New Zealand New Zealand Marriage Visitor Visa - Eligibility & Requirements (2024)

The Marriage Visitor visa allows you to travel to New Zealand and marry a citizen or resident of New Zealand in a culturally arranged marriage or simply live with them after you get married abroad. You can also apply for a partnership visa after you start living with your partner in New Zealand. With a Marriage Visitor visa you can even study for up to three months.

What Are the Eligibility Requirements for a Marriage Visitor NZ Visa?

To qualify for a Marriage Visitor NZ visa, you must fulfill the listed eligibility requirements:

• Your marriage must follow a cultural tradition and be arranged by a matchmaker or family member (not you or your partner).
• Your wedding must be within three months of your arrival in NZ (if you will get married in NZ).
• You must plan to maintain the marriage on a long-term basis.
• You must apply for your visa within three months of your marriage (if you get married outside NZ).
• You must be healthy.
• You must be of good character.
• You must meet the conditions of your visa.
• Your marriage must not have legal impediments.
• Your partnership must meet the partnership requirements.
• Your partner must be a citizen or resident of New Zealand.
• Your partner must be of good character.
• Your partner must support your application.
• Your partner must be eligible to support a partnership-based residence application later.
• You must have enough money or a sponsor to support your entire stay in NZ.
• You must have a ticket to leave New Zealand, enough money to buy one, or a sponsor to buy you one.

What Are the Partnership Requirements for a Marriage Visitor NZ Visa?

To apply for a Marriage Visitor NZ visa, your partnership must meet the following requirements:

• You or your partner must not be married to someone else.
• You or your partner must not be close relatives.
• You and your partner must be 18 or over when you apply (otherwise, you must have your parents’ or guardians’ support).
• You must have met each other before you apply.

What Are the Eligibility Requirements for a Partnership-Based Residence Application?

To be eligible for supporting a partnership-based resident visa application, your partner must not have:

• supported a successful resident visa application for more than one previous partner
• supported a successful resident visa application for a prior partner within the last five years
• included an earlier partner in their successful residence application, within the last five years
• been included as a partner in a residence application, within the last five years
• tendency to be deported or have their deportation liability suspended

What Are the Required Documents for an NZ Marriage Visitor Visa?

You must prepare the following documents to apply for an NZ Marriage Visitor visa:

• Your passport
• Photo of your head and shoulders
• A chest x-ray or a medical examination
• A police certificate
• Evidence that your marriage is an identified cultural tradition
• Evidence of your partner’s immigration status
• Evidence that your partner is of good character
• Partnership support form for Residence/temporary entry
• Evidence of Sufficient Financial Means or sponsorship
• A ticket to leave NZ
• Additional Dependants for a Visitor Visa form

Your Passport

To apply for an NZ Marriage Visitor visa, you must provide a passport or certificate of identity. Your passport must be valid for a minimum of three months after you intend to leave New Zealand.

Photo of Your Head and Shoulders

You must provide a photo of your head and shoulders to prove your identity to apply for a Marriage Visitor visa. The photo must meet the New Zealand Visa photo requirements and guidelines.

A Chest X-Ray or a Medical Examination

To prove that you are healthy and don’t pose any danger to the people of New Zealand, you may be required to provide a medical examination and an x-ray examination. Since the NZ Marriage Visitor visa allows you to stay only for three months, you don’t have to provide either a medical examination or an x-ray examination.

A Police Certificate

A police certificate proves that you are of good character and meet the good character eligibility requirement. Since you can’t stay more than three months in New Zealand with a Marriage visitor visa, you don’t need to provide a police certificate.

Evidence that Your Marriage Is an Identified Cultural Tradition

To apply for a Marriage Visitor visa, you must provide evidence that your marriage has been arranged by someone that isn’t your partner and followed an identified cultural tradition:

• proof of communication between the parents of the couple and any other person acting as a go-between or matchmaker
• evidence that the arrangement or ceremony is publicly recognized
• confirmation from an independent source that the arrangement or ceremony is part of the couple’s cultural customs
• a written account of how the marriage was arranged
• any other evidence that proves your marriage is culturally arranged

Evidence of Your Partner’s Immigration Status

To prove that your partner is a citizen or a resident of New Zealand, you must provide the following evidence:

• a New Zealand passport
• a New Zealand birth certificate
• a certificate of New Zealand citizenship
• a New Zealand residence class visa

If your partner is a resident of New Zealand because of their citizenship or residence status in Australia, they can provide the following evidence:

• Australian passport
• Permanent residence, or
• Resident return visa

Evidence that Your Partner Is of Good Character

Just like you, your partner must meet the good character eligibility criteria as well. He must provide a police certificate from any country where you have spent more than one year in the last ten years.

Partnership Support Form for Residence/Temporary Entry

If your partner is eligible to support a partnership-based residence afterward, they must complete a Partnership support form for Residence/temporary entry.

Evidence of Sufficient Financial Means or Sponsorship

To apply for a Marriage Visitor visa, you must prove that you have enough money to live in New Zealand, or you must have a sponsor to cover your stay. You must have a minimum of NZD $1,000 per month or NZD $ 400 if you paid for your accommodation already. Documentation that you may provide as evidence can include:

• proof of accommodation pre-payment, like hotel pre-paid vouchers or receipts
• bank statements
• credit card statements
• bank drafts
• travelers’ cheques
• a ‘Sponsorship Form for Temporary Entry‘ that your sponsor completed

If you have a sponsor, they must provide evidence that they will take care of you in New Zealand:

• recent bank statements
• pay slips
• employment agreement
• accommodation ownership or payment of rent

Note: There are extra requirements if you are a pregnant applicant.

A Ticket to Leave NZ

As evidence that you will leave NZ when your stay ends, you must provide proof you have enough money to buy a ticket out of New Zealand. If you are sponsored, your sponsor must provide the following evidence:

• recent bank statements
• pay slips
• employment agreement
• accommodation ownership or payment of rent

You must also provide a completed ‘Sponsorship Form for Temporary Entry‘ by your sponsor.

Additional Dependants for a Visitor Visa Form

If you want to bring dependent children with you, you must complete the Additional Dependants for a Visitor Visa form. You must also provide proof:

• of their good health
• of their identity
• of your relationship with your children

How to Apply Online for an NZ Marriage Visitor NZ Visa?

To apply for a Marriage Visitor visa, you must follow the process as follows:

• Complete the online application. You must complete the online application for NZ Visitor Visa. Click ‘APPLY NOW’ on the website of Visitor Visa. When you apply, you must select ‘Special Category Visitor Visa’ and then the ‘Culturally Arranged Marriage’ option. You will be asked at the ‘Supporting documents’ section to enter your supporting partner’s details. Ensure you provide correct information as Immigration New Zealand will email your supporting partner to complete a supporting partner form online. Your supporting partner must give you their sharing ID before you can complete your application by:
  • logging into Immigration Online with a RealMe account
  • giving you the Sharing ID in their Immigration Online dashboard, and
  • confirming their email address.
• Upload the required documents. As you apply online, you will be required to upload the documents that are needed for the visa. The documents must be scanned and uploaded as PDF files.
• Pay the application fee and other required fees. You must pay the application fee, the immigration levy, the visa application center fee, and the courier fee (if applicable). The payments must be made when you are completing the online application by providing the details of your bank card.
• Wait for a response. You will be contacted for further information about your Marriage Visitor visa application.

How to Apply on Paper for an NZ Marriage Visitor NZ Visa?

To apply for a Marriage Visitor visa, you must follow the process as follows:

• Complete the paper application INZ 1146. Your partner must fill out the paper application ‘Partners Supporting Partnership-Based Temporary Entry Application’. They must give you the completed form and the other supporting documents for you to upload them.
• Complete the paper application INZ 1198. You must complete and sign the Partnership-Based Temporary Visa Application The information provided must be true and accurate.
• Prepare the required documents. You must prepare your documents and your partners’ documents together with the application forms. You must not forget any documents, as your application can get declined.
• Complete the INZ 1205 form. Complete the Additional Dependants for a Visitor Visa form if you are bringing your dependent children/child to New Zealand. You must provide the required details and two photos of each of your children.
• Complete the Sponsorship form. Your sponsor must complete the Sponsorship Form for Temporary Entry if you are sponsored to apply for a Marriage Visitor visa. The information provided must be true and accurate. They must give the completed form to you so you can submit it with your application.
• You must schedule an appointment with VFS.Global. You can find your nearest visa application center by checking the Visa application centers outside New Zealand on the New Zealand Immigration website. You must book the appointment through Global at the nearest application center to submit your visa application.
• Pay the application fee and other required fees. You can pay the fees:
• • In person. You can pay by cash or with a Visa or MasterCard when you attend the appointment.
  • By post. You can pay by bank transfer by transferring the amount to the bank account specified on the Culturally Arranged Marriage Visitor Visa website.
  • Submit your visa application. You must submit your application, supporting documents, and application fees at the visa application center where you made your submission. You will be contacted for further information about your Marriage Visitor visa application.

What Are the Fees for an NZ Marriage Visitor Visa?

The required fees for a Marriage Visitor visa vary depending on where you apply from and the form of your application:

Note that the fees for NZ Visas change based on the visa type you apply for.

What Are the Conditions of the Marriage Visitor NZ Visa?

Once you receive a Marriage Visitor visa, you must meet the following requirements:

• You must apply for entry permission when you arrive in NZ by completing the arrival card given on your way to NZ.
• You must have valid multiple entry-travel conditions to travel in and out of NZ.
• You must have enough money or a sponsor to live in NZ.
• You must have a travel ticket out of NZ or a sponsor that pays for your ticket (if your visa letter or label doesn’t say ‘Return/onward travel not required’.
• You can study for a maximum of three months.
• You can’t work in NZ with a Marriage Visitor visa.
• You must leave NZ before your visa expires.

What Is the Processing Time for a Marriage Visitor NZ Visa?

The processing time for an NZ Marriage Visitor visa is usually 87 days. Most of the visa applications are completed within this time.

How Long Can I Stay in New Zealand With an NZ Marriage Visitor Visa?

The Marriage Visitor visa is valid for three months. When your visa expires, you must leave New Zealand.

Can I Work on a Marriage Visitor Visa in New Zealand?

You can’t work on a Marriage Visitor visa in New Zealand. In order to work in NZ, you must obtain a New Zealand Work Visa.

Can I Study on a Marriage Visitor Visa in New Zealand?

The Marriage visitor visa allows you to study for up to three months in New Zealand. In order to be eligible for a longer study period, you should obtain a NZ student visa.

Can I Bring My Children on a Marriage Visitor NZ Visa?

You can bring your dependent children with a Marriage Visitor visa. A dependent child is your child who is:

• 24 or younger
• unmarried
• with no children of their own
• reliant on you financially