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New Zealand · Starting a business

Entrepreneur Resident Visa

Recorded requirements for this route in New Zealand, each quoted from the source named beside it.

Official source: immigration.govt.nz

Programme status: —Source-linked evidenceLast reviewed 2026-09-03
Requirements link to their evidenceEvery published fact carries a dateUnknown does not mean not required

Eligibility criteria

Only applicable, explicitly mapped items appear. Unknown values stay blank and are labelled.

5 criteria. One decision board.

Read the full set first, then open any criterion for its legal wording, applicability and source.

Mapped
5
Evidence verified
5
To be confirmed
0
  1. 01
    Eligibility ProfileEligibility Profile
    Applicants must have been running the New Zealand business for at least 6 months, be in good health and provide a chest X-ray and medical examination, be fit and proper, speak and understand English, and not have received welfare benefits or assistance.required · Checked 2026-08-31
    Evidence verified
  2. 02
    Core Route RequirementCore Route Requirement
    Applicants must have set up or purchased at least 25% of a New Zealand business and run it for at least 6 months. The business must meet its business-plan benefits and goals, be profitable or potentially profitable within 12 months, contribute to economic growth, and comply with employment and immigration law.required · Checked 2026-08-31
    Evidence verified
  3. 03
    Financial RequirementFinancial Requirement
    Applicants must create at least 1 full-time job for a New Zealander, or at least 3 full-time jobs if they have been in business for less than 2 years.required · Checked 2026-08-31
    Evidence verified
  4. 04
    Rights and RestrictionsRights and Restrictions
    The Entrepreneur Resident Visa lets the holder live, work and study in New Zealand indefinitely, include a partner and dependent children aged 24 and younger, and continue to operate their own business. If unable to continue working in that business, the holder and family may have to leave New Zealand.required · Checked 2026-08-31
    Evidence verified
  5. 05
    Duration and Long-Term OutcomeDuration and Long-Term Outcome
    The Entrepreneur Resident Visa permits an indefinite stay and lets the holder live, work and study in New Zealand. It allows travel in and out as many times as desired for 2 years; after that, a variation of conditions or a Permanent Resident Visa is needed for travel.required · Checked 2026-08-31
    Evidence verified

Detailed criteria and evidence

Open the groups you need to inspect. The summary above remains visible for comparison.

Eligibility Profile

1 criterion
Eligibility Profile
Applicants must have been running the New Zealand business for at least 6 months, be in good health and provide a chest X-ray and medical examination, be fit and proper, speak and understand English, and not have received welfare benefits or assistance.required
You must have a current Entrepreneur Work Visa if you have been self-employed for less than two years.
Government information page · immigration.govt.nzChecked 2026-08-31

Core Route Requirement

1 criterion
Core Route Requirement
Applicants must have set up or purchased at least 25% of a New Zealand business and run it for at least 6 months. The business must meet its business-plan benefits and goals, be profitable or potentially profitable within 12 months, contribute to economic growth, and comply with employment and immigration law.required
Your business must have realised the benefits outlined in your business plan.
Government information page · immigration.govt.nzChecked 2026-08-31

Financial Requirement

1 criterion
Financial Requirement
Applicants must create at least 1 full-time job for a New Zealander, or at least 3 full-time jobs if they have been in business for less than 2 years.required
If you have been running your business for less than 2 years, your investment must be no less than NZ $500,000.
Government information page · immigration.govt.nzChecked 2026-08-31

Rights and Restrictions

1 criterion
Rights and Restrictions
The Entrepreneur Resident Visa lets the holder live, work and study in New Zealand indefinitely, include a partner and dependent children aged 24 and younger, and continue to operate their own business. If unable to continue working in that business, the holder and family may have to leave New Zealand.required
An Entrepreneur Resident Visa lets you stay in New Zealand indefinitely.
Government information page · immigration.govt.nzChecked 2026-08-31

Duration and Long-Term Outcome

1 criterion
Duration and Long-Term Outcome
The Entrepreneur Resident Visa permits an indefinite stay and lets the holder live, work and study in New Zealand. It allows travel in and out as many times as desired for 2 years; after that, a variation of conditions or a Permanent Resident Visa is needed for travel.required
An Entrepreneur Resident Visa lets you stay in New Zealand indefinitely.
Government information page · immigration.govt.nzChecked 2026-08-31

Application and authority links

Responsible-body and application links appear only when governed and active.

Official source: immigration.govt.nz

Sources and evidence

Each label reflects the source's governed authority; publication alone never makes it official.

Open the governed evidence register5 sources
Compiled and reviewed by Antonio Mira on 2026-09-03 · Requirements extracted from the official source named on the page and verified quotation by quotation against that source. Figures and wording are not restated from memory. This page was not individually read by a human reviewer; the extraction method and its limits are described in the methodology. · Methodology

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Immigration information is not legal advice. Rules and administrative practice can change; verify the linked source before applying.