Study Spectra

New Zealand student visa from India: requirements, funds and documents

Indian students apply for the Fee Paying Student Visa with an offer of place from an approved provider, proof of tuition paid or payable, living funds of NZD 20,000 a year for tertiary study (or an acceptable sponsor), good health and character evidence, insurance and a plan to leave afterwards. Immigration New Zealand decides every application.

What do Indian students need for a New Zealand student visa?

The short answer, and who decides

The visa most Indian students need is the Fee Paying Student Visa, for people paying international tuition themselves or with support from family, a loan or a partial scholarship. As shown by Immigration New Zealand (INZ) in October 2026, it can be issued for up to 4 years, application fees start from NZD $850, and INZ says 80% of applications are processed within 7 weeks. The page does not show the fee that applies to an Indian applicant until you enter your country details in the online tool, so confirm it there.

Only INZ can grant the visa, and no consultancy, including us, can speed it up or promise an outcome. This guide covers the study route only. For our overview of the country see Study in New Zealand, and for how student visas compare see student visas.

Requirements at a glance

Requirement	What INZ says (October 2026)	Evidence it lists
Place on a course	An offer of place from an approved education provider that is a signatory to the 2021 Pastoral Care Code of Practice. A conditional offer is enough to apply from outside New Zealand, but an unconditional offer is needed before approval.	Offer including course name, length, full or part time, holiday dates for courses over one year, and the provider's signed declaration
Tuition	Show you have paid fees for 1 course or 1 year, whichever is shorter. Applying from outside New Zealand, you can wait to pay until approval in principle.	Fee receipt or letter from the provider, or an education loan application with the provider's letter, for eligible degree-level study
Living costs	Tertiary, English language or other non-compulsory study: NZD $20,000 a year for study of 1 year or more, or NZD $1,667 a month if shorter. School (Years 1 to 13): NZD $17,000 a year or NZD $1,417 a month.	Bank statements, fixed deposits, scholarship, loan sanction letter, sponsor's sharing ID or a Financial Undertaking for a Student form
Health	Be in good health. You may be asked for a chest X-ray, a medical examination or both. Full fee-paying students do not usually need a medical certificate.	eMedical reference code, medical certificate or X-ray certificate, less than 3 months old when received
Character	Police certificates are required if you are 17 or older and your total time in New Zealand will be 24 months or longer.	Certificates less than 6 months old from your country of citizenship and any country you lived in for more than 5 years since turning 17
Insurance	You must agree to have medical and travel insurance from the start of your course until the visa expires. It becomes a visa condition.	Your provider says what the policy must cover, or arranges it
Leaving afterwards	Show you plan to leave at the end of your stay.	Onward ticket, or bank statements showing money to buy one, kept separate from living funds

Step by step: how the application works

Get an offer of place. Check that the provider is an approved signatory to the Education (Pastoral Care of Tertiary and International Learners) Code of Practice 2021, which NZQA says is required before a provider can enrol international students. Make sure the offer contains the details INZ lists.
Check how your funds will be shown. INZ's own page says Indian citizens may be able to use the Funds Transfer Scheme (FTS), and that INZ will tell you if you must use it. Do not open an FTS account unless INZ asks you to in an approval in principle letter.
Gather documents: passport information page scan, one acceptable photo, offer of place, tuition evidence, living-funds evidence, onward travel evidence, and any health, police or guardian documents that apply. Non-English police or medical certificates need certified English translations.
Book a panel-doctor appointment or request police certificates only if the question set shows you need them. Medical evidence must be under 3 months old and police certificates under 6 months old at submission.
Apply online with an INZ account, upload documents and pay the fee by card. INZ says to apply at least 3 months before you plan to travel and that processing is busiest from October to March.
Respond to any request for more information. If INZ issues approval in principle, meet its conditions (for example paying tuition or moving funds into an FTS account) before the visa is finalised.
On approval you receive an eVisa. Your visa is valid from the date you enter New Zealand if you were outside the country when it was approved. Complete the New Zealand Traveller Declaration before arrival.

Funds, sponsors and the Funds Transfer Scheme

INZ says the living-cost amounts do not include tuition, and the real cost depends on where you live and what you pay for accommodation, transport and food. For wider planning, see our guide to study abroad costs and proof of funds.

Self-funded: bank statements, fixed deposits, a loan sanction letter (covering security, moratorium, interest and repayment) and scholarship evidence are all listed as acceptable. INZ also says the money must be from a genuine source it can confirm.
Sponsor: INZ says a sponsor takes responsibility for your accommodation and living costs, completes an online form using your sharing ID and shows they can afford it. An individual sponsor must be a family member or friend.
South Asia rule: for citizens of India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal or Bhutan applying from any of those countries, INZ says only immediate family (partner, parents, siblings, grandparents and parents-in-law) can sponsor you or give a financial undertaking.
Funds Transfer Scheme: operated for INZ by ANZ Bank New Zealand or Bank of New Zealand (you choose one bank and apply to only one). Where INZ asks for it, you open a savings and an everyday account, transfer at least the minimum maintenance funds for one year (NZD $20,000 tertiary, NZD $17,000 compulsory education), and a monthly automatic payment moves money to your everyday account. INZ states that using the FTS does not promise approval, and it finalises the visa only after your bank confirms receipt of funds and you have a tuition receipt.

Work rights on a student visa

INZ says you may be allowed to work part-time for up to 25 hours a week, and during scheduled breaks, but your own eVisa conditions are what count. Student visas are given for full-time study, and work rights apply only if the student is 16 or older.

Tertiary students can work part-time if studying full-time for at least 2 academic years, or for a qualification at Level 4 or higher on the NZQCF, or for at least 1 semester on an approved exchange or study abroad programme.
Full-time work in scheduled breaks needs a course of at least 120 credits and a minimum of 2 semesters over at least 8 months, plus a course of at least 1 academic year.
PhD and Research Masters students have no limit on hours, but must keep studying full-time if they work full-time.
International students cannot be self-employed; INZ says you must work for an employer with an employment agreement.
If you cannot work under your current conditions, you may be able to ask INZ to change them if you are eligible.

After your degree: the Post-Study Work Visa

As shown by INZ in October 2026, the Post-Study Work Visa allows up to 3 years of work depending on what you studied, from NZD $1670, with 80% processed within 4 weeks. Degree-level 7 or higher study must have been full-time for at least 30 weeks in New Zealand, and the visa usually must be applied for no later than 3 months after your student visa expires (6 months for a doctorate). INZ also notes that from 16 November 2026 eligibility is extended to some applicants, including those with a New Zealand level 7 graduate diploma studied full-time, or a bachelor's degree completed in New Zealand or overseas. Read the exact conditions on INZ before choosing a course because of this. For a comparison with other countries, see post-study work visas compared. INZ does not promise this visa leads to residence; it only says the visa can lead to a resident visa.

Documents checklist

You can check your own file with our document readiness checklist and try the tools. These help you organise paperwork, they do not assess your chance of approval.

Passport valid for at least 3 months after the date you plan to leave New Zealand, plus a high-quality scan of the information page.
One photo that meets INZ's visa photo rules.
Offer of place with the provider's signed declaration, and proof of tuition payment or ability to pay.
Living-funds evidence, and a sponsor's sharing ID or a completed Financial Undertaking for a Student (INZ 1014) form where relevant.
Onward ticket or evidence of money to buy one.
Medical or X-ray evidence and police certificates, only if required, with certified translations when not in English.
If you have studied before in New Zealand: transcripts, attendance records or a provider letter showing progress.
If under 18: parent and provider permission if you plan to work; guardian documents if under 10.

Scams and red flags specific to New Zealand study visas

Read how we handle this on our Trust page. INZ's scam page is written mainly about job scams, so apply its general warnings to education agents carefully.

Anyone who says they can get your application priority or a faster decision through connections. INZ says it will not prioritise an application because you use an adviser, and decides only by assessing information against immigration rules.
Any request to lie, for example to inflate funds or invent an offer. INZ says it is illegal to lie to qualify for a visa, and false statements affect current and future applications.
Payment of the visa fee into a bank account. INZ says it never asks for this and accepts only debit or credit card payment (or payment at an approved Visa Application Centre).
Medical payments to anyone other than a panel or registered doctor's clinic. INZ says it never asks you to pay for medical checks.
Websites or emails that are not exactly .immigration.govt.nz, or emails not ending in immigration.govt.nz or mbie.govt.nz.
Being told you must use an adviser. INZ says you can apply yourself, and if you do use one, use a licensed immigration adviser, a New Zealand lawyer or someone legally allowed to give advice.
Fake visas: INZ offers a Visa Verification service you can use if someone says you have been granted a visa.

What the official pages do not say

The INZ student visa page we read does not state a minimum IELTS or other English score. It says an English test result is not mandatory but can help show genuine intent, and that your course may set its own requirements.
It shows fees only after you enter your country, so we cannot quote the exact fee for an Indian applicant. The page headline says from NZD $850.
It does not list which countries have a low incidence of TB in the text we read; there is a link to the list. Check it for India before booking an X-ray.
It gives no approval rate and no guarantee for any nationality. Several consultancy pages we compared quote their own timelines, English scores and work-hour figures that differ from each other and from INZ's pages, so treat those with caution.
The pages we read were saved copies from August to October 2026, and rules change. Confirm on immigration.govt.nz before you pay or submit.

About Study Spectra

Study Spectra is a trading name of Spectravault Group LLP. We provide information and document-preparation support; immigration, visa and admission decisions rest solely with the relevant authorities and institutions. We do not currently hold an eMigrate recruiting-agent registration and we do not place people into overseas jobs. See our services or contact us. Other destinations: Australia, UK, Canada, Ireland, USA and the study abroad overview.

Official sources

Last reviewed 2026-10-21. Information only, not legal advice.

Frequently asked questions

Which visa do Indian students use to study in New Zealand?

Most self-funded students apply for the Fee Paying Student Visa. INZ describes it as for students paying international tuition themselves or with support from family, a loan or a partial scholarship. It requires an offer of place from an approved provider.

How much money do I need to show for a New Zealand student visa?

INZ says NZD $20,000 a year for tertiary, English language or other non-compulsory study of one year or more, or NZD $1,667 a month if shorter. School students need NZD $17,000 a year. You must also show tuition is paid or payable.

Does a New Zealand student visa need a police certificate or medical?

Only in some cases. INZ says police certificates are required if you are 17 or older and will spend 24 months or longer in New Zealand. Medical or X-ray evidence may be requested, and full fee-paying students do not usually need a medical certificate.

How many hours can I work on a New Zealand student visa?

INZ says you may be allowed up to 25 hours a week and full-time in scheduled holidays, depending on your course and visa conditions. Not everyone gets work rights, so check your eVisa. PhD and Research Masters students have no hour limit.

Is IELTS mandatory for a New Zealand student visa?

INZ's student visa page says English test results are not mandatory but can help show you genuinely intend to study. Your education provider may still require a score for admission, so follow the provider's entry requirements.

What is the Funds Transfer Scheme and do Indian students need it?

It is an INZ scheme run with ANZ Bank New Zealand or Bank of New Zealand (you choose one), where you move living funds into a savings account paid out monthly. INZ lists Indian citizens among those who may use it and says INZ will tell you if you must. Approval is not promised by using it.

Can I apply with a conditional offer of place?

Yes, from outside New Zealand. INZ says it can assess and approve in principle with a conditional offer, but you need an unconditional offer before the visa is approved. It also says you can wait to pay tuition until approval in principle.

How long does a New Zealand student visa take?

INZ's student visa page shows 80% of applications processed within 7 weeks, and advises applying at least 3 months before travel because October to March is busiest. Your own time depends on completeness and any checks, so no timeline is certain.

Can I stay and work in New Zealand after my studies?

You may be able to apply for the Post-Study Work Visa, which INZ says allows up to 3 years depending on what you studied. You must have studied an eligible qualification in New Zealand and apply in time. INZ announced wider eligibility from 16 November 2026.

Do I need an agent to apply for a New Zealand student visa?

No. INZ says you are not required to use an adviser and can apply yourself. If you use one, INZ advises a licensed immigration adviser, a New Zealand lawyer or another person legally able to give immigration advice.

Does Study Spectra guarantee a visa?

No. Study Spectra is a trading name of Spectravault Group LLP and provides information and document-preparation support. Visa and admission decisions rest solely with Immigration New Zealand and the institutions. We do not hold an eMigrate recruiting-agent registration and do not place people into overseas jobs.