Police certificates required upfront for student and temporary visas

Immigration New Zealand (INZ) requires police certificates to be provided upfront for student and other temporary visa applications.

What is changing

If applicants do not include a required police certificate, it may affect their visa decision. The application may be declined.

If a police certificate is required, applicants must upload it when they apply so their application can be assessed with complete information. Receipts or confirmation that they have applied will not be accepted.

What this means for applicants

Applicants need to ensure their application is complete when they apply.

If a required police certificate is not included, the application may be declined or, in some cases, granted for a shorter period. INZ will not usually contact applicants to request a missing police certificate.

Applicants should only apply once they have all required documents ready, including their police certificate. Police certificates can take time to obtain, and processing times vary by country.

To avoid delays to visa decisions and study or travel plans, applicants should apply for their police certificate early and check timeframes in their home country.

Exceptions for some countries

For applicants from Fiji, Hong Kong and Israel, police certificates are sent directly to INZ by the issuing authority. In these cases, applicants can upload proof they have applied for one.

What happens if a police certificate is missing

Applications will be assessed based on the information provided and will not be held while waiting for a police certificate.

Applying from outside New Zealand (offshore):

• if applicants intended to stay in New Zealand for more than 24 months and a required police certificate is missing, their application is likely to be declined
• in some circumstances, applicants may be granted a visa for a shorter duration if eligibility cannot be fully assessed
• to stay longer, applicants will need to apply again with their police certificate and pay a new fee.

Applying from within New Zealand (onshore):

• applicants may have a short timeframe (for example, 5 working days) to provide a police certificate if they have not yet spent 24 months in New Zealand
• if applicants cannot provide it, the visa may be granted for a shorter duration (up to 24 months total stay)
• to stay longer, applicants will need to apply again with the police certificate and pay a new fee.

How to get a police certificate