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New Zealand.

How New Zealand sells residence for investors (golden visa): 3 programmes, 1 of them open today. Every number and rule below links to the document it comes from.

3,696
numbers
76
prices and rules
17
events
42
documents and articles
Residence·Open·since 2022

Active Investor Plus visa

Sells the right to live in the country (a “golden visa”), sometimes leading to citizenship later.

Official name: Active Investor Plus Visa (resident visa)

Lowest price for one person: NZ$5 million

Growth category since 1 April 2025: at least NZ$5 million in managed funds or direct investments approved by Invest New Zealand, held 3 years. Balanced category needs NZ$10 million (t-2e35e2757f). Application fee and levy excluded.

Notes from the research

Resident visa for investors, run by Immigration New Zealand, with Invest New Zealand (formerly NZTE) deciding which funds and direct investments are acceptable. Opened 19 Sept 2022 with a NZ$15 million threshold or weighted equivalent (direct investment weighted 3x, so NZ$5 million minimum; listed equities capped at 50%, bonds and property excluded), 117 days in NZ over four years and an English requirement. Few applications under those settings (115 to 31 Mar 2025). Revamped from 1 April 2025: Growth category NZ$5 million for 3 years (managed funds, direct investment; 21 days in NZ) and Balanced category NZ$10 million for 5 years (adds bonds, listed equities, property development; 105 days); English requirement removed. Applications then rose sharply (949 by 24 Sep 2026; 496 approved, about NZ$2.88bn committed), led by US, Chinese and Hong Kong applicants. Build to Rent funds to be added to Growth from December 2026. Holders can apply for permanent residence after the investment period; citizenship through the ordinary residence route.

Applications pending
05010015020020232024202520262027

Prices and rules

Ways in that apply today (minimum amounts)
Fees today

What is measured

  • Applications received767
  • Applications approved82
  • Applications processed81
  • Applications turned down74
  • Investment by programme investors59
  • Share of programme investment by asset class or route37
  • Applications approved in principle27
  • Golden visas issued27
  • Applications withdrawn18
  • Approvals-in-principle outstanding (stock)18
  • Applications pending17
  • Processing time14
  • Investment intended (pipeline)11
  • Minimum investment of applications received11
  • Applications withdrawn or declined (combined)6
  • Applicant share3
  • Investment pipeline plus committed capital3
  • Investment projects approved for a programme2
  • Project proposals declined2
  • Project proposals awaiting a decision2
  • Project proposals received2
  • Project proposals withdrawn2
  • Programme investment inflows as a share of foreign direct investment1
  • Businesses receiving programme investment1
Residence·Closed·2009–2022

Investor 1 visa

Sells the right to live in the country (a “golden visa”), sometimes leading to citizenship later.

Official name: Investor 1 Category (Migrant Investment Policy)

Lowest price when it closed: NZ$10 million

Closed to new applications 27 July 2022; NZ$10 million for three years was the amount on that day, unchanged since 2009.

Notes from the research

Resident visa (permanent residence from the start, with conditions) for investing NZ$10 million in acceptable New Zealand investments for three years; no age, English or business-experience test. Investor had to spend a minimum time in New Zealand (73 days a year at first; from 2017, 44 days in each of the final two years, or 88 days over three years with NZ$2.5m in 'growth investments'). Created with Investor 2 by immigration instructions effective 27 July 2009; closed to new applications on 27 July 2022 (instructions shown 'to 28/07/2022') when Active Investor Plus replaced it; applications already lodged kept being processed (125 in progress in Dec 2023). Citizenship can follow through the ordinary residence route. Cabinet paper (2022): NZ$6.78bn initial investment and 679 investors over 13 years.

Applications approved
0501001502002014201620182020202220242026

Prices and rules

Rules while it was open

What is measured

  • Applications processed68
  • Applications turned down63
  • Applications approved32
  • Golden visas issued31
  • Applications pending1
  • Approvals-in-principle outstanding (stock)1
  • Investors approved, not counting family members1
  • Share of programme investment by asset class or route1
  • Investment by programme investors1
Residence·Closed·2009–2022

Investor 2 visa

Sells the right to live in the country (a “golden visa”), sometimes leading to citizenship later.

Official name: Investor 2 Category (Migrant Investment Policy)

Lowest price when it closed: NZ$3 million

Closed 27 July 2022; NZ$3 million minimum (four years) since 22 May 2017. Points-based, so the minimum alone did not guarantee an invitation.

Notes from the research

Points-based resident visa (expression of interest, then invitation to apply) for investors with business experience and English, investing NZ$1.5 million for four years (plus NZ$1 million settlement funds) from 27 July 2009, and NZ$3 million from 22 May 2017, when the settlement-funds rule was dropped and the annual cap rose from 300 to 400 approvals. Investor had to spend 146 days a year in New Zealand in the final three years (or 438 days over four years with 25% in growth investments, from 2017). Closed permanently to new applications on 27 July 2022; pipeline still processed (277 in progress in Dec 2023). Cabinet paper (2022): NZ$5.184bn initial investment and 2,385 investors since 2009.

Applications approved
02004006002014201620182020202220242026

Prices and rules

Rules while it was open

What is measured

  • Applications processed68
  • Applications turned down63
  • Applications approved32
  • Golden visas issued32
  • Programme places planned2
  • Applications pending1
  • Investors approved, not counting family members1
  • Share of programme investment by asset class or route1
  • Investment by programme investors1
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