Minimum investment
$580,000
2 investment options
Stay
48
months
Application fee
$7,400
Tax
Worldwide
NZ progressive tax (10.5-39%)
Path to staying
- Residence permit48 months
- Permanent residencyafter 1 years
- Citizenshipafter 5 years
- Permanent residency 1 years
- Citizenship 5 years
- Dual citizenship allowed
- Language required for citizenship B1
Overview
- Country
- New Zealand
- Program
- New Zealand Business Investor Work Visa
- Type
- Entrepreneur
- Status
- Active
- Initial duration
- 48 months
- Max duration
- 48 months
Work-to-residence visa for experienced investors investing NZD 1-2M in existing NZ businesses with 5+ employees.
Investment options
| Type | Tier / zone | Min amount | USD equivalent | Holding | Returnable | Required |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Business | Standard (3-year) | NZD 1,000,000 | $580,000 | 3 yr | Yes | Optional |
| Business | Fast-Track (12-month) | NZD 2,000,000 | $1,160,000 | 1 yr | Yes | Optional |
Financial requirements
- Savings required
- $290,000
- Application fee
- $7,400
Eligibility
- Minimum age 18+
- Criminal record check required
- Health check required
- Health insurance not required
Work rights
- Employment allowed
- Self-employment allowed
- Own a business allowed
- Work permit included
Family and dependents
- Dependents allowed
- Yes
- Spouse included
- Yes
- Max child age
- 24
- Parents allowed
- No
Benefits and mobility
- Bank account can open
- Property purchase allowed
- Public healthcare access granted
- Must be primary residence required
Tax
- Tax regime
- Worldwide
- Regime name
- NZ progressive tax (10.5-39%)
- Foreign income taxed
- Yes
- Capital gains taxed
- No
How to apply
- Method
- online
- Processing time
- 30–90 days
- Apply from abroad
- Yes
Notes
Opened November 2025, replacing Entrepreneur Work Visa. Two options: NZD 1M (3-year work-to-residence) or NZD 2M (12-month fast-track). Must have NZD 500K living funds. Business must employ 5+ FTE. Fee NZD 12,380 (~$7,400). IELTS 5.0 required.
Also in New Zealand
New Zealand also offers a digital nomad visa for remote workers