Funds Requirements for New Zealand Visas
Visitors must show NZ$1,000 per person for each month of stay, or NZ$400 a month where accommodation is already paid for. Students need NZ$20,000 a year for tertiary study plus tuition. Working holidaymakers need NZ$4,200 in most schemes. Post Study Work Visa applicants need NZ$5,000. Transit passengers at Auckland are exempt.
Quick Facts
| Visitor visa and NZeTA | NZ$1,000 per person per month, or NZ$400 with accommodation paid |
| Fee Paying Student Visa (tertiary / English language) | NZ$20,000 a year, or NZ$1,667 a month for courses under 12 months |
| Fee Paying Student Visa (schooling Years 1–13) | NZ$17,000 a year, or NZ$1,417 a month |
| Students, in addition | Ability to pay one year of tuition, or the course length if shorter |
| Working Holiday, standard | NZ$4,200 |
| Post Study Work Visa | At least NZ$5,000 |
| Transit passengers at Auckland | Exempt |
| Alternative to showing funds | A sponsor demonstrating financial capacity (visitor category) |
| Verified | 20 August 2026 |
Visitor visas and the NZeTA
The visitor funds test is the one most people meet, and it is expressed per person per month rather than as a lump sum.
| Situation | Amount required |
|---|---|
| Standard | NZ$1,000 per person, per month of stay |
| Accommodation already paid for | NZ$400 per person, per month of stay |
| Sponsored | A sponsor may instead demonstrate financial capacity |
A four-week holiday for one person therefore needs roughly NZ$1,000 in evidence; a three-month stay needs NZ$3,000. A family of four staying two months needs NZ$8,000 unless accommodation is prepaid, in which case it falls to NZ$3,200.
The same test applies on an NZeTA. Travelling under the visa waiver does not remove the funds requirement — it removes the visa application. Border officers can ask for evidence of funds on arrival regardless of how you were authorised to travel.
The prepaid accommodation discount is a 60% reduction and is the single most useful concession in the visitor category. It requires evidence that the accommodation is genuinely paid for, not merely booked. See the visitor visa funds requirement.
Transit passengers at Auckland International Airport are exempt from the funds requirement entirely. That exemption applies only to genuine transit through Auckland — passing through any other New Zealand airport is not transit, because no other airport has a transit area. See transiting through New Zealand explained.
Student visas
Student funds are assessed in two parts: living costs, and the ability to pay tuition. Both must be satisfied.
| Study type | Living costs required |
|---|---|
| Tertiary or English language study | NZ$20,000 a year, or NZ$1,667 a month for courses under 12 months |
| Compulsory schooling, Years 1 to 13 | NZ$17,000 a year, or NZ$1,417 a month |
On top of living costs, a Fee Paying Student Visa applicant must show the ability to pay tuition for at least one year, or for the length of the course if it is shorter.
Because tuition varies enormously by provider and programme, the total varies with it. A one-year tertiary programme with NZ$32,000 of tuition requires evidence covering NZ$52,000 in combination with living costs. A three-month English language course requires roughly NZ$5,000 of living costs plus the course fee.
The monthly figures are the ones to use for short courses: NZ$1,667 a month for tertiary and English language study, NZ$1,417 a month for schooling. See student visa funds requirements and how much a New Zealand student visa costs.
Post Study Work Visa
A Post Study Work Visa applicant must show at least NZ$5,000 in documented funds.
That is a flat figure rather than a monthly rate, and it is lower than the annual student living-cost figure the same person will have satisfied a year or two earlier — the reasoning being that a post-study visa holder has open work rights and can support themselves from employment.
Working Holiday Schemes
Working Holiday funds are set per scheme, and the variation is wide. Most schemes use the standard figure; seven do not.
| Funds required | Schemes |
|---|---|
| NZ$4,200 | The standard across most of the 45 schemes |
| NZ$350 per month | United Kingdom, Canada |
| NZ$2,250 | Malaysia, Austria, Singapore |
| NZ$7,000 | Thailand, Turkey |
| NZ$4,200 or NZ$7,000 | Peru — NZ$4,200 with an acceptable English test result, NZ$7,000 without |
The standard NZ$4,200 is NZ$350 a month over twelve months, which is why the UK and Canadian schemes express it monthly instead: both offer visas longer than twelve months, so a flat annual figure would not fit.
Thailand and Turkey have the highest funds requirement in the system at NZ$7,000 — two-thirds more than the standard. Malaysia, Austria and Singapore have the lowest at NZ$2,250, which aligns with the shorter durations of the Malaysian and Austrian schemes.
Every Working Holiday Scheme is first-come-first-served, so meeting the funds requirement is a threshold to clear, not a competitive advantage. See the working holiday visa funds requirement and working holiday schemes by country.
Parent Boost Visitor Visa
The Parent Boost Visitor Visa has the most complex financial test in the temporary visa system, because it can be satisfied in three different ways.
Route 1 — the sponsoring child's income. An adult child aged 18 or over who is a New Zealand citizen or resident sponsors the parent and meets an income threshold, in two of the past three completed tax years.
| Single sponsor | Joint sponsors | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 parent | NZ$72,800 | NZ$109,200 |
| 2 parents | NZ$109,200 | NZ$145,600 |
| Each additional parent | +NZ$36,400 | +NZ$36,400 |
Route 2 — the parent's own income. As updated on 30 April 2026: NZ$33,663.24 a year for a single applicant, or NZ$51,182.56 with a partner.
Route 3 — the parent's own funds. NZ$170,000 for a single applicant, or NZ$260,000 with a partner.
Superseded figures from the June 2025 announcement — parent income of NZ$32,611.28 and NZ$49,552.88, and funds of NZ$160,000 and NZ$250,000 — are still widely republished. They are out of date. See parent visa sponsor income thresholds.
Health insurance is a separate mandatory cost on this visa, with published minimum cover levels, and it must be maintained for the entire stay.
What INZ accepts as evidence
INZ does not publish a single closed list of acceptable documents that applies to every visa. What is consistent across categories is the underlying question: can you demonstrate that the money is genuinely yours and genuinely available for the trip?
Common forms of evidence include bank statements, a bank letter, evidence of prepaid travel and accommodation, and — where a sponsor is involved — evidence of the sponsor's financial capacity rather than the applicant's own funds.
Non-English documents generally require a translation alongside the original. See proof of funds for a NZ visa and document translation requirements.
Meeting the funds figure does not guarantee approval, and INZ can ask questions beyond the threshold. Insufficient or unconvincing evidence of funds is one of the most frequently cited grounds in declined visitor applications. See common reasons NZ visa applications are declined.
Worked examples
The visitor and student figures are rates rather than totals, so the number you actually need depends on your own trip.
| Situation | Calculation | Funds to evidence |
|---|---|---|
| One person, 3-week holiday | 1 month minimum at NZ$1,000 | NZ$1,000 |
| One person, 3 months | 3 × NZ$1,000 | NZ$3,000 |
| One person, 3 months, accommodation prepaid | 3 × NZ$400 | NZ$1,200 |
| Two adults, two children, 2 months | 4 people × 2 months × NZ$1,000 | NZ$8,000 |
| Two adults, two children, 2 months, accommodation prepaid | 4 × 2 × NZ$400 | NZ$3,200 |
| One student, 1-year tertiary course | NZ$20,000 living costs + tuition | NZ$20,000 plus the course fee |
| One student, 6-month English course | 6 × NZ$1,667 + tuition | About NZ$10,000 plus the course fee |
| One child, full school year | NZ$17,000 living costs + tuition | NZ$17,000 plus the school fee |
Two points fall out of those rows. The prepaid accommodation route cuts the visitor requirement by 60%, which for a family is the difference between NZ$8,000 and NZ$3,200. And the student requirement is genuinely two numbers, not one — a course fee alone does not satisfy it, and living costs alone do not either.
Funds are not the only financial test
Meeting the published funds figure satisfies one requirement. Several categories carry separate financial obligations that are assessed independently, and applicants routinely budget for the first and miss the second.
- Health insurance. Mandatory on the Parent Boost Visitor Visa for the whole stay, with published minimum cover levels, and required on the Peak Seasonal Visa for visas longer than three months.
- Tuition. For students, the ability to pay tuition is a separate limb from living costs.
- Mid-visa checks. Parent Boost carries a mandatory health and insurance re-check in the third year, done outside New Zealand, with its own fee of NZ$325 or NZ$240 with a concession.
- The visa fee itself. The application fee, immigration levy and IVL are paid on top of everything above — see the complete New Zealand visa fee list.
- Medical and police certificate costs. Panel physician charges and police authority fees are private costs, not INZ fees.
Funds requirements at a glance
| Visa | Funds |
|---|---|
| NZeTA / visa waiver entry | NZ$1,000 per person per month, or NZ$400 with accommodation paid |
| Visitor Visa | NZ$1,000 per person per month, or NZ$400 with accommodation paid |
| Transit (Auckland) | Exempt |
| Fee Paying Student Visa — tertiary / English | NZ$20,000 a year plus tuition |
| Fee Paying Student Visa — schooling | NZ$17,000 a year plus tuition |
| Post Study Work Visa | NZ$5,000 |
| Working Holiday — standard | NZ$4,200 |
| Working Holiday — UK, Canada | NZ$350 a month |
| Working Holiday — Malaysia, Austria, Singapore | NZ$2,250 |
| Working Holiday — Thailand, Turkey | NZ$7,000 |
| Parent Boost — parent's own funds route | NZ$170,000, or NZ$260,000 with a partner |
Frequently Asked Questions
How much money do I need to show for a New Zealand visitor visa?
NZ$1,000 per person for each month you intend to stay, or NZ$400 per person per month if your accommodation is already paid for. A sponsor may demonstrate financial capacity instead of the applicant showing funds.
Does the funds requirement apply to an NZeTA?
Yes. Travelling under the visa waiver removes the visa application, not the funds test. The same NZ$1,000 a month, or NZ$400 a month with prepaid accommodation, applies.
How much money do I need for a New Zealand student visa?
NZ$20,000 a year for tertiary or English language study, or NZ$1,667 a month for courses under twelve months. For compulsory schooling in Years 1 to 13 it is NZ$17,000 a year or NZ$1,417 a month. You must also show the ability to pay one year of tuition, or the whole course if it is shorter.
How much money do I need for a working holiday visa in New Zealand?
NZ$4,200 for most schemes. The UK and Canada express it as NZ$350 a month. Malaysia, Austria and Singapore require NZ$2,250. Thailand and Turkey require NZ$7,000. Peru requires NZ$4,200 with an acceptable English test result and NZ$7,000 without.
Do I need to show funds for a transit visa?
Transit passengers at Auckland International Airport are exempt from the funds requirement. That exemption covers genuine transit only — stays under 24 hours, remaining in the transit area, at Auckland.
Can someone else's money count as my funds?
In the visitor category, a sponsor may demonstrate financial capacity instead of the applicant showing their own funds. Whether that route is available and what evidence it requires depends on the visa and the relationship, so check the requirement for your own category on INZ.
Does having more than the minimum help my application?
Meeting the published figure is a threshold, not a score. Exceeding it does not create an entitlement, and applications that clear the funds bar are still assessed on health, character, genuine intention and every other requirement.
How much money do parents need for the Parent Boost visa?
There are three routes. The sponsoring child meets an income threshold starting at NZ$72,800, or the parent shows their own income of NZ$33,663.24 a year (NZ$51,182.56 with a partner), or the parent shows funds of NZ$170,000 (NZ$260,000 with a partner). The income and funds figures were updated on 30 April 2026.
Primary source: Immigration New Zealand's individual visa pages for the Visitor Visa, Fee Paying Student Visa, Post Study Work Visa and Parent Boost Visitor Visa, plus the per-country Working Holiday Scheme pages. All figures verified 20 August 2026 and stated in New Zealand dollars.
This page is general information about published requirements. It is not immigration advice and does not assess whether your funds or evidence would satisfy INZ.
