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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).

Partnership applications are decided on documents. Immigration New Zealand (INZ) has to be satisfied that two people are living together in a genuine and stable partnership, and the application is the only chance most couples get to show it. People searching for "partnership visa evidence NZ" usually want to know what INZ accepts, how much of it is needed and what the timeline form is.

This guide sets out what INZ publishes, using its "Partnership and how to prove it" page, the Partner of a New Zealander Resident Visa page, the partner and worker visa pages, and the partnership timeline and evidence checklist (INZ 11975, July 2025), all read on 9 October 2026. It reports INZ's own lists and wording. It does not say whether any couple's evidence is enough, which documents a particular couple should choose, or how to describe a relationship on the form. Choosing and presenting evidence for a specific application is immigration advice, and in New Zealand only a licensed immigration adviser or a lawyer may give it.

The general rules for the visa itself are in the guide to the Partner of a New Zealander Resident Visa.

How INZ defines a partnership

INZ defines partnership as two people who live together in a genuine and stable relationship in one of three forms: a legal marriage, a civil union or a de facto relationship. The person whose relationship supports a visa application is called the "supporting partner", and INZ says this includes a partner who holds a New Zealand visa such as a student or work visa, as well as a New Zealand citizen or permanent resident.

Minimum requirements apply to every partnership-based visa. Both people must be aged 18 or older, must not be close relatives, and must have met each other before applying for the visa.

If either person is 16 or 17 there are extra requirements. INZ lists nine visas that cannot be applied for where either person is 16 or 17: the Culturally Arranged Marriage Visitor Visa, the Partner of a New Zealander Resident Visa, the Partner of a New Zealander Visitor Visa, the Partner of a New Zealander Work Visa, the Partner of a Worker Visitor Visa, the Partner of a Worker Work Visa, the Partner of a Student Visitor Visa, the Partner of a Student Work Visa and the Partner of an NZ Scholarship Student Work Visa. For a 16- or 17-year-old included as a partner in someone else's application, INZ requires a letter from parents or guardians confirming support for the relationship, and if both people are under 18, both need letters.

Evidence must be from after both turned 18

INZ states this on the partnership page and again on each partnership-based visa page: when applying for a visa based on the relationship, the evidence must be from after both people turned 18. If evidence from before both turned 18 is included, INZ says it will not use it to assess the relationship.

That rule affects couples who met young. A relationship may be long, but INZ will only count the part that falls after the later of the two eighteenth birthdays. It also changes how the 12-month rule for the resident visa works in practice, because INZ requires 12 months of living together "after you both turned 18".

Living together: what INZ counts and what it excludes

INZ's definition is concrete. "Living together means sharing the same home as your partner." It says this does not include spending time in each other's homes while each maintains their own home, sharing accommodation while on holiday, or living as flatmates in the same house.

Evidence INZ lists for living together:

  • joint ownership of, or a home loan for, residential property;
  • a joint rental agreement or rental receipts;
  • joint utility accounts, such as power or phone bills; and
  • joint or individual mail sent to a shared address.

For some partnership applications, such as the Partner of a New Zealander Resident Visa, INZ says evidence of living together "must cover a period of 12 months prior to the application being submitted". It advises providing items showing the shared address "dated every few months, to cover the full duration". Items can be addressed to both people jointly or to each individually, so long as INZ can see both were at the same address for the same period.

The point of the dated-every-few-months guidance is coverage. A single document shows an address on one day. A run of documents over 12 months shows continuity, and the INZ 11975 checklist repeats the advice in nearly the same words.

A genuine and stable relationship: the second test

Living together is one test. INZ treats a "genuine and stable" relationship as a second. Its page says evidence needs to show that others recognise the relationship, that the couple make decisions and plans together, that they spend leisure time together, and that they parent together if they have children.

Evidence INZ lists:

  • marriage or civil union certificates;
  • birth certificates for any children they share;
  • joint bank accounts used frequently;
  • joint ownership of assets;
  • joint credit cards or hire purchase agreements for items such as home appliances;
  • any mutually agreed financial arrangements;
  • cards, letters or emails sent to the couple;
  • chat records and communication between the partners;
  • social media posts or photos together; and
  • letters of support that recognise the partnership.

The INZ 11975 checklist adds practical detail: chat and communication records should be dated and are "particularly" relevant during any periods spent apart, and letters of support from people who recognise the partnership, such as friends, family and community leaders, should include their contact details. Photos and social media posts should be dated.

INZ also says the list is not exhaustive. Its resident visa page says the evidence can show "anything else you think shows you and your partner are living together in a genuine and stable relationship", and the checklist says evidence "does not have to be limited to the suggested documents" and that in some cases applicants "may have different evidence".

What INZ says it weighs

INZ states what it considers when assessing a partnership: how long the couple have been together, how committed they are to a life together, any children they have together and the arrangements for their care, and whether other people recognise the relationship. It also looks at living and financial arrangements: how long they have lived together as a couple, their living arrangements, whether they share common household tasks, whether they support each other financially, how they share financial responsibilities, and whether they own property together or share property.

Those are the factors INZ says it applies. It does not publish a minimum number of documents or a scoring system, and no page says that a given set of documents is enough. That is why guides like this one cannot say what is sufficient for a given couple.

The resident visa page lists a similar set of expectations in plain terms: the evidence should show how long the couple have been together in a relationship, how long they have been living together, that they share finances or other responsibilities, that they spend time together (for example photos together and emails and social media conversations), and that other people recognise the relationship.

When a couple has lived apart

INZ addresses separation directly. If a couple has spent time living apart, the page says information should be provided about the separation, including the reasons for living apart, how long the separation lasted and how the couple kept in touch while apart. INZ says it will use that information to assess "whether you and your partner have genuine and compelling reasons to have stayed apart."

The INZ 11975 timeline includes a question on this: "Have there been any periods during your relationship that you spent living apart? If so, please provide the dates and reasons you lived apart." The checklist also has a box at the end for explaining why evidence of living together cannot be provided due to personal circumstances.

How to describe a particular separation, or whether a particular reason is "genuine and compelling", is not something a general guide can answer, and it is one of the areas where applicants most often take advice from a licensed adviser.

The INZ 11975 timeline and checklist

For the Partner of a New Zealander Resident Visa only, INZ offers an optional document called "Partnership timeline and evidence checklist" (INZ 11975, dated July 2025, three pages). INZ's wording: to help assess an application faster, applicants "can complete this optional timeline and checklist" and upload it with the online application under "Provide a timeline of your partnership" in the "Upload Documents" section.

The timeline has five prompts: where and how the couple met; when and where they began living together; key milestones such as marriage, the birth of children and shared holidays, with specific months and years; any periods living apart, with dates and reasons; and any other relevant information.

The evidence checklist then lists, with a tick box for each, the kinds of evidence INZ describes: marriage or civil union certificates; full birth certificates for shared children; shared income or bank accounts, or accounts showing money transfers to or from the partner; joint ownership of assets; joint credit cards or financial agreements such as car loans; dated chat records; letters of support with contact details; evidence of joint ownership of, or a home loan for, residential property; a joint rental agreement or rental receipts; joint utility accounts; mail addressed to one or both partners at the shared address; dated social media posts or photos; and certified translations of documents not in English.

INZ also says it will "look at all the information submitted with your application and consider any relevant cultural factors before we make a decision."

How the evidence is uploaded, translated and certified

INZ gives two upload categories in the online form for the resident visa: "Evidence that your relationship is genuine and stable" and "Evidence you have been living with your partner for more than 12 months". The checklist says to upload one PDF per category and, where there are several pieces of evidence for one category, such as joint rental agreements and power bills, to combine them into a single file before uploading.

How INZ wants evidence depends on how the application is made. For paper residence applications, INZ must receive originals or certified copies; electronically issued documents may be sent, because INZ regards them as originals. For online applications, INZ accepts scanned images and does not require originals or certified copies.

Anything not in English needs an English translation. The checklist directs applicants to INZ's translation page, and the visa page says certified translations are needed for documents not in English; for police certificates that includes certificates that record no convictions. The partner's side is separate: the supporting partner completes the Partnership Support Form for Residence (INZ 1178) and provides proof of their own immigration status.

Temporary partnership visas use different forms. The Partner of a New Zealander Work Visa and the Partner of a Worker Work Visa ask the supporting partner for the Form for Partners Supporting Partnership-Based Temporary Entry Applications (INZ 1146). Those two visas are covered in separate guides in this series.

Culturally arranged marriages: different rules

INZ's partnership page ends with a note: "If you and your partner are coming together through a culturally arranged marriage, the rules are different." The Culturally Arranged Marriage Visitor Visa has its own evidence requirements, including evidence that the marriage was arranged by someone other than the couple and follows an identified cultural tradition. The guide to that visa explains what INZ lists.

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

What counts as living together for a NZ partnership visa?

INZ says living together means sharing the same home as the partner. It does not include spending time in each other's homes while each keeps a separate home, sharing accommodation on holiday, or living as flatmates in the same house.

Does evidence from before we were 18 count?

No. INZ says that for a visa based on the relationship the evidence must be from after both people turned 18, and that it will not use earlier evidence to assess the relationship.

How many documents does INZ need?

INZ does not publish a number. It lists the kinds of evidence it considers and says that for the resident visa the evidence of living together should cover 12 months, with items dated every few months. Whether a set is enough is for INZ to decide.

What is INZ 11975?

It is INZ's optional Partnership timeline and evidence checklist for the Partner of a New Zealander Resident Visa, dated July 2025. It has a five-question timeline and a checklist of evidence types, and is uploaded under 'Provide a timeline of your partnership'.

What if we lived apart for part of the relationship?

INZ says to provide information about the separation: the reasons, how long it lasted and how the couple kept in touch. It says it uses this to assess whether there were genuine and compelling reasons for staying apart.

Do I need originals?

For paper residence applications INZ must receive originals or certified copies, though electronically issued documents count as originals. For online applications INZ accepts scanned images.

Sources

Last checked 2026-10-09.

Related guides

  • 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.
  • 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.
  • How to Check an NZ Immigration Adviser's Licence — Search the adviser's name or licence number on the Immigration Advisers Authority (IAA) public register and confirm the status reads current. The record also shows whether the licence is full, provisional or limited. Lawyers are not on that register; check them on the New Zealand Law Society's register of lawyers.
  • Your First Consultation With an NZ Immigration Adviser — If an adviser charges for a first consultation, the Code of Conduct requires your written consent to the fee and payment terms before it starts; an email exchange is enough. A full written agreement is not needed for the consultation itself, but it is required before any further paid work.