Child of a New Zealander Visitor Visa

Visa details

This visa allows your dependent children to visit you in New Zealand for up to 9 months. You must be a New Zealand citizen or resident.

Length of stay

9 months

Age range

19 and under

Cost
From
NZD $211
Processing time
90% within
47 days
With this visa you can
  • Have your children join you in New Zealand.
  • Send your children to school in New Zealand for up to 3 months.
  • Allow your children to explore New Zealand as visitors.
Things to note
  • If you want your children to go to school for more than 3 months, they’ll need a student visa.

Who can apply

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

View All Evidence

Identity

You must provide proof of your children’s identity

 

Acceptable photos

If you apply online, you must upload a copy of your child’s passport. After you’ve applied, we’ll tell you if you must send us your child’s passport as well.

If you use a paper application form, you may send us your child’s passport, or a certified copy. If you provide a certified copy, we may ask for your child’s passport before we complete the application.

Tips

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

  2. We can’t accept a Taiwan compatriot passport as proof of your citizenship.

  3. Please also provide a copy of:

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

Health

Your children must be in good health

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

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

  2. You must provide a chest x-ray completed in the last 3 months, even if you have provided one to us previously, if:

    • your children have spent 6 consecutive months in China since the last x-ray certificate was issued, and
    • your children are now coming to NZ for more than 6 months.

Character

Your children must be of good character

You may need to provide Police Certificates as proof of the children’s good character.

Good character

Who needs to provide police certificates

Tips

  1. You don’t need to provide Police Certificates for children under 17.

Genuine intentions

You must genuinely intend for your children to meet the conditions of their visas

When we assess if your children’s applications are bona fide, we consider all of the information that:

  • you provide to support their application
  • we have about you and your children’s personal circumstances and previous applications.

Genuine intentions to visit, study or work in NZ

Dependent children

Your children must be single and depend on you for financial support

For us to consider your children to be dependent, they must be either:

  • 17 or under
  • 18-19 with no children of their own.

We may ask for evidence that children 18 – 19 are financially dependent on you, for example:

  • documents showing they’re enrolled at school or university
  • receipts for their daily expenses, like phone, clothes, food
  • bank accounts showing you pay then an allowance
  • receipts for big purchases, like travel.

Dependent children

Tips

  1. We may ask for evidence that children 18 – 19 are dependent on you.

Funds or sponsorship

Your children must have enough money to live on while they’re in New Zealand or have an acceptable sponsor

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

Evidence of funds or sponsorship 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

Your immigration status

You must be a New Zealand citizen or resident

You must provide an original or certified copy of your:

  • New Zealand passport, birth certificate or certificate of citizenship, or
  • New Zealand Resident Visa.

Your relationship with your children

You must be the parent of your dependent children

You must provide evidence that you are the parent of your dependent children, which may include:

Dependent children

Tips

  1. If your children are travelling alone or with one parent, we may ask for evidence they have the right to leave their country of residence, eg custody or guardianship papers.

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 an arrival card, which they’ll be given on the way to New Zealand.

Notes

  • The children can be refused entry permission if:

    • you or they don’t meet our character requirements
    • your or their circumstances have changed since you or they were granted a visa
    • you or they refuse to let us take their photo or provide us with their fingerprints or an iris scan, if asked for them
    • you or they are unable to provide evidence of any onward travel or funds required by the conditions of their visas.

Travel

If your children have multiple entry visas they can travel to and from New Zealand as many times as they like before their visas expire.

If they have single entry visas their visas will expire when they leave New Zealand.

Check your child’s visa label or their evisa letter for their travel conditions.

Notes

  • If your children do not have multiple entry visas you can apply to have the conditions of their visas varied to allow them to travel.

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

  • You or your children may be asked for evidence of their travel arrangements when they check in or arrive in New Zealand.

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

  • You may be asked for evidence your children have financial support or sponsorship when they arrive in New Zealand.

Study

School-aged children can study for up to 3 months in any calendar year.

Older children can study at tertiary institutes for up to 3 months in any 12-month period.

Notes

Work

Your children cannot work in New Zealand.

Visa expiry

The children must leave New Zealand before their visas expire.

Notes

  • Visa expiry dates are printed on a visa label or included in a visa letter.