Limited Visa

Visa details

Apply to visit New Zealand temporarily for an express purpose. Once you have achieved your purpose you must leave New Zealand or apply for another Limited Visa.

Length of stay
Time allowed by your visa

To achieve express purpose

Cost
From
NZD $375
Processing time
90% within
82 days
With this visa you can
Things to note
  • The only kind of visa you can apply for while you’re in New Zealand is another Limited Visa – we’ll only grant this if you need more time to carry out your express purpose.
  • If you apply for a Visitor Visa or one of our student visas, we’ll sometimes offer you a Limited Visa instead – you’ll have the chance to comment before we grant the visa.
  • You can’t work in New Zealand on a Limited Visa, unless it was granted to work for a Recognised Seasonal Employer.

Who can apply

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

View All Evidence

Identity

You must provide proof of your identity

You must provide proof of your 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.

Tips

  1. Also provide a copy of your Identity card.

  2. Also provide your:

    • Hukou (household registration book)
    • Chinese identity card.

  3. If you are a citizen of China and you submit a paper application form in China, you must also complete a supplementary form.

    Supplementary form for Chinese citizens (INZ 1027) PDF 338KB

  4. If you are submitting a paper application form, you must provide a supplementary form for Hong Kong and Macao visitors, workers and students.

    Supplementary form for Hong Kong and Macao visitors, workers and students (INZ 1220) PDF 240KB

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

Health

You must be in good health

You may need to have a chest x-ray, a medical examination or both as proof of your good health.

Who needs an x-ray or medical examination

Update on medical certificate requests on Immigration Online

Tips

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

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

Genuine intentions

You must genuinely intend a temporary stay in New Zealand for an express purpose

Evidence can include documents that support the reason you are visiting New Zealand.

When we assess if you are bona fide, we consider all of the information that:

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

Genuine intentions to visit, study or work in NZ

Express Purpose

You must genuinely intend a temporary stay in New Zealand for an express purpose

Evidence will depend on your express purpose but may include:

  • Invitations to events or ceremonies
  • Offers of a place at an education provider
  • Medical treatment schedules or confirmation

Funds or sponsorship

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

The funds you need will depend on your express purpose. If you’re visiting you’ll need NZ $1000 per person per month, if you’re studying, you’ll need NZ $1250 per person per month.

Evidence can include:

  • bank statements 
  • credit card statements 
  • bank drafts
  • travellers’ cheques
  • a ‘Sponsorship Form for Temporary Entry’ completed by an acceptable sponsor
  • a completed ‘Financial Undertaking for a Student’.

What sponsors must do – responsibilities and obligations

Financial Undertaking for a Student (INZ1014) PDF 535KB

Sponsorship Form for Temporary Entry (INZ1025) PDF 414KB

Tips

  1. You don’t have to provide evidence of funds or sponsorship, if you’re applying for a Limited Visa to work for a Recognised Seasonal Employer.

  2. 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:

  • proof you have enough money to buy a ticket out of New Zealand, in addition to the funds you have to live on — do not buy your ticket until your visa has been granted or we tell you that your application is approved in principle
  • 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

Partner and dependent children

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

To bring family:

  • you must provide evidence of your relationship with them, like marriage and birth certificates
  • you must provide proof of their identity
  • they must be of good character
  • they must be in good health.

Partnership
Dependent children

Tips

  1. A family can include yourself, your partner, and dependent children 19 and under.

  2. You can’t bring family if you apply for a Limited Visa to work for a Recognised Seasonal Employer.

  3. You should provide copies of family members Hukou (household registration book) included in your application.

  4. You should provide copies of identity cards for family members included in your application.

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.

Enter country details

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.

Enter country details

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

You can only travel to New Zealand once on a Limited Visa.

If you leave New Zealand, your visa will expire.

Onward travel

Unless your visa label or letter says “Return/onward travel not required”, you must have either of the following:

  • a travel ticket to a country you can enter
  • an acceptable sponsor who can pay for your travel ticket out of New Zealand to a country you can enter.

What sponsors must do – responsibilities and obligations

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.

Study

You can only study in New Zealand if it was the express purpose for which your Limited Visa was granted.

If your Limited Visa was granted to study a short course, you can only study that specific course, at the specific education provider and in the specific location listed on your visa label or letter.

Notes

  • Check your visa label or letter for your visa conditions. These will relate to the express purpose your limited visa was granted.

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.