How to Apply for a New Zealand Student Visa Online: Immigration Online Portal Guide (2026)

## Quick Facts What you need to know about applying for a New Zealand student visa online in 2026: 1. All Fee Paying Student Visa applications should be submitted through Immigration Online, the digital portal operated by Immigration New Zealand at immigration.govt.nz. Paper applications are accepted in limited circumstances but take significantly longer to process. 2. To use Immigration Online, you must create a RealMe account — a secure login system used by multiple New Zealand government agencies. You will need a valid email address and your passport details to register. 3. The online application form requires: personal details, passport information, education and employment history, health and character declarations, and details about your intended course of study and education provider in New Zealand. 4. All supporting documents must be uploaded as digital files — PDF, JPG, and PNG formats are accepted. Each file must be clear, legible, and in English or accompanied by certified English translations. 5. The visa application fee is approximately NZD $380 as of 2026, payable online by credit or debit card (Visa or Mastercard) at the time of submission. The immigration levy is included in this amount. 6. Once submitted, you can track your application status through your Immigration Online dashboard. INZ typically acknowledges receipt within 2-5 working days, with full processing taking 3-8 weeks depending on your country. 7. The entire process is paperless — you will receive your visa decision and, if approved, your eVisa electronically. You do not receive a physical visa label in your passport. ## Setting Up Your Immigration Online Account Before you can apply, you need two linked accounts: a RealMe login and an Immigration Online account. Step 1: Create a RealMe account. Visit realme.govt.nz and click "Create your RealMe login." You will need to provide: - A valid email address (this becomes your RealMe username) - A mobile phone number (for two-factor authentication) - A password meeting the security requirements - Personal details matching your passport exactly RealMe will send a verification email. Click the link to confirm your account. This process takes about 5 minutes. Step 2: Link your RealMe to Immigration Online. Visit immigration.govt.nz and click "Apply for a visa" or "Immigration Online." You will be directed to log in with your RealMe credentials. On first login, Immigration Online will ask you to create an immigration profile: - Confirm your personal details (these pre-populate from RealMe) - Enter your passport details: passport number, issuing country, date of issue, and expiry date - Provide your contact details: current address, phone number, and email - Answer a short questionnaire about your intended travel and study Immigration Online will create your profile, which you will use for this application and any future applications or visa queries. Step 3: Verify your identity. Depending on your country of citizenship and the information you have provided, Immigration Online may require you to verify your identity using the RealMe Verified Identity service. This involves taking a photo of your passport and a selfie using your phone — the system matches the two to confirm that the person applying is the passport holder. Not all applicants are required to do this; you will be prompted if it is needed. ## Completing the Online Application Form Once your profile is set up, you can begin the actual visa application: 1. From your Immigration Online dashboard, click "Apply for a visa" and select "Fee Paying Student Visa" from the list of visa types. 2. The application form is divided into sections that you complete sequentially. You can save your progress and return later — the system remembers where you left off. 3. Personal details section: Most of this is pre-filled from your profile. Review each field carefully — errors here, especially in your name or date of birth relative to your passport, will cause problems. 4. Study details section: This is where you enter information about your intended programme. You will need: - The full name of your education provider (as it appears on your offer letter) - The NZQA provider code (your offer letter may include this; otherwise, you can find it on the NZQA website) - The programme name and NZQF level - The programme start and end dates - The first-year tuition fee amount - Whether you have paid any tuition in advance, and if so, how much 5. Funds and support section: You must indicate how you will support yourself financially. Options include: personal savings, family or sponsor support, education loan, or scholarship. You will enter the total amount of funds available and describe the source. This section also asks about your accommodation arrangements in New Zealand. 6. Health and character declarations: You answer yes/no questions about your medical history and criminal history. If you answer yes to any question, you will need to provide details. These are legally binding declarations — providing false information is a criminal offence under the Immigration Act 2009. 7. Review and submit: Before submitting, the system shows you a summary of your application. Review every field. Once submitted, you cannot change anything without contacting Immigration New Zealand. ## Uploading Supporting Documents The document upload interface is a critical part of the application. Immigration Online accepts files up to a specified size limit (typically 10 MB per file), and the supported formats are PDF, JPG, and PNG. Documents you must upload: 1. Passport bio-data page. A clear colour scan of the page with your photo and details. If you have held a previous New Zealand visa, also upload the relevant pages showing the visa. 2. Offer of place. Your unconditional offer letter from the education provider. 3. Evidence of funds. Bank statements, loan sanction letters, or scholarship award letters as applicable. 4. Financial Undertaking form (INZ 1014 or 1025) if a sponsor is funding you. 5. Medical certificates (INZ 1007 and INZ 1096) if required. Note: if your panel physician submitted your medical results electronically via eMedical, you may only need to provide the reference number, not the certificates themselves. 6. Police certificates from your country of citizenship and any country where you have lived for five years since age 17. 7. Insurance policy document or certificate of insurance. 8. Passport-style photograph (if not already captured during identity verification). 9. English translations of any document not in English. Best practices for document uploads: - Name your files clearly: "Passport_bio_page.pdf" rather than "scan001.pdf". - Ensure the entire document is visible — do not crop or omit pages. - If a document has multiple pages (like a bank statement), combine them into a single PDF rather than uploading each page separately. - Check that all text is legible at normal zoom before uploading. ## Payment and Submission When you have completed the application and uploaded all required documents, you proceed to payment. The payment interface accepts Visa and Mastercard credit and debit cards. The exact fee for a Fee Paying Student Visa in 2026 is approximately NZD $380, but check the current figure on immigration.govt.nz before paying — fees are subject to periodic adjustment. After payment: - You will receive an on-screen confirmation and an email acknowledging your submission. - Your Immigration Online dashboard will show the application as "Submitted." - INZ typically sends a formal acknowledgement within 2-5 working days. If you do not receive an acknowledgement within a week, log in and check your application status — it may have been returned as incomplete. If your application is returned as incomplete: you will see a notification in Immigration Online explaining what is missing. You can resubmit with the missing documents without paying an additional fee, provided the application has not been formally declined. ## Tracking Your Application Once submitted, you can monitor progress through your Immigration Online dashboard. The status system is simple: - "Submitted" — your application is in the queue, awaiting assignment to an immigration officer. - "Under Assessment" — an officer is actively reviewing your application. This stage includes any requests for further information. - "Approved" — your visa has been granted. You will also receive an email with your eVisa. - "Declined" — your application has been refused. You will receive a letter explaining the reasons. Immigration Online also has a messaging system. If the immigration officer needs additional information, they will send you a message through the portal, and you may receive an email notification (check your spam folder). Respond through Immigration Online — do not reply to the email notification, as it is not a monitored inbox. If you are waiting for a long time with no update, you can send a query through Immigration Online. But be aware that status inquiries during the normal processing window rarely accelerate the process. ## FAQ ### Q1: Can someone else complete the online application on my behalf? Yes, but you remain legally responsible for all information in the application. If someone else — a family member, friend, or immigration adviser — completes the form for you, you must review every answer before submission because it is your declaration. Licensed immigration advisers can submit applications on behalf of clients using their own Immigration Online accounts, but you must grant them access. ### Q2: What if I lose internet connection while completing the form? Immigration Online saves your progress automatically as you move between sections. If you lose your connection, log back in and resume where you left off. However, the system may not save partially completed sections — try to finish each section before stopping. ### Q3: Can I upload documents after submitting my application? Generally, no — once submitted, you cannot add documents to your application unless the immigration officer sends you a request for further information through Immigration Online. If you realise immediately after submission that you forgot a document, you can contact INZ through the portal messaging system, attach the document, and explain. There is no guarantee it will be accepted. ### Q4: Do I get a physical visa label in my passport? No. New Zealand has issued eVisas since 2018. Your visa is an electronic record linked to your passport number. You receive an eVisa letter as a PDF, which you can print if you want a physical copy, but it is not a legal requirement. Airlines and border officials verify your visa status electronically using your passport. ## Sources - Immigration New Zealand — Immigration Online: www.immigration.govt.nz/immigrationonline - RealMe — Create a Login: www.realme.govt.nz - Immigration New Zealand — Fee Paying Student Visa: www.immigration.govt.nz/new-zealand-visas/visas/visa/fee-paying-student-visa - Immigration New Zealand — eVisa Information: www.immigration.govt.nz/new-zealand-visas/evisa - New Zealand Qualifications Authority — Provider Search: www.nzqa.govt.nz