New Zealand Citizenship & Golden Visa Guide in 2024

There are two investment programs in New Zealand: Investor 1 and Investor 2. Both allow you to obtain a residence permit which is a temporary residence permit in the country. Permanent residence in New Zealand or citizenship of the country cannot be obtained by direct investment.

Investment programs differ in the size of investments, the duration of their investment, the requirements for investors and for living in the country. Under the Investor 1 program, investments start from NZ $10 million, and under Investor 2 — from NZ $3 million.

One New Zealand dollar is 71 American cents. Thus, investments under the first program start from $7,050,200, and under the second — from $2,115,060.

In the application an investor can include a spouse and children under 24 years of age who are financially dependent on the main applicant.

A residence permit card is issued to an investor for the entire period of participation in the program, that is, for three or four years. In the first two years, the investor has the right to enter and leave New Zealand without restrictions.

Two years after the issuance of the residence permit card, the New Zealand Immigration Service will check whether the investor continues to meet the conditions of the program: whether the investment is retained and whether it meets the requirements for compulsory residence. If everything is in order, the investor will receive permission to continue to travel freely. If they find violations, they can cancel the residence permit, deport from the country or deny entry.

After the end of the program, the investor can obtain permanent residence in New Zealand and return the investment.

A residence permit in New Zealand allows you to live in the country without restrictions, study, work, run a business and receive free health care.

To obtain a residence permit in New Zealand, you can invest in:

• stock;

• shares of venture and investment funds;

• residential or commercial property;

• capital of a New Zealand company;

• charitable foundations.

Investments based on economic growth are investments in stocks or shares of investment and venture funds. Buying bonds is not considered an investment under the residency program.

Investing in securities allows you to obtain a residence permit in New Zealand on more favorable terms.

Investments in residential real estate involve the construction of objects, e.g. residential complexes or neighborhoods, with a high level of investor involvement in the process. When submitting an application, the investor provides:

• Business plan of the project.

• Contracts with a construction company and subcontractors.

• Required permits obtained from local authorities.

• Work schedule, marketing plans.

• Payment schedule, if the money will not be paid immediately, but in parts.

Investments in commercial real estate involve the purchase of commercial properties or land for commercial development. If an investor plans to build a new facility, he needs to submit a project plan and obtain permission from the state. The costs of obtaining permits are not included in the investment amount.

Not suitable for real estate investments:

• buying real estate for reconstruction;

• buying a home for yourself and your family;

• buying real estate for rent.

A business investment is an equity investment in a New Zealand company, which under the terms of the program must be wholly owned by a foreign company. Investors provide information about the scope of the company and what the investment will be spent on.

Donations to charity. No more than 15% of the total investment can be invested in charitable foundations. For investments to be counted:

• the charitable foundation must work for at least two years;

• a nonprofit organization must be approved by a visa manager and provide social, cultural or economic benefits.

Investors must submit the following documents to apply for the New Zealand Residency by Investment Program:

1. Originals or certified copies of passport and birth certificate.

2. Marriage certificate.

3. Birth certificates of children.

4. Certificate of absence of tax arrears.

5. Certificate of no criminal record.

6. Documents confirming the availability of the required amount to participate in the investment program and the legality of its receipt.

7. Two photographs 3 × 4.

The investor needs to undergo a medical examination by a doctor who can send an official opinion to New Zealand. You can find the nearest doctor on the official website of the program.

In addition to investing in the country’s economy, there are other reasons for obtaining a residence permit in New Zealand and immigration to the country:

• admission to a New Zealand university or language school;

• job invitation;

• starting or buying a business in New Zealand;

• marriage with a resident or citizen of the country;

• family reunion.

Student residence permit is issued to students who enroll in a New Zealand university or language school. This type of residence permit is obtained for the entire period of study in New Zealand — it is valid for up to four years.

Temporary work visas are issued to graduates of New Zealand universities for a period of one to three years. If during the validity period of the visa you managed to find a job, you can apply for a permanent work visa.

A permanent work visa can be obtained by people under the age of 55. Applicants fill out a questionnaire, according to which the immigration officer assesses the professional skills of the candidate. Points are awarded for work experience, skill level, and knowledge of the English language. The minimum passing score is 100, but in each case the decision is made individually. You can estimate your chances using the points calculator.

A temporary business visa is issued to those who are ready to create or buy a business in New Zealand and invest from $70,000 in it. Also, the candidate will need to confirm that he has never been involved in financial fraud.

To apply for a visa, you need to fill out a form and score at least 120 points. The questionnaire evaluates the size of the investment, the experience of doing business, the location of the company, its benefits for New Zealand, etc. You can calculate the number of points using a special calculator.

A permanent business visa can be obtained after two years of living in New Zealand on a temporary business visa. Permanent residence can be obtained earlier if you invest in the company from $350,000 and create three jobs in New Zealand.

A residence permit through marriage can be obtained by entering into a relationship with a resident or citizen of New Zealand. The application is considered up to 11 months for New Zealand citizenship by marriage: this time is needed to check if the relationship is fictitious. Immigration to New Zealand through a fictitious marriage is illegal.

If the partners have been together for more than five years, you can immediately apply for permanent residence. In other cases, permanent residence can be obtained after two years of living in New Zealand on a temporary visa.

Investors can apply for New Zealand citizenship after five years of living in the country in the status of a residence permit or permanent residence. In order for the application to be approved, the investor confirms that he was in the country at least:

• 240 days each year, eight months equivalent;

• 1,350 days over the past five years is an average of 270 days a year, or around nine months.

In New Zealand, it is allowed to have a second citizenship: when obtaining citizenship of the country, you do not need to give up your first citizenship.

New Zealand is ranked ninth in the United Nations ranking of the happiest countries. The state provides social protection to residents and effectively fights corruption. The country has a high life expectancy of 82 years.

The cost of living. The national average income is about $2,800 per month after taxes. People living alone spend about $900 a month on living. A family of four costs an average of $3400.

A third of the New Zealand population rents housing, which increases costs by one and a half to two times more. Depending on the proximity to the city center, the cost of renting a one-room apartment varies from $850 to $1,100 and for a three-room apartment, $1,500 to $1,800.

Work and business. New Zealand has a low unemployment rate of 4%. The state creates comfortable conditions for doing business, helps private production and protects the rights and freedoms of its citizens. New Zealand ranks second in the ranking of countries with a high level of economic freedom.

New Zealand has no capital gains, gift taxes, inheritance taxes, property, land or transport taxes. Companies pay income tax at a rate of 28% and value added tax at a rate of 15%. Individual entrepreneurs pay income tax at the same rates as individuals: the tax is calculated on a progressive scale from 10.5 to 39%.

Standard & Poor’s has rated the country’s 2021 credit rating at AA+. This means that New Zealand’s economy is stable and is quickly recovering from the pandemic.

Safety. New Zealand is ranked tenth in the ranking of the safest countries. This means that the country has a high level of personal safety for residents, the state is effectively fighting the coronavirus, and the occurrence of unrest and wars is unlikely.

Climate. New Zealand has a subtropical maritime climate with high humidity and frequent rains, with an average of 137 rainy days per year.

The change of seasons is not very pronounced: the average temperature in winter is +10°С, in summer — +18°С. Since the country is located in the Southe Hemisphere, the seasons are opposite to the European ones: the warmest month is January, and the coldest month is July.

Cleanness. New Zealand has an image of a "green" country. Public outreach policies are effective as New Zealanders are responsible for the segregated collection of waste and keep the city streets clean. If residents see household rubbish on the street, they will not pass by, but will pick it up and carry it to public bins.

Parenting. Wellington, the capital of New Zealand, ranked third among the best cities for parenting. There are many parks for walking, low air pollution, and enough schools for comfortable learning in small classes.

The New Zealand passport is ranked seventh in the world passport ranking. It is used to travel without visas to the UK, Australia, Japan, Hong Kong and 183 other countries. This list also includes countries that issue visas on arrival when crossing the border.

New Zealand citizens receive an electronic entry permit before traveling to the United States or Canada. With the help of it, they check whether the traveler poses a danger to the inhabitants of the country. For example, questionnaires usually ask about convictions or events of deportation.

There are citizenship programs for investors only in some countries. Using them, you can get a passport in a period of one month or more. Second citizenship allows you to travel without visas, to equip a “safe haven” in another country, optimize taxes and open a company abroad.

Vanuatu is an island country in the Pacific Ocean, which is located three thousand kilometers north of New Zealand. Here citizenship can be obtained remotely within a period of one month.

The Vanuatu Investment Program is the fastest route to second passport and visa free travel. Investment amount is $130,000. Investors visit 135 countries without visas, including all countries in the Schengen area.

Caribbean countries also issue passports to investors. Citizenship programs operate in five countries:

1. Grenada.

2. Dominica.

3. Antigua and Barbuda.

4. Saint Lucia.

5. Saint Kitts and Nevis.

The application can include a husband or wife, children, parents, grandparents, brothers and sisters. No family member needs to take language or culture exams. In most cases, you do not need to visit the country either.

Investors with Caribbean passports travel to 140+ countries whilst optimizing taxation and opening companies abroad.

Malta offers investors the opportunity to obtain citizenship by naturalization for exceptional merit through direct investment.

The minimum investment amount is €690,000. Applicants buy or rent real estate, donate to a government fund and make a charitable donation. The term for obtaining citizenship is one or three years in the status of a resident.

The opportunities of a Maltese passport are comparable to a New Zealand passport. Maltese citizens travel without a visa to 186 countries around the world, including those in the Schengen, the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, Australia, Japan and Singapore. They can settle in Malta or another European country and open a company, find a job, get an education and use the medical services at discounted prices.