New Zealand Partner Resident
New Zealand
Residency
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See if you're a match →New Zealand partner residence is for the married, civil-union, or de facto partner of a New Zealand citizen or resident. It generally requires living together in a genuine and stable relationship for the required period, plus sponsor, health, and character checks.
- Type
- Family residence
- Sponsor
- People joining a qualifying family member in New Zealand
- Core requirements
- Relationship records and the sponsor's status
- What to know
- The sponsor's status and documents matter a lot
- Duration
- Resident visa from approval.
- Renewal / path
- Can support permanent resident status and later citizenship if New Zealand rules are met.
Summary
The Partner of a New Zealander Resident Visa is for someone in a genuine and stable relationship with a New Zealand citizen or resident. The key requirement is that the couple has been living together for at least 12 months when the residence application is made.
New Zealand recognises married, civil-union, and de facto partners, including same-sex partners.
Eligibility
You may be a fit if:
- Your partner is a New Zealand citizen or resident.
- If your partner's residence is based on Australian citizenship or residence, they live in New Zealand.
- You and your partner have lived together in a genuine and stable relationship for at least 12 months.
- Your partner supports the application.
- You can provide evidence of the relationship and shared life.
- You meet New Zealand's health, character, identity, and document requirements.
Useful evidence can include shared leases or property records, joint finances, bills, travel records, photos, messages, statements from people who know the relationship, and records showing how long you have lived together.
Duration, Renewal, and Long-Term Path
- Duration: Resident visa from approval.
- Renewal: Can support permanent resident status and later citizenship if New Zealand rules are met.
What This Route Allows
If approved, this visa lets you live, work, and study in New Zealand indefinitely. You can include dependent children aged 24 or younger if they meet the rules.
After holding the resident visa for the required period, you may be able to apply for a Permanent Resident Visa.
What This Route Is Not
This is not based only on being engaged, dating, or visiting each other. New Zealand looks closely at whether the relationship is genuine, stable, and supported by evidence of living together.
If you have not yet lived together for 12 months, a partner work visa may be a better first step.
Next Steps
- Confirm your partner's New Zealand citizenship or residence status.
- Check whether you have at least 12 months of shared residence.
- Gather relationship evidence covering the full period of living together.
- Prepare identity, health, and character documents.
- Use INZ's partnership checklist to organise the evidence.
- Apply online once the relationship and document evidence are ready.