New Zealand Student Visa Requirements for Nepal
Nepali student visa requirements for New Zealand: funds needed, living costs by city, work rights and post-study options, set out plainly.
New Zealand student visa requirements for Nepal
To get a New Zealand student visa from Nepal, you need an offer of place from a New Zealand institution, proof of funds to cover your stay, and you must meet the health and character checks Immigration New Zealand applies to every applicant. The funds test is where most Nepali applications get stuck — not because the number is a secret, but because families under-document what they already have.
This guide sets out the figures used in fund calculations, what living costs actually look like by city, and what work rights you and a spouse get once the visa is granted. For course-specific fees and entry requirements, check our New Zealand hub or run your own numbers through the Master Reckoner.
Evidence of funds: what changes with family size
Immigration New Zealand doesn't assess a single student the same way it assesses a couple or a family. The base figure and the add-ons for a partner or children are different line items, not one combined number.
| Applicant type | Student funds | Partner visa funds | Child visa funds |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single student | NZD 20,000 | — | — |
| Couple, no kids | NZD 20,000 | NZD 7,400 | — |
| Couple + 1 child | NZD 20,000 | NZD 7,400 | NZD 3,200 |
| Couple + 2 children | NZD 20,000 | NZD 7,400 | NZD 6,400 |
These are separate figures for separate people on the application — don't add them up yourself and quote a single total to a bank or to Immigration New Zealand. If you're bringing family, work out your own figures using the Master Reckoner, which applies the correct multiplier for your household size.
Living costs by city
Your actual monthly spend depends heavily on where your institution is. Auckland and Wellington cost more than the regional centres, and that gap is real enough to change which city makes sense on a tight budget.
| City | Monthly living cost (NZD) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Auckland | 3,662 | Highest in NZ; UoA/AUT/Massey area |
| Wellington | 3,200 | VUW area; expensive but compact |
| Christchurch | 2,800 | UC area; mid-range |
| Hamilton | 2,700 | Waikato/Wintec area |
| Dunedin | 2,500 | Otago; affordable student town |
| Palmerston North | 2,500 | Massey HQ |
| Lincoln | 2,500 | Lincoln Uni village |
| Tauranga | 2,300 | Toi Ohomai region |
| Hawke's Bay | 2,300 | EIT region |
| Invercargill | 1,950 | SIT — cheapest in NZ |
These are monthly figures, not annual totals — don't multiply them out yourself to state a yearly cost. Use them to compare cities, and check the exact course and campus cost through the Master Reckoner.
Work rights while you study
Student visa holders in New Zealand can work during term and during breaks, but the hours are capped differently for each.
- During study weeks: up to 25 hours per week, across 36 study weeks.
- During scheduled breaks: up to 40 hours per week, across 16 break weeks.
- The student minimum wage used for these calculations is NZD 23.95 per hour.
Don't turn these weekly figures into a yearly earnings estimate — the hours cap, the wage, and the number of weeks are three separate inputs, and how much you actually earn depends on whether you find work at all.
Spouse work rights depend on your course level
If your partner is joining you on a partner visa, whether they can work depends on what you're studying — not on the fact that you're married to a student.
| Your course level | Spouse can work? |
|---|---|
| Masters | Yes |
| PGDip | Only if the course is on the Green List |
| UG (Bachelor's) | No |
| GradDip | No |
| Diploma | No |
| Foundation | No |
This is one of the most common reasons families budget wrongly. A couple doing a Bachelor's degree in Auckland cannot count on a spouse's income to cover the city's NZD 3,662 monthly living cost — that work right simply isn't granted at UG level. If your spouse's income is central to your plan, a Masters is the safer route on paper, and a Green List PGDip is the narrower exception.
For spouses who are eligible to work, the median wage used in planning is NZD 35 per hour, over 40 hours a week, for 48 weeks a year. Again, treat these as separate planning inputs rather than multiplying them into a single annual figure yourself.
Post-study work rights by qualification
How long you can stay and work after finishing depends on the level of qualification, not the subject.
| Qualification level | Post-study work visa length |
|---|---|
| Masters | 3 years |
| UG (Bachelor's) | 3 years |
| PGDip | 1 year |
| GradDip | 1 year |
| Diploma | 2 years |
| Foundation | 0 years |
A Foundation programme carries no post-study work entitlement on its own — it's a pathway into a further qualification, not an end point for a work visa. If your family's plan depends on working in New Zealand after graduation, check which level your intended course sits at before you commit.
Courses with a residency pathway
Some courses sit on New Zealand's Green List, which is relevant to Skilled Migrant Category residence applications later, not to the student visa itself. Examples at Tier 1 include the Master of Information Technology at University of Auckland, the Bachelor of Engineering (Hons) in Software Engineering at Canterbury and VUW, and the PGDip in IT at SIT (NZD 23,300, the cheapest Green List IT option). Nursing, social work and accounting courses also appear on the list at several institutions.
Starting salaries used in planning for graduates are NZD 60,000 for UG, NZD 70,000 for PGDip, and NZD 90,000 for Masters graduates — these are starting figures only, not guaranteed outcomes, and they vary by employer and region. A Green List course doesn't change your student visa requirements; it only matters once you're applying for residence after you've worked here.
Official sources
- University of Auckland — international fees
- AUT — international student fees
- University of Canterbury — international tuition fees
- Victoria University of Wellington — international fees
- Massey University — tuition fees for international students
- University of Waikato — international tuition costs
- University of Otago — international tuition fees
- Lincoln University — international fees
- Ara Institute of Canterbury — international fees
- EIT — international student fees
- Otago Polytechnic — international fees table
- SIT — international fees
Common questions
How much money do I need to show for a New Zealand student visa from Nepal?
For a single student, the funds figure used is NZD 20,000. If a partner is joining you, an additional NZD 7,400 applies for the partner's visa, and NZD 3,200 or NZD 6,400 more if you have one or two children respectively. These are separate figures for separate applicants, not one combined total.
Can my spouse work in New Zealand while I study?
It depends entirely on your course level. Spouses of Masters students can work; spouses of PGDip students can work only if the PGDip is on the Green List; spouses of UG, GradDip, Diploma and Foundation students cannot work at all.
Which cities are cheaper for a Nepali student in New Zealand?
Invercargill is the cheapest at NZD 1,950 a month, followed by Tauranga and Hawke's Bay at NZD 2,300. Auckland is the most expensive at NZD 3,662 a month, with Wellington close behind at NZD 3,200. Pick your city with your course first — fees and course availability vary across the same campuses.
Does a Green List course guarantee permanent residence in New Zealand?
No. The Green List is relevant to the Skilled Migrant Category residence application after you've worked in New Zealand — it has no effect on your student visa application itself. Courses like the Master of IT at Auckland or AUT sit on the list, but getting the student visa still depends on your offer, funds and genuine study intent. See our blog for more on how post-study work and residence pathways connect.