New Zealand primary and secondary schools that have been accredited by New Zealand’s Ministry of Education can offer education to international students.

• State or integrated primary and secondary schools: schools that are accredited by the Ministry of Education can offer places to full fee paying international students after all New Zealand domestic and New Zealand Aid Programme (NZAP) scholarship students are placed.
• Private primary and secondary schools: these schools can offer places equally to international and New Zealand students.

Any courses or programmes offered mainly for international students must be approved by the New Zealand Qualification Authority (NZQA). Education providers need to register with NZQA to offer an approved course which they are accredited to deliver.

All schools offering courses must have signed the Code of Practice for Pastoral Care of Students produced by the Ministry of Education, and where necessary, if the course is over three months, the New Zealand Immigration service may confirm that this is the case.

Young students, aged 17 years or younger, may be accompanied by an eligible guardian.

International students enrolling for courses of three months or more need a student visa to attend New Zealand primary and secondary schools.

People undertaking short courses

If students want to undertake one or more short courses which are approved or exempted by New Zealand Qualifications Authority, for no more than three calendar months duration in total, they do not need a student visa or a variation of conditions.

If a student holds a temporary visa that is valid for 24 months or more, they can study one or more courses for up to three months in total in each 12-month period.

School-age children

School-age visitor visa holders can attend a primary, intermediate, or secondary school for a single period of study of up to three months per calendar year provided the study finishes within the calendar year. School-age visitor visa holders are not permitted to study in term one of a school year if they undertook a single period of study in term four of the previous year while on a visitor visa.

If school-age visitor visa holders are planning to attend for more than two weeks or are paying fees, they must attend a school that is a signatory to the Ministry of Education's Code of Practice for the Pastoral Care of International Students.