Second or Subsequent Resident Visa

Visa details

Apply for this visa if you had a New Zealand resident visa that has expired. Your eligibility will depend on the length of time since your visa expired and your commitment to New Zealand before that.

Length of stay

Indefinitely

Cost
From
NZD $240
Processing time
90% within
65 weekdays
With this visa you can
  • Live, work, study in New Zealand.
  • Include your partner, and dependent children aged 24 and under, in your visa application - if you included them in your original residence application.
Things to note
  • There are special provisions for partners of New Zealand citizens, and for residents seconded overseas as part of their New Zealand employment.
  • You must apply for this visa before travelling to New Zealand.

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

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

Also provide a copy of your Identity card.

You must also provide a copy of your livret de famille.

Expired resident visa

Your resident visa must have expired

You can only apply for a second or subsequent resident visa, if your resident visa expired for one of the following reasons:

  • you left New Zealand after your travel conditions expired
  • you were outside New Zealand when your travel conditions expired

You won’t need to provide any evidence you held a resident visa, unless we ask you to.

Visa eligibility

You must have been eligible for a permanent resident visa or variation of travel conditions when your resident visa expired

You can apply for a second or subsequent resident visa if at the time your resident visa expired, you were eligible for either:

  • a permanent resident visa because of your commitment to New Zealand – you have to apply within 24 months 
  • a variation of travel conditions, which would still be valid when you apply.

Commitment to New Zealand
Variation of travel conditions – resident visas

Tips

You must provide English translations of all evidence not in English.

Non-principal applicant eligibility

Partners and dependent children are only eligible for a second or subsequent resident visa if the principal applicant is

Non-principal applicants can only apply for a second or subsequent visa in their own right (and not based on the eligibility of the principal applicant) if an exception applies.

Exceptions for non-principal applicants

Tips

A person included as a dependent child in a residence application who is applying for a second and subsequent visa will still be assessed based on the eligibility of the principal applicant, even if they are an adult when they apply.

Partners of New Zealand citizens

Partners of New Zealand citizens may be eligible for a second or subsequent visa

If you’re the partner of a New Zealand citizen you’ll only be eligible for a second or subsequent resident visa if both of the following apply:

  • you were granted residence based on your partnership with a New Zealand citizen
  • you’ve been living with your partner for 12 months or more.

You must provide evidence that:

Partnership

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 paper arrival card or a digital traveller declaration. If you are completing a paper arrival card you will be given this on the way to New Zealand.

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

Travel

Your travel conditions will be granted for the time period your travel conditions would have been valid for, if you'd applied for them at the time your previous Resident Visa expired.

If you were eligible for a Permanent Resident Visa when your Resident Visa expired, your travel conditions will be valid for 24 months from the date your visa expired.

If you're granted a Second or Subsequent Resident Visa as the partner of a New Zealand citizen, your travel conditions will be valid for 24 months.

Section 49 conditions

If you had any section 49 conditions on your previous Resident Visa, they'll apply to your Second or Subsequent Resident Visa too.

Notes

If you've already met your section 49 conditions, you should provide evidence that you've done so when you apply for a Second or Subsequent Resident Visa.

Keep your visa in a valid passport

If you want to travel, your visa must be in a valid passport.

If your passport expires, you must apply to transfer your visa to a new passport before you can travel.

Transferring my visa to a new passport

Notes

To transfer your visa, you must:

  • send us your old and new passports
  • complete an ‘Application for Transfer or Confirmation of a Visa’
  • pay a transfer fee.

You should check if you are now eligible to apply for a permanent resident visa (instead of transferring the visa) so you can remain a New Zealand resident when you leave New Zealand.

Application for Transfer or Confirmation of a Visa (INZ 1023) PDF 381KB

Office and fees finder

Work

You can work in New Zealand.

Study

You can study in New Zealand.