Visa & Immigration

Visa conditions

A student visa (or a limited visa granted for the purpose of study) is subject to conditions that tell you what you can and can’t do while you are studying in New Zealand. It is important that you understand what these are. If you break the conditions of your student visa or your visas expires before you leave New Zealand, you might be sent back to your home country

The easiest way to check the conditions of your visa is to look at your eVisa.  An eVisa is not placed in your passport. It is an online visa with all the records held in Immigration New Zealand's electronic systems. 

Print out your eVisa or keep it on your mobile phone so, if you need to, you can show it at the border when you arrive. You can ask Immigration New Zealand to put a label in your passport, but you have to pay for this service.

Visa conditions include, but are not limited to:

• Having sufficient funds for maintenance while in New Zealand
• A return air ticket to your country, or evidence of sufficient funds to buy one.
• Attending the programme at all times unless there are genuine reasons for any absences, and making satisfactory academic progress
• Studying at the place of study specified on the student visa
• Having acceptable insurance for the duration of the student visa
• Working no more than the hours specified on the student visa
• Living with a parent or legal guardian if required (for students aged under 18)

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Once you’ve accepted the Offer of Place and you’ve paid your tuition fees, you should apply for a New Zealand Student Visa.

Here’s everything you need to do:
You or your agent should submit your student visa application to the nearest Immigration New Zealand office. You can also apply online. This guide will help you. The Application to Study in New Zealand form is available from the Immigration New Zealand website, New Zealand Embassies and High Commissions, or from our International Team.

Immigration New Zealand

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 You need to provide the following items

• Passport check to make sure your passport will not expire while you are in New Zealand.
• Student visa application fee
• Whitireia or WelTec Offer of Place 
• Whitireia or WelTec fees receipt. Evidence that your tuition fees: have been paid, are covered by a foreign government loan, or will be paid by your home country government. If you are applying from outside New Zealand, evidence that you/ your family have sufficient funds to pay your tuition fees after your visa application is approved in principle.
• If you are already studying in New Zealand, evidence of previous student performance and progress, and attendance records
• Guarantee of accommodation if you are Under 18 years of age you require a letter stating that your accommodation in New Zealand has been approved by Whitireia or WelTec and your accommodation has been paid for in full for the length of your study.
• Evidence of sufficient funds shows you have sufficient funds equivalent to NZ$15,000 for a full year of study, or NZ$1250 per month that you will be in New Zealand. The evidence could be that your living costs have already been paid, a letter from your home country government that states that you are fully funded for your study and the duration of your stay in New Zealand, a Sponsorship Form for Temporary Entry (INZ 1025) completed by an acceptable sponsor or a Financial Undertaking for a Student (INZ 1014). If you are in New Zealand, a financial undertaking can only be provided if your original student visa application made outside New Zealand included a financial undertaking. The financial undertaking supplied with your application must be completed by the same person who completed the original undertaking. If you are a student from Tonga or Samoa you can show a written guarantee of maintenance from a relative in New Zealand who is either a New Zealand citizen or residence class visa holder. 
• Evidence of onward travel arrangements – you must have a ticket to leave New Zealand or provide evidence that you have extra funds available to pay for such a ticket (additional to your living funds).

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