Study in New Zealand: Fees, Intakes, Universities, Jobs for Filipino Students

Tuition runs NZ $22,000 to NZ $35,000 a year for most courses, with specialised programmes costing more. On top of tuition, Immigration New Zealand requires proof of NZ $20,000 a year for living costs, held separately from your tuition funds.

Not directly, but there is a clear pathway. Graduates of a Bachelor's degree or higher can apply for the Post Study Work Visa, then use that New Zealand work experience to qualify for the Skilled Migrant Category residence visa, which from August 2026 requires as little as 2 years of skilled work experience for most graduates.

The Philippines is significantly cheaper for day-to-day living. New Zealand's cost of living is high by regional standards, which is exactly why Immigration New Zealand requires proof of NZ $20,000 a year in funds before granting a student visa; that figure reflects real local costs, not a formality.

On top of tuition fees, international students require a bank balance of NZ $20,000 for each year of tertiary study, or NZ $1,667 a month if your course runs for less than a year. Filipino citizens can use the Funds Transfer Scheme to access these funds once in New Zealand rather than showing the full amount upfront in a home bank account.

Healthcare (especially nursing), construction, engineering, and IT are the most in-demand fields, all listed on New Zealand's Green List, which carries faster work visa and residence pathways for eligible qualifications.

A Fee Paying Student Visa is issued for the length of your paid course, up to a maximum of 4 years, or until your passport expires if that comes sooner.

Yes. Graduates of a Level 7 Bachelor's degree or higher can apply for the Post Study Work Visa, granting up to 3 years of open work rights with no job offer required, matching the length of your qualification for degree-level study.

Immigration New Zealand processes 80% of Fee Paying Student Visa applications within 8 weeks. While INZ does not publish a single official approval rate, most refusals stem from incomplete financial evidence or an unclear study plan rather than nationality-based barriers.

Not on the same application. Your partner or dependent children must apply separately. Partners may qualify for an open work visa if you are studying a Master's or PhD (any field) or a Bachelor's degree in a Green List occupation such as nursing or engineering; otherwise, they can only apply for a visitor visa without work rights.

Your living costs can be covered by yourself, a sponsor (an organisation or individual, including family or friends), or a guarantor who completes a Financial Undertaking for a Student form and provides evidence of their own funds.

Your spouse can work while you study in New Zealand if your course qualifies.

• Level 9 (Master’s) & Level 10 (PhD): Partners automatically qualify for an Open Work Visa across any field of study.
• Level 7 (Bachelor’s) & Level 8 (Postgraduate Diploma / Honours): Partners qualify only if the student's qualification directly maps to a role on INZ's Green List (e.g., Nursing, Engineering, Early Childhood Teaching).
• Other / Non-Green List Level 7–8: Partners are not eligible for an open work visa (they can only apply for a standard Visitor Visa).

Yes. You can reapply after addressing the reasons for refusal, most commonly incomplete financial documentation or an unclear study plan. There is no set penalty period for reapplying, but a fresh Offer of Place and updated evidence strengthen a new application.

New Zealand does not publish a single official refusal rate the way some countries do, but Immigration New Zealand notes that most declines come down to insufficient funds, an incomplete Offer of Place, or unclear genuine intentions to study, all avoidable with careful preparation.

Yes, through a new application addressing the original refusal reasons. Immigration New Zealand does not offer a formal appeal for most student visa declines, so a corrected reapplication with stronger evidence is the standard route back in.