Do you need a visa or permit to study
Jan 17th, 2008 by Study Abroad
Do you need a visa or permit to study in New Zealand?
Most overseas students need a visa or permit to study
full time in New Zealand. You are considered to be a domestic
student who does not need a student visa or permit if one of
the following applies to you.
• You are a New Zealand citizen
• You hold a New Zealand residence permit
• You are an Australian citizen
• You hold a current Australian permanent residence visa
or a current Australian resident return visa
• You are exempt from the requirement to hold a permit
to be in New Zealand.
However, some overseas students have domestic student
status and require a student visa or permit to study or train
in New Zealand:
• University students who enrolled in a PhD programme for
the first time after 10 April 2005
• Some primary and secondary school students (see
‘Dependent children with domestic status’ in Section H.)
You do not need a student visa or permit for a course of
study which is less than three months duration that the
New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA) has approved or
exempted (see the NZQA website www.nzqa.govt.nz). In this
case you may need to apply for a visitor’s visa or permit.
A term at a primary, intermediate or secondary school is not
considered to be a short course.