You’ll need a student visa if you’re planning to study here full time and the course is for longer than three months.

Student visa requirements include:

• an offer of place from an educational institution approved by the New Zealand Qualifications Authority
• a written guarantee from an institution or person that suitable accommodation is available to you in New Zealand (if you’re under 18 years)
• evidence of sufficient funds to live on while you are studying
• a return air ticket to your country, or evidence of sufficient funds to buy one.

If you’re spending six months or more here in New Zealand you may need to be screened for tuberculosis.

If you’re over 17 and intend to be in New Zealand for over two years, you’ll need to provide a police certificate to show that you are of good character. 

If you’re studying a short course that’s less than three months, you don’t need a student visa: just a visitor visa.

If you have been offered a place in an approved exchange scheme you can apply for a student visa for the duration of your exchange, provided you meet our health and character requirements and are a genuine exchange participant. If you’re coming on a working holiday scheme you can do one or more courses of study, as long as their total duration is no more than six months.

This is just a summary. You should make sure you get the full details at Immigration New Zealand. You’ll also be able to apply for your student visa online.

Working after study

If you’d like to work here after gaining your qualification to get some experience, you need to know about our requirements to work after study. It’s good to have these in mind when deciding what course to enrol in so you gain a qualification that’s needed and valued by New Zealand employers. 

Visas for school children

Dependent children of temporary work visa holders also need a student visa. This entitles them to attend New Zealand primary and secondary schools as domestic students (meaning they are not required to pay international student tuition fees). To avoid delays, we strongly recommend that you apply for this visa from your home country. Without a student visa, they can only attend school for two weeks as a domestic student or for three months as a fee-paying international student.