New Zealand residence permit by investment

Legal grounds for the residence permit

Since 1 April 2025 the Active Investor Plus programme has worked under new rules: the multipliers for different investments were scrapped and replaced with two categories.

• Growth category. From $2.8 million for 3 years in New Zealand businesses or approved managed funds, with up to 20% allowed for philanthropy. You must spend at least 21 days in the country over the 3 years.
• Balanced category. From $5.6 million for 5 years. Besides businesses and funds, listed shares, bonds and new property developments also qualify. At least 105 days in the country over 5 years.

You can apply for permanent residence after 3 years in the Growth category and after 5 years in the Balanced one.

Which investments qualify

Growth category

• Direct investment in New Zealand companies - a stake in a business, a startup, a private company.
• Approved managed funds that invest in New Zealand companies.
• From December 2026, funds that build homes for long-term rent. The investor and family may not live in such a home.

Balanced category

• Everything that qualifies for the Growth category.
• Shares listed on the New Zealand exchange and bonds.
• New development and commercial projects.

Buying an existing home for yourself does not count toward the investment. The money must be your own, and borrowed funds do not count.

What it costs in 2026

Rate: market rate of 17 October 2026, 1.77 New Zealand dollars per dollar, rounded up.

• Investment - from $2.9 million (5 million New Zealand dollars) for 3 years, or from $5.7 million (10 million New Zealand dollars) for 5 years. The money remains your assets.
• Application fee - $16,000 (27,470 New Zealand dollars).
• Medical exam - with a panel physician, a few hundred dollars per person.
• Police certificates, translations - a few thousand dollars per family.
• Fund fees - usually 1-2% a year of assets under management.
• A home in New Zealand - optional, from $2.9 million (5 million New Zealand dollars), not counted toward the investment.
• New Zealand company registration with us, if you invest directly through your own company.
• Our programme support - quoted after a consultation, depending on the category and your family.

We work out the total for your family in the chat.

Documents and where to get them

• Passports for the whole family and photos.
• Proof of funds - bank and broker statements, company valuations.
• Source of funds - sale agreements for a business or property, dividends, inheritance, tax returns.
• Police certificates - from your country of citizenship and every country where you lived 5 years or more since age 17.
• Medical exam and chest X-ray - with a panel physician.
• Marriage and birth certificates - translated into English.
• Investment plan - the chosen companies or funds.

Requirements and how to get approved

• Source of funds not proven - the most common reason for delays and refusals.
• A non-qualifying investment - an existing home, deposits, loans.
• Money withdrawn early - then permanent residence is not granted.
• Not enough days in the country - 21 days over 3 years or 105 days over 5 years.
• Health - conditions that would be costly for the health system.
• A criminal record or visa violations in other countries.

Taxes

• Income tax - from 10.5% to 39%, with 39% above 180,000 New Zealand dollars a year.
• A 4-year exemption. New residents who have not been tax resident for 10 years pay no tax on most foreign income for the first 4 years.
• No general capital gains tax, but selling a home within 2 years of purchase is taxed.
• Foreign shares - after the exemption, tax is calculated on a deemed 5% return a year. Since 2025 new residents can choose a method that taxes dividends and 70% of the gain on sale.
• No inheritance tax, goods and services tax 15%, company tax 28%.

What changes in 2026

• Buying a home. From 6 March 2026 investor visa holders may buy or build one home worth 5 million New Zealand dollars or more. Other foreigners still cannot buy housing.
• New investment vetting rules apply from 28 September 2026: stricter requirements for funds and projects and more transparency.
• Build-to-rent funds join the Growth category from December 2026.
• Demand. From 1 April 2025 to 24 September 2026, 949 applications were received and 496 approved, with around 2.88 billion New Zealand dollars already invested.

Family and the path to citizenship

Your spouse or partner and dependent children under 24 are included. Everyone gets a resident visa: live, work and study, and children attend state schools free. After the investment period you apply for a permanent resident visa. Citizenship comes after 1,350 days in the country over 5 years and at least 240 days in each year, with basic English and an intention to live in New Zealand.

How to choose a category

Growth is cheaper and faster, but the money goes into private companies and venture funds, where part of it can be lost. Balanced requires twice as much and takes longer, but lets you hold bonds and shares in large companies. If preserving capital matters more than saving money, choose Balanced. If you accept risk for faster permanent residence, choose Growth.

Life in New Zealand

The main cities are Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Queenstown. A three-bedroom house in Auckland rents from $2,500 a month, and private schools cost from $15,000 a year. Public healthcare is free for resident visa holders, and private insurance shortens waiting lists. The country is safe, with a mild climate and low corruption, but far from Europe: the flight takes more than a day with a connection. Sydney is 3 hours from Auckland, and there are direct flights to Singapore, Hong Kong and the US.

Alternatives to compare

• Australia residence - the neighbouring country, routes through talent and business.
• Singapore permanent residence by investment - a higher threshold, but permanent residence from the start.
• Hong Kong residence by investment - financial assets from $3.9 million.

How we work

1. We check your assets and the source of funds.
2. We choose the category and investments: companies, funds, projects.
3. We prepare and file the application and handle correspondence with Immigration New Zealand.
4. We support the transfer and investment reporting.
5. We prepare permanent residence and, if you wish, a home purchase.

We fix our fee in writing after a consultation.

Advantages of a New Zealand residence permit

How to get a New Zealand residence permit: step by step

FAQ