Study in New Zealand
Whakauru mai ki Aotearoa
Travelling to New Zealand
Before you arrive in New Zealand, it’s important to plan for your visa, insurance, accommodation, work options, and expenses. This section covers the essentials to help you arrive prepared and confident.
International students planning to study in New Zealand, must meet the following visa requirements:
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Full-time programmes longer than 3 months: You must have a student visa before you can study in New Zealand.
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Short-Term Programmes (Less Than 3 Months): You do not need a visa to study in New Zealand.
If you do not provide a valid visa, you will not be permitted to study with us, and you risk being withdrawn from your programme.
A valid visa is required to complete your enrolment.
- Student Visa
The student visa must be presented to TRM to complete the student’s enrolment. The study visa must show:- The details of the institution
- Programme details
E.g. Bachelor of Teaching (ECE) at Te Rito Maioha
This visa allows students to study and work while in New Zealand.
- Work Visa
Students with a work visa will need to apply for a variation of conditions to enrol.
If you have already received your updated visa or an interim visa by email, please send us a copy as soon as possible.
If you are offshore when applying for your visa, you can wait for an Approval in Principle (AIP) before paying your tuition fees. However, if you are in New Zealand, you will need to pay your fees before submitting your visa application.
Applying for your visa online
You need to apply for your student visa online through Immigration New Zealand. You will need to create a RealMe account to be able to apply for your student visa online. Follow the instructions given in the RealMe Guide linked below. If you are not eligible to apply online, Immigration NZ will direct you to apply using a paper form.
Education New Zealand have created a tool to help students with the visa application process.
International students are required to:
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Organise their own insurance; or
Your insurance policy must meet the requirements outlined in The Education (Pastoral Care of Tertiary and International Learners) Code of Practice 2021. -
Purchase Southern Cross insurance through TRM
Contact International Student Services on intl@ecnz.ac.nz
New Zealand public health systems may not cover the health care or medical treatment of international students in New Zealand. Students may need to cover the full cost of treatment.
Insurance must cover:
- Travel to and from New Zealand, and within New Zealand before, during and after their programme starts and ends, including study breaks and potentially including time either side of the enrolment period.
- Medical care in New Zealand, including diagnosis, prescription, surgery, and hospitalisation. Most international students will not be eligible for Government-funded health care and will need medical insurance to pay the cost of any medical treatment during their visit.
- Repatriation or expatriation as a result of serious illness, injury or death, including cover of travel costs for family members, and funeral costs.
Students must organise their accommodation before they leave their home country. TRM does not offer accommodation facilities. However, we do provide our international students with accommodation options:
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Homestays is with a family, where you live with a New Zealand family in their home, is a popular option for international students. You are provided with a furnished room and meals and enjoy the company of the family or homestay host.
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Private boarding is similar to family homestays, but without being included into the family environment. There may be other students at the house as well.
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Renting a room or house
You can rent a house or apartment on your own or rent a room in a house with others. -
Temporary Accommodation
For students who are studying for short periods there are many short-term accommodation options, including backpackers, hostels, and Airbnb.
When arranging these, we recommend you use a well-recognised provider.
The best place to start your search for a house, room or flatmate is online but allow plenty of time to find somewhere to live as the rental market can be competitive.
Find homes for rent and flatments: Trade Me, easyRoomate, NZFlatmates, FlatFinder, Facebook Marketplace, Roomgo, Student Flats, RealEstate, and Roomies.
Find out the cost of renting properties in different locations: Market rent – Tenancy Services
Make sure you find out renting laws and processes before you sign any agreements or pay money to a landlord or property agency:
If you need more information about accommodation in your study location, please contact us.
Cost of living in New Zealand will be different to your home country. It all depends on where you live in New Zealand.
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North Island: Auckland and Wellington are among the most expensive cities. Study locations such as Rotorua, Gisborne, Hastings, and Whangārei typically have even lower living costs.
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South Island: Christchurch, Dunedin, and Nelson tend to be more affordable.
You should budget $300 or more per week for living costs in addition to rent or homestay accommodation costs.
Calculate what your typical living costs may be on the New Zealand Education website.
International students at TRM may be eligible to work while studying. This could include paid employment in an early learning centre or school as part of your programme requirements, or working for other employers to support yourself financially during your studies.
Visa conditions
Check your visa conditions: Your visa will state whether you are allowed to work while studying. If you work without the appropriate permission, you will be in breach of your visa conditions and may be required to leave New Zealand. To learn more about the types of work you’re allowed to do and the number of hours you can work, please visit the New Zealand Immigration website for up-to-date advice on visa options and information.
International student applications received via agents are only accepted from agents with a current signed agreement with us. Students studying towards teaching qualifications must find voluntary or paid work in an early childhood centre or school as part of their practical training. Once you have completed all requirements and submitted all enrolment documentation, including proof of international student insurance, we will issue you an Offer of Place.
Enrolling to Study
Understand the requirements for enrolment to ensure a smooth and successful start to your studies. This section highlights the key areas of the application process to support your enrolment.
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Bachelor of Teaching (ECE) or Graduate Diploma of Teaching (ECE)
Students need to be working or volunteering as a student teacher for 12 to 13 hours (two days) each week in an early childhood centre while they are studying. -
Bachelor of Teaching (Primary) or Graduate Diploma of Teaching (Primary)
Students need to be working or volunteering as a student teacher for two days each week in a primary or intermediate school while they are studying.
It is your responsibility to find an early childhood centre or school where you can work or volunteer. This must be arranged before your enrolment can be confirmed. To help with your search, you can use the official New Zealand government website to find early learning services or schools across different regions:
Provide the documentation required within the timeframe requested.
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Please submit two verified forms of identification along with your application. This will help us speed up your enrolment.
A verified copy of a document means a photocopy signed by a Notary Public, Justice of the Peace (JP), solicitor, church minister, police officer, school principal or Member of Parliament. -
Initial teacher education programme:
- If you are applying for an Initial Teacher Education programme, providing your information early will help us speed up your enrolment and allow us to submit a police vetting request on your behalf.
Please note that police vetting can take up to 6 weeks to process. We cannot confirm your enrolment until we have received a satisfactory Police Vet report.
- If you are applying for an Initial Teacher Education programme and you are overseas, please note that you will be required to supply a verified police clearance certificate from any country you have lived in during the last 3 years. If the police clearance certificate is not in the English language, please also provide an official translation.
- If you are applying for an Initial Teacher Education programme, providing your information early will help us speed up your enrolment and allow us to submit a police vetting request on your behalf.
For those who need NZQA assessment, please contact NZQA well in advance, as the assessment process can take up to 3 months..
You may be eligible to transfer credits from formal qualifications or prior learning completed at other universities or educational institutions. If this qualification was completed outside of New Zealand:
- You will need to have it assessed by the New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA).
The NZQA website: Find out how to apply to have an overseas qualification evaluated for use in New Zealand
If you want to apply for credit transfer you need to:
- Indicate this on your programme application form
- Complete an Assessment of Credit for Prior Learning form
- Provide a verified copy of the qualification including your name, a transcript and other information about the learning.
Recognition of prior informal learning is not available for the programmes Te Rito Maioha offers to international students.
- Step 1: Decide on your programme of study
- Step 2: Navigate to the Apply Now button on the programme page, or at the top of our website, to start your application.
- Step 3: Finalise your application and submit it. Once we receive your application, we will contact you with details about the required documents and any additional information you may need to provide.
For more guidance: How to Apply
Ensure you have evidence of your English Competency (please refer to the Teaching Council website here).
If you have applied for an Initial Teacher Education programme and need to sit for an internationally approved English proficiency test (listed on the Teaching Council website), please send us evidence that you have booked your test. This will help to speed up your application process as we will then be able to invite you for an interview.
Attend the interview when required (for Initial Teacher Education programmes) or let us know if your interview needs to be rescheduled.
If you are living overseas and would like someone in New Zealand related to you to contact us about your application, please provide your written consent along with that person’s contact details via email.
If you wish to change your studies from your home country to studying in New Zealand, please provide advance notice to Te Rito Maioha. Contact us at intl@ecnz.ac.nz.
Additional documentation, such as your visa, international student insurance, and overseas police vetting, will be required. We will inform you of the specific documents needed once we receive your request via email.
Transfers are only allowed between semesters and as far as practical, provided we receive sufficient notice and you have plenty of time to apply for a visa.
Students who transfer their studies to New Zealand can opt for homestay accommodation. Find more information about the homestay accommodation arrangement here
