Visa
Planning a New Zealand student visa from Nepal? Learn the offer of place, NZD 20,000 living funds, Funds Transfer Scheme, chest X-ray, police certificate, 25-hour work rights, post-study work visa and processing times.
"How much money do I need to show for New Zealand?" "Do I need IELTS, and can I work while studying?" Nepali students and parents ask our counsellors these questions more and more often. This guide explains the New Zealand student visa from Nepal step by step: offer of place, tuition and living-cost funds, the Funds Transfer Scheme (FTS), health and police checks, English, work rights, post-study work, family rules and processing. Every figure below comes from Immigration New Zealand (INZ) or the New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA). Fees, funds and processing times can change, so always check the current figures on immigration.govt.nz before you apply.
Most Nepali students apply for the Fee Paying Student Visa, for students paying international fees themselves or with family support, a loan or a partial scholarship. It allows full-time study on an approved course for up to four years. INZ usually issues it for the study you have paid for, so paying for one year of a three-year degree may mean a one-year visa first. Your passport must be valid for at least three months after the date you plan to leave New Zealand.
You need an offer of place from an approved education provider that has signed the Education (Pastoral Care of Tertiary and International Learners) Code of Practice 2021. NZQA lists the providers that are signatories.
The offer must show the course name, length, full-time status and scheduled holidays, plus the provider's signed declaration that you have the English and academic ability to pass.
If you apply from Nepal, you can apply with a conditional offer. INZ can approve your visa in principle, but you must send an unconditional offer before the visa is granted.
You must show you have paid tuition for one course or one year of study, whichever is shorter. Applying from outside New Zealand, you can instead pay after INZ gives you an Approval in Principle (AIP). AIP deadlines are short (usually 10 days, or 15 days with the FTS), and missing one will likely mean a decline, so have your money ready before you apply.
For tertiary study, English language study and other non-compulsory study, INZ currently asks for:
Study of one year or more: NZD 20,000 for each year, not including tuition.
Study shorter than one year: NZD 1,667 for each month.
You also need a ticket out of New Zealand or extra funds for one. For longer courses, a credible plan for later years, such as family income evidence, helps.
INZ accepts bank statements with three months of history, fixed deposits held for at least three months, scholarship letters, and education loan sanction and disbursal letters from a nationalised or multinational bank. Our education loan in Nepal guide explains how Nepali banks prepare these letters; it was written for Australia, but the documents are very similar.
Sponsors from Nepal: if you apply from Nepal, India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh or Bhutan, only immediate family can sponsor you or sign a Financial Undertaking for a Student. That means your partner, parents, siblings, grandparents and parents-in-law.
Source of funds: INZ may ask how the money was earned, so keep tax, income and property papers ready.
According to Education New Zealand, Nepal was added to the Funds Transfer Scheme from 2 April 2026, and most Nepalese students whose applications are approved in principle will need to use it.
After your AIP letter, you open an FTS savings account and an everyday account with one bank (ANZ for any study, or BNZ for university and polytechnic students) and transfer your first year's living funds. The bank confirms the deposit to INZ. After arrival you activate the accounts at a branch, and a set amount moves to your everyday account each month.
You must be in good health. If you will stay in New Zealand for more than six months and you are a citizen of a country that does not have a low incidence of tuberculosis, you need a chest X-ray. Nepal is not on INZ's low-incidence list, so most Nepali students on longer courses should expect one. Check the current list before you book.
Full fee-paying students do not usually need a medical certificate, but INZ can ask for one. Certificates must be less than three months old when INZ receives them.
You need a police certificate if you are 17 or older and your total time in New Zealand will be 24 months or longer, including earlier visits. It must be less than six months old when you apply, and INZ does not accept a receipt showing you have applied. Nepali applicants get a Police Clearance Report through the Nepal Police online system (opcr.nepalpolice.gov.np).
INZ does not set an IELTS score for the visa, although test results help show you are a genuine student. Your provider sets the requirement under NZQA rules, typically:
Level 7 programmes (such as bachelor's degrees): IELTS Academic 6.0 overall with no band below 5.5, or an accepted equivalent.
Level 8 to 10 programmes (postgraduate diplomas, master's, PhD): IELTS Academic 6.5 overall with no band below 6.0, or an accepted equivalent.
Some courses ask for more. Our IELTS vs PTE guide compares the two tests; check that your provider accepts your choice. INZ also checks genuine intentions, so your course should fit your past study and future plans, and any study gap should be explained honestly.
Since 3 November 2025, eligible students can work up to 25 hours a week during study, generally if they study full-time on a programme of at least two academic years or one leading to a qualification at Level 4 or higher. Micro-credentials do not give work rights.
You can usually work full-time in scheduled holidays if your course is worth 120 credits and your offer shows the holiday dates. Treat part-time work as support for daily costs, not tuition.
The Post-Study Work Visa (PSWV) lets graduates work for up to three years, depending on their study:
Degree pathway: a Level 7 bachelor's degree, or a Level 8 to 10 qualification (postgraduate diploma, master's, doctorate), studied full-time in New Zealand for at least 30 weeks. This gives open work rights.
Non-degree pathway: a Level 4 to 7 qualification on INZ's list of qualifications eligible for a PSWV, studied full-time for its full duration, with work related to your studies.
Graduate diploma change: from 16 November 2026, a Level 7 graduate diploma studied full-time in New Zealand can qualify if you also hold a bachelor's degree from New Zealand or overseas, for up to one year.
You need at least NZD 5,000 and must apply within three months of your student visa ending (six months for doctoral graduates). You can hold a PSWV only once, and credit transfers can affect eligibility.
Family members apply separately.
Partner: your partner may get a Partner of a Student Work Visa if you study a Level 9 or 10 qualification (master's or doctorate), or an eligible Level 7 or 8 qualification on the Green List or the PSWV-eligible list. They need at least NZD 4,200 and proof you live together in a genuine, stable relationship.
Children: if you study a PhD, or on certain New Zealand Government scholarships, you can support student visas for dependent children. Children of a parent on a Partner of a Student Work Visa can usually apply for Dependent Child Student Visas.
On the Fee Paying Student Visa page, INZ currently lists the cost as from NZD 850 and processing as 80% of decisions within 7 weeks. INZ advises applying at least three months before travel, and notes that October to March is the busiest period. Confirm the exact fee for Nepal when you apply.
Passport, photo and offer of place with the provider's declaration
Tuition receipt, or readiness to pay after AIP
Living-cost and source-of-funds evidence, plus sponsor or Financial Undertaking details if used
Outward travel ticket or extra funds
Chest X-ray, medical and police certificates if required
Transcripts, English results and certified translations of non-English documents
Also plan for the Nepal-side No Objection Letter needed to send funds abroad; our NOC Nepal guide explains the steps.
For tertiary study of one year or more, INZ asks for NZD 20,000 per year for living costs, plus tuition for one year or one course and money for outward travel. Most Nepali students approved in principle will move the living funds through the Funds Transfer Scheme.
INZ does not require a test for the visa itself, but your provider will usually need one. Under NZQA rules, IELTS Academic 6.0 (no band below 5.5) is typical for Level 7 and 6.5 (no band below 6.0) for postgraduate study.
Eligible students can work up to 25 hours a week during study and full-time in scheduled holidays, depending on the course and the conditions on their visa.
Everest Global Education helps Nepali students compare New Zealand and Australian options, shortlist approved providers, prepare for IELTS or PTE, and organise offer, funds, FTS, NOC and genuine-student documents, always checked against current INZ guidance.
Kathmandu: Putalisadak, Opposite of MIT College
Pokhara: Pushpa Ratna Bhawan Siddharthachowk-4, Pokhara 33700
Beni: New Road Beni bazar Myagdi
Dhangadhi: Boradadi Road, Dhangadhi 10900
Janakpur: Girija Path Muralichowk Janakpur
Perth (Australia): 102 James St, Northbridge WA 6003
Sydney (Australia): Level 1 / 483 Princes Highway, Rockdale, NSW 2216
Share your academic transcripts, English score, preferred course and budget, and we will help you plan your New Zealand student visa application step by step.
Submit an enquiry at https://everestglobaledu.com/enquiry and our team will contact you by phone or email.
Everest Global Education
Phone: +61 8 6157 0080
Email: info@everestglobal.com
Website: https://everestglobaledu.com/
Share this post
The latest news, technologies and resources from our team.
View all
