How to get a student visa to New Zealand: requirements and conditions

To get a student visa for New Zealand, you must apply online, be accepted into an eligible course at a New Zealand education provider, and meet the requirements for studying, working, and travelling on your visa. The visa comes with conditions that specify what you can and cannot do, and you can apply to vary some conditions while you are in New Zealand. If you want to stay longer than your visa allows, you cannot extend it — you must apply for a new visa before your current one expires.

Applying for a student visa

Student visas are applied for online through Immigration New Zealand’s online services. You will need to create an account, complete the application in English, upload your documents, and pay the fees that apply. Immigration New Zealand’s guidance on working holiday visas confirms that all applications for those visas must be made online and in English; the same online system is used for student visa applications.

Before you apply, you must have an offer of a place from a New Zealand education provider. Your visa conditions will specify the education provider you can study at and the programme of study you must attend. If you change your education provider, even if your course of study stays the same, you must apply for a new student visa — a variation of conditions does not cover changing provider, unless the change is due to circumstances outside of your control (for example, your education provider closes).

You should apply for a new visa at least one month before your current visa’s expiry date. If your current temporary visa is going to expire while you are waiting for a decision, Immigration New Zealand will normally issue you an Interim Visa to let you stay in New Zealand lawfully. The conditions on an Interim Visa depend on the visa you previously had and the new visa you have applied for.

Conditions on your student visa

Your student visa will have conditions on it. Conditions describe what you can and cannot do on your visa. You can find your visa conditions in your eVisa, in the letter you received when the visa was granted, or online using the Visa Verification Service.

Common conditions include:

Condition	What it means
Visa expiry date	The last day you can stay in New Zealand on your visa.
First entry before	You must travel to New Zealand before this date. If you do not enter before this date, your visa will no longer be valid.
Expiry date travel	The last day you can enter New Zealand using this visa.
Number of entries	If your visa states you have multiple entries, you can leave and return to New Zealand as many times as you want before your ‘Expiry date travel’.
Return/onward travel	Unless your visa states ‘Return/onward travel not required’, you must have a ticket to leave New Zealand, enough money to buy a ticket out of New Zealand, or an acceptable sponsor who can pay for your ticket out of New Zealand.
Work conditions	Some visas do not allow you to work. If your visa allows you to work, you must only work under the conditions specified in your visa, which can include how many hours you can work a week and when you can work.
Study conditions	Some visas allow you to study for a set amount of time. You must only study under the conditions specified in your visa, which can include the education provider you can study at and the programme of study you must attend.

Working on your student visa

If your student visa does not already allow you to work part-time or during your holidays, and you are eligible, you can apply to change your visa conditions to allow this. You must meet the requirements for working on a student visa that are relevant to you.

On 3 November 2025, the work hours allowed on student visas increased from 20 to 25 hours a week. If your student visa was granted before 3 November and allows you to work part-time for 20 hours a week, you can apply for a variation of conditions to increase your allowed work hours to 25 hours a week.

You must only work under the conditions specified in your visa. If you breach your visa conditions, you may have to leave New Zealand.

Changing your course or study location

You can apply for a variation of conditions if you want to change the location of your study, if you are staying with the same education provider, or change your course of study to one at the same or a higher level, if you are staying with the same education provider.

If you need a longer visa for your new course, you will need to apply for a new student visa — visa durations cannot be changed through a variation of conditions. You should apply for a new student visa if you are changing to a lower-level course, even if it is with the same education provider; if you are changing education provider (unless it is for reasons outside of your control); if your new course will finish on a date that is much sooner or much later than your current finish date; if your current course will finish soon; or if you have a Pathway Student Visa and you want to change your education provider.

To approve a variation of conditions to change your course, education provider, or study location, Immigration New Zealand must be satisfied that you meet student visa requirements, have not breached your visa conditions, would have been granted your current student visa if you had applied for the proposed new course, education provider, or study location in that application, and genuinely intend to study.

You will need to provide evidence showing the reason for the change is outside of your control, if you are changing education provider; an ‘offer of place’ from the new education provider you want to study at; and evidence that you have paid the course fees. You must not leave your current course before the changes to your visa are fully approved. If you do, you will breach the conditions of your current visa and you may have to leave New Zealand.

Changing your travel conditions

If you need to change the travel conditions on your visa, you can apply on paper for a ‘variation of travel conditions’. This is a separate process from varying other conditions, and you should check the specific requirements for your situation.

Staying longer than your visa allows

If you are in New Zealand and want to stay past the date your visa expires, you cannot extend your visa. Instead, you must apply for another temporary visa to visit, study, or work before your current one expires. To apply for another temporary visa while you are in New Zealand, you must have a current visa that is not a limited visa, Interim Visa, or Transit Visa.

You cannot apply for a variation of conditions to change the expiry date of your visa. If you want to stay longer, you will need to apply for a new visa.

You must have a current New Zealand visa to be in New Zealand lawfully. If your visa expires and you are still in New Zealand without a new visa or an Interim Visa, you will be here unlawfully and may be deported.

After your studies: moving to a work visa

A student visa is a temporary visa. If you want to work in New Zealand after your studies, you will need a work visa. There are many different work visas that let you work in New Zealand, and all are temporary visas, though some can lead to residence.

Some work visas require you to have a job offer at the application stage and to only work in certain jobs. With other visas, you do not need a job offer and can do almost any work, in any job, anywhere in New Zealand. What you can do on your visa will be specified in your visa conditions.

The Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) is one option if you have a job offer from an accredited employer. The employer must send you a link to the online application form. The AEWV lets you stay in New Zealand from 7 months to 5 years, depending on your job, skill level, how much you are paid, and when you applied for your visa.

Other work visas include the Skilled Migrant Category Resident Visa, the Straight to Residence Visa, and various country-specific and occupation-specific visas. You should compare the work visas to find one that could suit your situation.

You do not need a visa to work in New Zealand if you are a New Zealand or Australian citizen.

What to check on the official pages

Before you apply, check the Immigration New Zealand pages for student visas and working in New Zealand to confirm the current requirements, fees, and processing times. The pages for checking or changing your student visa conditions explain the variation of conditions process in detail, including the evidence you need to provide.

If you are changing your course or education provider, confirm the specific requirements for your situation on the official page. If you are planning to work after your studies, review the work visa options to find one that matches your job offer and circumstances.

Do not rely on this article alone. Immigration rules and conditions can change, and your individual circumstances will determine what you are eligible for. Check the official Immigration New Zealand website for the most up-to-date information before you apply.