New Zealand Partner Visa

Which New Zealand Partner Visa Fits You?

• Partner of a New Zealander Resident Visa: Live, work and study in New Zealand indefinitely. For couples in a genuine and stable relationship who have lived together for at least 12 months. After holding this visa for 2 years in a row, you can apply for a Permanent Resident Visa.
• Partner of a New Zealander Work Visa: Work for any employer while you build your relationship history. It can be granted for up to 3 years; if you have lived together for less than 12 months it is usually granted for 1 year first. Your partner must be able to support you for residence within 12 months.
• Partner of a New Zealander Visitor Visa: Visit and live with your partner in New Zealand, without work rights.
• Culturally Arranged Marriage Visitor Visa: For couples whose marriage is being arranged according to their culture, so the applicant can travel to New Zealand to marry their New Zealand partner.
• Partner of a Worker or Partner of a Student visas: If your partner is in New Zealand on a work or student visa. Whether you can get a work visa or only a visitor visa depends on your partner’s visa, job skill level and pay rate, and these thresholds were updated on 9 March 2026.

Key Requirements Under the 2026 Rules

• Age: From 25 September 2026, you and your partner must both be 18 or over when you apply, and relationship evidence only counts from when you were both 18.
• Living together: For residence, you must have lived together for at least 12 months after you both turned 18. In practice, this means neither of you can qualify for residence before age 19.
• Genuine and stable relationship: You need to show a committed relationship and that you both plan to live in New Zealand.
• Health and character: You may need a medical examination and chest X-ray, plus police certificates from your countries of citizenship and any country where you have spent 12 months or more in the last 10 years.
• Your New Zealand partner: Must be a New Zealand citizen or resident (if their residence is based on Australian citizenship or permanent residence, they must live in New Zealand). They can support only 1 partner for residence in a 5-year period and 2 partners in total, and certain convictions mean they cannot support you.
• Children: Dependent children aged 24 or younger may be included in a residence application, subject to conditions.

Evidence Immigration New Zealand Looks For

Strong, well-organised evidence is the most important part of a partner visa application. Immigration New Zealand considers:

• How long you have been together and how long you have lived together, shown with tenancy agreements, mortgage documents or bills at the same address.
• Shared finances and responsibilities, such as joint bank accounts, shared bills and household costs.
• Time spent together, including travel, photos and communication when you have lived apart.
• Recognition by others, such as family, friends and the wider community.
• English translations for any documents that are not in English.

Lived Together Outside New Zealand?

If your partner is a New Zealand citizen and you have lived together outside New Zealand for at least 5 years, you may be granted a Permanent Resident Visa instead of a Resident Visa. Your partner must have spent less than 3 months a year in New Zealand during that time, and there are rules about when and where you apply.

Government Costs and Processing Times

Checked on the Immigration New Zealand website in November 2026. Fees depend on your nationality and where you apply, and they change, so we confirm the current figures before you lodge.

• Partner of a New Zealander Resident Visa: from NZD 5,360. Immigration New Zealand decides 80% of applications within 7 months.
• Partner of a New Zealander Work Visa: from NZD 1,630. Immigration New Zealand decides 80% of applications within 6 weeks.
• More info: Immigration New Zealand – Partnership and how to prove it
• More info: Immigration New Zealand – Partner of a New Zealander Resident Visa

How We Help

• Eligibility check: age, time living together, your partner’s eligibility to support you, and any health or character issues.
• Right visa, right order: for example a work or visitor visa now, and residence once you reach 12 months of living together.
• Evidence and timeline: we help you organise your relationship evidence and partnership timeline so it is clear and complete.
• Forms and lodgement: we prepare your application and your partner’s support form, lodge online and respond to any requests from Immigration New Zealand.
• Moving to Australia instead? See our Australian partner visa page.