# New Zealand Student Visa for Indian Minors: Guardian and Work Rules > Age-by-age rules for Indian children on a New Zealand Fee Paying Student Visa: guardian rule for under-10s, work limits, school-level funds, sponsors and health checks. _Published: 2026-11-01 · Reading time: 6 min · Words: 1369_ ## TL;DR Indian children can study in New Zealand on a Fee Paying Student Visa costing NZD 850, but a student under 10 must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian unless living in an NZQA-approved hostel. Students aged 15 or younger cannot work, and 16-17 year olds need written permission from a parent and their school. ## Key takeaways - Students under 10 must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian unless they live in an NZQA-approved hostel. - Students aged 15 or younger cannot work; 16-17 year olds need written permission from a parent and the provider. - Living funds for school Years 1-13 are NZD 17,000 a year (NZD 1,417 a month), on top of tuition. - When applying in South Asia, only immediate family can sponsor or give a financial undertaking. - The Fee Paying Student Visa costs NZD 850 and INZ shows 80% decided within 8 weeks. **Immigration New Zealand lets Indian children study on a Fee Paying Student Visa (NZD 850), but a student under 10 must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian unless living in an NZQA-approved hostel. Students aged 15 or younger cannot work, and those aged 16 or 17 need written permission from a parent and their education provider.** ## Article The rules below come from Immigration New Zealand (INZ), New Zealand's fee regulations and VFS Global, as published on the official sources, checked on 15 October 2026. INZ's website was returning errors in mid-October 2026, so the student-visa figures were read from captures of the official INZ page dated 4 October 2026; recheck them on the live site before you lodge. For visitor visas and other routes, see our New Zealand visa guide for Indians. ### Can an Indian child or teenager get a New Zealand student visa? Yes. INZ's Fee Paying Student Visa requirements cover school students from Year 1 to Year 13 as well as tertiary students, and they add specific conditions by age. The core requirements are the same for every applicant: - An offer of place from an approved education provider that is a signatory to the Education (Pastoral Care of Tertiary and International Learners) Code of Practice 2021. - Tuition fees paid for 1 course or 1 year of study, whichever is shorter, or evidence of an exemption or scholarship. - Living funds, or an acceptable sponsor or guarantor. - Insurance acceptable to the education provider for travel and health care for the whole visa. - Good health, good character and a genuine intention to study. The visa can be issued for up to 4 years. INZ asks students to apply at least 3 months before travel. The table summarises how the rules change with the student's age. Student's ageAccompanimentWork rightsPolice certificateUnder 10Must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian, unless living in an NZQA-approved hostelCannot workNot required10 to 15No accompaniment condition in the INZ requirements capturedCannot workNot required16No accompaniment condition in the INZ requirements capturedAllowed only with written permission from a parent and the providerNot required17No accompaniment condition in the INZ requirements capturedAllowed only with written permission from a parent and the providerRequired if total time in New Zealand will be 24 months or longer ### Does a child under 10 need a parent living in New Zealand? Yes, in most cases. INZ says students under 10 must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian unless they live in an NZQA-approved hostel. If no hostel place is arranged, plan for an adult to be in New Zealand with the child for the length of the course. The accompanying adult is not covered by the child's visa. INZ states that a student's partner and dependent children cannot be included on a Fee Paying Student Visa and apply for their own visas, and the INZ pages captured for this record do not describe a dedicated guardian visa. Confirm with INZ which visa suits the parent before you book flights. For reference, a standard Visitor Visa allows up to 9 months in an 18-month period, which is shorter than most school courses. Every provider you can enrol with must sign the Pastoral Care Code of Practice 2021, so ask the school how it supports international students of your child's age. ### Can a 16- or 17-year-old Indian student work in New Zealand? Only with permission. INZ allows student-visa holders to work up to 25 hours a week during study and full time in scheduled holidays, depending on the conditions printed on the visa. For students aged 16 and 17, INZ requires written permission from a parent and from the education provider. Students aged 15 or younger cannot work at all. Check the work condition on the visa itself; it is the visa conditions, not the general rule, that decide what a particular student may do. ### How much money do parents need to show for a school student? INZ sets lower living funds for school-level study than for tertiary courses. These amounts are in addition to tuition. Type of studyLiving funds if paying for yourselfSchool Years 1-13NZD 17,000 a year (NZD 1,417 a month)Tertiary, English-language or other non-compulsory study of 1 year or moreNZD 20,000 for each yearNon-compulsory study shorter than 1 yearNZD 1,667 a monthIndian citizens may be able to use the Funds Transfer Scheme to show they can access their funds in New Zealand. If the family is relying on an education loan, the evidence must include the loan sanction letter and how the loan will be repaid. Whatever evidence you use, make sure the paying parent's bank statements and income papers match the amounts and the source of money described in the application. ### Who can sponsor or guarantee an Indian minor's studies? Instead of showing funds in the student's own name, the family can use an acceptable sponsor or a guarantor who signs the Financial Undertaking for a Student (INZ 1014). INZ limits this for applications made in South Asia: only immediate family can sponsor or give a financial undertaking. INZ defines immediate family for this purpose as a partner, parents, siblings, grandparents and parents-in-law. For a child, that normally means a parent, an older sibling or a grandparent. An uncle, aunt or family friend in New Zealand does not fall within the list. ### Which health, police and insurance checks apply to minors? - Chest X-ray: required if the stay is more than 6 months, because India is not a low-TB country. A medical certificate is not normally needed for stays under 12 months. - Police certificates: only from age 17, and only if total time in New Zealand will be 24 months or longer. - Insurance: cover for travel and health care, acceptable to the education provider, for the whole visa. This is a visa condition, unlike the Visitor Visa, where insurance is only recommended. - Photo: online applications need a JPG/JPEG of 512 KB to 3.14 MB, portrait 3:4, face covering 70-80% of the image, taken within the last 6 months. ### What does the visa cost and how long does INZ take? The Fee Paying Student Visa costs NZD 850 for an Indian citizen applying from outside New Zealand: an application fee of NZD 485, an immigration levy of NZD 265 and the NZD 100 International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy. INZ's headline timeframe is 80% of applications decided within 8 weeks, and student processing is busiest between October and March. INZ's 2025 decision data shows a 39% decline rate for Indian nationals applying from outside New Zealand across fee paying, pathway, English language, scholarship and exchange student visas: 2,838 of 7,235 decided applications were declined. The 2024 figure was 50%. These numbers describe past decisions for all Indian applicants, not any one child's chances; a complete file with clear funds evidence matters more than the averages. VFS Global runs New Zealand centres in New Delhi, Chandigarh and Mumbai. For online applications, the passport goes to VFS only if INZ asks for it, with a handling fee of INR 1,460. Families who need a travel itinerary or cover letter for the file can contact Yatra For Fun's India office in Gurugram. We prepare flight reservations, hotel bookings, itineraries and cover letters, with packages from INR 1,000 for a flight reservation to INR 3,000 for the full set. WhatsApp +91 95230 91018 or write to us via the contact page. ### Frequently asked questions #### Does an Indian school student need IELTS for a New Zealand student visa? INZ says English test results such as IELTS are not mandatory for the Fee Paying Student Visa, though they can help. The school or provider may set its own English requirement for admission. #### Can a family apply with a conditional offer from a New Zealand school? Yes. Applicants outside New Zealand can apply with a conditional offer and receive approval in principle. Tuition fees can then be paid after approval in principle. #### Is the NZD 100 tourism levy charged on a child's student visa? Yes. The NZD 850 total includes the NZD 100 International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy. INZ's fee notes say it is not charged for MFAT-scholarship students. #### Where does an Indian family submit the passport for a New Zealand student visa? Applications are made online to Immigration New Zealand. The passport is submitted at a VFS Global centre in New Delhi, Chandigarh or Mumbai only if INZ asks for it, and VAC appointments are required. ## FAQ ### Does an Indian school student need IELTS for a New Zealand student visa? INZ says English test results such as IELTS are not mandatory for the Fee Paying Student Visa, though they can help. The school or provider may set its own English requirement for admission. ### Can a family apply with a conditional offer from a New Zealand school? Yes. Applicants outside New Zealand can apply with a conditional offer and receive approval in principle. Tuition fees can then be paid after approval in principle. ### Is the NZD 100 tourism levy charged on a child's student visa? Yes. The NZD 850 total includes the NZD 100 International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy. INZ's fee notes say it is not charged for MFAT-scholarship students. ### Where does an Indian family submit the passport for a New Zealand student visa? Applications are made online to Immigration New Zealand. The passport is submitted at a VFS Global centre in New Delhi, Chandigarh or Mumbai only if INZ asks for it, and VAC appointments are required. ## Sources 1. [Immigration New Zealand - Fee Paying Student Visa](https://www.immigration.govt.nz/visas/fee-paying-student-visa/) — Immigration New Zealand 2. [Immigration New Zealand - Overseas student visa application decisions for 2025](https://www.immigration.govt.nz/study/for-education-providers/data-and-processing-times-for-international-student-visas/offshore-student-visa-application-decision-data/overseas-student-visa-application-decisions-for-2025/) — Immigration New Zealand 3. [Immigration (Visa, Entry Permission, and Related Matters) Regulations 2010](https://www.legislation.govt.nz/secondary-legislation/pco-drafted/2010/241/en/latest/) — New Zealand Legislation