Showing your committment to New Zealand for permanent residence

There are 5 ways you can show us that you are committed to living in New Zealand permanently. 

We need to see evidence of at least 1 of them when you apply for a Permanent Resident Visa.

You need to have spent at least 184 days in New Zealand on a resident visa in each year of the 2 years immediately before you apply for permanent residence.

The 184 days does not need to be in a row — you can leave and return to New Zealand as many times as your visa conditions allow.

The evidence we need

We will already have this evidence in our records of your travel.

You are a tax resident in New Zealand if for the 2 years immediately before you apply for a Permanent Resident Visa you:

• have been in New Zealand as a resident for 41 days or more in each of the 12-month periods that makes up the 2 years, and
• are assessed as having tax residence status for those 2 years.

The evidence we need

Provide either a:

• statement from Inland Revenue, or
• a completed 'Confirmation of Tax Resident Status' form — Inland Revenue must complete their section of this form. 

If you need your tax status confirmed urgently, you can make an appointment with Inland Revenue to see them in person — if it is not urgent, you can submit a request through your MyIR account and attach the form.

Inland Revenue

You have had NZD $1,000,000 invested in New Zealand in an acceptable investment for 2 years or more.

The evidence we need

Acceptable evidence of the value and ownership of funds and any assets can include:

• bank documents
• property deeds and reports
• share certificates
• business ownership documents and valuation reports.

Find out more about acceptable investments for investor resident visas.

Acceptable investments for investor and retirement visas 

You have either bought or started a business in New Zealand at least 1 year ago.

The business must be trading successfully and of benefit to New Zealand in some way.

If you bought into an existing business in New Zealand, you must have at least a 25% share.

The evidence we need

We need to see both:

• a set of your latest business accounts certified by a New Zealand chartered accountant, and
• a letter or email from a New Zealand chartered accountant confirming that your business is a .

You have established your base in New Zealand if:

• you have lived in New Zealand as a resident for at least 41 days in the 12 months before you apply for permanent residence, and
• everyone else included in your residence application has been living in New Zealand for at least 184 days in the 2 years before you apply for permanent residence.

You must also have either:

• worked in New Zealand for at least 9 months in the 2 years before you apply for permanent residence, or
• purchased a home within 12 months of your first day in New Zealand as a resident — when you apply for permanent residence the home must still be owned by you, or together with family in your resident visa application.

The evidence we need

Evidence of home ownership can be:

• your house deed
• mortgage documents
• rates invoices
• home insurance papers
• household bills such as for power or internet.

Evidence of employment can be:

• an employment agreement
• pay slips
• confirmation from your employer.

Evidence of self-employment can be documents showing you:

• have established, bought or have shares in a business
• are actively involved in running a business.