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In 2024, Wise Platform celebrated a strong year of growth and hit significant milestones. In Q4, we announced new partnerships with some of the world’s...
Interested in learning more about the New Zealand investor visa? If you’re considering moving to New Zealand and want to invest in a business, or in local real estate or assets in New Zealand, the investor visa may be a good pick. It’s also one way to immigrate to New Zealand from the UK if you fulfil all the residency requirements to have your visa ultimately upgraded to permanent residency.
The New Zealand immigration investor visa changed somewhat during 2022, but if you’re looking for all the updates on New Zealand investor visa requirements, processing and documents, we’ve got you covered. Read on for all you need to know.
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The New Zealand Investor 1 visa¹ was closed to new applicants in July 2022. The new investor visa in New Zealand is called the New Zealand Active Investor Plus visa², and this visa class is now taking applicants.
We’ll look in detail at the New Zealand investor visa requirements next - but one key change from the previous visa to the present active investor visa is that the amount of money you need to invest has increased significantly. Now, you’ll need to commit at least 15 million NZD (in the region of 7.3 million GBP at the time of writing) in acceptable assets to have your application considered.
Acceptable assets are split across a few different types. We’ll look at this closely later, but to give a flavour this may mean you invest in bonds, equities, property or other areas like philanthropy³. Investments in general must be made for commercial gain, not for personal use, and make some contribution to the economy of New Zealand.
Once you have been issued your visa you’ll be able to stay in New Zealand for up to 4 years, during which time you must continue to maintain the assets you’ve invested. You’ll also have to physically be in the country for 117 days per year or more. If you meet the residency requirements and maintain your funds in the country, you can then apply for permanent residence for yourself and your family if you would like to.
Global immigration was hugely disrupted during the pandemic, including New Zealand keeping borders closed for quite a long time. However, between this and the change in the New Zealand investor visa policies, the numbers of investor visas issued has been reported to be extremely low. In fact, in April 2023, it was reported that only 15 applications were submitted for this visa type in the first 6 months it was open⁴.
The most important requirement for the current investor visa for New Zealand is - naturally - the investment. There are also other requirements such as having a clean bill of health and no criminal record, which we’ll cover next. But first, let’s look at what constitutes an acceptable investment and where you’ll be able to use your 15 million NZD if you choose to apply.
Acceptable investments for the New Zealand investor visa must be:
- Held in New Zealand and in NZD
- Invested in legal enterprises or managed funds
- Able to make a commercial return
- Able to contribute to the economy of New Zealand
- Not for your personal use
Generally this means you can invest in bonds, equities, property, philanthropy or as an angel investor or venture capitalist.
One important note is that as the investments can not be for your personal use, you can not buy a property to live in yourself. Real estate assets must also be new developments rather than redevelopments, and must be able to make a profit on the open market.
You can apply for an investor visa for New Zealand yourself, or you can choose to have an agent or specialist immigration consultant help you with your application. While there will be a fee to pay for this service it can save time and hassle in the long run.
Whichever route you prefer to take, the process is more or less the same. Here’s a quick step by step to applying for your New Zealand visa for investors:
You’ll need to maintain your investments for the duration of the visa - but you do have a little leeway about when you invest. Generally the rules are that you must have 7.5 million NZD invested in the first 18 months, and the remainder invested by 36 months. You must complete the 48 month visa term with the full amount invested.
Before you start your application you’ll need to gather all of the investor visa New Zealand documents, to support your case and prove you meet the eligibility criteria. The documents needed can vary a little depending on how you choose to invest, but you can find lots of guidance on the New Zealand immigration authorities’ website.
Usually the documents needed for a New Zealand investor visa are:
The exact proof you need to provide relating to your investment will vary depending on the type of investment you make. You may need bank statements, property deeds or valuations, proof of business ownership, share certificates or similar. You’ll also have to prove the source of the funds, which may be through providing tax certificates, pay slips or receipts of asset sales.
Aside from the 15 million NZD you’ll need to invest, you must also pay a processing fee of 7,780 NZD per person when you submit your application. This fee is not refunded if your application is not successful, so you’ll need to make sure you have all your paperwork prepared properly before you apply.
The New Zealand investor visa has some pretty strict requirements and seems to have got off to a fairly rocky start in terms of the number of applications. However, it’s a pretty strong option if you’re looking to emigrate to New Zealand and have the funds available. If you’re still unsure, here are a few key pros and cons to help make your decision.
Pros ✅ | Cons ❌ |
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Life in New Zealand has a great reputation, so it’s no surprise that so many Brits consider it an attractive destination to live, work, study and invest. If you’re a UK entrepreneur or business owner looking to invest in New Zealand, the recently launched New Zealand Active Investor Plus visa may be a good option for you.
You’ll need a large sum of money to apply, but this can be actively invested in enterprises and funds which can generate a return while contributing to the economy locally in New Zealand. After 4 years you can even apply for permanent residency for yourself and your family if you would like to and if you’ve continued to meet all eligibility requirements. Use this guide to weigh up whether or not the New Zealand immigration investor visa may be the right pick for you, and you could be on your way sooner than you think.
If you invest and manage international business get to know Wise Business, the multi-currency account made for the world.
Sources used in this article:
Sources last checked June 27, 2023
*Please see terms of use and product availability for your region or visit Wise fees and pricing for the most up to date pricing and fee information.
This publication is provided for general information purposes and does not constitute legal, tax or other professional advice from Wise Payments Limited or its subsidiaries and its affiliates, and it is not intended as a substitute for obtaining advice from a financial advisor or any other professional.
We make no representations, warranties or guarantees, whether expressed or implied, that the content in the publication is accurate, complete or up to date.
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