Renewing your student visa

You must have a valid student visa for the entire duration of your study journey with us. View this overview of what to do when your visa is about to expire.

To renew your student visa, you will need to reapply for a new updated visa via Immigration New Zealand website. Your student visa must name Te Herenga Waka— Victoria University of Wellington as your place of study and include your current programme of study as well as the correct study location.

If you wish to change your programme of study to one that is not stated on your current visa, please email international-support@vuw.ac.nz before proceeding as the conditions of your visa need to be changed first.

How to apply for your student visa

New and returning international students must apply for student visas through Immigration Online. For more information, contact Immigration New Zealand (INZ).

If you require assistance, email international-support@vuw.ac.nz or visit our office located at level 2, Easterfield building, Kelburn Parade, Wellington.

To apply for your visa, first you will need to:

1. Re-enrol—you must be studying full-time with either 45 points or three courses per trimester (unless you are in your final trimester).
   You need to enrol for a full year.
2. Pay for your studies—Immigration instructions have changed in early 2023, to be eligible for student visa, students must pay for a full year or an entire programme, whichever is shorter.
3. Once your enrolment is approved and fees have been paid, you will receive confirmation of studies and fees assessment.
   Confirmation of studies (offer of place for returning students).
4. Save as PDF your potted history (student records) on Puaha for proof of academic progress.
5. Provide sufficient funds for your living costs and outward travel—NZ$20,000 per year or NZ$1,667 per month if your programme of studies is shorter than a year. For outward travel, you need to estimate how much a plane ticket costs and have this sum available on your bank account in addition to living costs.
6. Provide a medical and/or police certificate, if applicable.

Please use the student visa checklist for continuing student to see the full list of required documents: Student visa application checklist – continuing international students (immigration.govt.nz)

How to apply for your visa online:

1. Go to the INZ website.
2. Create a RealMe* account within the INZ website, when prompted, before you start your application. Please avoid using Gmail or Gmail-based email addresses as verifications codes often do not get sent there.
3. Complete the INZ online application form. You will need to refer to your Confirmation of Study for your programme details, confirmation of points and study dates; your Fees Assessment can be used as evidence of tuition fees paid; and Student Records (potted history) shows your academic performance
4. At the end of the form, upload PDF files (less than 10MB each) of any requested documentation.

*Note: Please always log in via Immigration New Zealand website. For how to create the account, please visit INZ.

The process is : Click "Log In", choose "Student Visa", press "Log In or Create Account", create your Real Me Login (or Log In), set up your account (email, username, password), continue.

Your Immigration New Zealand account is the best place to check for updates on the status of your visa. Make sure you regularly log into it and check for new communication from INZ.

Your passport

It is your responsibility to ensure you hold a valid passport. Please ensure your passport is valid for at least three months after the expected end date of the visa that is being applied for.

To renew your passport, you must contact authorities in your home country.

Medical certificate and x-ray

As part of your visa application, you may need to provide a chest x-ray certificate and  medical certificate(for PhD students). Medical and chest x-ray certificates must be submitted to INZ within three months of being completed.

After submission, they are valid for 36 months. If you are renewing your visa and it has been more than 36 months since your last submission, or you stayed in the high TB-risk country for 3 consecutive months, you may need to provide new medical certificates. If you are still not sure, please contact INZ.

Police certificate

As part of your visa application, you may need to provide a police certificate.

Police certificates must be submitted to Immigration New Zealand within six months of being issued. After submission of your visa application, your police certificate will be valid for 36 months (24 months for Exchange students). If your home country Police Certificate is not in English, you must have the certificate translated and submit both the original Police Certificate and the translated version.

You will need to provide police certificates from your country of citizenship and any other country that you lived in for 5 years and more since turning 17 years old.

Visit Immigration New Zealand for more information on medical and chest x-ray certificates or police certificates. It is your responsibility to contact INZ regarding the validity of your medical, chest X-Ray, and police certificates.

Changing your visa status

If you have changed your student visa to a work visa or a visitor visa during your studies, you must contact the international student support team immediately. Please contact international-support@vuw.ac.nz if this applies to you.

If you are granted a resident visa or permanent resident visa during your studies, you also must let the international student support team know immediately. This could affect your Studentsafe Inbound University insurance policy and any medical claims you make.

Find out how changing your visa status can affect your eligibility for insurance.