Adoption Visitor Visa

Children can come to New Zealand to be adopted by New Zealand citizens or residents. The adoption must have the support of Oranga Tamariki—Ministry for Children.

Length of stay

6 months

Cost
From
NZD $341
Processing time
80% within
5 weeks
With this visa you can
  • Bring children to New Zealand for adoption.
Things to note
  • We may waive the funds, onward travel and health requirements for adopted children.
  • The adoption must have the support of Oranga Tamariki—Ministry for Children.
  • School-aged children may instead apply for a Dependent Child Student Visa to study full-time as a domestic student.
    Study conditions
  • Full English language translations must be provided for any documents not in English.
    Providing English translations of supporting documents

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.

Tips

Please also provide a copy of:

  • your child’s Hukou (household registration book)
  • your child’s identity cards.

Please also provide copies of your children’s Identity cards.

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

You must provide evidence you’re a New Zealand citizen or resident. Evidence may include, your valid:

  • New Zealand passport
  • New Zealand birth certificate
  • New Zealand resident visa.

You must provide written confirmation from the Ministry for Children, Oranga Tamariki that they support the adoption.

You must have at least NZD $1,000 per month, or NZD $400 per month if you’ve already paid for your accommodation.

Evidence can include:

  • proof of accommodation pre-payment, like hotel pre-paid vouchers or receipts
  • 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.

Criteria and process to become a sponsor

What sponsors must do while you are in New Zealand

Tips

We may waive this requirement.

You must declare in your visa application that, if they’re not entitled to free health care, you’ll pay the costs of any health care or medical assistance the children may 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.

Documents must be translated by someone who meets our requirements for providing English translations.

Providing English translations of supporting documents

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

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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.

Funds or sponsorship

Unless we’ve waived this requirement, the children must have enough money held in New Zealand or be supported for the length of their visa.

If they’re sponsored, their sponsor must:

  • meet the children’s need for maintenance, while the children are in New Zealand
  • pay any costs if we ask you the children to leave New Zealand.

Onward travel

Unless we’ve waived this requirement, during the length of their visa, the children must have a travel ticket or funds to travel to a country they can enter. The funds can be in the form of any of the following:

  • sufficient funds held in New Zealand to purchase a travel ticket
  • current sponsorship.

Study

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 Practice for the Pastoral Care of International Students’.

Code of Pastoral Care for International Students

The child may be eligible for a Dependent Child Student Visa to study full-time as a domestic student if either:

  • their adoption application is before the New Zealand Family Court and is supported by Oranga Tamariki—Ministry for Children
  • the New Zealand Family Court has granted an Interim Order for their adoption, or
  • their adoption application is through an intercountry adoption process under the Hague Convention and is supported by Oranga Tamariki—Ministry for Children, and at least one of the adoptive parents is a New Zealand citizen or resident.

Eligible children who are school-age or nearing school-age should apply for a Dependent Child Student Visa. Include a cover letter with the application explaining the child is entering New Zealand for adoption.

Dependent Child Student Visa

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.