-Term Graduate Work Visa, open to applications from 16 November 2026, is for graduates of level 5–7 qualifications studied full-time in New Zealand for at least 24 weeks who do not qualify for the Post-Study Work Visa. English, foundation and bridging programmes do not count. Applicants need NZD 5,000 and must apply within three months of the student visa expiring. Work must be for an employer, and the visa cannot support a partner's work visa.

Partner rights and the three-year post-study visa matter most at master's level; see master's degrees in New Zealand.

For residence, check the Green List of in-demand occupations: with the required qualification, registration or experience, some roles lead to residence immediately and others after two years of work. Check your field against it before choosing a programme.

Common mistakes

  • Applying a month before departure. Immigration New Zealand asks for at least three months, and queues are longer from October to March.
  • An offer letter without holiday dates. The visa may then be issued without full-time holiday work rights.
  • Funds without a history. A large recent deposit with no explained source weakens the application.
  • An old or untranslated police certificate. It will not be accepted and can lead to a decline or a shorter visa.
  • Switching provider on the same visa. Since November 2025, a change of provider or a lower level usually needs a new application.
  • Counting future wages as visa funds. Only money available at the time of application counts.

FAQ

NZD 850 ($480) for a citizen of Russia or Kazakhstan, which already includes the NZD 100 International Visitor Levy. The charge is not refunded if the visa is declined. Other nationalities should check the official fee tool.

Immigration New Zealand decides 80% of Fee Paying Student Visa applications within eight weeks. Paying tuition after approval in principle adds the time needed to pay and upload the receipt.

Citizens of Russia and Kazakhstan need a chest X-ray for stays over six months. A full medical is normally only relevant for stays of 12 months or more and when requested; fee-paying students are rarely asked.

Yes, if your visa conditions allow it: up to 25 hours a week in term and full-time in scheduled holidays. Research master's and PhD students have no hour limit.

A partner can get a visitor visa whatever you study. A work visa is available if you study at master's or doctoral level or on certain level 7–8 programmes listed on the Green List or the Post-Study Work Visa list.

Apply for a Post-Study Work Visa within three months of your student visa expiring; after a master's it runs for three years. From 16 November 2026, graduates of level 5–7 diplomas may qualify for the six-month Short-Term Graduate Work Visa instead.

No. The visa requires proof of payment for one year, or for the whole course if it is shorter. For later years, a realistic funding plan is enough.

Sources

Review of visa documents and financial evidence, and preparing and lodging applications, are provided under an agreement with StudyU. Only Immigration New Zealand decides on visas, and we do not promise an outcome.

During the free initial consultation, we clarify your goal, profile, timing, and budget and identify the next realistic step.

Next steps

Updated: