New Zealand Entrepreneur Visa: 2025 Changes and Residency
The entrepreneur work visa closed to new applicants in 2025. Here is what is still open: the residence pathway for current holders, and the new visa for newcomers.
Plenty of people want to build a business in New Zealand and stay for the long haul. For years the entrepreneur visa was the route that tied those two goals together. That pathway changed in 2025, so it is worth understanding what is still open, what has closed and which visa now fits your situation.
The big change: the Entrepreneur Work Visa stopped taking new applications on 26 August 2025. The Entrepreneur Resident Visa stays open for people who already hold that work visa, and a new Business Investor Visa now covers newcomers.
What Changed in 2025
Immigration New Zealand closed the Entrepreneur Work Visa to new applications on 26 August 2025 and introduced the Business Investor Visa, which opened on 24 November 2025. The two visas work quite differently, so the right one depends on where you are in the journey.
- Already hold an Entrepreneur Work Visa? You can keep running your business and still apply for the Entrepreneur Resident Visa. That residence category has not closed.
- Starting fresh from overseas? The entrepreneur route is no longer open to you. The Business Investor Visa is the new pathway, and it asks for a larger, more hands-off investment in an existing New Zealand business.
The Entrepreneur Resident Visa: For Existing Holders
If you are already on an Entrepreneur Work Visa, the residence step is unchanged. There are two ways to qualify. Most applicants take the standard two-year route. The faster six-month route asks for a much larger investment and real jobs up front.
| Requirement | Standard route | Fast-track route |
|---|---|---|
| Time operating the business | At least 2 years | At least 6 months |
| Minimum investment | In line with your approved business plan | At least NZ$500,000 |
| Jobs for New Zealanders | Expected, in line with your plan | At least 3 full-time roles |
Both routes still ask you to prove the business is trading successfully and following the plan you first submitted.
What You Have to Prove
Beyond time and money, the resident visa turns on evidence. You will need to show:
- A successful business that benefits New Zealand. It has to match the plan you submitted for your work visa and add real value to the economy, through jobs, exports, new products or investment.
- Clean compliance. The business must follow New Zealand employment and immigration law: fair wages, correct leave and only hiring people allowed to work here. Minor slips can be forgiven if you fix them and they are clearly minor.
- English language ability. The main applicant, a partner and any children aged 16 or over need to meet the minimum English standard.
- Health and character. You and your family need to pass health and character checks, which means good health and no serious convictions.
- No benefit history. You cannot have drawn welfare while on a temporary visa.
The Business Investor Visa: For New Applicants
The Business Investor Visa is aimed at experienced people who want to invest in and help grow an established New Zealand business, rather than start one from scratch. It offers two tiers, and the size of your investment sets how fast you reach residence.
| Requirement | NZ$1 million option | NZ$2 million fast-track |
|---|---|---|
| Investment in an existing NZ business | NZ$1 million | NZ$2 million |
| Time to residence | 3-year work-to-residence | 12-month fast-track |
| Reserve funds to support your family | At least NZ$500,000 | At least NZ$500,000 |
| Staff the business employs | At least 5 full-time equivalent | At least 5 full-time equivalent |
You also need to be aged 55 or younger when you apply, meet an English standard of IELTS 5.0 or equivalent, and pass the usual health and character checks. Application costs sit at around NZ$12,380. Because this visa is about buying into a going concern rather than founding one, the due diligence on the business you invest in matters as much as the paperwork on you.
Can a Foreigner Start a Business in New Zealand?
Yes. Registering a company is separate from getting a visa: anyone can set one up through the Companies Office, though a New Zealand company needs at least one director who lives in New Zealand or Australia. What changed in 2025 is the immigration side. There is no longer a start-up visa for newcomers, so if you want to both found a business here and live here, you will usually need the Business Investor Visa or another work visa that lets you run it. Once you are set up, our step-by-step guide to starting a business in New Zealand walks through structure, registration and tax.
How to Apply
Applications go through Immigration New Zealand. Whichever visa fits, the core of any application is proof, so expect to hand over:
- Evidence of your investment and where the money came from.
- Proof the business is trading and, for residence, following its plan.
- Records of the jobs the business supports.
- Your health, character and English results.
Many applicants work with a licensed immigration adviser, especially where the financial bar is high. It is worth budgeting for that help.
Is It Worth It?
For the right person, yes. New Zealand is a small market, but it is stable, English-speaking and an easy place to do business by world standards. Founders who have built here, from young entrepreneurs just getting started to established names, tend to talk about the same things: the short lines to decision-makers, the trust, the lifestyle. If you have a real business and the patience for the process, these visas turn a temporary stay into a permanent one.
Still deciding what to build? Our guide to business ideas you can start in New Zealand is a good place to begin.
This article is general information, not immigration advice. Visa categories and criteria change: always confirm the current rules with Immigration New Zealand or a licensed immigration adviser before applying.
