The Active Investor Plus Visa
The Active Investor Plus Visa provides an immigration route for the purpose of living, working and investing in New Zealand. Investors must have at least NZD 5,000,000 to apply under the Growth category or at least NZD 10,000,000 to apply under the Balanced category.
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An overview of the Active Investor Plus Visa
To apply to the Active Investor Plus Visa programme, an investor must:
- Invest at least NZD 5,000,000 where investing under the Growth category, or at least NZD 10,000,000 where investing under the Balanced category, in acceptable investments in New Zealand
- Transfer the investor’s investment capital to New Zealand
- Have earned or acquired the investor’s investment capital lawfully
- Meet the other requirements of this visa.
The Active Investor Plus Visa allows the investor to:
- Live, work and study in New Zealand
- Include a spouse and dependent children under 25 in the investor’s application
- Apply for permanent residence after 3 years of holding the capital in New Zealand where investing under the Growth category, or after 5 years where investing under the Balanced category.
Where we approve the investor’s application in principle, the investor has 6 months to transfer and invest their capital in New Zealand.
Once the investor’s application is approved in principle, the investor may apply for a specific purpose work visa to come to New Zealand and arrange to transfer and invest their capital. Where the investor’s spouse wishes to accompany them, they need to apply for a visitor visa of their own. The investor’s dependent children may apply for a student visa.
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Length of stay
The Active Investor Plus Visa allows the investor to remain in New Zealand indefinitely.
Who can apply
Check whether the investor is eligible to apply for this visa and what supporting documents and information must be provided.
Identity
To prove the investor’s identity, the investor must provide 2 (two) portrait photographs for identification. Find out more about the photograph rules the investor must follow athere.
Health
- The investor must be in good health.
- The investor must have a chest X-ray and a medical examination to demonstrate their good health.
Find out more about New Zealand immigration medical examinations athere.
Character
The investor must be of good character.
Where the investor or anyone else included in the investor’s application is aged 17 or over, the investor must provide a police certificate from:
- All the countries of which the investor is a citizen
- Any other country in which the investor has spent 12 months or more within the past 10 years, even where not continuously.
How to obtaina police certificate in Vietnam.
Find out more about the character requirements for a New Zealand visa application athere.
The police certificate must be less than 6 months old at the time the investor applies.
Where the investor provides a police certificate that is not in English, the investor must provide an English translation. This includes a police certificate recording no convictions.
A fit and proper person
The investor must confirm in the Active Investor Plus Visa application form that the investor meets the fit and proper person requirement.
To be a fit and proper person, all the businesses over which the investor has influence must comply with all immigration, employment and tax law. The investor must also:
- Never have been investigated by the Serious Fraud Office or the New Zealand Police for any offence relating to business dealings
- Have no convictions for an offence involving dishonesty
- Never have been involved in business fraud or financial impropriety.
Family relationships
Where a spouse is included in the investor’s Active Investor Plus Visa application, the investor must be in a genuine relationship with them; where the investor includes their children, they must meet our definition of a dependent child.
Spouse
The investor must provide evidence demonstrating that their relationship with their spouse is genuine and stable, and that they have lived together for at least 12 months. Find out more about how to demonstrate a spousal relationship athere.
Dependent children
The investor must provide evidence demonstrating that any children the investor includes in their application meet our definition of a dependent child. Find out more about bringing children to New Zealand athere.
Evidence may include:
- A birth certificate
- Guardianship documents (where applicable)
- Where the investor’s children are aged between 21 and 24, evidence that they remain financially dependent on the investor
Visa support for dependent children
The investor may also support a residence visa for any additional dependent children not included in the investor’s original application once the investor’s application is approved in principle (for example, a newborn). Find out more about visa support for dependent children athere.
Where the investor’s spouse or dependent children hold, or have applied for, a New Zealand temporary visa based on their relationship with the investor, the investor must include them in the investor’s residence application.
Where the investor includes a spouse and/or children in the investor’s application, they must complete theResidence Visa Declaration Form (INZ 1242).
Investment capital
The investor must invest at least NZD 5,000,000 for the Growth category, or at least NZD 10,000,000 for the Balanced category of the Active Investor Plus Visa, in acceptable investments in New Zealand.
The investor must invest their intended capital in acceptable investments in New Zealand for at least 36 months for the Growth category and at least 60 months for the Balanced category.
The Growth category
Acceptable investments for the Growth category may include:
- Direct investments
- Managed funds
The Growth category comprises higher-risk investments, including managed funds and direct investment in New Zealand businesses. Such investments are usually illiquid (not readily converted into cash) and may require a long-term commitment, which may exceed the minimum investment requirement of the Active Investor Plus Visa.
Any direct investment or managed fund investment (made under the Growth category) must be considered acceptable by Invest New Zealand.
Although Invest New Zealand determines whether a direct investment or managed fund is acceptable for this visa category, it does not endorse or guarantee the success of any investment. The investor should ensure that thorough due diligence is carried out on any investment opportunity the investor is considering before investing.
The Balanced category
Acceptable investments for the Balanced category of the Active Investor Plus Visa may include:
- Direct investments
- Managed funds
- Listed equities
- Philanthropy
- Bonds
- Property development (new residential, commercial or industrial development, or existing commercial and industrial development)
Check our “Acceptable investments: Active Investor Plus Visa” page for further information on what an acceptable investment is and the evidence the investor must provide.
Find out more about acceptable investments for the Active Investor Plus Visa athere.
Find out more about how to manage an investor’s investment under the Active Investor Plus Visa athere.
Where the investor already has investment capital in an acceptable investment in New Zealand, we may start the investor’s investment period from the point at which we approve the investor’s residence application.
Transferring investment capital
The investor must transfer their investment capital to New Zealand.
The investor may transfer their capital:
- Directly from the investor’s bank account to New Zealand through the banking system
- From a joint bank account the investor shares with a spouse or dependent children included in the investor’s application, or
- Through a third party such as a lawyer acting on the investor’s behalf, a pension scheme in the investor’s name, or an investment portfolio account in the investor’s name.
The capital the investor transfers must be the original capital the investor proposed in their application, or the proceeds of the sale of the assets the investor proposed in their application.
Where we approve the investor’s application in principle, the investor has 6 months from that date to transfer their proposed capital.
Find out about how to transfer investment capital to New Zealand for the Active Investor Plus Visa athere.
The investor may apply for a Specific Purpose Work Visa to come to New Zealand and arrange to transfer and invest their capital.
Find out more about the specific purpose work visa athere.
We may give the investor a further 6 months to transfer and invest their capital. The investor will need to contact us before the transfer period expires and demonstrate that they have taken reasonable steps to transfer and invest.
The source of the investment capital
The investor must have earned or acquired their investment capital lawfully.
The evidence the investor provides depends on how the investor acquired their capital. It may include:
- Tax returns or certificates
- Payslips
- Business financial statements
- Business shareholdings
- Dividends
- Receipts from the sale of assets
- Bank certificates
- Profits from share trading
- Evidence of gifted funds
- A will and other evidence of inherited funds.
Find out more about how to provide evidence of capital and assets for an investor visa athere.
The investor may include capital gifted to them, provided the gift is unconditional and lawful, and the original capital was earned or acquired lawfully. The investor cannot include gifted capital that is already in New Zealand, or that has been in New Zealand at any time, as part of the investor’s proposed investment capital.
A covering letter
Include a covering letter in the investor’s application summarising the evidence the investor has provided.
To ensure the investor’s application is processed as quickly as possible, include a covering letter in the investor’s application. The investor’s covering letter should summarise the evidence the investor has provided and how this evidence relates to each visa requirement.
The investor’s covering letter should include:
- A clear table showing the source of the investor’s investment capital or assets
- An index referring to which document meets which requirement
- A summary of how the investment capital and assets were accumulated
- A clear explanation of how the capital was transferred, where the investor’s capital is already in New Zealand.
Where any of the investor’s documents are translated, ensure that the translated file has a file name similar to the original version. The investor may also list them alongside each other in the investor’s covering letter.
How to pay and apply
Find out more about how to pay and apply for New Zealand’s Active Investor Plus Visa programme athere.
Entry
The investor may start their digital declaration at any time, but the earliest the investor can submit it is 24 hours before starting the journey to New Zealand.
The investor must apply for the right to enter New Zealand. The investor does this by completing the New Zealand Traveller Declaration (NZTD). A paper form is available for travellers unable to complete it online. Find out more athere.
New Zealand security and border staff also check that the investor meets their entry requirements.
Find out more about entering New Zealand athere.
The investor may be refused entry where the investor:
- Does not meet our character requirements
- Has had a change of circumstances since we issued the investor’s visa
- Refuses to allow us to take the investor’s photograph, fingerprints or iris scan.
Find out more about demonstrating a genuine intention to travel or work in New Zealand athere.
Find out more about the factors that may prevent the investor from being allowed to enter New Zealand athere.
After entry
These are the conditions the investor must meet once they hold the visa. The investor’s visa conditions are recorded in the investor’s eVisa.
Investing in New Zealand
Where the investor applies under the Growth category of the Active Investor Plus Visa, the investor must keep at least NZD 5,000,000 in acceptable investments in New Zealand for 36 months. The investor must provide evidence that their proposed capital has remained invested in New Zealand at 24 months and at 36 months.
Where the investor applies under the Balanced category, the investor must keep at least NZD 10,000,000 in acceptable investments in New Zealand for 60 months. The investor must provide evidence that their proposed capital has remained invested in New Zealand at 24 months and at 60 months.
The investor must provide this evidence within 3 months (from the 24-, 36- or 60-month date).
For example, where the investor makes an investment in New Zealand under the Growth category on 18 March 2026, the investor must provide evidence that their capital has remained invested in New Zealand on 18 March 2028. The investor then has until 18 June 2028 at the latest to provide this evidence to us.
Check our “Managing your investment: Active Investor Plus” page for guidance on the evidence to provide and how to send it to us.
Spending time in New Zealand
Where the investor applies under the Growth category of the Active Investor Plus Visa, the investor must spend at least 21 days in New Zealand as a resident visa holder during the 36-month investment period.
Where the investor applies under the Balanced category, the investor must spend at least 105 days in New Zealand as a resident visa holder during the 60-month investment period. However, for each additional NZD 1,000,000 the investor invests in acceptable investments under the Growth category, the investor may reduce the time required in New Zealand by 14 days. The investor may do this up to a maximum reduction of 42 days.
| Minimum proposed capital | The time the investor must spend in New Zealand |
|---|---|
| $10.000.000 NZD | 105 days |
| 11,000,000 (the additional 1,000,000 must be invested in acceptable investments under the Growth category) | 91 days |
| 12,000,000 (the additional 2,000,000 must be invested in acceptable investments under the Growth category) | 77 days |
| 13,000,000 (the additional 3,000,000 must be invested in acceptable investments under the Growth category) | 63 days |
To qualify for the reduction in the time required in New Zealand, any additional capital must be proposed before the investor’s application is approved in principle. We also check to ensure that the additional capital remains invested in New Zealand throughout the 60-month investment period.
Bringing family to New Zealand
Where the investor’s family is included in the investor’s resident visa, they need to arrive in New Zealand within 12 months of their visa being issued.
Where the investor’s family cannot arrive in New Zealand within 12 months, they must reapply for residence.
Contact details
The investor must provide us with the investor’s address and other contact details and tell us if these change while the investor holds a resident visa.
Immigration New Zealand (INZ)needs to stay in touch with the applicant to check that the visa conditions are being met.
Where INZ cannot confirm that the applicant is meeting the conditions, the applicant may be unable to remain in New Zealand.
Keeping the visa in a valid passport
Where the investor wishes to travel, the investor’s visa must be in a valid passport.
Where the investor’s passport expires, the investor must apply to transfer their visa to a new passport before they can travel.
Find out more about how to transfer a visa to a new passport athere.
To transfer a visa, the investor must:
- Send us the investor’s old and new passports
- Complete the “Application to Transfer or Confirm a Visa”
- Pay the transfer fee.
Find out about the Application to Transfer or Confirm a Visa athere.
Travelling as a permanent resident
The investor may travel into and out of New Zealand as a resident for 4 years from the investor’s first day in New Zealand where the investor is investing under the Growth category.
The investor may travel into and out of New Zealand as a resident for 6 years from the investor’s first day in New Zealand where the investor is investing under the Balanced category.
The post-investment survey
The investor must complete a post-investment survey twice during the investor’s investment period.
This survey asks:
- About basic information on the investor (the investor’s application number, where the investor is from and the investor’s age)
- Whether the investor has made further investments (such as investments made in New Zealand outside the immigration process)
- Where the investor has made further investments, which categories these investments fall into (for example bonds or direct investments) and an estimate of how much the investor has invested
- The sectors the investor has invested in, depending on the type of additional investment the investor has made
- Whether the investor provides non-financial support to a business where the investor has made a direct investment (and if not, the reasons why)
- An explanation of why the investor has not made further investments in New Zealand (where applicable)
- About the investor’s confidence as an investor in New Zealand.
The investor must complete the survey at 24 months into the investment period, and at the end of the investment period (36 months for the Growth category and 60 months for the Balanced category). The investor has 3 months to complete each survey.
For example, where the investor makes an investment in New Zealand under the Growth category on 18 March 2026, the investor may complete the survey on 18 March 2028 and has until 18 June 2028 to complete the survey in full. The investor may then complete it again on 18 March 2029 and has until 18 June 2029 to complete the survey in full.
Information on how to complete the survey is provided in the investor’s approval letter.
The investor should complete each survey at around the same time as the investor submits evidence to us that their capital has remained invested in New Zealand. Check the “Investing in New Zealand” condition on this page for further information.
Travelling as a permanent resident
Where the investor has met all the conditions by the end of the investor’s investment period, the investor may apply for a Permanent Resident Visa for themselves and any family members included in the investor’s original resident visa application.
The investor may also include any children born after the investor’s original resident visa application where the investor has supported a Dependent Child Resident Visa for them. They must have held a resident visa for at least 2 years.
If granted, the investor is able to travel into and out of New Zealand indefinitely, provided the investor keeps the visa in a valid passport.
Find out more about New Zealand permanent residence athere.
Staying longer
Obtaining a permanent resident visa
Once the investor has held a Migrant Investment Visa or an Active Investor Plus Resident Visa for at least 24 months, the investor may apply for a Permanent Resident Visa.
With a Permanent Resident Visa, the investor may travel into and out of New Zealand indefinitely, provided the investor keeps the visa in a valid passport.
Removing section 49 conditions
Where the investor has section 49 conditions and wishes to apply for a Permanent Resident Visa, the investor must:
- Meet our section 49 conditions, then
- Apply to have them removed.
Requesting the removal of section 49 conditions
To have section 49 conditions removed, the investor — the principal applicant or “main applicant” — needs to provide the following:
- A covering letter asking Immigration New Zealand to remove the investor’s section 49 conditions and including all the investor’s current contact details
- A copy of a valid passport for the investor and everyone included in the investor’s Investor Resident Visa application
- Evidence of meeting the section 49 conditions, for example a letter from an independent accountant or lawyer
- Evidence of the residential address during the required period.
There is no charge for removing section 49 conditions.
Where we need further information, we contact the investor.
The investor may send their request by post or by courier.
Postal address:
Immigration New Zealand
PO Box 76895
Manukau City
Auckland 2241
New Zealand
Courier address:
Immigration New Zealand
DX Box: EP71514
20 Fairfax Avenue
Penrose
Auckland 1061
New Zealand
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