Study in New Zealand
Fee Paying Student Visa · You generally need an offer from an approved provider, tuition funding, living funds and acceptable insurance.
Step-by-step Fee Paying Student Visa roadmap for New Zealand
Follow the official Immigration New Zealand sequence below so your university sponsorship and financial evidence match New Zealand immigration rules:
Receive an unconditional Offer of Place from an INZ-approved provider stating your NZQF level, course dates, and annual international tuition.
Prepare evidence of NZD 20,000/year for tertiary living costs (or NZD 1,667/month) plus tuition, outward travel, and Code-compliant health/travel insurance.
Submit your Fee Paying Student Visa online; offshore applicants often receive Approval in Principle (AIP) before transferring full first-year tuition to the university.
Pay the first-year tuition fee after AIP (if applicable), upload the official university receipt, and receive your New Zealand eVisa with work conditions.
Plan the application in order
For a Fee Paying Student Visa, assemble an offer from an approved provider, evidence for tuition, living and outward travel, and insurance acceptable to the provider. The funds evidence can come from different permitted sources, but it must be genuinely available.
Tuition, visa evidence and actual spending
Immigration New Zealand publishes NZD 20,000 for each year of tertiary study lasting at least a year, or NZD 1,667 per month for shorter study. That is living-fund evidence, with tuition and outward travel addressed separately; it is not a fixed Auckland or Dunedin rent budget.
Insurance, work and what follows study
A visa may include permission for up to 25 hours of work a week and holiday work, depending on the course and visa conditions. Read the permission on your own visa; any post-study work route has a separate application and qualification criteria.
Admission-to-visa sequence and sponsor documents
To apply for a New Zealand Fee Paying Student Visa through Immigration New Zealand (INZ), an international student must hold an unconditional Offer of Place from an approved education provider that confirms the programme's New Zealand Qualifications Framework (NZQF) level, duration, and annual tuition fee. For applicants applying from outside New Zealand, INZ frequently processes the application to an 'Approval in Principle' (AIP) stage before the student transfers the full first-year tuition fee to the university and receives the official tuition receipt, alongside medical/chest X-ray certificates and police clearances.
Financial capacity, health cover and work-condition rules
Immigration New Zealand requires proof of NZD 20,000 per year for living expenses for tertiary study lasting 36 weeks (one academic year) or longer, or NZD 1,667 per month for shorter programmes, in addition to full first-year tuition and evidence of outward travel funds. Acceptable financial evidence includes bank statements showing genuine savings history, an approved financial undertaking, or a recognized scholarship. Full-time degree students may be granted visa conditions permitting up to 25 hours of work per week during term time and full-time work during scheduled summer holidays. Post-Study Work Visa eligibility depends on completing an eligible NZQF Level 7 bachelor's degree or higher (or specific non-degree qualifications on INZ's green list).
Pre-lodgement visa & financial verification checklist for New Zealand
- Ensure your Offer of Place comes from an INZ-approved provider and states the exact course dates, NZQF level, and annual international tuition.
- Prepare NZD 20,000 per year in verifiable living funds (or NZD 1,667/month for shorter study) plus first-year tuition and return airfare.
- Arrange comprehensive medical and travel insurance that complies with the Education (Pastoral Care of Tertiary and International Learners) Code of Practice.
- Check your visa label/eVisa conditions to confirm whether up to 25 hours/week of term-time work and holiday work rights are granted.
- Compare Auckland or Dunedin real university accommodation costs against the NZD 20,000 statutory visa minimum.
Editorial source review: 2026-10-12. Conditions depend on your status and may change.
Published financial evidence
NZD 20,000/year for tertiary study of one year or more; shorter study: NZD 1,667/month.
Living cost context
These are visa fund requirements, not a fixed living cost for Auckland or Dunedin.
University coverage in New Zealand
Search all indexed New Zealand universities and their official programme and fee directories in the ScholarPath University Explorer.
Compare other reviewed study destinations
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Frequently asked questions: New Zealand (Fee Paying Student Visa)
How much living money must I prove for a New Zealand Fee Paying Student Visa?
Immigration New Zealand requires NZD 20,000 per year for tertiary courses lasting 36 weeks or longer (or NZD 1,667 per month for shorter study), plus full tuition and return travel funds.
When should offshore applicants pay their New Zealand university tuition fee?
Immigration New Zealand advises offshore applicants that they can wait until their student visa receives Approval in Principle (AIP) before transferring the tuition fee and uploading the receipt.
How many hours per week can international university students work in New Zealand?
Eligible full-time degree students are typically granted up to 25 hours per week during term time and full-time work rights during scheduled summer vacations.
Government sources
Apply the current rules to your nationality, course, dependants and intake. A visa evidence minimum does not replace a personal spending budget.