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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.

The Partner of a New Zealander Resident Visa is the main route to residence based on a relationship with a New Zealand citizen or resident. It is a resident visa, so the holder can live, work and study in New Zealand indefinitely. People searching for it usually want its cost, its processing time and what Immigration New Zealand counts as a partnership.

This guide explains how the visa works, using INZ's visa page, its "Partnership and how to prove it" page, its partnership timeline and evidence checklist (INZ 11975, dated July 2025) and its fee finder, all read on 9 October 2026. It states the rules in general terms. It does not say whether any couple's relationship meets them, how to answer a question on the form, or what evidence would be enough in a particular case. That is immigration advice, and in New Zealand only a licensed immigration adviser or a lawyer may give it.

A separate guide in this series covers the evidence INZ asks for in more depth. This one covers who can apply, what the partner must meet, children, health and character, the fee, and what the visa allows.

What the visa is

INZ's summary box says to apply if the applicant has "a partner who is a New Zealand citizen or resident", is "living with your partner in a genuine and stable relationship for at least 12 months", and has the application supported by the partner. The visa lets the holder live, work and study in New Zealand, include dependent children aged 24 or younger in the application, and apply for permanent residence after having the visa for at least two years in a row.

INZ lists the cost as "From NZD $5360" and the processing time as "80% within 7 months". Those are the figures shown on the page and in the fee finder on 9 October 2026, and they apply to the passports and places queried. INZ's fee finder showed the same NZD 5,360 for Indian, UK and Philippines passport holders applying from their own countries and for an Indian passport holder applying from within New Zealand. The cost is described as the charge to process the application, is not refunded if the application is declined, and includes a non-refundable immigration levy.

The page contains instructions for online and for paper applications. INZ's partnership page notes that online applicants upload scans, while paper applicants must send originals or certified copies.

Who can apply: the requirements as INZ lists them

INZ's "Who can apply" section says the applicant must:

  • have a partner who can support the application and is a New Zealand citizen or resident;
  • if that partner holds residence through an Australian passport, Australian residence or an Australian resident return visa, have a partner who lives in New Zealand;
  • both be at least 18;
  • be living with the partner in a genuine and stable relationship for at least 12 months after both turned 18, as at the date of applying;
  • be in good health; and
  • be of good character.

Two points in that list are easy to misread. The 12 months is measured up to the date the application is submitted, not up to the date a decision is made. And the evidence of the relationship must come from after both people turned 18: INZ says that if evidence from before both turned 18 is included, it will not be used to assess the relationship. The partnership page adds that the couple must be planning to live in New Zealand for the same period of time.

INZ's page on partnership also sets minimum requirements for all partnership visas: both people aged 18 or older, not close relatives, and having met before applying. It says that if one or both people are 16 or 17, extra requirements apply, and that the Partner of a New Zealander Resident Visa cannot be used by a couple where either person is 16 or 17.

The partner's own eligibility: the five-year and two-partner limits

The supporting partner has to be eligible too. INZ says the partner must not have acted as a partner in a successful resident visa application within the past five years, or in more than one successful resident visa application at all. They also must not be liable for deportation or have their deportation liability suspended.

INZ spells out what counts as having "acted as a partner". The New Zealand partner is treated as having done so if they previously supported a successful resident visa application for a partner; were the principal applicant in a successful resident visa application supported by a partner; included a partner as a secondary applicant in their own successful residence application (except for a Permanent Resident Visa or a Second or Subsequent Resident Visa); or were included as a secondary applicant by a partner in a successful residence application (with the same two exceptions).

The partner must complete the Partnership Support Form for Residence (INZ 1178) as evidence of support, and must provide proof of their own status: a New Zealand passport, birth certificate, certificate of citizenship, or New Zealand residence visa. If the partner has New Zealand residence because they are an Australian citizen or permanent resident, they can provide an Australian passport, Australian Permanent Resident Visa or Australian Resident Return Visa. INZ then requires evidence that the partner lives in New Zealand, and gives examples: letters or bills addressed to them, employment records, records of benefit payments or tax records, mortgage, tenancy or utility agreements, and invoices or receipts showing household effects were moved to New Zealand.

INZ also applies a character test to the supporting partner. They must meet the character requirements or have a waiver, and must provide police certificates from any country they spent 12 months or more in during the last 10 years since turning 17. They need not provide a New Zealand certificate, because INZ arranges that. INZ states the partner will not meet its character requirements if they have convictions for domestic violence or sexual offences, and that it then considers whether a character waiver is available.

A Permanent Resident Visa instead: the five-years-overseas rule

INZ's page includes a rule that surprises many readers. When someone applies for a Partner of a New Zealander Resident Visa, INZ "may give you a Permanent Resident Visa instead" if the partner is a New Zealand citizen, the couple have lived together in a genuine and stable partnership for at least five years, and the partner has lived outside New Zealand for at least five years.

INZ defines "living outside of New Zealand" for this purpose: the partner must have spent less than three months a year in New Zealand during the five years before the application, if applying from outside New Zealand, or during the five years before the partner arrived in New Zealand, if applying from inside. INZ also notes that the partner needs to be overseas when the application is made, or to have been back in New Zealand for less than three months.

The word "may" matters. INZ describes this as a discretion it can exercise, not an entitlement that the application creates. Whether a particular couple's history fits the definition is a fact-specific question for an adviser.

Children included in the application

To include dependent children, the applicant must be their parent or legal guardian, and each child must be aged 24 or younger; not have children of their own, if aged 18 or older; be financially dependent, if aged 21 to 24, meaning they rely on an adult for financial support; be single, since a child living with a partner is not considered single, even for less than a year; provide proof of identity; and meet the health and character requirements.

Documents proving the relationship can include adoption papers and household registration documents. For a customary adoption INZ asks for a written declaration of the adoption, its date and country, and may ask the biological parents to confirm. For children aged 15 or younger, INZ asks for evidence they can legally leave their home country. Separated or divorced parents need legal documents showing sole right to decide where the children live, the right to remove them from their home country, or legal custody with the other parent's agreement. If the other parent has died, a death certificate is needed. Where legal documents cannot be obtained, INZ says it assesses the right to remove the children case by case.

For children aged 21 to 24, INZ looks at whether they work and for how long, whether they can support themselves, whether they live with a family member and how much support they get, and whether they study. INZ also says that if a resident visa holder could have included dependent children in an application but did not, INZ may ask the reason.

Health, character and documents

Health. The applicant must be in good health, with a chest X-ray and medical examination provided with the application. Results must be less than three months old when INZ receives them.

Character. Applicants aged 17 or older provide police certificates less than six months old, from countries of citizenship and countries where they spent 12 months or more in the last 10 years, showing any record from any time. INZ says certificates need not be provided again if they were given with an earlier application and were issued within the last 24 months. A conviction or security risk may mean no visa is granted. Certificates not in English need a certified translation, even if they show no convictions.

Documents. INZ's list at application: a passport copy or equivalent, one photo if online (two on paper), police certificates, X-ray and medical evidence, proof the partner is a citizen or resident, proof the partner lives in New Zealand if Australian, documents showing the partnership, the completed Partnership Support Form for Residence, children's relationship and identity documents and, where required, custody documents, and certified translations. INZ's applicant guide is the Residence Guide (INZ 1002). After applying, INZ may ask for the original passport, further medical or police evidence, or proof of a child's dependence.

Process. INZ gives four online steps: gather documents, submit and pay, wait, check the status. A person already in New Zealand must hold a valid visa while waiting; INZ says to also apply for a new temporary visa if the current one may expire, and that an Interim Visa may be granted so the person stays lawful. The Interim Visa guide in this series explains what an interim visa allows.

What the visa allows, and what comes next

The resident visa allows work in any job in New Zealand, provided the work is legal, does not involve commercial sexual services, and any needed occupational registration is held. The holder may be a sole trader or own a business, but as an owner cannot employ other people, either directly or indirectly through a manager. Study is allowed anywhere in New Zealand for any length of time.

Applicants outside New Zealand must arrive within 12 months of the visa being issued and complete the New Zealand Traveller Declaration, which can be submitted from 24 hours before travel. INZ says entry permission can be refused for failing the character requirements, a change in circumstances since the visa was issued, or refusing to provide a photo, fingerprints or an iris scan.

Travel conditions run for two years from first arrival as a resident, or from the visa's issue date if already in New Zealand. After that, INZ says, a Permanent Resident Visa or an extension of travel conditions is needed, and a holder outside New Zealand when the conditions expire loses the visa. After two years in a row on a Partner of a New Zealander Resident Visa, the holder can apply for a Permanent Resident Visa. For most people, INZ says, five years living in New Zealand as a resident may allow a citizenship application, with no need for a Permanent Resident Visa first.

INZ also publishes temporary partnership visas, which do not carry the 12-month living-together requirement in their summary lists; the guide to the Partner of a New Zealander Work Visa explains how that visa works.

When people pay for professional help

Partnership applications turn on facts that INZ assesses holistically: how long the couple has been together, how they live, and what the documents show. The published rules do not say how much evidence is enough, and a decline can cost the application fee, which INZ does not refund. For those reasons many applicants speak with a licensed immigration adviser or a New Zealand lawyer. The Immigration Advisers Authority publishes a register that shows who is licensed, and the guides on checking a licence and on a first consultation in this series explain what to ask for in writing.

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 much does the Partner of a New Zealander Resident Visa cost?

INZ's page and fee finder showed NZD 5,360 on 9 October 2026 for the passports and places queried, including a non-refundable immigration levy. INZ does not refund the application cost if the application is declined.

How long does the Partner of a New Zealander Resident Visa take?

INZ showed that 80% of applications were completed within 7 months on 9 October 2026. INZ updates processing times, so the live page is the reference.

How long must a couple live together before applying?

INZ says at least 12 months in a genuine and stable relationship, counted up to the date the application is submitted and using evidence from after both people turned 18.

Can a New Zealander support more than one partner?

INZ says the supporting partner must not have acted as a partner in a successful resident visa application within the past five years or in more than one successful resident visa application overall.

Can children be included?

Yes. INZ allows dependent children aged 24 or younger who meet its rules: no children of their own if 18 or older, single, and financially dependent if aged 21 to 24. Children aged 15 or younger need evidence they can legally leave their home country.

Can a Permanent Resident Visa be granted straight away?

INZ says it may grant one instead if the partner is a New Zealand citizen and the couple have lived together for at least five years while the partner has lived outside New Zealand for at least five years. It describes this as something it may do.

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 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.
  • Partner of a Worker Work Visa: Rules for AEWV Partners — The Partner of a Worker Work Visa lets the partner of an eligible work visa holder live and work in New Zealand for the same period as the worker's visa. For AEWV holders, INZ ties it to the job's skill level, pay and sector. INZ showed NZD 1,630 and 7 weeks (80%) on 9 October 2026.
  • 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.
  • NZ Permanent Resident Visa: The 2-Year Rules and Five Commitment Tests — The Permanent Resident Visa is for people who have held a resident visa for at least 2 years in a row and can show commitment to New Zealand in one of five set ways, of which the 184-days-a-year test is only one. INZ showed NZD 315 and 80% within 2 weeks on 9 October 2026.
  • Dependent Child Resident Visa NZ: How the Rules Work — The Dependent Child Resident Visa lets a New Zealand citizen or resident bring a single, dependent child aged 24 or younger to live in New Zealand. INZ showed NZD 3,230 and 80% of applications completed within 7 months on 9 October 2026; the child's resident visa carries the same section 49 conditions as the parent's.
  • 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.