Eligibility Quiz
Is your partner a New Zealand citizen or a holder of a New Zealand resident-class visa?
Documents Required
Immigration New Zealand (INZ) requires "objective" evidence to verify your life together. You should organize your paperwork into the following categories:
Identity and Sponsorship
- Identity Docs: Your current passport, birth certificate, and two recent passport photos.
- Sponsor Proof: Your partner’s New Zealand passport or resident visa.
- Sponsorship Form: A completed Form for Partners Supporting Partnership-Based Applications (INZ 1146).
Relationship Evidence
You must provide a high volume of proof covering at least 12 months of cohabitation:
- Official Certificates: Marriage or civil union certificates (if applicable).
- Shared Residence: Joint lease agreements, utility bills in both names, mortgage documents, or official mail addressed to both of you at the same address.
- Financial Interdependence: Joint bank account statements showing shared household spending, joint assets (like a car), or shared loans/credit cards.
- Social Recognition: Photos of you together over time, joint invitations to events, and letters of support from family members or friends.
Supporting Documentation
- Police Certificates: From your country of citizenship and any country where you have lived for 12 months or more in the last 10 years.
- Medical Certificates: Completed by an INZ-approved physician.
- Translations: Any document not originally in English must be accompanied by a certified translation.
New Zealand is on our roadmap
We can notify you when we're ready to support New Zealand.
Key Developments
The application fee for the Partner of a New Zealander Resident Visa significantly increased from NZD $2,750 to NZD $5,360 for most applicants.
immigration.govt.nz ↗The maximum duration for temporary work and visitor visas for partners of New Zealanders was increased from 2 to 3 years to support couples while they wait for residence processing.
immigration.govt.nz ↗Immigration New Zealand implemented new processing measures, including centralized allocation to specialized teams, to manage a surge in partnership residence applications and maintain a 7-month processing benchmark.
immigration.govt.nz ↗