New Zealand Work Visa Medical and Police Checks for Indians

Those two triggers, length of stay and total time in New Zealand, decide almost everything about your health and character paperwork. The rules below are as published on the official sources, checked on 15 October 2026. INZ updates these pages, so re-check the live page before you book tests. For the wider picture, see our New Zealand visa guide for Indians.

Which health checks does an AEWV applicant from India need?

New Zealand assesses health by how long you will stay and where you come from. For Indian applicants the published rules are:

• Chest X-ray if you will stay in New Zealand for more than 6 months. India is not a low-TB country, so this applies to any Indian AEWV holder staying beyond 6 months.
• Medical examination if INZ requires one for your application.
• Freshness: the X-ray or medical certificate must be less than 3 months old when you submit.

For comparison, the Fee Paying Student Visa states that a medical certificate is not normally needed for stays under 12 months, though Indian students staying over 6 months still need the chest X-ray.

Who needs a police certificate, and why does 24 months matter?

INZ asks for police certificates when you are aged 17 or older and your total time in New Zealand will be 24 months or longer. 'Total time' counts all your time in the country, not just this visa.

The AEWV allows a maximum continuous stay of 5 years for most jobs and 3 years for jobs at ANZSCO/NOL skill level 4-5. If the visa you are applying for will take your total time to 24 months or more, plan on providing police certificates with the application.

INZ's investor visa page shows how wide the net can be: for the Active Investor Plus Visa, police certificates are required for those aged 17 and over from each country of citizenship and any country lived in for 12 months or more in the last 10 years. The AEWV page sets the age and time trigger; follow the AEWV instructions for which countries apply to you.

Character is checked again at the border. INZ says entry can be refused if you do not meet character requirements or if your circumstances have changed since the visa was issued.

Do your partner and children face the same checks?

Your partner and children cannot be included in your AEWV. They apply for their own visas.

• Partner of a Worker Work Visa: both partners must be at least 18 and in a genuine and stable relationship. INZ requires good health and character, with police certificates and chest X-rays under the same rules as other temporary visas. The fee is NZD 1,630.
• Children: they apply for visitor or student visas, depending on your pay and skill level.

Your pay affects whether your partner qualifies. An AEWV holder in an ANZSCO level 1-3 job must earn at least NZD 28 an hour; in a level 4-5 job not in a sector agreement, at least NZD 52.50 an hour, or NZD 35 an hour in a Green List job.

How do the checks compare across New Zealand work routes?

The AEWV fee is made up of an NZD 480 application fee and an NZD 1,060 immigration levy; Accredited Employer work visas are exempt from the NZD 100 visitor levy.

When should you get the X-ray and certificates?

Timing matters because of the 3-month freshness rule. Get the medical paperwork done close to submission, not when you first start job-hunting. A sensible order:

1. Secure a job offer from an AEWV-accredited employer with an approved job check, for at least 30 hours a week at market rate or above.
2. Wait for the employer's link to apply online.
3. Arrange the chest X-ray (and medical examination, if required) so the certificate is under 3 months old on the day you submit.
4. Request police certificates early so they are ready at submission.
5. Submit with your work-experience evidence from third parties, such as employment certificates, payslips or tax certificates; a CV alone is not enough.

INZ processes 80% of AEWV applications within 5.5 weeks, and applications for Green List roles are prioritised without an escalation request.

Mistakes that hold up Indian AEWV files

• Out-of-date medicals. A certificate older than 3 months at submission does not meet the rule.
• Paying for a job. Employers and agents cannot charge you for a job or recruitment costs. INZ declines applications where money was offered for a job offer and warns that job offer scams are common in India and South Asia.
• Missing English evidence. From 1 June 2026, the minimum English requirement (IELTS 4.0 or equivalent) extends to ANZSCO/NOL skill level 3 roles, as well as levels 4-5.
• Ignoring the partner's own checks. Your partner's application needs its own X-ray and police certificates where the rules apply.

Read the current requirements on the INZ Accredited Employer Work Visa page before you book tests.

Yatra For Fun's India office in Gurugram prepares flight reservations, hotel bookings, travel itineraries and cover letters for visa files, with packages from INR 1,000 for a flight reservation to INR 3,000 for the full set. If any of those fit your New Zealand application, WhatsApp +91 95230 91018 or use our contact page.

Frequently asked questions

Does a New Zealand visitor visa need a chest X-ray for Indians?

Only for longer stays. INZ asks for a chest X-ray if you will stay more than 6 months, as India is not a low-TB country, and police certificates if your total time in New Zealand will be 24 months or longer. A typical short holiday triggers neither.

Do the new India Skilled Work and India Iconic Work visas have different checks?

Their criteria have not been published yet. The NZ-India Free Trade Agreement enters into force on 20 October 2026, and regulations exempt these visas from the NZD 100 visitor levy, but INZ had not released application details as at the pages checked.

Can my AEWV be approved before my partner's work visa?

Your partner can apply at the same time as you, but INZ grants the Partner of a Worker Work Visa only after your own visa is approved. The partner must meet the good health and character requirements separately.

Do I need to send my passport to VFS for a New Zealand work visa?

INZ applications are made online, and the VFS centres in New Delhi, Chandigarh and Mumbai handle passports only if INZ asks for them. VFS charges a passport handling fee of INR 1,460.00 for online applications.