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 NZAID 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 Permit to attend New Zealand primary and secondary schools.
Short courses
If the course of study is a single short course of less than three calendar months duration, and is approved or exempted by NZQA, the student does not need a student visa, and can apply for a visitor visa.
If the student wants to study two or more short courses of study or training (whether at the same time, or one after the other), he or she needs a student visa or permit.
Note: We do not consider a term spent studying at a primary, intermediate or secondary school to be a short course, and a student visa/permit must be applied for.