About the Visa Verification Service

All non-New Zealand citizens must hold a visa to be in New Zealand. A Visa Verification Service enquiry shows details of the visa record held by INZ for a particular visa holder. It includes information about that visa and its conditions, such as length of stay, and work and study entitlements.

Users might include health care providers, financial services organisations, sponsors, licensed immigration advisers, and travel agents. Individual visa holders themselves may wish to access their own visa records directly through the Visa Verification Service.

Consent

A Visa Verification Service enquiry must only be performed with the consent of the visa holder. INZ will release information through the Visa Verification Service only when the user can demonstrate that they know sufficient information about the visa holder and their visa to show that it is a genuine enquiry that the visa holder has authorised.

Identity assurance

The Visa Verification Service does not confirm identity. A Visa Verification Service Enquiry Record confirms whether the details of a visa presented to a service provider match the details of a current visa in INZ’s electronic records. Service providers are advised to also sight a passport or other appropriate identity document to ensure that the biographic details in the identity document match the biographic details in the visa, and that the photograph in the identity document matches the person presenting this information. 

Privacy statement

All personal information must be treated in accordance with the Privacy Act 2020, including:

• only using personal information for lawful purposes
• only retaining personal information as long as required
• not sharing personal information unless authorised by the visa holder or in accordance with a lawful purpose
• securely destroying any electronic or hardcopy versions of personal information when no longer required; and
• storing or sharing the information in a secure manner.

Complaints

If you wish to make a complaint about the Visa Verification Service or information provided by the Visa Verification Service,  contact INZ through the complaints process published on our website.

Complaints process

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To access Visa Verification Service, you need a RealMe account. If you’ve created a RealMe account somewhere else, you can use it here too.

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Questions?

The Visa Verification Service Guide explains everything you need to know about using the Visa Verification Service.

Visa Verification Service Guide PDF 512KB

If you have further questions about the Visa Verification Service, phone us on:

• (09) 969 1458 from within the Auckland toll-free calling area
• (04) 910 9916 from Wellington
• 0508 967 569 from the rest of New Zealand

For general visa enquiries telephone 0508 558 855.