New Zealand · Student
Exchange Student Visa
Exchange Student Visa is issued by Immigration New Zealand. VisaAI tracks 14 official requirements for it, each traced to the government page that states it.
Last verified against the official source on .
VisaAI is not a government body and does not issue visas. It cannot decide, predict or guarantee the outcome of an application, and this page is not legal or immigration advice.
Requirements change. Confirm every item on Immigration New Zealand’s own page before you apply.
Conditions you must meet
- Be accepted into an approved student exchange scheme
- Study abroad programmes are NOT approved exchange schemesRouting information rather than a hurdle: INZ names the correct alternative. Recorded because applying on the wrong student visa is the most expensive mistake available here.
- Be outside New Zealand when you applyINZ adds that a visa can be granted from inside New Zealand only in very special circumstances, and that the applicant must explain why they arrived without a student visa.
- Have enough money for living expenses, or an acceptable sponsor
- Show you can leave New Zealand at the end of your stay
- Be in good health
- Be of good character
- Have a genuine reason for coming to New Zealand
- Written permission is needed if you plan to workINZ ties this to age and school year — 16 and 17 year olds in years 12 or 13 need permission.
- Stay of up to 4 years
Documents you must provide
- Evidence of an offer of place, or a letter from your exchange programme organisationINZ's own sentence breaks at 'from an' where a link interrupts it; the excerpt preserves what is served.
- Evidence of acceptance into the scheme, for example a letter from the organiser
- Evidence that practical work experience is part of your course, where required
Government fees
- Application feefrom NZD 850INZ publishes this as a 'from' price; the final fee depends on where the application is made.
Official sources
- Exchange Student Visa — Requirements, Immigration New Zealand