Document checklist
New Zealand student visa documents
12 documents an Indian student needs for a New Zealand student visa, 10 of them required of every applicant. Each one says what it is, how to actually get it (where to book, the fee, the lead time), and links to the official page behind it. Where the authority states the requirement in its own words we quote that sentence, so you can confirm it yourself rather than taking our word or an agent’s.
Identity
Valid Passport
RequiredIndian passport valid for at least 3 months beyond your planned departure from New Zealand. Upload a clear, high-quality scan of the passport information page (photo, name, DOB, passport number, expiry, MRZ code) in PDF format under 10MB.
How to get it
Apply/renew via Passport Seva Kendra (PSK) or Regional Passport Office (RPO) in India. Fee: whatever Passport Seva charges for a standard 36-page booklet. Validity: 10 years for adults.
“Your passport information page is the page with your photo, name, date of birth and document details like passport number, expiry and issuing authority.”
Read the official pageAcceptable Digital Photo
RequiredOne recent, unedited, full-face colour photo meeting Immigration New Zealand's legal and technical specifications (no filters, plain background, JPEG format, under 10MB for online applications).
How to get it
Take with a plain background at home or use a professional photographer; avoid phone auto-filters. No fee if self-taken. Must be less than 6 months old.
“To meet our legal and technical standards, your photo must meet a number of specifications.”
Read the official page
Academic
Offer of Place from Approved Provider
RequiredA confirmed (or conditional, if applying from outside NZ) offer of place from a New Zealand education provider approved to enrol international students, stating course name, duration and study format.
How to get it
Issued by an NZQA-approved provider once you accept and usually once you pay, at the tuition that provider sets; there is no Immigration New Zealand fee for the offer itself. Apply for the visa about 3 months before your intended travel date, so the offer needs to exist well before that.
“You must have an offer of place from an approved education provider.”
Read the official pageAcademic Transcripts and Mark Sheets
RequiredFull-colour scans of transcripts, academic records or mark sheets for every year of post-secondary study, showing your name, qualification, award date and awarding institution; needed for admission and any NZQA qualification assessment.
How to get it
Certified copies of your degree and mark sheets from your Indian institution, at its own charge and usually a few weeks, with certified English translations where needed. Where an NZQA International Qualifications Assessment is required it is applied for separately, carries NZQA's own fee and takes its own weeks, so check whether your provider actually wants one before paying for it.
“Finally, we will need all your transcripts, academic records or mark sheets for each year of post-secondary education to support your application.”
Read the official page
Language
English Proficiency Test Result
RequiredEvidence of English proficiency at the level your programme requires, such as IELTS, TOEFL iBT, PTE Academic or an equivalent accepted under NZQA's Programme Approval, Recognition and Accreditation Rules.
How to get it
Book IELTS via IDP/British Council India, PTE via Pearson, or TOEFL via ETS. Each provider sets its own fee, so check it at booking. Most institutions require results issued within the last 2 years.
“Providers are responsible for making sure that the international students they enrol have the required level of English proficiency”
Read the official page
Financial
Proof of Funds for Living Costs
RequiredBank statements or other confirmable evidence showing NZD 20,000 per year (or NZD 1,667 per month for shorter courses) available for living expenses, from a source Immigration New Zealand can verify.
How to get it
For tertiary, English language or other non-compulsory study you must show NZD 20,000 for each year, or NZD 1,667 a month where the course runs under a year. Compulsory school-level study is NZD 17,000 a year or NZD 1,417 a month. Held in your own account or evidenced by a sponsor on form INZ 1014. If you will study more than a year, a credible plan for funding the later years strengthens the application even though you need not hold that money now.
“Gather the documents you need to prove you have enough money to cover your living expenses while you are in New Zealand”
Read the official pageTuition Fee Payment Receipt
RequiredA letter or receipt from your approved education provider confirming you have paid tuition fees for one course or one year of study (whichever is shorter), or confirmation you are exempt or have applied for a loan.
How to get it
Pay the provider directly, at the tuition it sets, and keep the receipt: you must show fees paid for one course or one year of study, whichever is shorter, unless exempt. Allow a week or more for an international transfer from India to clear before your 3-months-ahead application target.
“a letter or receipt from your approved education provider showing you have paid your fees”
Read the official page
Visa
Fee Paying Student Visa Application
RequiredComplete online application through Immigration New Zealand's Immigration Online portal, uploading all supporting documents and paying the visa fee Immigration New Zealand sets for the application.
How to get it
Apply at immigration.govt.nz/study after receiving your offer of place. Immigration New Zealand publishes the current fee on its fees page rather than the visa page, so check it there before you pay. 80% of applications are processed within 8 weeks. Apply at least 3 months before travel.
“Apply online, upload your documents and pay the applicable fees.”
Read the official pageEvidence of Onward Travel
RequiredA fully paid return/onward ticket out of New Zealand, or proof of enough money to buy one, or a guarantor's written agreement to cover the cost of your departure travel.
How to get it
Either a ticket out of New Zealand or evidence you can buy one, shown with the application at whatever the airline charges. Buy a refundable or changeable fare: Immigration New Zealand gives no guaranteed decision date, and international students are advised to apply about 3 months before travel, so a fixed cheap fare is a gamble against your own visa timeline.
“A guarantor can also decide to cover the costs of outward travel.”
Read the official page
Health
Medical Certificate and Chest X-Ray
If it appliesGeneral Medical Certificate (INZ 1007) and, if required, Chest X-ray Certificate (INZ 1096) submitted via the eMedical system by an INZ-approved panel physician; the X-ray certificate must be less than 3 months old.
How to get it
Book with an INZ panel physician in India (e.g. approved clinics in Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai). The panel clinic sets its own charge. Usually only required for stays over 12 months or if requested.
“To show us that you have an acceptable standard of health, you may need to have a medical examination, chest X-ray or both.”
Read the official pageMedical and Travel Insurance
RequiredInsurance covering travel and health care from the start of your course until your visa expires, meeting the Education (Pastoral Care of Tertiary and International Learners) Code of Practice 2021 and acceptable to your provider.
How to get it
Health evidence first: no chest X-ray is normally needed under 6 months, and no medical certificate under 12 months, but where required the X-ray or examination must be less than 3 months old when Immigration New Zealand receives it, so book the panel appointment to land inside that window rather than early. Insurance itself is an enrolment condition set by most providers, at the insurer's price. Your passport must stay valid at least 3 months beyond the date you plan to leave.
“You must agree to have insurance for travel and any health care you need, from the start of your course until your visa expires.”
Read the official page
Other
Police Clearance Certificate
If it appliesPolice certificate from India (and any country lived in for more than 5 years since turning 17), required if your total time in New Zealand across all visits will be 24 months or longer; must be less than 6 months old when submitted.
How to get it
Apply online via the Passport Seva portal (passportindia.gov.in) and collect at a PSK/RPO, or via the nearest Indian embassy if applying from abroad. Fee: approx. INR 500.
“You must provide police certificates if your total time in New Zealand will be 24 months or longer across all visits.”
Read the official page
2 of these are conditional: needed only if the situation described applies to you. Read each one rather than assuming, since the conditions are where applications get delayed.
This list is the same for everyone
Your marks, your budget and your subject are not. Run a free eligibility check to see where you actually qualify across 13 countries and the real programs open to you in each, then track your own progress through this checklist.
Bramica takes no commission from any university, recruiter or agency. This is information, not immigration advice. Requirements change; confirm anything you are about to act on at the official source linked against it.