Adoption Pre-citizenship Visitor Visa

Children adopted from other countries can visit New Zealand, before their New Zealand citizenship is confirmed. You must provide the children's birth certificates and evidence that at least one of their adoptive parents is a New Zealand citizen.

Length of stay

6 months

Cost
From
NZD $211
Processing time
80% within
6 weeks
With this visa you can
  • Bring children adopted from other countries to New Zealand.
Things to note
  • We may waive the funds, onward travel and health requirements for adopted children.

What you need to apply

Check if you are eligible to apply for this visa and what supporting documents and information you need to provide.

View All Evidence
  • 1 acceptable photo if you apply online, or 2 photos if you use a paper application form.
  • your passport or certificate of identity.

Acceptable photos

If you apply online, you must upload a copy of your passport when you apply. We will let you know if you need to send your passport after you have applied.

Providing your passport for online applications

If you submit a paper application, provide your original passport or a certified copy.  We can usually process your application faster if you provide your original passport.

The children may need to have a chest x-ray and/or a medical examination as proof of good health.

Who needs an x-ray or medical examination

Tips

Children under 11 don’t need to have an x-ray unless a special report is needed.

We may waive this requirement.

When we decide if your intentions are genuine, we consider all the information:

  • you provide to support your application
  • we have about your personal circumstances, and
  • you provided in any previous applications.

Genuine intentions to visit, study or work in NZ

Evidence may include, one of the adoptive parents’:

  • valid New Zealand passport
  • New Zealand birth certificate
  • certificate of New Zealand citizenship.

You must provide confirmation from the Department of Internal Affairs that there are no obstacles to granting your adoptive children citizenship.

Per child per month: NZ $1,000 or NZ $400 if you’ve already paid for the children’s accommodation.  If so, you’ll need to provide proof of pre-payment, like hotel receipts.

Evidence of funds can include:

  • bank statements
  • credit card statements
  • bank drafts
  • travellers’ cheques
  • a 'Sponsorship Form for Temporary Entry' completed by an acceptable sponsor.

If you are sponsored, your sponsor must provide evidence they can look after you in New Zealand. Evidence can include:

  • recent bank statements
  • pay slips
  • employment agreement
  • accommodation ownership or payment of rent

What sponsors must do – responsibilities and obligations

Sponsorship Form for Temporary Entry (INZ 1025) PDF 414KB

 

Tips

We may waive this requirement.

You must declare in your visa application that you’ll pay the costs of any health care or medical assistance the children receive in New Zealand while on a visitor visa.

Tips

We recommend that you have full medical insurance for the children for the length of their visitor visas.

Process and costs

The information below will help you understand the process, timeframes and costs involved in applying for this visa, so you can plan ahead and have the best chance of submitting a complete application.

Notes

We cannot display any process or costs information until you have provided your country details. Enter your country details in the panel above to view information relevant to your situation.

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How to submit

Payment methods and receiving centre details if applicable.

Notes

We cannot display any receiving centre or payment method information until you have provided your country details. Enter your country details in the panel above to view information relevant to your situation.

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Conditions

These are the conditions that you must meet once you have your visa.

Entry permission

Your child must apply for entry permission when they arrive in New Zealand. They can do this by completing a digital New Zealand traveller declaration (NZTD), or an NZTD paper declaration.

Arriving in New Zealand

Notes

The children can be refused entry permission if:

  • they don’t meet our character requirements
  • their circumstances have changed since they were granted a visa
  • they refuse to let us take a photo or provide us with their fingerprints or an iris scan, if asked for them.

Travelling to and arriving in New Zealand

Travel

If the children want to travel in and out of New Zealand, they must have valid multiple entry travel conditions to return to New Zealand.

Notes

If you want multiple entry travel conditions for the children, you must apply for them. To be eligible, the children must not have been in New Zealand for more than 9 months in the last 18 months.

If the children are outside New Zealand when their travel conditions expire, their visa will expire as well.

Onward travel

You must have tickets for each of the children to leave New Zealand or enough money to buy each child a ticket.

Notes

We may waive this requirement.

Funds or sponsorship

You must have enough money to support the children while they’re in New Zealand, or the children must have a sponsor. 

Acceptable sponsors

Notes

We may waive this requirement.

Study

The child may study for up to 3 months in any 12-month period.

Notes

School-aged children can study for up to 3 months in any calendar year. Children studying for more than 2 weeks must attend a school that is signatory to the ‘Code of Pastoral Care for International Students’.

Code of Pastoral Care for International Students

Work

The child cannot work in New Zealand on a visitor visa.

Visa expiry

The children must leave New Zealand before their visas expire.

Notes

Your children may be granted further visas to allow them to stay in New Zealand while the Department of Internal Affairs assesses their citizenship applications. 

Further visas are granted for a maximum of 12 months at a time.