The New Zealand Permanent Resident Visa, Explained
New Zealand grants residence in two stages. You get a Resident Visa first, and its travel conditions usually expire after two years. A Permanent Resident Visa is the second stage. It removes that expiry date, so you can leave and re-enter New Zealand for the rest of your life. It costs NZ$315 and is decided faster than any other residence application.
Quick Facts
| What it is | The second-stage residence visa. It replaces the travel conditions on a Resident Visa with an indefinite right of re-entry |
| Who it is for | People who already hold a New Zealand Resident Visa and have met the commitment requirements — usually after two years |
| Application fee | NZ$315 (Band A, in New Zealand, and Band C, rest of world) · NZ$260 (Band B, Pacific) |
| Immigration levy | None on this application type |
| IVL | None. Resident visa holders are exempt from the International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy |
| Processing | Average 1.5 weeks; 80% within 2 weeks (as published 20 August 2026) |
| How to apply | Online, through Immigration Online, unless an exception applies |
| Travel conditions | None. A Permanent Resident Visa has no travel-condition expiry |
| Leads to | Citizenship, which is handled by the Department of Internal Affairs, not by Immigration New Zealand |
Two visas, not one status
This is the single most misunderstood thing in New Zealand immigration, and it catches out people who have moved from Australia, Canada or the United Kingdom, where "permanent residence" is granted in one step.
In New Zealand:
- A Resident Visa gives you the indefinite right to live, work and study in New Zealand. It is not temporary. But it carries travel conditions — a separate expiry date that controls your right to re-enter the country as a resident. Travel conditions on a first Resident Visa are typically valid for two years.
- A Permanent Resident Visa (PRV) is a different visa, applied for separately, with its own fee. It gives you the same rights to live, work and study, and it removes the travel-condition expiry permanently.
So a person can hold residence and still be locked out of the country. That happens when travel conditions lapse while they are overseas. It is the reason the Permanent Resident Visa exists, and the reason people who intend to travel treat it as the real finish line.
If you are still working out which of the two you hold, the wording on your visa is the giveaway. Read what travel conditions are and Resident Visa travel conditions, explained.
| Resident Visa | Permanent Resident Visa | |
|---|---|---|
| Right to live, work and study in New Zealand | Indefinite | Indefinite |
| Right to re-enter New Zealand | Limited by travel conditions, typically 2 years | No expiry |
| Application fee | Depends on the residence category | NZ$315 (Band A/C) |
| Immigration levy | Usually payable — NZ$3,570 on skilled categories | None |
| Typical processing | Weeks to months, by category | Average 1.5 weeks |
| Can you be granted it first? | Yes, this is the entry point | No, it comes second |
What a Permanent Resident Visa changes, and what it does not
It changes one thing: your ability to travel in and out of New Zealand without a deadline hanging over you. That is not a small thing. It is the difference between taking a two-year overseas posting freely and having to plan your return around an expiry date.
It does not change your day-to-day rights. A Resident Visa already grants the indefinite right to live, work and study here. The Permanent Resident Visa does not add work rights, study rights or a new job market. See what a New Zealand resident visa actually gets you.
It does not make you a citizen. Citizenship is a separate status, granted by the Department of Internal Affairs under different law. Holding a Permanent Resident Visa is not the same as holding a New Zealand passport. See from resident visa to New Zealand citizenship.
It does not put you beyond the Immigration Act. Residence-class visa holders remain subject to deportation liability in defined circumstances. That is covered in can you lose New Zealand permanent residence?
When you become eligible
Immigration New Zealand publishes a two-year pattern across its residence products. Two examples confirmed on INZ's own visa pages:
- Straight to Residence Visa (Green List Tier 1): a Permanent Resident Visa is available after two years. See the Straight to Residence Visa, explained.
- Partner of a New Zealander Resident Visa: a Permanent Resident Visa after two years, with citizenship possible after five. See the Partner of a New Zealander visa, explained.
The same two-year shape appears on the Work to Residence and Skilled Migrant Category routes.
Two years is the waiting period, not the whole test. INZ also requires evidence of commitment to New Zealand. That is a defined set of ways to show your life is now based here.
What this site has not verified. INZ publishes the specific ways of demonstrating commitment on its Permanent Resident Visa page, and the exact current wording was not captured in our research pass. We will not guess at it. Read the commitment criteria directly on immigration.govt.nz before you apply, and if your situation is unusual — long absences, a business overseas, split family arrangements — that is a question for a licensed immigration adviser or a New Zealand lawyer, not for a website.
That caution matters more here than on most pages. A Permanent Resident Visa application that is refused leaves you back on travel conditions that may be close to expiry.
Step 1: Check that your Resident Visa is still current and note your travel-condition date
The travel-condition expiry date is the number that governs your timing. If it is close and you cannot yet meet the commitment requirements, the two alternatives are a variation of travel conditions at NZ$320, or a Second or Subsequent Resident Visa at NZ$275.
Step 2: Set up or sign in to Immigration Online
The Permanent Resident Visa must be applied for online unless an exception applies. INZ's platform is called Immigration Online — the current build is branded Enhanced Immigration Online — and it uses a RealMe login, the New Zealand Government's identity service. Do not use any other name you may have read for the portal.
Enhanced Immigration Online handles the Permanent Resident Visa, the Second or Subsequent Resident Visa and variations of travel conditions, and it uses smart forms that only ask questions relevant to your answers. See the Immigration Online account guide and RealMe accounts for Immigration Online.
Step 3: Gather your evidence
INZ's published application sequence is: choose the visa type, review the requirements, gather and prepare documents, submit and pay, then wait. INZ asks applicants to allow time to obtain official documents and to have them translated into English where needed. See document translation requirements.
Step 4: Submit and pay
You pay at the point of submission. The fee is NZ$315 if you are in New Zealand (Band A) or applying from most countries (Band C), and NZ$260 under Band B, which covers citizens of specified Pacific countries. Dual citizens pay the band that matches the passport used in the application.
Step 5: Wait, and keep your passport details current
As published on 20 August 2026, INZ's resident visa wait times give the Permanent Resident Visa an average of 1.5 weeks and 80% completed within 2 weeks. That makes it the quickest residence-class application INZ publishes — the next fastest, the Straight to Residence Visa, averages seven weeks.
All New Zealand visas are issued as an eVisa. You do not need a sticker in your passport for the visa to be valid. If you renew your passport, you must transfer the visa to the new passport before you travel on it, and that applies to eVisas as well as physical labels. See transfer your visa to a new passport.
What it costs, with the components shown
INZ publishes a single "from" price on most visa pages. The Fees Guide publishes the split. For the Permanent Resident Visa there is very little to split, and that is the point.
| Component | Amount |
|---|---|
| Application fee, Band A (in New Zealand) | NZ$315 |
| Application fee, Band B (Pacific) | NZ$260 |
| Application fee, Band C (rest of world) | NZ$315 |
| Immigration levy | Not charged on this application type |
| International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy | Not charged. Resident visa holders are exempt |
| Total, Band A or C | NZ$315 |
Two things worth noting. First, the absence of the immigration levy is unusual: it is NZ$3,570 on skilled residence categories and NZ$3,420 on Family Category applications. Second, there has been no general fee or levy increase in 2025 or 2026 — INZ's own fees page still describes its rates as current "as of 1 October 2024".
Fees are not refunded if an application is declined. See NZ visa fee refunds, explained.
The eight countries whose citizens pay nothing
New Zealand has bilateral fee-waiver agreements with a small group of countries. Citizens of the following pay no fee and no immigration levy for a Permanent Resident Visa, whether they apply from inside or outside New Zealand:
Austria · Finland · Greece · Iceland · Israel · Italy · Japan · Turkey
The same waiver covers a variation of travel conditions on a resident visa, a second or subsequent resident visa, and an endorsement indicating New Zealand citizenship. Finland and Iceland have the broadest agreements, covering any type of visa, endorsement or variation of travel conditions except transfers.
Fee waivers never cover the IVL, and never cover the fee for transferring a visa label into a new passport. Full detail sits in visa fees, levies and fee bands, explained.
If you never apply for one
Nothing happens to your residence status. It does not lapse because you did not upgrade. What lapses is your travel-condition expiry date, and you only feel that when you try to re-enter New Zealand after it has passed.
People who never leave the country can hold a Resident Visa indefinitely without difficulty. People who travel for work, or who have parents overseas, or who may need to spend a long period abroad, are the ones for whom the Permanent Resident Visa is worth NZ$315.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between a residence visa and a permanent residence visa in New Zealand?
Both give you the indefinite right to live, work and study in New Zealand. The difference is travel. A Resident Visa carries travel conditions that control your right to re-enter the country, typically valid for two years. A Permanent Resident Visa has no travel-condition expiry, so your right to return does not run out.
How do I get a resident visa in New Zealand, and how do I then get a permanent resident visa?
You first qualify under one of the residence categories — skilled, family, investor, Pacific or humanitarian — and are granted a Resident Visa. After you have held it for the required period, usually two years, and can meet INZ's commitment requirements, you apply separately for a Permanent Resident Visa. See how to apply for a New Zealand resident visa and the pathways to New Zealand residence.
How long does New Zealand permanent residency last?
A Permanent Resident Visa has no travel-condition expiry date, so it does not run out on a calendar. It can still be affected by deportation liability in the circumstances set out in the Immigration Act 2009 — see can you lose New Zealand permanent residence?
How much does it cost to apply for permanent residency in New Zealand?
NZ$315 under fee bands A and C, and NZ$260 under Band B for citizens of specified Pacific countries. No immigration levy and no IVL apply. Citizens of Austria, Finland, Greece, Iceland, Israel, Italy, Japan and Turkey pay nothing under bilateral fee-waiver agreements.
How long does it take to get a New Zealand permanent residence visa?
As published on 20 August 2026, half of applications are decided within about 1.5 weeks and 80% within two weeks. INZ updates these figures weekly and publishes no last-updated stamp on the page, so check the current wait times before you rely on them. Published averages are not a promise about your application. See how long New Zealand residence applications take.
Which countries can a New Zealand permanent resident enter without a visa?
None, by virtue of the New Zealand visa itself. Visa-free travel to other countries depends on the passport you hold, not on your New Zealand residence status. A New Zealand Permanent Resident Visa gives you rights in New Zealand only. If you are planning to travel to Australia, check Australian entry requirements for your nationality before booking.
If I get a resident visa or permanent resident visa while in New Zealand, will my eVisa still be valid?
All New Zealand visas are issued as eVisas, and a new grant replaces what came before it. A passport sticker is optional and does not change your conditions. The situation that does need action is a new passport: you must transfer the visa into it before travelling.
Do I have to apply for a Permanent Resident Visa?
No. There is no obligation to upgrade, and no penalty for staying on a Resident Visa. The question is only whether you need an unrestricted right of re-entry.
Can my partner and children get a Permanent Resident Visa too?
Each person needs their own residence status first. Anyone who holds a Resident Visa in their own right and meets the requirements can apply. Family who were included in your original residence application hold their own Resident Visas, so their travel conditions and eligibility are assessed on their own facts.
This page is general information, not immigration advice. New Zealand regulates immigration advice under the Immigration Advisers Licensing Act 2007, and we do not assess anyone's individual circumstances. For advice about your own case, use a licensed immigration adviser or a New Zealand lawyer, and check the licence on the Immigration Advisers Authority register.
