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Culturally Arranged Marriage Visitor Visa NZ: The Rules

The Culturally Arranged Marriage Visitor Visa lets a person come to New Zealand for up to 3 months to marry, or after marrying overseas, where the marriage was arranged by someone other than the couple within an identified cultural tradition. INZ showed NZD 441, including the NZD 100 levy, and 5 weeks (80%) on 9 October 2026.

Most partnership visas assume a couple who chose each other and have lived together. The Culturally Arranged Marriage Visitor Visa exists for a different situation: a marriage arranged within a cultural tradition, where the couple may not yet have lived together and may marry in New Zealand. Immigration New Zealand (INZ) built a separate visa with its own rules for it, and says on its partnership page that for these couples "the rules are different".

This guide explains how the visa works using INZ's visa page, its "Partnership and how to prove it" page and its fee finder, all read on 9 October 2026. It reports the published rules. It does not say whether any marriage is "culturally arranged" as INZ uses the term, whether the evidence is enough, or what visa follows. Applying the rules to a person's own facts is immigration advice, and in New Zealand only a licensed immigration adviser or a lawyer may give it.

Two 2026 dates affect how applications are made, and both are covered below.

What the visa is

The visa lets a person come to New Zealand to get married, or after getting married overseas, and then apply for a partnership visa once living with the partner in New Zealand. INZ's summary lists the length of stay as up to three months, the processing time as 80% within five weeks and a residence option as "Can lead to a resident visa". It is a visitor visa, so it does not allow work.

INZ sets two timing rules. A person coming to New Zealand to marry must hold the wedding within three months of arriving. A person who marries outside New Zealand must apply for the visa within three months of the wedding. The visa itself lasts up to three months and the holder must leave before it expires.

INZ's page says the applicant must have a partner who is a New Zealand citizen or resident and "eligible to support your visitor visa application, and a partnership-based residence application later on". The visa is therefore tied from the start to the possibility of a later residence application, and the partner's eligibility to support one is tested now.

The requirements as INZ lists them

INZ says the applicant must:

  • have a partner who is a New Zealand citizen or resident and eligible to support the application;
  • both be at least 18;
  • have the marriage arranged by someone other than themselves or the partner, and follow an identified cultural tradition;
  • have a recognised partnership that meets requirements;
  • have no legal impediments to the marriage;
  • be in good health;
  • be of good character, and have a partner who is of good character;
  • have genuine reasons for coming to New Zealand;
  • have enough money to pay living expenses, or an acceptable sponsor;
  • show they can leave New Zealand at the end of the stay; and
  • provide full translations for documents not in English.

INZ's partnership page adds that neither person can be 16 or 17, because the visa is on the list of partnership-based visas that cannot be applied for in that case. The couple must have met each other before applying.

What counts as a culturally arranged marriage

INZ's wording is specific. "Arrangements for your marriage, including choosing who you will marry, must be arranged by someone other than yourself or your partner." The marriage must also follow an identified cultural tradition.

INZ lists evidence that could show this: records of communication between the parents of the couple and any other person acting as a go-between or matchmaker; documents showing that the arrangement or ceremony is publicly recognised; confirmation from an independent source that the arrangement or ceremony is part of the couple's cultural customs; a written account of how the marriage was arranged; and any other documents showing the marriage is culturally arranged.

The list reflects what INZ says it will assess. In the genuine-intentions section the page says the assessment considers "whether your marriage is genuine and is intended to be long-term and exclusive", and that the applicant "must genuinely be coming to New Zealand for your arranged marriage". If the marriage does not take place, INZ says, the person must leave the country.

Legal impediments and the supporting partner

The marriage must have "no legal impediments", defined by INZ as legal reasons why it cannot or should not take place. INZ's examples are that either person is already married to someone else, or that the couple are close relatives. INZ says it asks about marital status and relationship to the partner on the application form.

The supporting partner must be eligible to support both this visitor visa and a later partnership-based residence application. For the residence side, INZ says the partner must not have supported a successful resident visa application for more than one previous partner, must not have supported one for a previous partner within the last five years, must not have included a previous partner in their own successful residence application within the last five years, must not have been included as a partner in someone else's successful residence application within the last five years, and must not be liable for deportation or have their deportation liability suspended.

INZ adds that New Zealand citizens and residents can support only one partner for residence in a five-year period and only two partners for residence in total, and that if the partner cannot support residence now but will be able to within 12 months, they can still support the visitor visa now.

When applying, INZ says the partner must give the applicant their sharing ID and complete an online form to support the application. They must also provide proof of status: a New Zealand passport, birth certificate, certificate of citizenship or residence visa, or for Australian citizens and permanent residents with New Zealand residence, an Australian passport, Permanent Resident Visa or Resident Return Visa. The partner must meet the character requirements for supporting partners or have a waiver; INZ states that convictions for domestic violence or sexual offences mean the requirements are not met, and that it then considers whether a waiver is available.

Money, health and character

Money. The applicant needs enough to live on in New Zealand or an acceptable sponsor. This page gives a figure: a self-funded applicant must have at least NZD 1,000 a month, or NZD 400 a month if accommodation has already been paid for. Evidence can include proof of accommodation pre-payment such as hotel vouchers or receipts, bank or credit card statements, bank drafts or traveller's cheques. A sponsor (an organisation or an individual) is responsible for the applicant in New Zealand and completes the Sponsorship Form for Temporary Entry (INZ 1025), with supporting documents such as bank statements, pay slips and accommodation papers. The applicant or sponsor must pay for any health care, INZ recommends full medical insurance, and extra rules apply to pregnant applicants.

Leaving. The applicant must be able to show on arrival that they plan to leave at the end of the stay: a ticket out of New Zealand, or bank or credit card statements showing enough money to buy one, in addition to the money for living. A sponsor can provide bank statements instead.

Health. INZ says the applicant must be in good health and may be asked for a chest X-ray, a medical examination or both; for stays under six months an X-ray is not normally needed, and under 12 months a medical certificate is not normally needed. Results must be less than three months old.

Character. Police certificates, less than six months old, are required for applicants aged 17 or older if their total time in New Zealand will be 24 months or longer, from countries of citizenship and countries where they spent more than five years since turning 17.

Fee, timing and the 2026 application changes

INZ's fee finder, queried on 9 October 2026 for Indian, UK and Philippines passport holders applying from their own countries, and for an Indian passport holder applying from New Zealand, showed an application cost of NZD 441 and 80% of applications completed within five weeks. INZ states that the cost is a processing charge that is not refunded if the application is declined, that a non-refundable immigration levy is included, and that each person must pay an International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy of NZD 100, which is included in the cost. Payment is online by Visa, Mastercard or UnionPay.

Two application-method dates appear on the visa page. From 24 September 2026, INZ says, new applications for most visitor visas can be submitted only through enhanced Immigration Online. And "from 1 October 2026, applications for this visa must be made online". INZ's news item of 4 September 2026 on paper applications lists the visitor visas affected by the paper change. Anyone who submitted a paper application before 1 October 2026 does not need to do anything, INZ says, as it continues to process those.

The documents INZ lists are a passport or certificate of identity copy, one photo, chest X-ray and medical evidence if required, police certificates if required, relationship documents (from after both people turned 18), evidence the marriage was arranged according to cultural traditions, proof of money or an acceptable sponsor, the partner's completed Form for Partners Supporting Partnership-Based Temporary Entry Applications (INZ 1146), the sponsor's INZ 1025 if relevant, the partner's sharing ID, the sponsor's sharing ID, a completed Additional Dependants for a Visitor Visa form (INZ 1205) if children come too, and translations. The passport must be valid for at least three months after the planned departure.

Children, work and study on this visa

Dependent children. INZ says the applicant may be able to bring dependent children on this visa by completing INZ 1205 and providing evidence of the relationship (such as birth certificates or adoption papers), identity, and good character and health. INZ may ask for evidence that the children have the right to leave their country of residence, such as custody or guardianship papers.

Work. The holder cannot work in New Zealand on this visa. INZ notes that there may be an option to work remotely for an employer or client based outside New Zealand, and points to its page on working remotely on a visitor visa.

Study. The holder can study for up to three months in any 12-month period. School-aged children can study for up to three months in any calendar year. If children will study for more than two weeks, INZ says the education provider must be a signatory to the Education (Pastoral Care of Tertiary and International Learners) Code of Practice 2021.

Travel. A visa that allows travel in and out of New Zealand must carry a valid multiple-entry travel condition so the holder can return. INZ warns that if the visa does not have one and the holder leaves New Zealand, the visa expires. Every time the holder travels to New Zealand they need a ticket out or proof of funds to buy one, unless the visa states "Return/onward travel not required".

What comes after the three months

INZ's page says that a person in New Zealand on a Culturally Arranged Marriage Visitor Visa can apply for a partnership visitor visa or a partnership work visa before the visa expires. How long the new visa lasts depends on INZ's assessment, up to a maximum of three years. Where the current temporary visa will expire during processing, INZ says it will normally issue an Interim Visa to let the person stay lawfully.

The partnership work visa for a New Zealander's partner is covered in its own guide in this series, and the evidence INZ asks for in partnership applications is covered in the guide to partnership evidence. Residence is a later step through the Partner of a New Zealander Resident Visa, which has its own requirements, including 12 months of living together in a genuine and stable partnership.

Finding a licensed immigration adviser

Migratio lists licensed immigration advisers so you can compare them and contact one directly. Every listing shows the adviser's licence number, which you can check on the Immigration Advisers Authority's public register before you book. We don't assess cases and don't tell anyone which visa or pathway fits them; that is the adviser's job.

Questions people ask

How long can someone stay on the Culturally Arranged Marriage Visitor Visa?

INZ says up to three months. A wedding in New Zealand must take place within three months of arrival, and the holder must leave before the visa expires. A person who marries overseas must apply within three months of the wedding.

How much does the Culturally Arranged Marriage Visitor Visa cost?

INZ's fee finder showed NZD 441 on 9 October 2026, which includes the NZD 100 International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy and a non-refundable immigration levy. INZ does not refund the cost if an application is declined.

What counts as a culturally arranged marriage?

INZ says the marriage, including who the person marries, must be arranged by someone other than the couple and follow an identified cultural tradition. It lists examples of evidence such as communication with a go-between, documents showing public recognition, independent confirmation and a written account.

Can the holder work in New Zealand?

No. INZ says the visa does not allow work in New Zealand, though remote work for an employer or client based outside New Zealand may be possible under its visitor visa rules.

How much money must a self-funded applicant have?

INZ says at least NZD 1,000 a month, or NZD 400 a month if accommodation has already been paid for. A sponsor can be used instead.

Can the application be made on paper?

INZ's page says that from 1 October 2026 applications for this visa must be made online.

Sources

Last checked 2026-10-09.

Related guides

  • NZ Partnership Evidence: What INZ Says It Asks For — INZ defines a partnership as two people living together in a marriage, civil union or de facto relationship, and publishes lists of evidence of living together and of a genuine, stable relationship. For the Partner of a New Zealander Resident Visa, it also offers an optional timeline and checklist (INZ 11975).
  • Partner of a New Zealander Resident Visa: How It Works — The Partner of a New Zealander Resident Visa is for people whose partner is a New Zealand citizen or resident and who have lived with that partner in a genuine and stable relationship for at least 12 months. INZ showed NZD 5,360 and 80% of applications completed within 7 months on 9 October 2026.
  • Partner of a New Zealander Work Visa: How It Works — The Partner of a New Zealander Work Visa lets the partner of a New Zealand citizen or resident live and work in New Zealand for up to 3 years. INZ showed NZD 1,630 for an application made from New Zealand and 80% of applications completed within 6.5 weeks on 9 October 2026.
  • NZ Visitor Visa or NZeTA: How the Two Differ, Fees and the NZD 100 Levy — A Visitor Visa costs from NZD 441 and an NZeTA NZD 117 (app) or NZD 123 (online form), each including the NZD 100 International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy. An NZeTA is not a visa: INZ says it lets visa-waiver travellers visit without applying for a visa first, and a visa is still granted at the border.
  • NZ Interim Visas: When They Start and What They Allow — INZ normally grants an Interim Visa automatically, for no fee, if a temporary visa expires while a new temporary visa application is being assessed. It starts the day after the old visa expires, lasts up to 6 months, ends if the holder leaves New Zealand, and its work and study conditions depend on the old and new visa types.