In this article, we’ll explain how to bring your parents to New Zealand. You’ll find information about short-term options like visitor and student visas, as well as long-term solutions such as extended parent visitor visas and permanent residency.

Visitor Visa

Visitor Visa is primarily intended for short stays in the country for tourism or family visits. The inviting party, the children, can be on any type of visa. This visa is granted either for the requested period, or for six months to one year. However, the actual permitted stay is a maximum of 9 months within any 18-month period.

When applying, the applicant must demonstrate clear travel intentions, proof of funds or sponsorship, and strong ties to their home country — such as a business, job, property, or other commitments.
Visa fee: NZD $441. You can include two parents in one application.

Parent and Grandparent Visitor Visa

Parent and Grandparent Visitor Visa is a special visa for parents and grandparents, available only if the inviting person is a New Zealand citizen or resident. Applications can only be submitted from outside New Zealand.

The visa is granted for 3 years, but holders may stay no more than 6 months at a time, after which they must leave and re-enter. The total time allowed in the country is 18 months within 3 years.

The sponsor must be the child of the applicants and is required to act as a financial sponsor.
Visa fee: NZD $441, and two parents can be included in one application.

Fee Paying Student Visa

Studying in New Zealand under a Fee-Paying Student Visa is not a common option for parents, but it’s worth considering. Especially if the parent has already stayed the maximum allowed time on a visitor visa.

In theory, these visas can be alternated. For example, 6 months on a visitor visa, followed by 6 months on a student visa, or 9 months on and 9 months off. Attendance at the courses is mandatory and monitored.

There are no strict time limits for how long one can stay on a student visa, but it’s up to the immigration officer’s discretion.
Applicants must show funds to cover tuition and living expenses, or provide a sponsor.
Tuition fees start at NZD $250 per week.
Visa fee: NZD $850.

Kiwi Education can assist in selecting suitable courses and obtaining a student visa.

Kiwi Education can assist in selecting suitable courses and obtaining a student visa.

Parent Boost Visitor Visa

Parent Boost Visitor Visa is the longest-term visitor visa announced by Immigration New Zealand recently. It will be available from 29 September 2025.

It is issued for 5 years, with the possibility of extending for another 5 years. A total of 10 years, with near-continuous stay allowed. The aim is to support skilled migrants who want their parents to live nearby, while minimizing the burden on New Zealand’s public services, especially healthcare.

The visa does not grant work rights. To work, one must apply for a work visa separately.

Main requirements

To be granted the visa, applicants must have good character, meet the health standards required for residence-class visas, and satisfy the following criteria:

Sponsorship

Applicants must be sponsored by their biological or adopted child, who is a New Zealand citizen or resident.

The sponsor must commit to:

• covering the parents’ living and everyday expenses,
• ensuring access to healthcare and financial support,
• covering costs of potential repatriation or deportation.

Financial requirements

The applicant must meet ONE of the following:

• Sponsor’s income (based on NZ’s median wage as of June 2025 — NZD $33.56/hour):

1. 1 sponsor – 1 parent → 1 x median
2. 1 sponsor – 2 parents → 1.5 x median
3. 2 sponsors – 1 parent → 1.5 x median (combined)
4. 2 sponsors – 2 parents → 2 x median (combined)
5. 2 sponsors – 3 parents → 2.5 x median (combined)
6. 2 sponsors – 4 parents → 3 x median (combined)

• Parents’ income:

1. Minimum NZ Superannuation level:
2. NZD $32,611.28 per year for a single parent
3. NZD $49,552.88 per year for a couple

• Parents’ savings:

1. At least NZD $160,000 for a single parent
2. At least NZD $250,000 for a couple

Health Insurance

A mandatory requirement — insurance must be valid for at least 1 year, covering:

• Emergency medical care (minimum NZD $250,000 per year)
• Repatriation and return of remains
• Cancer treatment (minimum NZD $100,000)

Important: Insurance must be valid throughout the stay in New Zealand.
Lack of insurance can lead to refusal of future visas (including residency), cancellation of the current visa, and deportation.

Applicants will also need to complete two medical exams:

1. The first one at the time of application.
2. The second one during the third year of the visa (outside New Zealand), along with proof of continued insurance.

Fees and Charges

• Visa application fee: NZD $3,000
• IVL (Tourism and Conservation Levy): NZD $100
• Third-year medical check: NZD $325

Parent Resident Visa

This is a residence visa, granting permanent residency in New Zealand, with full rights to work, access to healthcare, and other benefits. The key feature is that it’s essentially a lottery: only 2,500 applications are selected per year at random.

In addition, there are high income requirements for the sponsor — that is, the child of the applying parent(s). The sponsor must be either a New Zealand resident or citizen and must earn a high income. Income thresholds for individual or joint sponsors are shown in the tables below.

All standard requirements also apply — such as no criminal convictions and meeting health standards — but there is also an added English language requirement: an IELTS score of 5.0 overall, or at least two bands with a minimum of 4.0.

Visa cost is also on the higher side: NZD $5,810.

Main Requirements for the Sponsor

• Must be a New Zealand citizen or resident (for at least 3 years)
• Must be 18 years or older
• Must have been living in New Zealand for at least 184 days per year in each of the required years
• Must provide Inland Revenue income tax returns
• Must prove the family relationship with the parent(s)

Financial Requirements

The sponsor must provide evidence of annual income via tax returns and Inland Revenue statements, and must meet the income thresholds for at least 2 out of the 3 years prior to submitting the residence visa application.

Minimal annual income for 1 sponsor

Minimal annual income for 2 sponsors (sponsor + partner)

Financial requirements on official website Immigration New Zealand.

More details about requirements on official website Immigration New Zealand.

Parent Retirement Resident Visa

Parent Retirement Resident Visa – is designed for wealthy parents whose children are New Zealand citizens or residents. In addition to standard eligibility criteria, applicants must:

• Invest at least NZD $1 million into New Zealand’s economy for a period of 4 years,
• Have at least NZD $500,000 in settlement funds, and
• Show an annual income of at least NZD $60,000.

Visa application fee: NZD $12,850.

If you need assistance with any of these visa types, we strongly recommend contacting immigration lawyer Yana Gild, with whom we’ve been working for many years. We genuinely consider her to be the top expert in this field.

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