Partnership Resident Visa

If your partner holds a New Zealand resident visa solely because of their Australian citizenship or permanent residence, they must be living in New Zealand to support your application. They cannot support your partner of a NZ resident visa application if they are living in Australia or elsewhere overseas.

If your relationship ends before your partnership residence visa NZ is granted, you are no longer eligible for the visa, and your application will likely be declined. You must inform Immigration New Zealand of the change in circumstances. If you have already been granted residence, your visa status generally remains valid, but you cannot support a new partner for a residence visa for 5 years.

Usually, you must hold your nz partner residence visa for at least 2 years before you can apply for a Permanent Resident Visa (PRV).

• Exception (The 5-Year Rule): If you and your New Zealand partner have been living together outside of New Zealand for 5 years or more at the time you apply for residence, you may be granted a Permanent Resident Visa immediately, bypassing the 2-year waiting period.

You cannot work on the residence application alone. However, most applicants hold a New Zealand partnership work visa while their residence application is being processed. If your current temporary visa is about to expire while your residence visa is pending, you may need to apply for a further temporary work visa to remain lawful and continue working in New Zealand.

Documentation is the most critical part of your partnership residence visa application. You will need to provide:

• Identity: Passports and birth certificates.
• Relationship Evidence: Joint bank statements, tenancy agreements, utility bills, and photos of you together over time.
• Support Forms: The ‘Partnership Support Form for Residence’ completed by your New Zealand partner.
• Medical & Police Certificates: Valid medical exams and police certificates from any country you have lived in for 12 months or more in the last 10 years.

As of late 2025/early 2026, the application fee for a Partner of a New Zealander Resident Visa starts from approximately NZD $5,360. This fee can vary depending on your citizenship and where you are applying from. We recommend checking the latest fees with us or the INZ fee calculator before lodging your application, as immigration costs are subject to change.

To be eligible for a NZ partner resident visa, you must meet specific requirements set by Immigration New Zealand (INZ):

• Living Together: You and your partner must have lived together in a genuine and stable relationship for at least 12 months at the time of application.
• Eligible Partner: Your partner must be a New Zealand citizen or resident and must not have supported a previous partner for residence in the last 5 years.
• Health & Character: Both you and your partner must meet health and character standards.
• Evidence: You must provide substantial proof of your shared life, such as joint tenancy agreements, utility bills, and bank accounts.

A Partnership Resident Visa NZ is a residence class visa that allows the partner of a New Zealand citizen or resident to live, work, and study in New Zealand indefinitely. Unlike temporary work visas, this visa grants you residence status, meaning you can stay in New Zealand permanently as long as you meet the travel conditions. To apply, you must be in a genuine and stable relationship and have been living together for at least 12 months.