German Law Student Visitor Visa

Visa details

Apply for this visa if you are a German law student or graduate and you want to visit New Zealand as an unpaid observer in a New Zealand law firm.

Length of stay

6 months

Cost
From
NZD $211
Processing time
90% within
47 days
With this visa you can
  • Come to New Zealand to observe how a New Zealand law firm works.
  • Include your partner, and dependent children aged 19 and under, in your visa application.
Things to note
  • You can’t do any paid work.

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 identity

  • 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 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.

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've applied.

Sending your passport for online applications

Character

You must be of good character

You may need to provide police certificates as proof of your good character.

If you are aged 17 or older and plan to stay in New Zealand for more than 24 months (including any time you have already spent in New Zealand), you must provide police certificates from:

  • any country you are a citizen of
  • any country you have spent more than 5 years in since you turned 17.

You do not need to provide police certificates if:

  • you have provided them to us with an earlier visa application, and
  • they were issued in the previous 24 months.

Good character

How to get a police certificate

Written offer

You must have a written offer from a New Zealand law firm

You must provide a written offer that is:

  • as an unpaid observer with a New Zealand law firm
  • for a temporary position for not more than 6 months.

Funds or sponsorship

You must have enough money to live on while you’re in New Zealand or have an acceptable sponsor

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
  1. If you are pregnant, there are additional requirements.

    Paying for maternity care

Onward travel

You must have a ticket to leave New Zealand or enough funds to purchase one, or be sponsored for the cost of your onward travel.

Evidence can include:

  • your travel ticket
  • proof you have enough money to buy a ticket out of New Zealand, to a country you can enter
  • a ‘Sponsorship for Temporary Entry’ form completed by an acceptable sponsor, declaring that they’ll cover the cost of your onward travel.

What sponsors must do – responsibilities and obligations

Sponsorship for Temporary Entry (INZ 1025) PDF 414KB

Health care

You must agree to pay your own health care costs

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

Tips
  1. We recommend that you have full medical insurance for the length of your visit.

Partner and dependent children

You can include your partner and any dependent children up to the age of 24 in your application

To meet the requirements, they must:

  • be your partner, or dependent child aged 19 or under
  • provide proof of their identity
  • be of good character
  • be in good health 
  • be a bona fide applicant.

Partnership

Dependent children

Tips
  1. You can include your family in your visitor visa application, or they can apply for their own 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

You must apply for entry permission when you arrive in New Zealand. You can do this by completing an arrival card, which you are given on the way to New Zealand.

Arriving in New Zealand

Notes
  • You can be refused entry permission if:

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

    If you are refused entry to New Zealand

    Before you travel to New Zealand

Travel

If travelling in and out of New Zealand, a valid multiple entry travel condition is needed to return to New Zealand.

Changing the conditions of a visitor visa

Notes
  • If you’re applying from inside New Zealand, we’ll normally give you multiple entry travel conditions when we grant you this visa.

    If you don’t have multiple entry travel conditions and you leave New Zealand, your visa will expire.

    Your travel conditions will be recorded on your visa label or in your visa letter.

Onward travel

You must have either:

  • a travel ticket out of New Zealand
  • enough money to pay for a travel ticket out of New Zealand, in addition to your living costs.
Notes
  • Unless your visa label or letter states “Return/onward travel not required” you must have a ticket to leave New Zealand whenever you travel here.

Work

You cannot work in New Zealand on this visa.

Visa expiry

You must leave New Zealand before your visa expires.

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