New ZealandPermanent residence

New Zealand permanent residence in New Zealand

The permanent resident visa removes the restrictions on leaving and entering that apply to an ordinary resident visa. It is for those who already hold a resident visa, have held it for long enough and can evidence a commitment to New Zealand — through living in the country, investment, business or another prescribed criterion.

Visa term

Open-ended, as long as the visa is held in a current passport.

Threshold

The fee is from NZD 315.

Processing time

80%

of applications — within 2 weeks

Work

The right to live, work and study in New Zealand.

Source: Immigration New Zealand — Permanent Resident Visa

Who can obtain the visa

You have to meet the basic conditions and evidence your commitment to New Zealand in one of five prescribed ways.

The basic conditions

A resident visa held continuously for at least 2 years
The resident visa is current, or expired no more than 90 days ago
The conditions of the current resident visa, where there are any, have been met
Good character on the part of the applicant and of everyone included in the application

One of five ways of evidencing your commitment to New Zealand

By time: at least 184 days in New Zealand on a resident visa in each of the last 2 years
By tax residence: at least 41 days in New Zealand in each of 2 twelve-month periods, plus tax resident status confirmed by Inland Revenue
By investment: at least NZD 1,000,000 invested in New Zealand in an acceptable asset for a term of 2 years or more
By business: a business established or bought at least a year ago, trading profitably and benefiting New Zealand; where a share of an existing business is bought — at least 25%
By a settled base in the country: at least 41 days in New Zealand over the last 12 months, all dependants at least 184 days over 2 years, plus either at least 9 months of work over 2 years or the purchase of a home within 12 months of first entry

What it costs

Fee for the permanent resident visa	315 NZD

Documents to gather

Basic documents are needed at lodgement; the immigration service may request further ones later.

A scan of the passport page or certificate of identity with the photograph — for the applicant and for everyone included in the application
A scan of the other passport pages with visa labels and entry and departure stamps
One photograph meeting the requirements for each person
A certified translation of documents that are not in English
A medical examination or a chest x-ray — if Immigration New Zealand requests it
A police certificate no more than 6 months old at lodgement — as evidence of good character
Evidence that the children are financially dependent on a parent, where children are included in the application

How the process runs

The application is lodged online through an account on the Immigration New Zealand website.

1
Gather the documents
Prepare a scan of the passport or certificate of identity, photographs, translations of documents that are not in English and, if required, police certificates no more than 6 months old.
2
Lodge the application and pay the fee
Log in to your account at apply.immigration.govt.nz or create one, complete the application, upload the documents and pay the fee.
3
Wait for the decision
80% of applications are assessed in 2 weeks
Immigration New Zealand will get in touch if there is not enough information to decide.
4
Check the status and receive the visa
The decision is notified by email. If the application is approved, an eVisa is issued.

Who you can bring with you

The rules on including a partner and children depend on whether they were in the original residence application.

A partner and children aged 24 and under who were included in the original residence application

They can be included in the Permanent Resident Visa application together with the main applicant; as a rule they cannot obtain this visa before the main applicant — only together with them or after them

A partner and children who were not in the original residence application

Each is assessed separately: they have to have held a resident visa continuously for at least 24 months and to meet all the standard conditions — character, identity, commitment to New Zealand. Inclusion in the application does not guarantee that the visa will be granted

Children of Active Investor Plus Visa or Investor 1/2 Resident Visa holders who were not in the original application

They are not required to meet those requirements — they enter the country on a separate Dependent Child Resident Visa

Trips, renewal and the grace period

An unlimited number of departures and entries at any time — with no expiring travel conditions.

The permanent resident visa is open-ended and needs no renewal; it has no conditions. The only requirement is to hold the visa in a current passport: if the passport expires, the visa has to be transferred to the new passport before you travel abroad.

How it differs from the routes next to it

The comparison is built from the official terms of the routes themselves — the source links sit on their own pages.

	New Zealand permanent residence	Skilled migrant visa	Work to Residence Visa
Visa term	Open-ended, as long as the visa is held in a current passport	A resident visa with no limit on the period of residence	This is a resident visa: you live, work and study in the country with no limit of time
Grounds	Time spent holding a resident visa and evidenced commitment to living in New Zealand permanently	The Skilled Resident Points system plus skilled employment with an accredited employer	Completed service in New Zealand in an occupation on Tier 2 of the Green List
Money	The fee is from NZD 315	The fee is from NZD 6,450	The fee is from NZD 6,450
Work	The right to live, work and study in New Zealand	The right to live, work and study in New Zealand with no limit of time	The right to live, work and study in New Zealand with no limit of time

Frequently asked questions about New Zealand permanent residence

Who can apply for a permanent resident visa?

You have to have held a resident visa continuously for at least 2 years, to hold a current resident visa or one that expired no more than 90 days ago, to have met the conditions of that visa, to evidence your commitment to New Zealand in one of the five prescribed ways and to be of good character.

What does a permanent resident visa cost and how long does the assessment take?

The fee is from NZD 315. 80% of applications are assessed in 2 weeks.

Can a partner and children be included in the application?

A partner and children aged 24 and under can be included if they were in the original residence application — in which case they receive the visa together with the main applicant or after them. If they were not in the original application, each is assessed separately: 24 months of continuously holding a resident visa and meeting all the standard requirements of the permanent resident visa are needed.

What rights does this visa give and does it have any conditions?

The permanent resident visa has no conditions. The holder can live, work and study in New Zealand indefinitely and leave the country and return at any time, as long as the visa is held in a current passport.

Is this visa needed in order to obtain New Zealand citizenship?

No. For most people citizenship becomes available after 5 years of living as a resident, and the permanent resident visa is not a mandatory step towards it.

How do you evidence your commitment to New Zealand for a permanent resident visa?

There are five ways: spending at least 184 days in the country in each of the last 2 years on a resident visa; obtaining tax resident status with at least 41 days in the country in each of 2 twelve-month periods; investing at least NZD 1,000,000 in an acceptable asset for a term of 2 years or more; running a business of your own or one you have bought for at least a year that benefits New Zealand; or showing a settled base in the country — through work, the purchase of a home and the presence of dependants.

Other ways to move to New Zealand

Every route in one list — migration programmes: New Zealand.

The terms and the amounts are checked against official sources — the link sits under each section.Last checked on: 7 August 2026.