30/06/2026
Important INZ Update: Police Certificates Must Be Provided Upfront
Immigration New Zealand has announced that police certificates must now be provided upfront for student visa and other temporary visa applications where they are required. This update was published on 1 July 2026.
In simple terms, this means applicants should not lodge the visa application until the required police certificate is ready. INZ has clearly said that a receipt or confirmation showing that the applicant has applied for a police certificate will not normally be accepted.
If a required police certificate is missing, INZ may assess the application based on the documents already provided. The application may be declined, or in some cases, the visa may be granted for a shorter duration. INZ has also stated that they will not usually contact applicants to request a missing police certificate.
For student, work, visitor and AEWV applications, police certificates are generally required if the applicantโs total time in New Zealand will be 24 months or more across all visits. This can include time already spent in New Zealand on previous visas.
Police certificates must usually be less than 6 months old when the visa application is submitted, and if the certificate is not in English, an English translation must also be provided.
There are limited exceptions for applicants from Fiji, Hong Kong and Israel, where police certificates are sent directly to INZ by the issuing authority. In these cases, applicants can upload proof that they have applied for the certificate.
We have established a priority phone line from Monday to Friday for people to contact us about this specific situation. Call 0508 558 855 (toll free from NZ landlines) or +64 9 914 4100 and press option 7. For information about what options are available to you, check:
