Countries not Needing a Student Visa to Study in New Zealand

Visa-free Countries

Who Needs a student visa?

You will need to apply for a Student Visa if:

• you are outside of New Zealand, and are coming to New Zealand to study full time for longer than three months (Your partner and children who wish to accompany you may apply for a Visitor or Student Visa).

Potential students entering as visitors to New Zealand from visa free countries (See list below) may apply for a Student Permit once an educational institute has accepted them.

British Citizens and Passport Holders

If you are a British citizen or are a British passport holder and have evidence of the right to live permanently in the United Kingdom, you may be granted a Visitor's Permit valid for 6 months on arrival.

As a Visa Waiver Visitor You Must:

• hold a valid ticket to a country you have the right of entry to
• have sufficient money to support yourself during your stay
• hold a passport valid for 3 months beyond the date you are leaving New Zealand
• only wish to visit New Zealand for the time granted on arrival (if you wish to visit for a longer period you will need to apply for a Visitor's Visa).

Temporary Permit Exemptions

The following people are exempt from having to hold temporary permits while in New Zealand:

• citizens of the Commonwealth of Australia
• people exempted by special direction
• those entitled to immunity from jurisdiction under the Diplomatic Privileges and Immunities Act 1968 or the Consular Privileges and Immunities Act 1971
• any country, or crew members of any craft transporting such people to New Zealand, while in New Zealand:
  - at the request or with consent of the Government of New Zealand
  - in the ordinary course of the member's duty or employment; and
• or:
  - crew or passengers on any seagoing craft carrying passengers or cargo or both in the ordinary course of business of the craft, from the time the craft arrives at a port of entry in New Zealand until whichever of the following occurs first:
  - the craft is given clearance to leave its last port of entry in New Zealand on the same voyage; or
  - 28 days have expired, beginning with the day the craft arrived at its first port of entry in New Zealand on that voyage.
• crew or passengers on any foreign fishing craft licensed or seeking to be licensed under section 15 of the Territorial Sea and Exclusive Economic Zone Act 1977 for a period of 7 days after the date:
  - on which the license expires if a license has been granted; or
  - of first arrival in New Zealand if a license is refused.
• Or:
  - aircraft crew on any commercial aircraft flying between any other country and New Zealand, for 7 days beginning with the day on which the aircraft arrived in New Zealand; or
  - a member of any scientific programme or expedition under the auspices of Operation Deep Freeze while in the Ross Dependency; or
  - crew or passengers on any ship authorised by the Minister of Transport under section 198(2) of the Maritime Transport Act 1994 to carry passengers or cargo for a period of 28 days from the date the ship first arrives in New Zealand; or
  - holders of transit visas who are in New Zealand for less than 24 hours and who during that time remain:
  - on the craft; or
  - in a customs controlled area; or
  - in the custody of the police.

Visa Waiver Agreements

If you are a citizen of one of the following countries which have visa waiver agreements with New Zealand, you do not need to apply for a Visitor Visa if you plan to visit New Zealand for 3 months or less:

* Portuguese passports holders must have the right to live permanently in Portugal.
** Includes US nationals from American Samoa and Swains Island.
*** Residents of Hong Kong travelling on Hong Kong Special Administrative Region or British National (Overseas) passports.
People travelling on a United Nations (UN) laissez-passer

Information from this site has been taken from the official New Zealand Immigration web site (26 DEC 2003) at: http://www.immigration.govt.nz