Occupational Registration Visitor Visa

Apply for this visa if you want to come to New Zealand to get your New Zealand occupational registration. You can also apply if you are already in New Zealand, have applied for residence, and need more time to obtain your occupational registration.

Apply online
  • Length of stay

    Up to

    3 months

  • Cost

    From

    NZD $441

  • Processing time

    80% within

    6 weeks

  • Age range

    18 or older

To apply you must:

  • be eligible for the New Zealand occupational registration process and have completed any enrolment requirements
  • show you have enough money to pay your living expenses or have an acceptable sponsor
  • agree to pay your own health care costs
  • have plans to leave New Zealand at the end of your stay
  • meet the other requirements of this visa. 

This visa lets you:

Any training you do as part of your occupational registration must take less than 3 months.

If it will take more than 3 months, you will need to apply for a student visa.

Nurses from the Philippines who have a job offer from Health New Zealand Te Whatu Ora and have been accepted for the Nursing Council's Competence Assessment Programme (CAP) should apply for a Specific Purpose Work Visa instead.
Specific Purpose Work Visa

Apply online

Who can apply

Check if you are eligible to apply for this visa and what supporting documents and information you need to provide.

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 .

Note

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

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.

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.

Citizens of China applying from China

Also provide your:

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

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

Applicants from Hong Kong or Macao applying within Hong Kong or Macao

Also provide a copy of your identity card.

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

Health

You must be in good health.

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.

When we process your application we let you know if we need you to have a chest X-ray or medical examination.

Applicants from China, Hong Kong or Macao applying within China, Hong Kong or Macao

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

  • you have spent 6 months in a row in China since the last X-ray certificate was issued, and
  • you are now coming to New Zealand for more than 6 months.

Character

You must be of good character.

If you have a criminal conviction or are a security risk to New Zealand we may not be able to grant you a visa.

You must provide police certificates if your total time in New Zealand will be 24 months or longer across all visits. This includes any time you have spent in New Zealand in the past on other visas, even if you have been out of the country since then.

You also must provide police certificates if we ask for them.

Police certificates must be less than 6 months old when you submit your application. They must be from any country you are a citizen of, or have spent more than 5 years in since you turned 17.

If you are 16 years old or younger you do not need to provide police certificates.

How to get a police certificate

If you have already sent us police certificates with a previous visa application and they are less than 24 months old, you do not need to send them again.

Genuine intentions

You must genuinely intend to meet the conditions of your visa.

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
  • you provided in any previous applications.

Eligibility for registration

You must be eligible for the New Zealand registration process.

You must provide written confirmation from the appropriate registration body that:

  • you are eligible for the New Zealand registration process 
  • you have completed any enrolment requirements, including meeting any English language requirements.

Funds or sponsorship

You must have enough money to live on while you are 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 have 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
  • traveller's 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.

Sponsorship process for a visa

Note

If you are pregnant, there are additional requirements.

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.

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.

Health care

You must agree to pay your own health care costs.

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

Note

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

Relationship with family

You can include your partner and any dependent children up to the age of 19 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.

Note

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

Citizens of China applying from China

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

Applicants from Hong Kong or Macao applying within Hong Kong or Macao

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

English translations

You must provide full English translations of any documents that are not in English.

Documents must be translated by someone who meets our requirements for providing English translations.

How to pay and submit

When you arrive

Entry permission

You must apply for permission to enter New Zealand. You do this by completing a New Zealand Traveller Declaration (NZTD) form.

You can start your digital declaration any time, but the earliest you can submit it is 24 hours before starting your travel to New Zealand.

A paper declaration form is available for travellers who cannot complete it online.

New Zealand Traveller Declaration

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

Arriving in New Zealand

Alert

You can be refused entry permission if you:

  • are not a genuine visitor
  • do not meet our character requirements
  • have had a change in circumstances since we issued your visa
  • refuse to let us take your photo, fingerprints or an iris scan
  • cannot provide evidence of any onward travel or funds required by the conditions of your visa.

While you are in New Zealand

These are the conditions that you must meet once you have your visa. Your visa conditions are recorded in your eVisa.

Travel

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

Check or change your visitor visa conditions

Note

If there are no multiple entry travel conditions and you leave New Zealand the visa will expire.

The travel conditions will be listed on the visa label or in a visa letter.

Onward travel

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

Note

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.

Funds or sponsorship

You must have enough money to support yourself while you are in New Zealand or have a sponsor.

Note

You may be asked for evidence of funds or sponsorship when you arrive in New Zealand.

Study

You can do practical or educational training relevant to your occupational registration for up to 3 months.

Note

If your occupational registration training will take more than 3 months, you will need to apply for a student visa.

Work

You cannot work in New Zealand.

While you are in New Zealand, you may be able to work remotely for an employer or client based outside New Zealand.

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.