New Zealand guide 路 verified 2026-07-04
New Zealand Student Visa: Process, Documents and Funds
Student visa
Indian students apply for the Fee Paying Student Visa (a stand-alone English-language course instead uses the separate English Language Student Visa). Since 2026 all applications are submitted online through Immigration New Zealand's application portal, there is no paper-application route.
Visa type
MandatoryFee Paying Student Visa
Fee
MandatorySet by INZ, check its fees page
None of the pages INZ links from the visa overview states the amount; it lives on the separate fees page and varies by country group, so confirm the current figure there before the student pays.
How to apply
MandatoryOnline only, via INZ's application portal
Paper applications are no longer accepted.
Processing time
80% decided within 9.5 weeks
A median/percentile figure, not a guarantee, apply as early as the Offer of Place allows.
Maximum visa duration
Up to 4 years
NZeTA / International Visitor Levy
Do NOT apply to Indian student-visa applicants
NZeTA and the Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy are for visa-waiver-country travellers. India is not on New Zealand's visa-waiver list, so Indian nationals apply for the Fee Paying Student Visa itself and are not separately charged the NZeTA/IVL.
Assemble the visa file
MandatoryCore documents: valid passport, the Offer of Place from the education provider, evidence of sufficient funds (tuition + the living-cost figure, see Finances), evidence of an approved medical/travel insurance policy valid for the whole course, health and character evidence (medical exam / police certificate where required for the course length or field), and, for students under 18, arrangements for care and accommodation.
Arrange approved medical/travel insurance before applying
MandatoryBuy an insurance policy that meets the Education (Pastoral Care of Tertiary and International Learners) Code of Practice 2021, it must cover medical, surgical, hospital, and repatriation costs, be valid in English, and run for the full intended course length. Many institutions offer or require a specific approved-provider policy, check with the institution first. PhD candidates are the one exemption from this visa condition.
When: Before submitting the visa applicationSubmit online and respond to any request for further information
MandatoryFile through INZ's online application system, pay the fee, and upload the document set. INZ may request additional evidence (common on funds documentation, given rising scrutiny of source-of-funds authenticity), respond promptly and fully rather than resubmitting piecemeal.
Cost: The fee INZ lists on its fees page for the applicant's country groupYou get: A submitted application awaiting decision.Receive the decision
80% of Fee Paying Student Visa applications are decided within 9.5 weeks; allow longer in peak pre-intake months. Once granted, the visa lets the student travel to and remain in New Zealand for the study period (up to 4 years).
When: Allow ~9.5 weeks or more
Immigration New Zealand has tightened scrutiny of the authenticity and source of funds behind student visa applications. Favour well-documented, traceable evidence, an applicant's or sponsor's own bank statements with a clear income trail, education loans from recognised banks, or scholarship letters, over large, recently-deposited lump sums that lack a paper trail. Be ready for a request for secondary evidence (tax returns, payslips, employer letters) if the primary evidence looks unusual.
If the funds are backed by a sponsor, the sponsor must be a New Zealand citizen/resident (if an individual) or a registered organisation, and the applicant generally cannot change sponsor between applications, nor be sponsored for a second visa if the first one wasn't sponsored. Get the sponsor arrangement right the first time.
Where this fits
This is one step of the full New Zealand journey: admission, tests, application, visa, money, arrival and stay-back, every figure cited to an official source.
More on New Zealand
Bramica is independent and takes no commission from any university, recruiter or agency. This page is information, not immigration advice. Rules, fees and thresholds change; confirm the current requirement on the official source before acting on it.