Britannica Team Updated on - Sep 26, 2025

According to the Global Peace Index 2019, Study in New Zealand for Indian students is considered as the second safest place to study for international students. New Zealand is known for its stunning landscape. New Zealand is an island country in the southwestern ocean. Moreover, New Zealand is ranked eighth in 2021 Global prosperity and New Zealand spends 6 % of its GDP on the education sector.

Study in New Zealand Highlights

Why Study in New Zealand?

New Zealand is ranked the eighth highest for its education in the world. With the world class education system, New Zealand offers theoretical knowledge along with practical training focussed on the industry oriented skills. Whereas the cost of Study in New Zealand for the international students is less as compared to the other developed countries.

• The learning experience in New Zealand is qualitative and easier for Indian students to learn in that model.
• Also, the cost of living in New Zealand is lower than the cost of living in Australia by almost 12%. 
• Pursuing higher education and research in New Zealand is propitious for international students with various benefits of PR, stipends and cost of living exemption.
• All qualifications of New Zealand are globally recognised, thus, international students can work anywhere in the world.
• Healthcare and Engineering sectors which hire skilled workers are bound to be paid higher than those in Australia by almost 25%.

Further, the fee is paid only after getting the Student Visa for New Zealand. A large proportion of Indian students have successful stories of Study in New Zealand and further getting the job opportunities in New Zealand.

Top Universities In New Zealand For International Students

There are just eight universities in New Zealand and only one university in New Zealand ranks in the top 100 globally. The following is a list of ranking positions for all the universities in New Zealand as per QS and THE World Rankings:

Top Courses in New Zealand

The top courses for Study in New Zealand are related to Engineering, Medicine, Animation and Healthcare. The universities in New Zealand provide these job oriented courses in New Zealand under their different departments as:

Cost of Study in New Zealand

Cost of Study In New Zealand for international students should be planned ahead of applying to Study in New Zealand University as by calculating the University application fee, Tuition fee of the course in which you wants to pursue your studies, and the living expenses in New Zealand. To give you an approximate idea of the same, here are a few details about these costs of Study in New Zealand for Indian students

Cost of Living in New Zealand

In addition to the expenses related to education, international students must also factor in their living costs while studying in New Zealand. Below is a compilation of essential items and their costs for both international and Indian students:

New Zealand Student Visa Requirements

New Zealand Student Visa entirely depends upon the type of study the international student wants to pursue with. The New Zealand Study visa age limit is 18 years and if you want to Study in New Zealand for more than 6 months, then the Student Visa is required. The given below are the types of Student visa for Indian students:

Documents Required For New Zealand Student Visa

• Passport
• Letter of Acceptance.
• An offer of place from an educational institute.
• Guarantee for accommodation from an institute.
• Return air ticket.
• Academic transcripts.
• Student visa application form
• Tuition fee receipt
• Passport size photographs

Admission Requirements to Study in New Zealand Universities

The admission requirements for international students aiming to study at universities in New Zealand differ depending on the level of study. Here is a brief overview:

Undergraduate Admissions in New Zealand

For undergraduate programs, admission applications from international students are evaluated primarily based on their Class XII scores. In certain instances, applicants might also need to provide SAT scores. However, for those applying to medical courses, MCAT scores are necessary, while LSAT scores are required for admission to law-related programs at the undergraduate level in New Zealand.

The applicants are required to submit English language test scores of TOEFL / IELTS / PTE unless exempted.

Postgraduate Admissions in New Zealand

To secure admission to a postgraduate course in New Zealand, international students will need to furnish their undergraduate degree scores and also submit their transcripts as part of the application process.

Documents Required for Admission Application

The following documents are required to be submitted irrespective of undergraduate and postgraduate admission application are:

• Transcripts
• Statement of purpose (SOP)
• 2-3 letters of recommendation (LORs)
• Resume / CV
• ELP test scores - TOEFL / IELTS / PTE
• Standardised test scores: 
  • UG: SAT or MCAT or LSAT
  • PG - GRE or GMAT
• Application fee

How Do International Students Get Into The Admission Process?

• The international students or the Indian students who want to Study in New Zealand who are applying on the basis of NCEA score, will clear the eligibility on University Entrance Literacy Standard with minimum 17 points in English.
• The previous study should be completed with good academic scores for admission in a university.
• The international students must compete on the basis of language proficiency tests such as IELTS/ TOEFL/ PTE.
• The selection of the international students in a university is on the basis of good academic score, work experience if any,reference letter and entrance tests.

Popular Scholarships In New Zealand For Indian Students To Study In New Zealand For Free:

Cost of Studying in New Zealand

The cost of studying in New Zealand is based on the level, of course, the applicant wishes to pursue. Indian students can expect to pay between INR 8 to INR 25 lakhs per annum on average for bachelor’s courses. The following is a level-wise course fee analysis in New Zealand as offered to Indian students and international students as well:

Cost of Living in New Zealand

Apart from the costs of studying, international students have to separately calculate their living costs in New Zealand also while studying in New Zealand. The following is a list of essential items and their costs for both international and Indian students:

For a detailed understanding and break up of the costs, international students can check the cost of living in New Zealand.

New Zealand Student Visa

Indian students who get a confirmation letter for enrollment at New Zealand universities or PTEs for admission can then apply for a student visa. One application for a student visa in New Zealand costs Indian students INR 1,010 (NZD 430) if students choose to apply online. 90% of the student visa application forms in New Zealand are assessed within 53 working days, while the average timeframe for assessing a student visa application is 19 days. 

Student Visa Requirements for New Zealand

For an application to be considered complete, a New Zealand student visa application requires the following proofs and documents:

• Passport copy / 2 passport-sized photos

• Police verification certificate

• Supporting true intentions of entering New Zealand to study

• Admission offers from the respective education provider in New Zealand

• Evidence of funding education

• Medical and travel insurance

Admission Requirements to Study in New Zealand Universities

The admission requirements for studying in New Zealand universities vary with each level of study for international students. A brief is as follows:

Undergraduate Admissions in New Zealand

At the UG level, international students’ admission applications are assessed based on class XII scores. In a few cases, the applicants may be required to submit an entrance test score of SAT. if applying for medical courses, MCAT would be required or LSAT would be required for law-related courses admission at UG level in New Zealand. 

The applicants are required to submit English language test scores of TOEFL / IELTS / PTE unless exempted. 

Postgraduate Admissions in New Zealand

For admission to a postgraduate course in New Zealand, international students will be required to submit undergraduate degree scores and submit their transcripts as well.

English language test scores will also be required, TOEFL / IELTS / PTE are accepted. If students have already pursued an undergraduate course from New Zealand, then they may be exempted from submitting these scores. 

Apart from these, standardised test scores on GRE or GMAT may also be required while applying for a postgraduate course in New Zealand from international students.

Documents Required for Admission Application

The following documents are required to be submitted irrespective of undergraduate and postgraduate admission application are:

• Transcripts

• Statement of purpose (SOP)

• 2-3 letters of recommendation (LORs)

• Resume / CV

• ELP test scores - TOEFL / IELTS / PTE

• Standardised test scores: 

  • UG: SAT or MCAT or LSAT

  • PG - GRE or GMAT

• Application fee

New Zealand Intakes

There are two intakes in New Zealand, the first is the February intake and the second is the July intake. Students can apply for the February intake maximum by November end or the start of December of the previous year. Admission decisions for  February intake in New Zealand  are rolled out by January.

While the July intake, international students can apply by April end or May starting. The admission decisions are rolled out max to max by June.
Students will have to accept their offers in time, as soon as they receive a decision on their applications so that they can apply for their student visas, to study in New Zealand.

Best Cities in New Zealand for Study

The topmost preferred cities by international students to study in New Zealand for study are given below based on their rankings by QS for Best Cities to Study in 2023-24:

• Auckland: #37

• Christchurch: #87

Work Opportunities During Study In New Zealand

International Students in New Zealand can work 40 hours per week during the summer vacation and 20 hours per week during the full time study . The minimum wage in New Zealand is NZ $18.90 per hour and the public holidays are also paid.

The type of jobs that international students can get are:

• Retail sales assistant
• Seasonal worker
• Supermarket assistant
• Waiter
• Kitchenhand
• Bartender
• Call center worker

Note: In case the international student is pursuing post graduation then the spouse can work full time.