Information about Permanent Resident Visa

If you have a New Zealand residence visa and have been living in New Zealand for 2 years or more, you may be eligible for a Permanent Resident Visa, which would allow you to travel to and from New Zealand any time you like.

Overview

COVID-19

It is important to check that you can travel to New Zealand while border restrictions are in place.

Reasons you can travel to New Zealand

Overview

Length of stay

Indefinitely

With this visa you can

Live, work, and study in New Zealand.
Travel to and from New Zealand any time you like.
Include your partner, and dependent children aged 24 and under, in your visa application - if you included them in your original residence application.

Things to note

If you want to travel, your Permanent Resident Visa will need to be in a valid passport. You may need to apply to transfer your permanent resident visa to a new passport.
Non-principal applicants can’t apply for permanent residence before the principal applicant, unless a non-principal exception applies.
If we’re unable to grant you a Permanent Resident Visa, we may be able to offer you another resident visa or a variation of your resident visa travel conditions. This would give you more time to travel to and from New Zealand as a resident.
People directly affected by the Christchurch terrorist attacks on 15 March 2019 and their New Zealand-based family can apply for permanent residence using a different process.
Christchurch Response (2019) — permanent residence visa

Non-principal exceptions

Criteria

Apply for a different visa

Meeting the criteria

The criteria and evidence below will provide you with the information you need to meet the requirements.

Use the filters to display country specific tips, under evidence, to assist you with your application

Show all evidence Hide all evidence

Identity

You must provide proof of your identity

EvidenceHide

You must provide proof of your identity:

2 acceptable photos of your head and shoulders
your passport or certificate of identity

Acceptable photos

You may provide your original passport, or a certified copy when you submit your application. If you provide a certified copy we may request your original passport to complete your application.

Character

You must be of good character

EvidenceHide

You may need to provide Police Certificates as proof of your good character.

Good character
How to get a police certificate

If you need to provide a Police Certificate, we’ll let you know.

Resident visa status

You must hold a valid resident visa or have held one in the last 3 months

EvidenceHide

You must have held your resident visa and been living in New Zealand continuously for at least 24 months at the time you apply for a permanent resident visa.

You must provide either:

your resident visa
your residence permit.

If your resident visa expired more than 3 months ago, you won’t be eligible for a permanent resident visa but you may be able to apply for another resident visa.

Resident visa conditions

You must have met any conditions of your current resident visa

EvidenceHide

You must provide evidence you have met any conditions of your current resident visa.

Visa conditions are different for resident visas granted under different categories and may include things like:

travelling to and from New Zealand only for the time allowed by your resident visa
spending a minimum number of days in New Zealand
keeping money invested in New Zealand
working only in a particular job and/or for a particular employer.

Check your visa label for your visa conditions.

Commitment to New Zealand

You must be committed to living in New Zealand permanently

EvidenceHide

The evidence you must provide depends on how you choose to show your commitment to New Zealand.

Commitment to New Zealand

If you've spent at least 184 days of each of the last 2 years in New Zealand, you will meet this requirement. If you have spent this time here, you don't need to provide any evidence.as we'll check your travel records.

You must provide English translations of all evidence not in English.

Non-principal applicants

Non-principal applicants must not apply for a permanent resident visa before the principal applicant

EvidenceHide

If you were a non-principal applicant when you applied for a resident visa, you must apply for your permanent resident visa at the same time or after the principal applicant, unless a non-principal exception applies.

Non-principal exceptions

Process

The information below will help you understand the process so you can plan ahead and have the best chance of submitting a complete application.

Fees & receiving centre

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.

Conditions

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

Keep your visa in a valid passport

If you want to travel, your visa must be in a valid passport.

If your passport expires, you must apply to transfer your visa to a new passport before you can travel.

Transferring my visa to a new passport

To transfer your visa, you must:

send us your old and new passports
complete an ‘Application for Transfer or Confirmation of a Visa’
pay a transfer fee.

Application for Transfer or Confirmation of a Visa (INZ 1023)

Fees, decision times and where to apply

Our online systems

COVID-19

Overview

With this visa you can

Things to note

Use the filters to display country specific tips, under evidence, to assist you with your application

Identity

Character

Resident visa status

Resident visa conditions

Commitment to New Zealand

Non-principal applicants

Keep your visa in a valid passport