Pre-Departure Tips for Study Abroad in New Zealand | Study With New Zealand
Congratulations – you’ve been accepted to study in New Zealand! Here’s what you need to do before you leave.
You’re about to start on an incredible adventure. Here are some things you'll need to do to prepare for your New Zealand study experience.
1. Accept your offer of study
Accept your offer of study before applying for a student visa. Read the offer carefully before you accept it, to make sure it’s exactly what you were expecting.
2. Pay your fees
In most cases you will have to pay your fees in full before you can get a student visa. You can also get a visa if you can prove that you have a scholarship to cover the cost of your fees, or that you are eligible for a student loan to pay them. If you are applying for your visa from outside of New Zealand, you can choose to pay your tuition fees after your visa is 'approved in principle'.
3. Apply for a student visa
If you are going to study in New Zealand for more than three months you will need a student visa. To get a student visa you’ll need:
- An offer of a place from an approved education provider
- A written guarantee that suitable accommodation is available to you in New Zealand (if you're aged under 18)
- Evidence that you have enough money to live on while you are studying
- A return air ticket to your own country, or evidence that you have enough money to buy one.
- Tuition fee receipt/scholarship evidence – note that you can pay your tuition fees after your application is ‘approved in principle’ or you can supply the receipt at the time you apply for your visa which will reduce processing time.
Immigration New Zealand
Organise accommodation
If you are under the age of 18 you must have accommodation arranged in order to get your student visa. Even if you’re older, it’s still a good idea to organise accommodation before you arrive in New Zealand. To review more options please visit NauMai NZ.
Get insurance
International students need full health and travel insurance as part of their visa requirements for the duration of the visa and it is a requirement under the Code of Practice for your provider to be sure you have insurance for the period of enrolment. Most education providers recommend getting insurance through Studentsafe.
Pack your essentials
You should be able to fit everything you need for your time in New Zealand into one suitcase (unless you’re a serious snowboarder or a fanatical cyclist!). It’s worth bringing:
- At least NZ$100 in cash for when you first arrive, with another $300 easily available through a credit or travel card
- Three month’s supply of any prescription medicines you need (plus a note from your doctor if you will need to get more while you’re here)
- An adaptor plug for your laptop and mobile phone chargers.
About the contributors
Linley Boniface is a contract writer for Education New Zealand. She is based in Wellington, her favourite city in New Zealand. A former journalist, Linley spent a year in Montreal, Canada, as a secondary school student.