Document preparation is where Indian applications most often fall apart - not because the process is complicated, but because certain documents take much longer to obtain than people expect. Start early. Build a checklist before gathering anything.

Must be valid for at least 3 months beyond your planned departure from New Zealand. If yours is approaching renewal, do it before starting the visa process. Changing passport details mid-application creates delays.

This is the single most important compliance update for Indian applicants in 2025–2026.

From 1 December 2025, Immigration New Zealand announced that only police clearance certificates issued by a Regional Passport Office of the Indian Ministry of External Affairs are accepted.

Certificates from local police stations, Deputy Commissioner offices, or Superintendent of Police offices are no longer accepted - they come in inconsistent formats that INZ cannot reliably authenticate.

Many Indians using guidance written before December 2025 are still applying with local police certificates and getting rejected for this reason alone.

How to get the correct certificate:

1. Apply online through the Ministry of External Affairs passport portal
2. Pay the prescribed fee at a Regional Passport Office
3. Attend in person for biometric verification
4. Receive the certificate within 2–4 weeks
5. If the certificate is not in English, get a certified English translation

Plan at least 4–6 weeks for this document before your target application date.

Required for most work and residence visa applications. Must be conducted by an INZ-approved panel physician - find approved doctors in India on this site. Results go directly from the doctor to INZ through the eMedical electronic system. You do not handle the paperwork yourself.

The examination checks whether you:

• Pose a public health risk
• Would place significant ongoing cost on New Zealand's health system
• Can perform the work your visa is for

Indian applicants routinely need a chest X-ray as part of TB screening. Between 2019 and 2025, a total of 10,425 visa applications were declined on health grounds - so do not assume this step is a formality.

Book your appointment only with doctors on the current approved list, as the list does change.

• Degree certificates and mark sheets
• Transcripts
• Postgraduate degrees, diplomas, or professional certifications

Since 23 June 2025, Indian university degrees no longer require a separate IQA for most skilled visa applications. Your degree from a recognised Indian institution is accepted as equivalent to NZ academic standards without additional paperwork. Verify the current LQEA list at INZ's qualifications page.

Required for most work and residence applications. Accepted tests and minimum scores:

PTE Academic and TOEFL iBT are also accepted in most categories.

• Signed job offer letter from an INZ-accredited employer
• Full employment agreement (contract, not just the offer letter)
• Job Check reference number (your employer supplies this after Step 2 is approved)
• Reference letters from previous employers
• Updated CV in New Zealand format (no photo, no date of birth, achievement-focused, 2–3 pages maximum)

Fingerprints and photograph collected at a Visa Application Centre (VAC) in India. Find your nearest VAC. Do not attempt to complete biometrics before you receive the request from INZ - they have a validity window.

All visa application fees are non-refundable if your application is declined. Do not pay until your application is complete and correct.