Partner of a Student Visitor Visa

This visa allows you to visit New Zealand if you have a partner who is studying here.

Length of stay
Same duration

As your partner’s student visa

Cost
From
NZD $341
Processing time
80% within
12 weeks
With this visa you can
  • Join your partner.
  • Explore New Zealand as a visitor.
  • Study for up to 3 months.
Things to note
  • Full English language translations must be provided for any documents not in English.
    Providing English translations of supporting documents
  • You can apply for this visa at the same time your partner applies for their student visa. You will only be granted a visa, after your partner’s application is approved.
  • You cannot work in New Zealand on a visitor visa.

Bringing family if you have a student visa

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

Your passport must be valid for at least 3 months after you plan to leave New Zealand.

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

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

Also provide a copy of your Identity card.

Also provide your:

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

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

Tips

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.

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

If you're aged 17 and over and will stay in New Zealand for more than 24 months, you must provide police certificates from:

  • your country(s) of citizenship
  • any country(s) you've spent more than 5 years in since turning 17.

You don't need to provide new police certificates if you provided them to us with an earlier visa application and the certificates were issued in the previous 24 months.

If you're the partner of a PhD student, you don't need to provide police certificates if you provided them to us with an earlier visa application, and the certificates were issued in the previous 36 months.

Good character
Police certificates

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

Your partner must provide an original or certified copy of their passport.

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

Tips

Your partner won't meet our good character requirements if, in the last 7 years, they have been convicted of any offence:

  • involving domestic violence
  • of a sexual nature.

You must provide evidence that you and your partner are living together in a genuine and stable relationship.

Your evidence should show:

  • how long you have been together
  • how long you have been living together
  • that you share finances and other responsibilities
  • that you spend time together, for example photos together, emails and social media conversations between you
  • that other people recognise your relationship
  • anything else you think shows you and your partner are living together in a genuine and stable relationship.

Partnership

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

If you are pregnant, there are additional requirements.

Paying for maternity care

You don’t need to show proof of funds if your student partner holds a scholarship that guarantees maintenance and accommodation to the family of the student.

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 your dependent children:

  • you must complete an ‘Additional Dependants for a Visitor Visa’ form
  • you must provide evidence of your relationship with them, like birth certificates or adoption papers
  • you must provide proof of their identity
  • they must be of good character
  • they must be in good health.

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

Tips

We may ask for evidence your children have the right to leave their country of residence, eg custody or guardianship papers.

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

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

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

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 a digital New Zealand traveller declaration (NZTD), or an NZTD paper declaration.

New Zealand Customs and Biosecurity also check that you meet their entry requirements.

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

Onward travel

You must have a travel ticket or enough money to buy one.

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 study for up to 3 months.

Work

You cannot work in New Zealand on this visa, however you may be able to volunteer.

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.