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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.

A New Zealand resident visa is the start of residence, not the end of the paperwork. Many resident visas carry travel conditions that expire, and a resident visa holder who leaves New Zealand after those conditions expire can lose the visa. The Permanent Resident Visa removes the travel conditions. Immigration New Zealand (INZ) says the visa lets a person live in New Zealand permanently and travel in and out of the country.

Two parts of the rules cause confusion. The first is the two-year clock, which INZ measures from a specific date and which must be satisfied before an application is made. The second is the "commitment to New Zealand" requirement, where the widely quoted figure of 184 days is only one of five alternatives.

This guide explains the rules from INZ's Permanent Resident Visa page, its page on showing commitment to New Zealand for permanent residence and its fee finder, read on 9 October 2026. It does not say whether any person meets the rules or which option they should rely on. Applying the rules to a person's own travel and work history is immigration advice, and in New Zealand only a licensed immigration adviser or a lawyer can give it.

What the visa is

INZ's summary lists a stay of "live, work and study indefinitely", a cost from NZD 315, and processing of 80% within 2 weeks. The visa lets the holder live, work and study in New Zealand, travel to and from New Zealand "any time you like", and include a partner and dependent children aged 24 or younger in the application.

INZ says there are no visa conditions on a Permanent Resident Visa. The holder can travel in and out of New Zealand indefinitely, as long as the visa is kept in a valid passport. If the passport expires, the visa must be transferred to the new passport before travelling.

INZ's page also says that for most people, after five years of living in New Zealand as a resident, New Zealand citizenship may be possible, and that a Permanent Resident Visa is not needed first. The requirements for citizenship are set out by the Department of Internal Affairs and are a separate topic.

The difference between a resident visa and a Permanent Resident Visa is mostly about travel. A resident visa holder can leave and return only until the travel conditions on the visa expire. INZ's wording on other pages is that a resident visa holder who is outside New Zealand after the travel conditions expire sees the resident visa expire too.

The basic requirements

INZ lists five requirements. The applicant must:

  • have had a resident visa for at least 2 years in a row;
  • have a current resident visa, or one that expired 90 days ago or less;
  • have met the conditions of the resident visa, if it has any;
  • have shown a commitment to New Zealand in one of the five ways INZ accepts; and
  • be of good character.

INZ puts a warning at the top of the eligibility section: "You should not apply for a Permanent Resident Visa (PRV) until you have held a resident visa continuously for at least 2-years and meet all other PRV eligibility requirements. Applications submitted before all requirements are met may be declined, even if you meet the 2-years requirement after the application is submitted." The rule is therefore not "apply when the two years run out during processing". Everything must be satisfied at the time of filing.

The two years start from the date the person first arrived in New Zealand from overseas, or the date the visa was issued if the person was already in New Zealand. The applicant provides evidence of the resident visa or residence permit and, where the visa has conditions, evidence that they were met. INZ points to a page on checking visa conditions.

The five ways to show commitment

INZ's commitment page says the applicant needs evidence of at least one of five ways. Each has its own test and its own evidence.

  1. Time in New Zealand. At least 184 days in New Zealand on a resident visa in each year of the 2 years immediately before applying. The days do not need to be consecutive. INZ stresses that the 2-year period is "the time immediately before you apply for a Permanent Resident Visa, not the 2 years since your resident visa was given." INZ already holds the travel records, so no further evidence is needed.
  1. New Zealand tax residence. The person has been a tax resident for the 2 years immediately before applying: in New Zealand as a resident for 41 days or more in each of the 12-month periods that make up the 2 years, and assessed as having tax residence status for those 2 years. Evidence is a statement from Inland Revenue or a completed Confirmation of Tax Residence Status form (INZ 1006) with Inland Revenue's section completed. INZ adds that tax residence in another country, even one with a tax treaty with New Zealand, cannot be used.
  1. Investment. NZD 1,000,000 invested in New Zealand in an acceptable investment for 2 years or more. Evidence can include bank documents, property deeds and reports, share certificates, and business ownership documents and valuation reports. INZ points to its page on acceptable investments for investor and retirement visas.
  1. A business. The person bought or started a business in New Zealand at least 1 year ago. It must be trading successfully and of benefit to New Zealand in some way. If the person bought into an existing business, they must hold at least a 25% share. Evidence is the latest business accounts certified by a New Zealand chartered accountant, and a letter or email from a New Zealand chartered accountant confirming the business meets INZ's requirement.
  1. An established base. The person has lived in New Zealand as a resident for at least 41 days in the 12 months before applying, and everyone else included in the residence application has lived in New Zealand for at least 184 days in the 2 years before applying. The person must also have either worked in New Zealand for at least 9 months in the 2 years before applying, or bought a home within 12 months of their first day in New Zealand as a resident, with the home still owned when applying (alone or together with family in the resident visa application).

Evidence for the established-base option

The fifth option has the most moving parts, so INZ's evidence list is worth setting out. For home ownership, INZ lists a house deed, mortgage documents, rates invoices, home insurance papers and household bills such as power or internet. For employment, it lists an employment agreement, pay slips and confirmation from an employer. For self-employment, it lists documents showing the person has established, bought or has shares in a business, and is actively involved in running it.

INZ adds a limit: "If you work for commission or a retainer, you cannot use your employment to show you have an established base in New Zealand." The page also links to a description of the type of work that counts, which the reader should check on INZ's own page because the wording of that definition is what INZ applies.

Taken together, the five options are alternatives, not a ladder. A person can satisfy the requirement with any one of them, and INZ says it needs evidence of "at least 1". The 184-day test relies on INZ's own travel records. The tax test relies on Inland Revenue's assessment. The investment and business tests rely on documents the applicant must assemble. The base test mixes presence, work or home ownership, and the days spent by other family members on the application. Which option fits a particular history is a question for a licensed adviser.

Character and conditions

All applicants, and anyone included in the application, must be of good character. INZ says it will tell the applicant if police certificates are needed, and that certificates must be less than 6 months old when the application is submitted. A criminal conviction or security risk may mean the visa is not granted. INZ links to its good character requirements and police certificate guidance.

If the resident visa carries conditions, INZ requires evidence that they have been met. The page does not list the possible conditions; INZ's wider pages explain that residence visas can carry section 49 conditions. A person whose resident visa has conditions should read the conditions recorded in the eVisa before filing.

INZ also notes, in the steps section, an alert that applies to people outside the country: if a person has a current resident visa and is outside New Zealand after the travel conditions expire, the resident visa expires as well. That is a reason the timing of the application relative to travel conditions is treated as important, and the conditions are recorded on the visa itself.

Including family

INZ distinguishes two situations. If the partner or dependent child was included in the original resident visa application, they can be included in the Permanent Resident Visa application. They do not need to meet the commitment requirement independently, because it applies only to the principal applicant, but they are still assessed individually for identity and character and may need to give updated information. INZ says that normally it cannot grant a Permanent Resident Visa to a non-principal applicant before the principal applicant, so the non-principal applicant must be included in the principal's application or apply at the same time or after. INZ lists exceptions in which a non-principal applicant may apply first: the partnership has ended through separation or divorce, the principal applicant has died or has become a New Zealand citizen, or family violence situations. A child who was a dependent in the original application but is no longer dependent must apply for their own Permanent Resident Visa.

If family members were not in the original resident visa application, each person is assessed independently. Each must have held a resident visa continuously for at least 24 months and meet the standard requirements, including character, identity and commitment to New Zealand. INZ warns that adding family members "does not guarantee them residency if your Permanent Resident Visa is granted". An exception applies for holders of an Active Investor Plus Visa or an Investor 1 or 2 Resident Visa whose dependent child was not part of the original application: that child does not need to meet these requirements but must enter New Zealand on a Dependent Child Resident Visa.

Fee, documents and process

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 resident in New Zealand, showed NZD 315 and 80% of applications completed within 2 weeks. INZ says the cost is a processing charge that is not refunded if the application is declined, with a non-refundable immigration levy included. Payment online is by Visa, Mastercard or UnionPay. Fees can differ by passport and country, so the finder should be checked for the actual applicant.

The application is made online. INZ's documents list is short: a high-quality scan of the passport details page for the applicant and anyone included, scans of the other passport pages showing visa records and entry and exit stamps, one acceptable photo per person, and translations of any documents not in English. After applying, INZ may ask for a medical examination or chest X-ray if not already provided, police certificates, and proof that children are dependent. INZ's Residence Guide (INZ 1002) is linked as help.

The steps are: gather documents, submit and pay, wait for the decision, and check the status. INZ emails when a decision is made, and a granted visa is issued as an eVisa. The visa is valid from the date it is given.

Why the details matter

Three features of these rules are easy to overlook when reading a summary. The two-year clock must have run before filing, not during processing. The 184-day figure applies to the two years immediately before the application and not the two years since the visa was issued, so a long stay early in the period does not carry forward. And the 184 days is one of five options, so a person who cannot meet it is not necessarily without a route; INZ lists four other tests with different evidence.

INZ's pages do not assess any person's history, and they do not describe how INZ treats borderline cases such as a day count just under 184 or a business that has traded for slightly under a year. Those are matters of assessment. What happens after any NZ visa decline is covered in the guide to declined visas. A licensed immigration adviser can explain how the rules apply to a specific travel and work record.

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 must someone hold a resident visa before applying for a Permanent Resident Visa?

INZ says at least 2 years in a row, counted from the date the person first arrived in New Zealand from overseas, or the date the visa was issued if they were already in New Zealand. INZ warns against applying before all requirements are met, even if the two years finish during processing.

Is 184 days a year the only way to show commitment?

No. It is one of five ways INZ lists, alongside New Zealand tax residence, NZD 1,000,000 invested for 2 years or more, a business owned for at least 1 year, and an established base. INZ needs evidence of at least one.

How much does the Permanent Resident Visa cost?

INZ's fee finder showed NZD 315 on 9 October 2026, with a non-refundable immigration levy included. INZ does not refund the cost if the application is declined.

How long does the Permanent Resident Visa take?

INZ showed 80% of applications completed within 2 weeks on 9 October 2026. The figure changes, so check the fee finder when applying.

Does a resident visa that has expired still count?

INZ says the applicant must have a current resident visa, or a resident visa that expired 90 days ago or less.

Does a Permanent Resident Visa have to be held before applying for citizenship?

INZ says no. For most people, after five years living in New Zealand as a resident, citizenship may be possible without a Permanent Resident Visa first, under the Department of Internal Affairs's requirements.

Sources

Last checked 2026-10-09.

Related guides

  • 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.
  • 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.
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  • NZ Visa Declined: Reconsideration, IPT Appeals and Reapplying — Which routes exist after a decline depends on the visa type and where the person is. Temporary visa declines can be reconsidered by INZ in limited cases (14 days, NZD 220); residence declines can be appealed to the Immigration and Protection Tribunal (42 days, NZD 964).
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