Culturally Arranged Marriage Visitor Visa

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.

We may ask you to have a chest X-ray, a medical examination or both as proof of your good health.

If you are staying less than:

• 6 months you do not normally need a chest X-ray. 
• 12 months you do not normally need a medical certificate. 

Who needs an X-ray or medical examination

When we process your application we let you know if we need you to have a chest X-ray or medical examination.

Acceptable standard of health criteria for visa approvals

Provide medical certificates if requested

If you have a criminal conviction or are a security risk to New Zealand we may not be able to grant you a visa.

Good character for temporary visas

You must provide police certificates if your total time in New Zealand will be 24 months or longer across all visits. This includes any time you have spent in New Zealand in the past on other visas, even if you have been out of the country since then.

You also must provide police certificates if we ask for them.

Police certificates must be less than 6 months old when you submit your application. They must be from any country you are a citizen of, or have spent more than 5 years in since you turned 17.

If you are 16 years old or younger you do not need to provide police certificates.

Providing police certificates

How to get a police certificate

If you have already sent us police certificates with a previous visa application and they are less than 24 months old, you do not need to send them again.

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
• you provided in any previous applications.

Genuine intentions to visit, study or work in NZ

Evidence your marriage follows an identified cultural tradition may include:

• records of any communication between the parents of the couple and any other person acting as a go-between or matchmaker
• documents indicating that the arrangement or ceremony is publicly recognised
• confirmation from a independent source that the arrangement or ceremony is part of the couple’s cultural customs
• a written account of how the marriage was arranged
• any other documents that show your marriage is culturally arranged.

Legal impediments include, if:

• you, or your partner is already married to someone else
• you and your partner are close relatives.

We’ll ask you about your marital status and relationship to your partner when you fill in your application.

You and your partner must be 18 or over when you apply. If either of you are 16 or 17, you must have your parents’ or guardians’ support.

You must have met each other before you apply.

Your partner must provide one of the following:

• a New Zealand passport
• a New Zealand birth certificate
• a certificate of New Zealand citizenship
• a New Zealand residence class visa.

If your partner is a New Zealand resident because of their citizenship or residence status in Australia, they may provide their Australian passport, permanent residence or resident return visa.

Your partner must meet our good character requirements or be granted a character waiver. We may ask your partner to provide a police certificate from any country they have spent 12 months or more in over the last 10 years. This applies whether the time was spent in one or more visits.

Your partner will not meet our character requirements if they have any convictions for domestic violence or sexual offences. If your partner does not meet our character requirements, we will consider whether they are eligible for a character waiver.

Who needs to provide police certificates

Your partner's character

To be eligible to support a partnership based resident visa application, your partner must not:

• have supported a successful resident visa application for more than one previous partner
• have supported a successful resident visa application for a previous partner within the last 5 years
• have included a previous partner in their own successful residence application, within the last 5 years
• have themselves been included as a partner in a successful residence application, within the last 5 years
• be liable for deportation, or have their deportation liability suspended.

Applying online

Your partner must give you their sharing ID and complete an online form to support your application.

Getting your partner to support your online visa application

Applying on paper

Your partner must complete a ‘Form for Partners Supporting Partnership-Based Temporary Entry Applications'.

Form for Partners Supporting Partnership-Based Temporary Entry Applications (INZ 1146) PDF 481KB

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

When you arrive in New Zealand you may be asked to show that you intend to leave the country — for example, a return ticket or proof you have enough money to buy a ticket out of New Zealand. This is in addition to the funds you have to live on.

If you are sponsored and you do not have a return ticket your sponsor can provide recent bank statements to show they have enough money to buy you a ticket out of New Zealand.

To bring dependent children with you, you must complete the ‘Additional Dependants for a Visitor Visa’ form and provide evidence:

• your children are in good health
• you are your children’s parent or legal guardian
• of your children’s identity
• of your relationship to your children.

Dependent children
Additional Dependants for a Visitor Visa (INZ 1205) PDF 264KB

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

Providing English translations of supporting documents