New Zealand

New Zealand Active Investor Plus Visa Overview

The Active Investor Plus (AIP) Visa grants indefinite residence in New Zealand to investors who commit qualifying funds to New Zealand businesses and assets.

Two investment pathways are available: the Growth category (NZD $5 million / approx. US$2.94 million, held for a minimum of three years) and the Balanced category (NZD $10 million / approx. US$5.89 million, held for a minimum of five years). 

Applicants may include their partner and dependent children aged 24 and younger at the time of application. No age limit, business experience, or English language proficiency is required. 

Eligibility Requirements

All applicants must be in good health, hold a clean immigration and criminal record, and demonstrate that investment funds were earned or acquired lawfully. 

Two investment categories are available, each with distinct minimum thresholds, acceptable asset classes, holding periods, and physical presence obligations, as follows: 

Growth Category

• Minimum investment: NZD $5 million (approx. US$2.94 million)
• Minimum holding period: 36 months
• Minimum time in New Zealand: 21 days over the 36-month investment period
• Acceptable investments: direct investments in New Zealand businesses and managed funds pre-approved by Invest New Zealand
• All Growth category managed funds and direct investments must be assessed and accepted by Invest New Zealand before being counted toward the threshold
• Investments are typically illiquid and may require a commitment extending beyond the minimum 36-month period

Balanced Category

• Minimum investment: NZD $10 million (approx. US$5.89 million)
• Minimum holding period: 60 months
• Minimum time in New Zealand: 105 days over the 60-month investment period, reducible by 14 days for each additional NZD $1 million (approx. US$589,000) invested in Growth category assets, to a minimum of 63 days (requires NZD $13 million / approx. US$7.65 million total, with NZD $3 million / approx. US$1.77 million in Growth category assets)
• Acceptable investments: direct investments, managed funds, listed equities, bonds, philanthropy, and property developments (new residential, commercial or industrial developments, or existing commercial and industrial developments)

General conditions (All categories): 

• Funds must be transferred to New Zealand within 6 months of Approval-in-Principle; a further 6-month extension may be granted on request
• Funds must remain invested for the full holding period; evidence of continued investment must be submitted at 24 months and at the end of the investment period
• Applicants must complete a post-investment questionnaire at 24 months and at the end of the investment period
• Funds may be transferred directly from the applicant’s bank account, a joint account with included family members, or through a third party acting on behalf of the applicant
• Gifted funds may be included provided the gift was unconditional, lawful, and not already located in New Zealand
• Assets already invested in an acceptable investment in New Zealand at the time of approval may count toward the investment period from the date of approval

Character and health

• Applicants and included family members aged 17 or older must provide police certificates from all countries of citizenship and from any country where they have spent 12 months or more in the last 10 years; certificates must be less than 6 months old at the time of application
• All applicants must undergo a medical examination and chest X-ray from an approved physician
• All businesses previously owned or operated by the applicant must have complied with immigration, employment, and taxation laws; no convictions for dishonesty or involvement in business fraud or financial impropriety

Route to Citizenship

The AIP Visa is a resident visa granting indefinite stay in New Zealand from the date of approval. 

After meeting the investment holding and physical presence conditions, holders may apply for a Permanent Resident Visa, which allows travel in and out of New Zealand indefinitely. 

Permanent residence under the Growth category becomes available after 36 months; under the Balanced category, after 60 months.

Holders who have previously held a Migrant Investment or AIP Resident Visa for at least 24 months are also eligible to apply for permanent residence.

New Zealand citizenship is available by grant after five years of residence on a resident-class visa. 

Applicants must have been physically present in New Zealand for at least 240 days in each of those five years and at least 1,350 days in total.

Additional requirements include basic English proficiency, good character, and an intention to continue living in New Zealand after citizenship is granted. 

Citizenship applications are assessed by the Department of Internal Affairs, not Immigration New Zealand, and are followed by an official ceremony at which the applicant takes an oath or affirmation of allegiance. 

New Zealand permits dual citizenship, so applicants are not required to renounce their existing nationality. 

Mobility and Taxation

Mobility

The AIP Visa grants the right to live, work, and study in New Zealand indefinitely from the date of approval. Included dependants share the same residence rights. During the investment period, holders may travel in and out of New Zealand freely: for 4 years from first arrival under the Growth category, and for 6 years under the Balanced category.

Upon obtaining a Permanent Resident Visa, holders may travel in and out of New Zealand indefinitely, provided the visa is held in a valid passport. 

New Zealand citizenship then opens access to a New Zealand passport, which as of 2026 provides visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to 182 countries and territories, including the United States, the United Kingdom, the European Union, Japan, Singapore, and Australia. 

Under the Trans-Tasman Travel Arrangement, New Zealand citizens also have the right to live and work in Australia indefinitely. 

Tax

New Zealand operates a broad-based, low-rate tax system with no capital gains tax, no inheritance tax, no estate tax, no stamp duty, and no wealth tax. Personal income tax is levied at progressive rates from 10.5% to 33% on New Zealand-sourced income. GST applies at 15%.

New residents who become New Zealand tax residents are entitled to a four-year transitional residency exemption on most foreign-source income, including foreign dividends and offshore investment income. 

This exemption covers the period during which many AIP visa holders will be completing their investment obligations, and provides a significant window for tax-efficient structuring of offshore assets before full New Zealand tax residency obligations apply.

Tax residency is triggered by spending more than 183 days in any 12-month period in New Zealand, or by establishing a permanent place of abode in New Zealand. 

AIP visa holders who do not meet either threshold are taxed only on New Zealand-sourced income. 

Holders who do establish tax residency and hold offshore portfolio investments may be subject to the Foreign Investment Fund (FIF) rules, which deem 5% of the market value of qualifying offshore holdings as taxable income annually. 

How to Apply

The AIP Visa is administered by Immigration New Zealand, with Invest New Zealand responsible for assessing and pre-approving eligible Growth category investments. 

Applications are submitted online through Immigration New Zealand’s application portal. The application fee of NZD $27,470 (approx. US$16,170) is non-refundable. An estimated 80% of applications receive an Approval-in-Principle decision within three months.

The typical process runs as follows: 

• Step 1: For Growth category managed funds, confirm the fund appears on Invest New Zealand’s pre-approved list. For Growth category direct investments or any Balanced category investments, confirm eligibility with Invest New Zealand or Immigration New Zealand before applying.
• Step 2: Gather proof of identity (two passport-style photographs), health documentation (medical examination and chest X-ray from an approved physician), police certificates from all relevant countries for applicants and family members aged 17 or older, and source-of-funds evidence. Prepare a cover letter summarising all evidence provided and how it meets each visa requirement, including a clear table showing the source and accumulation of investment funds.
• Step 3: Lodge the application and all supporting documents through Immigration New Zealand’s online portal, including partner and dependent children if applicable. Partners and dependants aged 17 or older must each complete a Resident Visa Declaration Form (INZ 1242).
• Step 4: Upon Approval-in-Principle, the principal applicant may apply for a Specific Purpose Work Visa to enter New Zealand and arrange the transfer and investment of funds. Partners may apply for a visitor visa; dependent children may apply for student visas.
• Step 5: Transfer the full nominated investment to New Zealand within 6 months of Approval-in-Principle and invest funds in the nominated acceptable investments. Contact Immigration New Zealand before the transfer period expires if an extension is needed.
• Step 6: Once funds are transferred and invested, Immigration New Zealand grants the AIP Visa, conferring indefinite residence. Dependants must arrive in New Zealand within 12 months of the visa being granted.