New Zealand’s Golden Visa Just Got More Useful. Here’s What Changed.
New Zealand has long occupied a particular place in the minds of globally mobile investors — admired, visited, filed away under “someday.” The Active Investor Plus programme, and specifically the changes that came into effect in March 2026, have made someday considerably more actionable.
This is worth understanding properly, because the full picture is more compelling than most of the coverage suggests.
What the AIP Programme Actually Offers
Introduced in its current form in April 2025, the Active Investor Plus (AIP) visa replaced a previous scheme that had, by any measure, failed. In nearly two and a half years, the old programme attracted 116 applications worldwide. The redesign changed the fundamentals: the minimum investment threshold came down sharply, the English language requirement was dropped entirely, and residency obligations were restructured to reflect how internationally mobile people actually live.
The market responded. By February 2026, Immigration New Zealand had received almost 600 applications covering close to 2,000 individual applicants, with committed investment of NZ$1.05 billion and a total pipeline exceeding NZ$3 billion.
There are two pathways.
The Growth Category requires a minimum NZ$5 million investment held for three years, directed toward higher-growth assets including pre-approved managed funds and direct investment in New Zealand businesses. The residency requirement is 21 days over three years — roughly one week per year. That is not a typo.
The Balanced Category requires NZ$10 million over five years but allows a broader asset mix: government and corporate bonds, listed equities, qualifying philanthropy, certain property developments. Presence requirements are 105 days over the five-year period, reducible for larger commitments.
Both categories grant permanent residency for the investor, their partner, and dependent children up to 24. Both open a path to New Zealand citizenship after five years.
The March 2026 Change That Actually Moves the Needle
For investors interested in New Zealand as a place to be — not just a place to invest — the change that took effect on 6 March 2026 is the significant one.
Previously, AIP visa holders were effectively prevented from buying residential property unless they met the “ordinarily resident” test: 12 months of physical presence and New Zealand tax residency. For someone running their life from Singapore, Dubai, or London, that threshold was simply incompatible with how they operate.
The law change removes that barrier. AIP visa holders can now buy or build one residential property valued at NZ$5 million or more, subject to Overseas Investment Act consent — a process now expected to be completed within five working days, with limited grounds for refusal and lower application fees than the standard overseas investment pathway.
A few important details: the property cannot sit on otherwise sensitive land (large rural blocks, coastal foreshore), must not be contrary to the national interest, and does not count toward the qualifying AIP investment. It sits alongside the visa, not within it. If you upgrade to a different property, the original must be sold first.
What this means in practice is that an investor can now hold permanent New Zealand residency, own a significant property here, and be required to spend as few as seven days a year in the country to maintain compliance. The property can be managed professionally on their behalf between visits. For a certain type of investor — one who wants New Zealand in their life without New Zealand becoming their whole life — this is a genuinely different proposition than it was twelve months ago.
Who Is Paying Attention?
Top applicant nationalities to date include investors from the United States, China, Singapore, Hong Kong, India, the United Kingdom, Japan, Germany, the UAE, and Australia. The spread is notable — this is not proximity driving interest, it is confidence in New Zealand’s stability, its legal framework, and the quality of life on offer.
Add a New Zealand passport after five years of residency, and the package becomes something worth examining seriously.
The government has also backed the programme with real infrastructure. Invest New Zealand, funded to the tune of NZ$85 million, provides free advisory support to all AIP applicants — an unusual level of institutional commitment for an investor visa programme.
Getting the On-the-Ground Piece Right
A visa and a budget are not, on their own, enough. The investors who navigate this well are those who have someone in New Zealand who actually knows the market — properties that never reach open listing, regions that hold their value, professionals whose work can be trusted rather than simply engaged.
This is what HCNZ does. We work with a small number of global investors and their advisors at any one time — covering property identification and independent representation through acquisition, oversight of development and building projects, and the ongoing management of New Zealand assets for owners based overseas. Our role sits alongside the immigration lawyers and financial advisors who handle the structure and the visa; we handle everything that requires a trusted presence on the ground.
The March 2026 property change makes that last part particularly relevant. Owning a significant home in a country you visit a handful of times a year works well — but only if someone is properly looking after it in between.
If you are an investor thinking through what a New Zealand foothold might look like, or an advisor with a client who is, we are happy to have a chat and see if there is a fit.
David Hiatt @ HCNZ
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NOTE: Prospective applicants should seek independent legal, immigration, and tax advice appropriate to their circumstances.
