All applicants – you and your partner (if applicable) – must meet our health and character requirements. The other requirements are set out below.

Age

You (the principal applicant) must be aged 66 or over.

Travel and/or health insurance

You will need to hold comprehensive travel and/or health insurance for the duration of your stay.

Investment funds and/or assets

You must nominate investment funds and/or assets equivalent to at least NZ$0.75 million and undertake to invest them in New Zealand for a period of two years.

You must also nominate NZ$0.5 million for maintenance funds, and be able to show an annual income of NZ$60,000 at the time of your application. 

You will need to be able to provide evidence showing that your investment and maintenance funds and/or assets are owned by you or jointly by you and your partner.

You will also need to be able to provide evidence showing that your intended investment funds:

• are unencumbered, ie not subject to any mortgage, lien, charge and/or encumbrance (whether equitable or otherwise) or any other creditor claims
• have been earned or acquired legally
• are transferable through the banking system (we will not be able to approve your application if you are unable to transfer funds to New Zealand through the banking system).

You will need to be able to provide verifiable documents to show that the funds you transfer to New Zealand came from your nominated funds and/or assets. You will need to place your investment funds in an acceptable investment(s) in New Zealand.

After your application is approved

If your application is approved you (the principal applicant) must to retain your investment funds in an acceptable investment(s) for two years.

For more information

See our Temporary Retirement Category questions and answers.

Apply

If you think you meet the requirements, find out how to apply.