Study in New Zealand from India — Fee-Paying Student Visa, Post-Study Work, Skilled Migrant

All visa pathways · New Zealand

Four ways to get to New Zealand.

Pick the pathway that matches your goal. Each links to the detailed process, costs, and what we handle for you.

Study Visa

Fee-Paying Student, AIP system, ANZ FTS — 7-step pathway. Risk-reversed.

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Tourist Visa

Visitor Visa — 9 months max per visit, multi-entry options available.

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Work Visa

Accredited Employer Work Visa, Post-Study Work Visa for graduates.

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PR & Migration

Skilled Migrant Category resident visa, points-tested PR pathway.

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The pathway

Seven steps to your NZ Student Visa.

AIP is the defining feature. You file the visa first with a conditional offer of place — Immigration NZ assesses everything and only asks for tuition payment once you've cleared their bar. This protects your money from refused-visa losses.

01

Prerequisite

Clear your language proficiency exam.

Take IELTS, PTE, or TOEFL. Most New Zealand bachelor's and master's programs require an IELTS 6.0 overall (with no band below 5.5). Postgraduate research programs typically ask for 6.5.

02

Admission

Receive your conditional Offer of Place.

Apply to NZQA-registered universities and Institutes of Skills and Technology (formerly polytechnics). Receive a conditional Offer of Place specifying program, duration, and tuition. Do not pay yet — the AIP step comes next.

03

Visa application (early)

Submit your visa file to Immigration NZ.

Lodge your Fee-Paying Student Visa application on the INZ portal with your conditional Offer of Place, financial documents, IELTS scores, medical and police clearances, and study purpose statement. Pay only the visa fee at this stage.

04

Critical milestone

Receive your Approval-in-Principle letter.

If the file is satisfactory, Immigration NZ issues an Approval-in-Principle (AIP). This is effectively a conditional yes — the visa is reserved, pending tuition payment. AIP is your green signal to release funds.

05

Tuition

Pay your first-year tuition.

With AIP in hand, transfer the first-year tuition to your university and receive your unconditional Offer of Place plus a payment receipt. This is the only money-at-risk step, and by now your visa outcome is essentially confirmed.

06

Financial proof

Open and fund your ANZ FTS account.

Open an ANZ Bank Funds Transfer Scheme (FTS) account and transfer NZD 20,000 from India. This is your living-expense guarantee — the account releases funds monthly after you arrive. Submit the FTS Confirmation Letter to INZ.

07

Final step

Receive your visa and travel.

With tuition paid and FTS confirmed, INZ converts your AIP into a full Student Visa within days. Passport stamping (or eVisa email) follows. We provide a pre-departure briefing covering accommodation, IRD, and first-week logistics.

2026 financial structure

What it actually costs.

New Zealand is competitively priced relative to Australia. Note that no tuition leaves your account until AIP is received — minimising financial risk.

Expense	Cost in NZD	Cost in INR
Language proficiency test (IELTS / PTE / TOEFL)	NZD 350 – 400	₹18,000 – 20,500
NZ Fee-Paying Student Visa fee	NZD 750	≈ ₹38,500
Biometrics enrolment	NZD 90	₹4,600
Medical examination	NZD 250 – 350	₹12,800 – 18,000
Police clearance (PCC) from India	NZD 10 – 20	₹500 – 1,000
First-year tuition (undergraduate to postgraduate)	NZD 25,000 – 45,000	≈ ₹12.8 – 23.1 lakhs
Mandatory FTS account deposit (living expenses)	NZD 20,000	≈ ₹10.3 lakhs
First-year total liquid capital required	NZD 50,750 – 70,750	≈ ₹26 – 36 lakhs

Tuition is paid only after AIP — your bank statement only needs to demonstrate capacity, not actual transfer, until that point.

What makes New Zealand different

The risk is reversed.

AIP protects your money. You discover your visa outcome before transferring tuition. Refused applicants only lose the visa fee, not the full first-year tuition.
NZQA-registered providers only. All eligible institutions are listed on the NZQA register. Studying with an unregistered provider voids your visa.
Post-study work is generous. Up to three years on the Post-Study Work Visa, depending on qualification level and where you studied (some regional locations get bonus years).
Part-time work is straightforward. Up to 20 hours per week during term, full-time during scheduled vacations.
Genuine intent is examined. While AIP is generous, INZ still expects coherent answers on study choice and post-study plans. We help you structure these honestly.

NZQA-registered providers

42 NZQA-registered institutions we work with.

Universities and Institutes of Skills and Technology, all listed on the NZQA register. Search by name, or ask us for a shortlist matched to your programme and budget.

University of Auckland

University of Otago

Massey University

Victoria University of Wellington

University of Waikato

University of Canterbury

Lincoln University

Auckland University of Technology

Manukau Institute of Technology

Unitec Institute of Technology

Otago Polytechnic

Ara Institute of Canterbury

Eastern Institute of Technology

Wintec (Waikato Institute of Technology)

Nelson Marlborough Institute of Technology

Wellington Institute of Technology (WelTec)

Whitireia New Zealand

Southern Institute of Technology

Western Institute of Technology at Taranaki (WITT)

North Tec

Universal College of Learning

Toi Ohomai Institute of Technology

New Zealand Skills and Education College

Pacific International Hotel Management School

New Zealand Tertiary College (NZTC)

Future Skills Academy

UC International College, Christchurch

Yoobee College of Creative Innovation

University of Waikato College

Whitecliffe College

Le Cordon Bleu, New Zealand

New Zealand Airline Academy

The University of Auckland International College

AcademyEX, Auckland

New Zealand Management Academies (NZMA), Auckland

New Zealand Industry Training Enterprise (NZITE)

International College of Auckland

Auckland Institute of Studies

ATMC New Zealand

Massey University College

UP International College (AUT)

UP International College (VUW)

No institutions match “” — ask us, we likely still work with your target school.

Don’t see your target institution? Ask us — our network extends beyond this list.

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